The Best Plants for Each Room of Your Apartment
House plants are a trendy way to bring the tranquility of the outdoors into any apartment home, but it can be challenging to know which plants to get. Whether you have a green thumb or a black one, this guide will help you decide which plants to buy for each room of your home.
Plants for Your Bedroom or Living Room
The amount of light that bedrooms and living rooms get throughout the day varies depending on the direction your apartment home is facing. Here are a few plants that do well in a range of lighting conditions:
Cast Iron Plant
What makes them special: The cast iron plant is as durable as the object it is named after, so if you are nervous about keeping a plant alive or simply want a low-maintenance plant with attractive dark green long leaves, this is the plant for you.
Lighting: This plant is the best choice for a dimly lit room as it thrives on minimal and indirect sunlight.
Planter: As with most house plants, it is imperative that the pot of your choice has a drainage hole. Surround the roots with a well-draining potting mix.
Maintenance: The hardiness of this plant extends to the amount of watering it requires. While this plant can withstand weeks of neglect, it is recommended that you allow the top two inches of the soil to dry before each watering.
Pothos
What makes them special: Pothos is an incredibly easy and prolific houseplant making it the perfect choice for any home. According to a study conducted by NASA, pothos plants improve air quality by absorbing toxins that may be present the environment, including carbon monoxide and formaldehyde.
Lighting: These hardy plants survive a variety of lighting conditions, including low to bright indirect light.
Planter: Keep in mind that pothos is an ivy, that if allowed, will grow long vines, so a hanging basket or trellis is a perfect complement for this plant. To prevent root rot, it is best to choose a pot with a drainage hole and buy a well-draining potting mix.
Maintenance: Pothos is known to grow up to 40 feet long, so it is important to prune vines to prevent tangling. Rotate the plant every so often to encourage even growth, and dust leaves periodically to allow proper photosynthesis. To avoid bacterial problems, make sure that you water the base of the plant when the top two inches of the soil are dry.
Snake Plant
What makes them special: Snake plants are a popular option for anyone interested in striking décor. The leaves of this plant are stiff and upright but aesthetically beautiful in color - typically light or dark green with a yellow line bordering the leaves. This plant is tolerant and can withstand weeks of neglect while also purifying the air in your home by removing toxins like formaldehyde and benzene.
Lighting: Keep this plant away from direct sunlight.
Planter: Ensure that you purchase well-draining soil and a pot with a drainage hole to prevent root rot.
Maintenance: This easy-care plant only requires water when the top two inches of the soil are dry.
French Lavender
What makes them special: While it is an unconventional indoor plant, a small French lavender plant adds a pop of color to any apartment, and with the right light and care, it can thrive. In addition to its beautiful and fragrant flowers, lavender repels mosquitoes and fleas. You can even place a few bundles of flowers in your closet to repel moths.
Lighting: Lavender requires a minimum of 6 hours of sunshine per day to promote growth and fragrance, so make sure you place it close to a sunny window. If you do not have a sunny room in your home, you can mimic sunlight by placing fluorescent tubes a few inches above the lavender.
Planter: Lavender does not tolerate excess soil moisture, so it is necessary to prevent waterlogging and root rotting by using a well-draining and alkaline potting mix. Incorporating sand can also improve drainage. You’ll want to choose a terra cotta pot with a drainage hole that is one to two inches larger than the plant’s root ball.
Maintenance: French lavender blooms continuously from spring to fall. During the first bloom of the season, cut 1/6 below the flower wands just above the wood. This allows the plant to use its energy to create stronger roots and encourage lateral branching for its next bloom. Make sure that you use sharp hand pruners for a clean cut. Remove dead flowers throughout the blooming season and prune a second time late in the summer. Water your plant when the topsoil is dry to the touch.
Perfect Plants for Your Bathroom
Bathroom environments are not ideal for many house plants as they often do not like humid environments for long periods of time. Some plants develop powdery mildew when they are kept in high-humidity environments. As with all houseplants, the success of the plant depends on the amount of light and water present. Here are some of the most bathroom-friendly house plants:
Pinstripe
What makes them special: As its name indicates, pinstripe plants boast beautiful leaves with striking white stripes and red or purple undersides. This compact plant will purify the air in your bathroom while thriving in its high humidity.
Lighting: Keep your plant in bright, indirect light.
Planter: A peat-based soil and a pot with a drainage hole will keep your plant healthy.
Maintenance: Because pinstripe plants are tropical, make sure that you do not let the soil dry out over long periods of time. Keep the soil evenly moist, but do not overwater.
Watermelon Peperomia
What makes them special: Although this small tropical plant is hard to find, the search for one will be well worth it. Its green leaves are lined with thick white stripes that resemble the pattern of a watermelon.
Lighting: While watermelon peperomias like bright sunlight, keep your plant away from direct sun to prevent burnt leaves.
Planter: A well-draining soil will keep the roots from rotting. Pick a pot that is snug as this plant likes to be pot bound.
Maintenance: Water only when the topsoil is dry.
Lemon Buttons Fern
What makes them special: Like most ferns, lemon button ferns will flourish in the humidity and temperature fluctuations of a bathroom. What makes this type of fern unique is its compact size - it only grows up to 12 inches tall.
Lighting: Keep this fern in moderate or bright light.
Planter: Plant your fern in a pot with a drainage hole and a well-draining potting mix.
Maintenance: This plant does not do well in the cold. Water thoroughly to saturate the soil and water again when the top 2 inches of soil feel dry to the touch.
Plants for Your Kitchen
The kitchen can be the perfect spot for a variety of plants that can add beauty to the environment while spicing up your cooking.
Basil
What makes them special: Keep mosquitoes at bay with an easy-care basil plant. Fresh basil is an excellent addition in pastas, soups, salads, and more.
Lighting: If your kitchen is sunny, this plant will thrive. It requires at least six hours of direct sunlight each day.
Planter: Basil should be planted in a well-drained and nutrient-rich soil, which should be kept somewhat moist. Be careful not to overwater as it is prone to root rot.
Maintenance: Basil can grow up to 24 inches tall. You’ll want to pinch off the younger leaves first and avoid picking more than a third of the plant at any one time.
Mint
What makes them special: Mint is a great addition to a kitchen for any cook since it can be used in tasty dishes or fresh cups of tea.
Lighting: Mint will grow happily in an environment with indirect sunlight.
Planter: Select a wide container rather than a deep one to prevent the roots from tangling with themselves.
Maintenance: Humidity is an important factor in keeping mint happy. Make sure to keep the soil evenly moist but try not to overwater.
Rosemary
What makes it special: Although not traditionally an indoor plant, rosemary is a great addition to any home thanks to its aromatic properties. As a bonus, it makes an excellent natural repellent against mosquitoes, silverfish, and moths.
Lighting: Rosemary requires between six to eight hours of sunlight each day. Meet the light requirements by placing the plant by a sunny window or supplement it with artificial LED lights.
Planter: It is important to keep the roots dry with a well-draining soil and by adding small rocks to the drainage pan so that the soil does not have contact with water. Rosemary likes to be snug, so pick a pot that matches the size of your plant. If the above-ground growth is six inches long, then the pot should be at least six inches deep.
Maintenance: Water the soil every two weeks if the soil is dry to the touch. Be careful not to keep the soil soggy for too long as it will cause root rot.
No matter which leafy greens you choose to bring home, you’re sure to enjoy the beauty and benefits they provide. Get out there and start collecting, and soon you’ll have a house plant in every room!
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