Creating an Indoor Plant Oasis With Local Plant Shop Baby Greens | GLDN

We invited our friends at Baby Greens, our local plant shop here in Bellingham, to talk about what they do best—how to grow indoor plants. Simple indoor plants can bring so much energy and life to your space, turning your home or office into a jungle oasis. They joined us to share some simple steps you can add into your routine to keep your plants thriving and your space green as can be.

 

 

Humidity

One of our favorite ways to start each morning at the shop is by increasing the humidity for all of our tropical plants. Some simple ways to do this at home are to lightly mist your plants or use a humidifier to keep your lush tropical plants hydrated and their leaves in their best condition. All of your plants originating from the rainforests and jungles around the world will love you for the extra care to replicate the humidity of their home environments.

Temperature

• Aim to keep indoor plants in a warm environment with some air circulation, and rotate its face!
• Almost all houseplants need a minimum temperature of 55ºF to survive. Keep plants away from areas of cold drafts in the winter. The warmer it gets for houseplants, the happier they are!

Airflow

• Airflow is crucial to maintaining a healthy house plant. This can easily be achieved by running ceiling fans in your home to keep the air circulating.
• Still air, on the other hand, can cause a host of ailments in your houseplant. That's why all greenhouses have those giant fans running.

 

 

Plant pot position

• If your plant is in a sunny location, it's important to give it a small rotation regularly to ensure even growth—house plant care 101!
• If you imagine the “face” of your plant is facing the main light source, turn the plant one-quarter turn each week to help guarantee even growth.

Pruning

Pruning is such an important step in caring for houseplants. Our house plants use their energy to either repair or to grow. If there are leaves or sections of your plant that are damaged or not doing well, your plant will be using its energy attempting to repair these areas rather than producing new growth. Prune back your plant often to keep only the best leaves and stems and you will experience fuller, healthier growth!

Dusting

• How to care for indoor plants? Regular cleaning! Dust collects on leaves, so wash them with a gentle shower of room-temperature water or dust them with a soft brush if the plants have hairy leaves (which can hold onto moisture and encourage disease).
• For plants with smooth leaves, you can also use a cloth to gently wipe away any dust that collects on leaves. Not only does this improve your plant's appearance, but it'll actually help it to soak up more light.

 

 

Fertilizing

• Although plants carry out photosynthesis to process the sugars they need to survive, they also need a more direct form of food to carry out growing processes. Providing fertilizers is a surefire way to care for houseplants and ensure they will remain happy and healthy.
• The food can be delivered via a granule that breaks down over time, or it can be added more directly via a water soluble fertilizer. Granules generally need to be applied once every few months, while water soluble fertilizers should be applied every two weeks or so. Read the directions on a specific fertilizer to see what is recommended.

 

 

Care Routines

Another tip on how to care for houseplants: incorporate your plant care into your favorite self-care routines! Set a simple habit of checking in with your plants 1-2 times a week. We love to do this in the evenings with a glass of wine and our favorite playlist, watering what is thirsty, pruning where needed and propagating plants to grow more. Make time to really enjoy the process. Whether you do it in the mornings before work, after your afternoon nap, or in the evening with a face mask, incorporate your favorite happy moments into your plant care routine.

Experiment

Play with the varying colors, textures and growth patterns of your indoor house plants. They originate from all over the world and each bring a unique design element to your space. Get creative with the ways in which you group them together, or allow them to stand alone as a statement piece. Plants are unique and ever changing as they grow- allow yourself the freedom to try new combinations and placements as the seasons change or as your style preferences shift.

Houseplants are for everyone. Watching, learning and listening to the needs and preferences of each plant will ensure you are caring for them in their own unique ways. If you ever find yourself in Bellingham, stop by our shop and say hi!

 

 

Houseplants are for everyone. Watching, learning and listening to the needs and preferences of each plant will ensure you are caring for them in their own unique ways. If you ever find yourself in Bellingham, stop by our shop and say hi!

www.babygreens.co
Follow Baby Greens on Instagram!

And if you came here for jewelry—we have some pieces to plant in your collection, too. Shop 25+ meaningful blooms and symbolic foliage in our Flora collection (both of which require zero green thumbs to keep looking gorgeous). 😉