Hey everyone! I'm a house plant enthusiast and a kids librarian, and I'm putting together a program called House Plant 101 to teach kids how to take care of their plants. I'm thinking of using spider plants since they seem forgiving enough for beginners. I'm making a slideshow that'll cover the basics of plant care, pests, and more, but I want to make sure I don't miss anything important. What are some lessons you wish you had known when you started out, or what do you think kids should definitely learn?
5 Answers
One of the biggest lessons I learned the hard way is to water less! Don't overdo it thinking they need constant watering. Just like kids, plants don’t need breakfast, lunch, and dinner! ?
Light is super crucial for plant health. I grew up seeing so many sad spider plants and snake plants stuck in dim bathrooms. Remember, as the other person mentioned, overwatering and not having enough light can really kill houseplants!
Absolutely! I'll dedicate a section on lighting in my slides since online info can be confusing!
Don’t water on a strict schedule. Each plant has its own needs based on temperature, light, and humidity. It's better to check if they need water and don’t forget to use pots with drainage holes! If you have a pretty pot, you can place a plastic pot inside it but make sure to take it out for watering.
Make sure to avoid using pots that are too big for your plants. If you do, they’ll just end up growing roots instead of leaves because they’ll be focused on finding out more space. Keeping them in smaller pots helps promote healthy growth!
Got it! I'll add that to my list, thanks!
A fun fact: many houseplants can actually flower if the right conditions are met! It's surprising how many people don’t realize this, but it's essential to educate kids about it, showing them where fruits and seeds come from.
Haha, totally! I once drenched my mom's window sill because I overwatered her plants too! ?