6 Things New Plant Owners Should Know

If you are brand new to owning and taking care of houseplants, there are a few things to 
know before you get started. These tips can help no matter what kind of plant you 
decide to get.


Benefits of Bringing Plants Into Your Home

There are some amazing benefits to having more real plants in your home. Houseplants 
can filter and purify the air, which is why it feels like you get better oxygen when you 
have plants in your home. They also do a great job at boosting your mood and just 
making you feel happier. Plus, caring for them can become a way to practice self-care, 
as it really helps you feel more in touch with nature.


1. Research Before You Buy

It is tempting to pick out the cutest houseplant you can find at the nursery, but each 
plant requires a different level of care. The type of light it needs, how much to water it, 
even the way you repot it might differ from plant to plant. This is why it is so important to 
do your research and know what you’re looking for. 

This is especially true if you are a new plant owner, since some plants are naturally 
better for beginners as they are low-maintenance. In time, you can start getting plants 
that require more care, but to start, choose from the houseplants that are easy to care 
for inside your home.

Which Houseplants Are Best for New Plant Owners?

Snake plant
Spider plant
Peace lily
Monstera
Palms
Aloe vera


2. Don’t Repot it Right Away

One thing new plant owners don’t realize is that your plants need to be acclimated to 
your indoor home environment. They have been at the nursery’s environment, likely a 
green house, for a while, so it’s not going to immediately adjust to the change in light 
and temperature of your home. 

Keep your new plant in the nursery’s pot for a few days or up to a week before you 
move it to the cute pot you picked up. When you do choose a new pot for your 
houseplants, choose one that is made of porous materials, which will improve how well 
it drains when you water the plant. 

Some pots that are more porous include those made of ceramic, wood, and 
earthenware. As always, make sure the pot has holes in the bottom for drainage.


3. Find Your Light and Plant Placement

When deciding where to place your plant, there are a few things to consider, including 
how much light it needs and whether or not it needs to be kept away from your pets. 
You likely found all of this out during the research phase, but you also need to consider 
how much light and sun different areas of your home get.

You might have a nice big window that seems like it gets enough sunlight, but then you 
realize there is an umbrella or other outdoor furniture that blocks the sun from really 
getting inside. This is when you need to make some adjustments to ensure you are 
choosing the proper location for your plant. 

Plants That Don’t Need Much Light

If you live in an apartment or your home doesn’t get a lot of direct, natural sunlight, then 
you can look for houseplants that don’t require as much light. This might include:

Devil’s ivy
Weeping fig tree
Spider plant
Silver pothos
Calathea
Snake plant

Be Careful if You Have Cats

While dogs typically can’t jump up as high as cats can, you also need to be concerned 
about plants that are toxic to them. But cats are especially at risk because they can 
jump just about anywhere in your home and sniff the plant. Either don’t include these 
houseplants if you have cats, or keep them in a place your cats can’t get to:

Aloe vera
Peace lily
Pothos
Sago palm
Jade plants


4. Choose Your Soil Based on the Type of Plant

The soil you use is also really important, and determined by the environment that plant 
natively grows in. There are many soil mixes meant for houseplants, but your plant will 
likely do better with a more specialized soil, depending on the type of plant and what 
environment it is accustomed to. It is also good to look into if your type of houseplant 
needs fertilizer for extra nutrients.

Houseplants don’t typically do well just with dirt from outside, because they need room 
for root growth and drainage in the pot. Therefore, a combination of coconut fiber, wood 
fiber, peat moss, sand, and other materials work best for soil. 

For most houseplants, an all-purpose potting mix meant for indoor plants should work 
well enough. However, if you are growing succulents or cacti in pots, you want to get a 
mix specifically for these varieties of plants. They often include denser and more 
alkaline materials.



5. Water Your Plant, But Not Too Much

In general, it is better to slightly underwater houseplants, than to overwater them. It can 
be tempting to constantly look at your plant and assume it needs to be watered again, 
but this is a mistake. A good way to start with watering is to fill up the pot to about a 
quarter of its volume in water, then let the water naturally drain out. Keep doing this 
every few days until you notice the water isn’t draining out as much; that is typically 
when it has enough water. 

You also need to be aware of what plants need more or less water, which should be 
included on the care instructions. For example, succulents tend to need the least 
amount of watering, about every 2 weeks. Aloe, peace lily, and snake plants all do well 
with watering about every 10-12 days, while plants like spider plants and palms need 
watering about once a week.


6. Pay Attention to the Leaves

The leaves of your houseplants can tell you a lot about how they’re doing. If you aren’t 
sure if you are watering your plant often enough, the leaves on your plant will tell you. 
When your leaves are wilting and getting dry, it is typically a sign that you need to water 
your plant a little more often. Remove these leaves from the plant with some pruning 
shears. 

On the other hand, if the leaves are brown at the tip, but seem damp and weak, you 
might be watering your plant a little too much. You can also look for damage from 
possible insects as a sign that you need to address that issue.



