In my previous post, I mention how I worked an amazing job at a greenhouse/garden center, called Green Thumbers. Through my experience there I was able to work with outdoor plants, such as annuals, perennials, shrubs, and trees. I was also able to help in the indoor greenhouse which soon became my favorite place. We had amazing indoor and tropical plants of all varieties. Shortly after, I was offered the position of ‘plant maintenance’. This means I would drive to different business locations and care for their indoor and tropical plants.
Between the indoor greenhouse and my plant maintenance position, I was able to work hands-on with different varieties of plants in various lighting situations and different environments. This is where I learned which plants can handle the ‘new plant parent’ kind of love. Here is a list of a few plants that are hard to kill and the easiest to start with.
Plants That Are Low Maintenance
Spider Plants
The Spider Plant is the only plant I have left from my ‘killing spree’ in 2016. This shows you how resilient this plant really is! It’s been with me through 2 out-of-state moves and still continues to thrive. It takes part shade to partial sun; however, I’ve found it does best in bright, indirect light. It likes once a week watering but always check to make sure the soil isn’t still moist before you water. I’ve had times where it goes 2-3 weeks without being watered (oops) and it still holds on great. As far as repotting goes, this plant will give out more spider babies if they’re root bound. The shoots start with small white flowers and turn into little baby spider plant. They like to be tight and cozy in their pots. Until you see the roots growing out of the bottom, it shouldn’t need repotted.
Golden Pothos, Golden Philodendron
The Golden Pothos is a golden choice when it comes to hard-to-kill plants. It thrives in almost any condition it’s given. The Golden Pothos will survive in a variety of lighting environments. In a dark, shady corner, no natural light at all such as fluorescent lighting, or in bright window. It’s a tolerant plant when it comes to hit or miss watering schedules too. Preferably, it likes once a week watering. The easiest way to tell is to stick your finger in the soil about an inch deep. If it’s dry, give it a good drink. These plants are able to withstand some serious neglect, tolerating dry conditions for an extended period of time. When you start to see roots protruding out of the bottom of the pot or the plant start to send aerial roots out in search of new soil, that’s a great indicator it’s time to repot.
Succulent
Succulents are some of the easiest plants to start with. They come in many different varieties offering unique colors, blooms, and shapes. Succulents love anywhere from 4-6 hours of bright, indirect sunlight making them a great windowsill plant. They use a cactus/succulent potting mix that you can find pre-made at the stores or easy DIY potting soil recipes which allow for excellent air circulation. A succulent’s native environment is dry and arid with lots of sun and little water. This means they’re very drought-tolerant and forgiving. The watering will depend on the age of the succulent. However, generally speaking, they require about every 2 weeks watering. Being that they’re used to desert environments, damp soil is not their preference.
For More Information
If you have questions concerning what each lighting term means, especially for indoors, see my post about lighting.
For questions about how to properly water your indoor plants or how to tell when they really need water, see my post about watering.
If you have questions about how to repot your indoor plants or when to know it’s time to repot, see my post about repotting.
