Who doesn’t love having plants at home? But then, who knows the best 5 ways to take care of plants? Ah, yes! You might still know everything about the light & watering, but boy! What about all those brown spots, turbid leaves and pests? Now, you might say we’ll go with fake plants. But do they promote any clean air, charm or aroma? No, right?
Hence, I’ve got just the thing for you. I connected with Piyush Kotwal, a plant expert, and he shared 5 ways to care of plants like a pro. These tips are simple, tried & tested, and really effective! So, ready to be a plant guru? Let’s dive in!
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Top Insights
- Some of the best 5 ways to take care of plants include mulching, quarantining new plants, providing drainage, adding Epsom salts & providing spacing.
- You can choose a shredded bark, wood chips, straw, compost, grass clippings, gravel or rubber mulch to retain moisture & maintain soil health!
- You don’t need to get fancy, chemical fertilizers each time. A simple compost made with an equal ratio of wet & dry waste is enough.
- Top Insights
- 5 Ways to Take Care of Plants You'd Wish You Knew Sooner!
- 1. 5 Ways to Take Care of Plants by Mulching
- 2. Provide Proper Drainage & Pot holes
- 3. 5 Ways to Take Care of Plants by Quarantining the New Plants
- 4. Feed Them a Brunch of Epsom Salts
- 5. 5 Ways to Take Care of Plants by Proper Spacing!
- 15+ Expert-Verified Plant Care Tips You Just Can't Miss!
- FAQs
- Conclusion
5 Ways to Take Care of Plants You’d Wish You Knew Sooner!
Well, I know how everyone is already watering, providing sunlight & fertilizing all of their houseplants. Like, you must have already brought all those zinc & AMP fertilizers recommended by most YouTube & Facebook groups. So today, we obviously won’t focus much on this basic stuff!
Let’s go a bit higher & learn the best 5 ways to take care of plants, straight from an expert – Mr. Piyush Kotwal, a full-time plant doctor & a part-time landscape designer from Mumbai.
“You know, plants are like babies. So obviously, you need to care for them as per the season, humidity & weather. Like when it’s cold, you can warm them up with fluorescent lights. Or if it’s hot, you can mist them gently. Also, water them when the top most soil goes dry & prune the dead & stunned growth just like you get an occasional haircut!”
- Remember that cold water can shock the roots. So always go for lukewarm or room temperature water for optimal plant health.
- Always water early in the morning to reduce evaporation & fungal growth
- Let the top 1-2 inch soil dry out between watering. This prevents root rot & any other potential mildew attacks.
But that’s not all! Here are the 5 ways to take care of plants, we concluded from Mr. Kotwal’s interview:
1. 5 Ways to Take Care of Plants by Mulching
Mulching is indeed the best & the easiest method from our list on 5 ways to take care of plants!
So basically, mulching means covering the top soil. Like, with leaves, landscape fabric, shredded bark, grass clippings, straw or even paper. It basically retains moisture in soil, blocks weeds & cools down plant roots. And here are some steps on how to do it efficiently:
- Choose a Mulch: So, you can either go with an organic or inorganic mulch. While organic mulch – shredded bark, pistachio shells, wood chips, straw, compost, grass clippings, or leaves improve soil health, it lasts for 3–4 months only. Inorganic mulches – gravel, pebbles or rubber, on the other hand, last for a year, but don’t boost fertility.
- Prepare the Mulch: Now, you obviously won’t be able to add all your bark and leaves as it is. You must first break or shred it into smaller pieces for even & faster decomposition. Also add over 10% of fresh compost, fertilizer or ash for nutrients.
- Develop the Plant Bed: You’ll obviously have to remove all those weeds, grass & pests before you add mulch around your plant. Also, rake the soil a bit & add some perlite pellets for better air circulation.
- Spread the Mulch: Now, you are ready to spread your mulch around your plant! Just remember to keep a gap of 2–3 inches from the plant stem to reduce rot and pest attacks. Also, your mulch layer could be over 2–4 inches thick as per the plant & pot size.
- Water the Mulch: Finally, water the mulch lightly to help it settle & start the decomposition process. You can eventually add more mulch if it thins out.
Caution: Avoid piling mulch in a volcano-like shape, as it can suffocate the roots & cause fungal problems.
2. Provide Proper Drainage & Pot holes
Uproot your plant carefully & observe the roots. Are they white & firm? Or are they brown or black with a mushy feel. Also, does your plant shed leaves a lot? Like, even the green ones? If yes, then the pot drainage is the culprit!
You see, Mr. Kotwal told us that poor drainage and water-logged soil causes root rot – a fungal infection that kills plants. And, it eventually causes nutrient loss & a high salt buildup that kills your soil too!
So, do remember that all your plants must have at least one drainage hole. Also, you must use a mixture of cactus or loamy, aerated soil instead of full garden soil to reduce retention. One more idea is to add a fine layer of pebbles, gravel or pistachio shells at the bottom to let excess water escape. You could also place a saucer beneath the pot, but be sure to empty it every day. Trust me, it’s one of the best 5 ways to take care of plants if you do it rightly!
Quick Tip: Repot your plants once in every 1–2 years to maintain the natural soil drainage efficiency & texture.
3. 5 Ways to Take Care of Plants by Quarantining the New Plants
You remember how we used to quarantine covid patients back in the challenging & strenuous era of the pandemic? Well, it’s the same with plants! You need to quarantine any plants that may have aphids, spider mites, mealybugs, or fungus gnats & treat them once and for all!
