Interflora flowers

Top 10 tips to help plants last longer

It’s so easy to have fresh and beautiful houseplants in your home all year round. Follow our top 10 tips and help your houseplants to last longer and look lovelier:

  • Buy plants from a reputable source and inspect them before you buy. If they look weak or sickly, don’t bother.
  • Pay attention to the natural habitat of the plant, particularly its preferred light and heat levels. Try to reproduce the conditions that it would be used to in its natural habitat.
  • Most plants prefer to dry out a little between watering, so don’t overdo it. You can kill with kindness!
  • Always water your house plants from below. Stand them in a dish of water until all the water has been taken up and top up their feed regularly to keep them healthy.
  • Remember to use the correct plant food for your particular plant – some varieties require special food.
  • Plants that like high humidity need regular watering, as well as daily misting. Stand them in a saucer of damp pebbles to encourage additional localised humidity.
  • Give broad glossy leaves an occasional wipe with a cloth to help them breathe.
  • Pinching out the tips of some houseplants can encourage them to grow bushier; keeping flowering plants slightly pot-bound makes them flower more.
  • Avoid strong heat or chilly draughts. Many houseplants like to be outdoors in summer – check all frosts are over first. Do not buy plants that have been standing in the cold, as they may be frostbitten.
  • Check your plants regularly for signs of stress, pests or disease. Remove dead leaves and flowers as they occur.