A GREEN-THUMB GUIDE
Every plant has its own needs, preferences, and personality quirks—these are living
things we’re talking about, after all. But there are five good practices that apply to most. Follow our
general-care advice, and ask your nursery (and keep those tags) for tips on specific varieties.
1 | Light Them Right
For a bright future, learn the lingo to
optimize plant placement.
FULL SUN: A minimum of six hours of
direct exposure a day; an unobstructed south-
or southeast-facing window is ideal.
PART SUN: Bathe plants in light for four to five
hours daily. Try a window that faces east or west.
SHADE: Northern exposures work well for
these varieties, which need light but not strong,
direct rays.
4 | GROOM
WITH CARE
Keeping plants tidy is
about more than
aesthetics—it helps
them stay healthy, too.
Wipe down foliage as
needed to remove dirt
and grime, which pre-
vent photosynthesis.
Snip dead or yellowing
leaves, which can har-
bor disease and pests.
And hydrate the air, too,
especially in winter,
since dehydrated plants
can attract invaders like
spider mites. Try this
unplugged “humidifier”:
Fill a metal or plastic
tray a few inches deep
with pebbles, then add
water and put your
plants on top. Refill
when the liquid
evaporates.
2 | FEED
WELL
Martha’s motto:
You eat; your plants
need to eat too.
Fertilize them dur-
ing the growing
season, which for
most starts in
March and ends in
November. Fish
emulsion is a great
all-purpose option;
just add some to
your watering can
once a month. Yes,
it can smell a little,
but the odor
dissipates within
a few hours.
5 | Repot and Revive
There are two signs that a plant has
outgrown its home: Its roots are
busting out of the drainage hole in its
pot, or it wilts shortly after being
watered. To move it to more spacious
digs, choose a slightly larger container,
and cover the drainage hole—loosely,
so water can escape but soil can’t—
with a pottery shard or flat stone. Place
a scoop or two of organic potting soil
in the bottom. (All-purpose blends work
for most, but a cactus mix is best for
succulents, while bark is ideal for
orchids.) Carefully remove the plant
from its old vessel, and gently tease
out the roots to encourage them to
spread. Then lower it into the new pot.
The top of the root ball should sit
about an inch below the rim. Fill in with
more soil, tamp it down lightly, and
water thoroughly.
CONSIDER THESE CONTAINERS
Before buying a pot, make sure it has a drainage hole,
and don’t forget to choose a tray or saucer to put
under it, so you don’t ruin your furniture. Beyond
those basics, feel free to choose by style. Here’s
what you need to know about the three most com-
mon kinds:
TERRA-COTTA: You can nab pieces made from this material
for a few dollars at the hardware store, or spend hundreds
on frostproof imported Impruneta clay versions from
artisans in Italy. Since it’s untreated, it’s porous, so these
containers dry out faster than sealed ones and are great for
succulents. Don’t worry if white streaks or powder appear
on their exteriors; these are harmless mineral deposits.
(One of Martha’s favorites is Guy Wolff Pottery.)
CERAMIC OR GLAZED CLAY: Available in a rainbow of colors,
these pots have been sealed, so they hold moisture well
and make excellent homes for thirsty ferns or selaginellas.
CACHE P OT: These vessels, typically made from porcelain
or china, are purely decorative. They have no holes, so keep
your plant in a smaller pot with drainage (like the plastic
one it came in from the nursery) and tuck it inside. To water,
pull out the inner pot and let it drain before putting
it back in.
3 | Quench Their Thirst
But don’t kill them with kindness. Many
houseplants suffer from too much water-
ing, not too little. Test for dampness by
sticking your finger into the soil up to your
first knuckle. If it’s dry, water using the
same method experts recommend for gar-
dens and yards: Rather than sprinkling
a few drops every day, which keeps roots
closer to the surface, pour long, less fre-
quent drinks, so they grow deeply. If you
can, move pots to your sink or tub, and
use a long-spouted can to direct the
stream to the soil until excess water flows
out of the drainage hole. Plan to do
this more often in winter, when homes are
filled with dry heat, than in more-humid
summertime.
Rotate your pots every
week or so to give plants
even access to sun.
TIP
ART DIRECTION BY ABBEY KUSTER-PROKELL; STYLING BY TANYA GRAFF
