Landscape contractor Jenn Nawada teaches host Kevin O’Connor about the light needs of some different potted plants that even he could keep alive.
Choose Easy, Low-Maintenance Plants
If you’re new to potted plants, it’s best to choose some of the low-maintenance varieties. These are hardy plants that are resilient to pests and disease, and even have some flexible watering needs. Plants like cacti, zebra plant, aloe, ponytail palm, philodendron, ZZ plants, snake plants, and pothos make great first plants.
But You Need to Understand Their Light Needs
Just because a plant is low-maintenance doesn’t mean you can ignore its light needs. Cacti, zebra plant, and aloe require a lot of light (around 6 hours) during the day. Ponytail palms and crotons like bright light, but indirectly. The philodendron, ZZ plant, snake plant, and pothos don’t need direct sunlight or nearly as many hours.
Soil Needs Matter Too
You also need to know these plants’ soil needs. Cacti and zebra plants need chunky, quick-draining soil, and they need to be potted into containers with drain holes (or left in their plastic containers so they can be removed and watered out of their pots). The palms, crotons, philodendron, ZZ plants, snake plants, and pothos need a more organic soil.
Don’t Forget to Water Them
Watering needs vary, as well. High sunlight plants need a lot of water, as the sun pulls the moisture from them. However, low-light plants might only need water once a week. The best way to tell is to dig your finger into the first inch of the soil. If it’s dry, your plant needs water.
Finally, Fertilize
You’ll want to use a water-soluble fertilizer made especially for your plant type. These fertilizers can be mixed with the appropriate amount of water for easy watering, and they are absorbed quickly by the roots.
Resources
Plants and products provided by Weston Nurseries.
High-light Plants
Low-light plants
