If I had a pound for every time I have arrived at a placement and found dead and dying plants, I would be rich.

It is great to keep plants inside, but what many people forget is that they need tending. It only takes one person in the chain of live-in carers or family to not pay attention to plants and they will soon shrivel and die.

Often at Christmas your client may receive the most beautiful plants, but unless they are cared for, they will simply follow all the others and end up outside the back door – dead.

How to keep plants alive

Use a good potting soil

If you plan to nurture your client’s house plants, then you may decide to repot them. Use a good potting mix that is suitable for indoor plants or at least a good general potting mix.

Choose a decent pot

Not many pots survive in the pot they come in. These are normally inferior pots which are simply there to get the plant to the store in one piece. They often lack decent drainage and are not even remotely pretty.

Adequate sunlight

Plants need sunlight to live and thrive. Never be tempted to place them on the table in a room where the curtains are drawn all the time as they will die.

Water frequently

Check the instructions on the plant and adhere to the watering schedule. Every plant needs water, some more than others. Bear in mind that too much water is as bad as not enough.

Repot at the right time

Most pot plants, if they are growing normally, will need repotting once a year. You should only repot into the next sized pot, not into a huge pot to save doing it the next year.

Use fertilizer once a year

You can buy this from any garden center, and it will give you the ratios to use on houseplants. Although it is not essential to do this, it will help keep houseplants alive for longer.

Clean the plant

Even the cleanest house gets dusty, and this can clog up the pores on the leaves of plants. A gentle wipe with a damp cloth will remove dust and give the plant a fresh look. 

Final thoughts

With a little bit of attention and care, it is possible to keep those beautiful plants alive and even doing well, for a long time.

Set up a watering schedule for other carers to work with and you may find that the plant flourishes and gives your client lots of enjoyment for several years.

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