You might not know it from the cold weather but, as of March 20th, it’s officially spring. Instead of giving in to the cold and spending another week locked away inside your room waiting for nature to bloom, you could bring nature to you! Indoor plants can improve air quality, help promote better mental health, and have been shown to reduce stress.
I don’t have the greenest thumb and haven’t ever been super successful growing plants like succulents in the past. Going into this year I was worried I may not be the best plant mother, but I researched some easy to care for plants before buying and found the perfect plants for me. Hopefully, they’ll be perfect for you as well. I also found some surprising plant facts along the way.
Two of my favorite easy-to-care-for plants I’ve kept alive all school year are the spider plant and the nerve plant.
Nerve Plants
A lot of gardening websites will say these plants are for more experienced gardeners but I’ve found that not to be true. In my experience, these plants are super easy to take care of. They recover quickly, are super forgiving to mistakes, and you can see the results of inadequate care within a day.
How do you see this you ask? They faint. That’s right, these buddies have taken a few drama classes. The leaves and stems will go limp either when they’re underwatered or overwatered. So, if your little plant buddy is looking sad, touch the soil. If it’s wet or moist to the touch you’re overwatering it. If the soil is dry to the touch feed that your plant some water.
These plants do great in indirect sunlight so they’re perfect for the typical cave-like dorm room. They are also non-toxic so if you have a pet living with you it isn’t the end of the world if they ingest its leaves.
I purchased mine from Green Thumb Artistry at 55 E 3rd St. in downtown Winona.
Spider Plants
These plants look perfect in hanging baskets and are super easy to grow. They need frequent watering. They produce many babies making them great for students on a budget searching for the perfect gift for friends or family. They are also non-toxic to pets so you don’t have to worry about your furry friend chewing on the leaves. Spider plants like bright light and room temperatures.
Important Care Tips for Plants
- Over and underwatering doesn’t actually refer to the amount of water you give a plant, but it’s the frequency you water them. Touching the soil to see if it is damp or dry is an easy indicator see if the plant needs to be watered.
- It’s important to repot plants you buy from the store in a larger pot. This is so the plant and its roots have room to grow and spread.
- Make sure the new pot has good drainage. This is so excess water doesn’t get trapped in the soil which can cause the roots to rot.