And yes, one of the top victims for such communicable plant diseases are obviously the new plants from a nursery! You see, nurseries are fully open. So these plants carry bacterial, viral or fungal pathogens that ain’t really visible and can damage your garden.
But does that mean you shouldn’t get new plants at all? Well no! You just need to isolate the plant for 2–3 weeks, check the leaves, especially the underside & treat all the infestations with neem oil or soap. You can also use rubbing alcohol, but strictly limit it to less than 5% concentration. Also, repot the plant with a good mix of compost, perlite & garden soil for good health.
And then, if the plant looks healthy & pest-free even after 2–3 weeks, then you can obviously move it to your garden. Sounds like one of the best 5 ways to take care of plants, right?
Quick Tip: Clean and disinfect any tools or pots used for the new plant with a mix of water and rubbing alcohol or bleach solution to sanitize them rightly.
4. Feed Them a Brunch of Epsom Salts
Tell me what all nutrients do you need to live a disease-free life? Iron, Magnesium, Vitamins, Copper…may be some zinc & selenium, right? Well, it’s the same with plants. Like, Mr. Kotwal says plants need nitrogen, magnesium & sulfur for optimal growth, flowering & fruit production. Now, organic matter already gives a lot of nitrogen to plants, but for the rest others, you can try Epsom salts!
So, Epsom salts, short for magnesium sulfate salts, are a natural mineral compound that help in chlorophyll and protein production. That means, they help plants grow stronger roots, fruits, seeds and flowers in just 4-5 use cycles. Indeed, one of the best 5 ways to take care of plants, isn’t it?
Also, Mr. Kotwal told us two methods. You can either sprinkle 1tbsp Epsom salt directly on the top soil, or you can dilute it in a gallon of water & spray it directly. Just remember to do so in the early morning or evening to avoid sun burn.
Caution: Avoid adding Epsom salts to succulent or cacti pots, as it might increase the water retention and kill them eventually.
5. 5 Ways to Take Care of Plants by Proper Spacing!
Well, the last & the easiest method from our list of the 5 ways to take care of plants is by maintaining proper spacing! You know, plants need a lot of space around for them for good air circulation, branching & flowering. You can still group ground covers or same-species in a single pot, but try to keep at least 4-5 inch around each plant.
Here are Mr. Kotwal’s spacing guidelines that you can follow:
| Plant Name | Spacing Guidelines |
| Herbs – Basil, Mint, Cilantro, Parsley, Thyme | 6–8 inches apart |
| Leafy Greens – Lettuce, Spinach, Kale, Arugula | 4–6 inches away |
| Root Veggies – Carrots, Radishes & Beetroot | 3–4 inches apart |
| Tomatoes & Bell peppers | 18–24 inches apart |
| Flowers – Petunias, Marigolds, Geraniums, Pansies | 6–12 inches afar |
| Climbing or Vining Plants | At least 6 inches apart |
| Spider plant, Peace lily, Snake Plant | 4–8 inches afar |
| Shrubs – Rosemary, Lavender, etc | 12–20 inches away |
Quick Tip: Rotate all your plant pots once a week to avoid uneven & stunted growth on the side getting more light.
15+ Expert-Verified Plant Care Tips You Just Can’t Miss!
Now that we’ve already seen the best 5 ways to take care of plants, I’m sure they’ll have a lush foliage & blooming season. But if you’re wondering what more you can do for them, take a look at Mr. Kotwal’s expert tips below:
- Dust the Leaves: Do you know that plants breathe through the pores (Stomata) on their leaf surfaces? Well yes! That’s why you should rinse or wipe their leaves at least once in every 10–15 days for a lush foliage.
- Rotate your Plants: Since plants tend to grow towards light, you must rotate them every week to reduce leaned or lop-sided growth.
- Make your Own Fertilizers: Don’t trust the chemical fertilizers anymore? Well, you can make your own compost with just a composter, a handful of dried leaves, and some wet waste – banana peels, coffee grounds or tomatoes. You can now add it to all your pots once a month or so.
- Be a Soil Doctor: Recheck the soil’s compactness, loosen up the top layer, & repot the entire plant once a year. Also, follow all the 5 ways to take care of plants we mentioned above!
- Talk to Your Plants: I know it sounds a bit strange, but talk to your plants – just like you do with your friends & family to boost their growth & blooming. You can simply speak a word or two while watering them, or just give them nicknames.
- Spray a diluted mixture of neem oil & soap to keep your plant’s pest & disease-free
- Pick the Right Pot: Choose clay & unglazed terracotta pots for plants that love dryness & aerated roots. In contrast, pick plastic or glazed pots for moisture-loving plants.
- Always prune or divide your plants during the growing season – usually February / March in India.
FAQs
Conclusion
So now that you know the best 5 ways to take care of your plants – mulching, Epsom salt, drainage, etc., I believe you won’t ever have a dead plant again! But just take care of the basics, too! Like, let the top soil dry out in between watering, use room temperature water & avoid misting the foliage daily.
But which plants would you choose? And how do you even know their watering requirements? Well, we already have the best ones listed for your office desk & bedroom for ready reference.
About Me
Ashish Kale
Ashish Kale, here, is your ultimate gardening buddy from archwhispers.com. He’s a passionate botanist & a full-time gardener who loves everything about plants-from the tiniest seeds and sprouts to tackling various plant diseases & pests. He’s here to share all his favorite gardening tips, tricks for germination, and plant care advice with a touch of creative writing & SEO.