A beginner friendly guide to all things plants

Written By Kristine Martin

Plants are a staple in my house. I probably have anywhere from 6-12 in every room and I’m quite frankly obsessed. I haven’t always been this way though.

I started off by keeping one single golden pothos alive in 2017. After buying our second home, the plant bug struck me hard and it’s been quite

Really, what I’m trying to say is that you can start today. I often hear people say that they don’t have a green thumb and they kill everything they buy. I don’t believe that, though. There are a few simple rules to follow (or a few simpler plants to buy) to keep your life green, oxygenated, and beautiful. Here’s how I turned my home from plant scares into a plant sanctuary.

The basics —

All plants absolutely, positively need 3 things: light, water, and some love. This post will take you through how to make sure your plants most basic needs are met with some additional bonuses on how to really make them thrive.

The Easiest Starters

philodendron heartleaf / pothos jade / philodendron neon / peperomia hope / ficus burgandy / hoya crimson queen / monstera deliciosa / zz / hoya burtoniae / ficus moclame

Light

As a general rule of thumb, don’t listen to the little tags that come on your plant. I’m often horrified by how misleading some companies present light requirements. I’ve picked up hoyas that are labeled “low light” and pothos that require “bright light”.

If you didn’t already know, there is literally no such thing as a low light plant. All plants need light. Yes, some plants need more than others but no plant can really survive - let alone thrive - with little to no light. To know your plant is to look it up and do some research.

TIP: A super quick way to figure out what kind of plant you have (or are buying) is to take a picture and use the smart look-up built right into your phone. Click on the little information sign that pops up after taking your phot.

I love how this little image shows just how much light each window can produce. Unobstructed south windows give off the most light, then west, east, and north. Your big light-lovers (ficus, monstera, succulents, or any highly variegated variety) are going to want to kiss a south window and your more shy, cuddly plant babies (darker, smaller leaved varieties) are going to want to snuggle with an east or to the side of a south/west. Few plants will love a north window.

TIP: I use the compass on my phone to quickly determine the direction of our windows to decide what will be best and where.

Water

Your plant is far more likely to die from being overwatered than underwatered. The key to success with all things plants is to water fully and leave it until next time. In order to water a plant fully, you need to wait until water runs out of the drainage hole. So yes, you also need a drainage hole. A pot without drainage is a sure fire way to kill your new investment.

Be sure to get to know your plant and it’s watering needs. A water schedule like “Water Wednesday” or “Thirsty Thursday” just shouldn’t be a thing. Sure, you can pick a day that you dedicate more time to your plants but please don’t just check on them one day out of the week. Or - more importantly - don’t just go around haphazardly watering them simply because it is Wednesday or Thursday. Feel the dirt. Is it wet? Then your plant doesn’t need water.

You can go and buy water meters and gadgets on Amazon but honestly, they’re not worth it. Stick a skewer (or your finger) into the dirt and see what your plant needs. It will love you for your extra care.

Something that often isn’t mentioned —

Starting with a super healthy, well-cared for plant is half the battle. If you get a plant from a big box store that’s been recently propagated and thrown into a new pot, it’s going to struggle no matter how green your thumb is.

Here are some of my favorite places to get plants:

  • Local nurseries. For my local friends - Moscarillo’s Garden Shop in West Harford and Torrington, CT is a must or Seed to Stem in Worcester, MA.

  • Big Box Stores for super attainable prices but just double check the quality/health of the plant

  • We Are Plant Lovers (online). I have ordered from Hannah countless times and the quality is just unmatched. Her plants come in tip-top shape. They’re packages to perfection.

  • Eureka Farms (online). I’ve gotten all of my bigger trees from Eureka. I love their customer service! I was looking for a Ficus Audrey at a specific height and shape. They literally saved and grew one out for me.

So you’re ready to take plant-care up a level —

Fertilizer

Plants need fertilizer like we need food. Yes, we can survive on a liquid diet for a little while but certainly not forever and neither can your plants.

I have two fertilizers I know and love.

Foliage Pro on Amazon or Plant Food by Happy Happy Houseplant. Both are absolutely incredible and perfect for your houseplants.

This Monstera Deliciosa has lived in the same room for 2 years and has quadrupled in size with light, fertilizer, and some occasional cleaning.

Leaf Care & Pests

Keeping on top of pests should be your #1 priority after lighting and fertilizer. Some plants are naturally more susceptible to pests like spider mites, mealy bugs, and thrips. I treat all of my plants with Plant Bar Co projects. I am especially fond of their “Dead AF” product. For general maintenance, I use Leaf Wellness. See image caption for discount code.

Use THIS LINK or “Martin10” at checkout to save 10%.

Grow Lights

Grow lights aren’t something you need for your plants. However, if you drool over big, full, beautiful plants online, then they’re something you definitely want to begin investing in. Grow lights don’t have to feel totally overwhelming. You can simply add them into lamps you already have or add extra pendant lighting to accommodate.

I most frequently use grow lights during winter months. I especially use them over the plants I bring inside after summer days have gone cold. When your plant gets used to direct, natural light and then you bring it indoors, it can get angry. Grow lights help make the transition a bit smoother.

Grow look-a-like Bulbs

To give my plants a little boost, I have these seemingly regular bulbs all over my house in inconspicuous spots. I particularly love using them in pendant lighting above plants or in my floor lamps. You can see a lamp that I have here.

Peperomia Hope and Hoya Lisa under a grow light in the floor lamp.

HERE are the bulbs I particularly like. I like that they have a bit higher of a lumen rating than others. Note: they are not dimmable. If you want dimmable ones, you’ll have to spend a bit more like these ones HERE.

Clip on Grow Lights

Heartleaf Philodendron with a clip-on grow light

If you don’t have any overhead lighting but know that your plant might need a little extra sun, the Sansi Clip-On Grow Light is another favorite of mine. It’s powerful enough to give your plant that extra kiss of “sun” but small enough to be inconspicuous. It also runs off of a built-in timer so you have the ability to set it and forget it. I love adding these to plants I have on my mantel, shelves, or tables in the middle of rooms.

The grow light of all grow lights

The mama of all grow lights is the Sansi 36 Watt. This grow light is an absolute powerhouse. I don’t recommend using it over smaller plants and certainly not too close to any tender leaves. I only use this big one above my tallest tress - primarily my Ficus.

You can see the bulb tucked within this pendant shade.

Find the SANSI 36W Grow Light here.

SANSI also makes it in a 15W for plants that can’t handle or don’t need as much light.

Plug-In Pendant Lighting

While grow lights aren’t totally necessary, they really are a great added bonus. However, they’re not always the most aesthetically pleasing accent pieces. I love to hide them in beautiful pendant lights. I find plug ins to be the easiest so I don’t have to deal with hardwiring electricity. Wiring is way beyond my capabilities.

Beaded pendant / Flower pendant / Black rattan pendant / Ivory woven rope pendant / Glass pendant / Pleated pendant / Black shade pendant / Gold shade pendant / Ivory woven pendant

These pendant lights are at various price points. All of them come with the pretty pendant fixture and the cord/switch needed to plug it in and turn it on and off. They’re an all-in-one piece!

Other fun things

Planters

I love THESE little clips for my climbing plants. You can barely see them and they give the plant quite 

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What else do you need to know?

Head over to Instagram and let’s talk all things plants! I’m happy to give you recommendations based on your specific room and location, too!

Kristine Martin
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