Are you unable to keep your plants beautiful? Do you always give too much or too little water? Then choose easy house plants. There are plenty of plants that you can skip for once. The plants are also suitable for students and people who travel frequently. Easy houseplants are: succulents, cacti, Yucca, elephant’s foot, hole plant, grass lily and Sanseveria. These houseplants can live for weeks without water, with the exception of grass lily and the hole plant. They need a little water once a week.
The cactus
Cacti are desert plants. They are very easy house plants. They only need water once every four to six weeks. In the winter months, you water them even less. A cactus shrivels when it needs water. This way you can see when it is time to water. Cacti do not need much care. They do like a light, sunny position.
Sanseveria (woman’s tongue)
The sanseveria is also called woman’s tongue. It is a strong houseplant, extremely suitable for offices, schools, students and for people without green fingers. The plant grows slowly and does not like wet feet. This means that the root ball should not remain too wet. A sanseveria can survive for weeks without water. In winter, the plant needs water once every eight weeks. The plant does not suffer much from pests. This cannot adhere to the smooth blade. A sanseveria can be in a shady spot or in a sunny spot.
Succulents
Succulents store water in the leaves. They use it when they need it. Succulents need little water. They grow slowly and can get very old. Succulents like a warm, sunny spot. They don’t need much grooming.
Elephant’s Foot (Beaucarnea)
This plant gets its name from the tuber-shaped trunk that resembles an elephant’s leg. The plant stores water in the tuber, so that the elephant’s foot only needs little water. Once a month in summer, less often in winter. The soil must be dry before you can water the plant again. Place this plant in direct sunlight.
Yucca (palm lily)
The yucca or palm lily has a thick trunk in which the plant stores water. This plant can do without water for a few weeks. Yuccas like a light spot.
Grass Lily
Grass lily has thin, long leaves that bend slightly. Due to the bouncy leaves, it is also nice to use this plant as a hanging plant. It is a popular plant among college students. Grass lily is suitable for people without green fingers. The plant forms many new shoots that you can easily take cuttings. Water the plant once a week and place it in a spot out of full sun. An additional advantage is its air-purifying effect. Grass lily is poisonous to cats.
Hole Plant (Monstera Delisiosa)
The hole plant is a fast-growing plant that can become quite large. Each shoot forms new shoots. The leaves are large and heart-shaped with notches. The hole plant is a beautiful eye-catcher in your interior. This plant needs water once a week.
How much water does a plant need?
Often people do not know how much water a plant needs. They give too much or too little water, so that the plant does not grow well and the leaves will discolour. The plants described in this article don’t need a lot of water. The soil must have dried first. You can test this by putting a finger in the potting soil. If there is soil on the finger, the soil is still too moist, if there is no soil, the soil is dry. If you water too much, the soil will remain too wet and the roots will rot. When watering, you can take into account a number of factors that influence the needs of the plant.
Plants in the desert
Plants native to the desert need little water. They live in an area where it is very hot, have full sun and have periods of drought. These plants store water in the leaf or trunk and use it during drought.
The leaf of the plant
Plants with small leaves evaporate less water than plants with large leaves. Plants with large leaves therefore need more water. And that also applies to large plants. They consume more energy and therefore the water requirement is greater.
The seasons
The water requirement also depends on the seasons. In winter, plants are at rest. They only need a little water. The growing season begins in the spring. The plants consume a lot of energy and need more water.
The temperature, sunlight and humidity
The temperature, amount of sunlight and humidity also influence the plant’s water requirement. At temperatures higher than twenty degrees, the soil dries up faster. If the soil feels dry, water the plants extra. The heating and air conditioning reduce the humidity in the house. Plants need extra water at low humidity. This also applies to plants that are in direct sunlight. Plants in full sun dry out faster than plants in a shady spot.
Air-purifying houseplants
Some easy plants such as grass lily and Sanseveria have the added advantage of purifying the air. Plants absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen. Air-purifying plants also remove harmful substances from the air. Harmful substances are for example: benzene, formaldehyde, ammonia, toluene, trichlorethylene and xylene. Benzene is found, for example, in tobacco smoke and exhaust fumes.