Long Island Indoor House Plants

In general, the number of houseplants you place in your home is totally up to you based on the size of your home and on your decorating style. However, if you are hoping to benefit the most from your plants, you will want to purchase the right number of them based on the number of people in your family and the size of your rooms. All indoor plants not only can boost the moods of the people in your home but also can clean the air, reducing such toxins as formaldehyde and benzene while increasing oxygen.

For the most benefits, increase the number of plants you choose based on the size of the room. For example, in a small home office, opt for two to five plants. In a medium-sized bedroom, choose 5 to 10 plants for the best improvement in mental and physical health. For a very large room, such as a great room or family room that measures over 600 square feet, you can use over 30 plants of varying sizes.

All plants need some light to survive although certain houseplants do thrive in low-lit environments. To grow plants that require high light or to start certain vegetables indoors, you may need to invest in grow lights. Grow lights produce light energy known as lumens. Even plants requiring low light need at least 2,000 lumens, which could be achieved with basic indoor lighting. However, many plants require 5,000 to 7,000 lumens. To achieve this goal, you can use a compact fluorescent bulb or even an incandescent spotlight shining onto the plants.

The majority of houseplants are incredibly affordable. Many are initially small and can be purchased for a few dollars but eventually grow to great heights to better fill your space. However, certain specialty flowering plants, some tropical plants, and larger leafy bushes can be more expensive initially. At Decker’s Nursery, small flowers, as well as air plants, typically cost from $3 to $7 while larger plants cost from $25 to $70. The majority of indoor plants here cost under $20.

The most common reasons for indoor plants to die are under-watering or over-watering. Along with light and air, all plants need at least some water to thrive. However, the exact amount of water your plants need will depend on the type of plants you own as well as your indoor environment. You will also need to consider the size of your plant and its pot, aiming to provide approximately a quarter of the pot’s volume in water at each watering.

The majority of indoor plants will need to be watered every one to three weeks. Succulents can generally go for quite some type before being watered while rubber plants and certain trees and bushes will require hydration far more frequently.

Your indoor plants will also need food to stay healthy, and you can give them this in the form of fertilizer. Regular feedings will keep your plants producing new leaves or flowers and help them appear shiny and healthy. The best fertilizers are liquid ones, which can be added every other time that you water. If you do not want to worry about fertilizing every time, you can opt for a slow-release formula that deposits the food in large granules that slowly add nutrition to the soil over time. This type of fertilizer may only need to be applied three or four times per year. In addition, stop fertilizing during the winter months when your plants are not actively growing. If you’re not sure which fertilizer to buy, ask an expert at Decker’s Nursery and we’ll gladly help find the perfect product for you. 

If you have four-footed friends around your house, you will want to make sure that you keep them safe from your houseplants and that your houseplants are safe from them. Cats are normally very curious and love to chew on stems and leaves that they find. While you should try to keep your plants away from your cat’s typical prowling zones, you should also invest in the right plants. Some of the safest options include the following:

• African violet
• Spider plant
• Areca palm
• Boston fern
• Calathea
• Mosaic plant
• Orchid
• Asparagus fern

While your dogs cannot hop up on counters and shelves like your cats can, their larger size also puts them at risk of finding and chewing on your houseplants. Keep them away from plants that are poisonous to them by choosing from the following list of dog-safe plants.

• Christmas cactus
• Hen and chicks
• Rubber plant
• Baby’s tears
• Swedish ivy
• Wax plant
• Ponytail palm
• Haworthia

If you do not have any south-facing windows in your home or apartment, you do not have to give up on your dream of owning houseplants. Several plants thrive in low-light areas, requiring only indirect sunlight or a few hours of light every day. Some low-light plants can even survive in rooms without any windows as long as you leave your lights on for a good portion of each day. Some of the best options for darker areas of your home include the following favorites.

• Ivy
• Snake plant
• Pothos
• Philodendron
• Calathea
• Rex begonia
• Peace lily
• Prayer plant
• Spider plant

Whether you want to bring some extra good luck into your own life or want to bless another homeowner with a lucky plant, there are a few options that have traditionally been known for giving good fortune. While you may not be able to grow many four-leaf clovers in your home, you can easily grow a beautiful bamboo plant that can be trained to grow in certain directions. Besides bamboo, you can also opt for the jade plant, shamrock plant, money plant or snake plant. Each have their own special stories rooted deep in folklore and history.

While you would assume that most plants would thrive solely in well-aerated soils, some actually grow incredibly well in water alone. For most water-loving plants, you can cut off a leaf or pinch off a stem to begin a new plant that will grow its own roots. The biggest benefit of this method is that you no longer have to worry about how much water to give your plant. Houseplants that do the best growing in the water include the following:

• Chinese evergreen
• English ivy
• Philodendron
• Wax plant
• Wandering Jew
• Begonia
• Bamboo

While no plant can live entirely without light, some do better in shady or very dark rooms where they may have little access to direct sunlight. In general, search for non-flowering plants for these areas because the majority of flowering plants need direct sunlight to create buds. In addition, certain tropical plants can work well in these rooms. You may have the best success with some of the following varieties.

• Bamboo
• Peace lily
• Spider plant
• Dracaena
• Ficus
• String of hearts

Instead of using insecticides and traps to keep insects out of your home, you can put houseplants to work for you. Not only will they eliminate the need for toxic chemicals around your baseboards, but also they will actually purify toxins from the air. The following plants work as natural insect repellants, keeping everything from mosquitos to ants out of your home.

• Sage bush
• Basil
• Citronella plant
• Lavender
• Catnip
• Lemongrass
• Mint
• Rosemary

If you are looking for a wide range of colorful, flowering or tropical houseplants in or around Greenlawn, NY, look no further than Decker’s Nursery. We are a full-service garden center & nursery offering everything you need for creating a beautiful, natural space in your home or garden. Plus, we provide plenty of tips and helpful advice to get you started on the right foot. Whether you don’t know which houseplants to purchase or are unsure of how to care for your new spider plant, our professionals are always happy to assist.