Serial houseplant killer? Here’s how to keep them alive

Have you lost count of the times you’ve had high hopes for a pot plant but despite careful positioning and diligent watering it always seems to die?

Well you’re not cursed and you don’t need particularly green fingers for your to foliage to thrive, you just need to know where you might be going wrong, experts say.

Gardeners’ World host Adam Frost and the Royal Horticultural Society’s Clare Preston-Pollitt share their top tips for keeping your house plants alive and healthy.

Many of us pick plants we think are pretty but making sure they are compatible with the conditions in our homes is key for survival, says Clare, RHS Garden Bridgewater’s horticultural advisor.

“I think lots of people buy plants that they like the look of… take them home, and then watch them slowly look sicker over a series of months,” she explains.

Often this can simply be “because it’s in the wrong place”, so don’t be afraid to try moving a plant around the house to give it a new lease of life, she advises.

Clare says bright lounge areas, with lots of light, are ideal for monsteras, while warm and humid kitchens suit peace lilies.

She also recommends devil’s ivy for a bathroom which will see lots of moisture, and a false caster oil plant for a shady room or hallway.

A common mistake is overwatering. Rather than assuming all plants need the same amount, it’s important to learn their individual requirements.

For common house plants like peace lilies and spider plants, brown leaves are a tell-tale sign of over or under watering. Check the dryness of the soil before topping them up.

For others, like cacti and succulents, Clare says we mistakenly drown them by unnecessarily watering them.

Adam explains these types of plants just need a gentle mist of water to keep them looking fresh.

Clare suggests using a water mat or watering globe which can slowly deliver liquid to your plant.

According to Clare, a cast iron plant, a Hoya carnosa and a snake plant (above) are the hardest to kill.

These plants are very “drought-tolerant” meaning they can survive for a long time without being watered.

The snake and cast iron plant can also tolerate darker areas in your home.

It’s important to adjust how you care for your plant throughout the seasons.

“In spring and summer, you can water more regularly,” says Clare, as plants are “actively” growing during this time.

At the height of summer some plants, like a monstera, can be watered two or three times a week. It’s also important to “feed” them at this time by adding plant food to the soil to ensure they have enough nutrients.

But by autumn and winter, Clare says this treatment should be the opposite.

Foliage plants go into a “semi-dormant state” as light levels lower during these months.

This means soil doesn’t need to be fed and plants require much less watering. Clare recommends waiting until soil is completely dry before adding more water.

It’s also important to repot your plant to keep it healthy. Clare says it’s best to do this in spring, when plants are growing and can establish roots more easily.

Signs it is time to repot include roots binding together at the bottom and sides or creeping through the holes. Also water flooding straight out of the pot holes is a sign it is time to upsize, says Clare.

For many of us, our first foray into foliage begins at Christmas when we are gifted a poinsettia. But by now in early January those crimson leaves are probably already looking crumpled.

The trick with these festive fellows is to respect their Mexican origins to help them put down roots in our much colder climate, says Adam.

“It’s going to want that warmth, it’s not going to want to be in a drafty spot,” he says – but they should be kept out of direct sunlight.

They do not need a lot of watering so only do so when dry, he says.

To avoid overwatering you can place the pot inside a water container every day before moving it back to its original spot, or gently misting with a spray.

To keep them lasting longer than your New Years resolutions, you should add plant food to your poinsettias each month, Adam says. In April, he suggests trimming the branches, before re-potting in May.

From September, it should be moved into a darker space for at least 12 hours a day, as this ensures the bracts turn red, ready for the next festive season.