Indoor gardening involves a lot more than plants and soil. In order to have successful indoor plants, you need the proper tools to help you care for them in the best way possible. If you’re not sure where to begin or if you’re looking for a gift for the gardener in your life, here are the basics to get you started.
Houseplants need just as much regular pruning as their outdoor counterparts. However, it’s more likely you’ll be pruning much smaller plants indoors. This is where a small set of pruning scissors comes in handy. Clipping away dried stems and foliage and separating roots while repotting a plant are some of the most common uses for small pruners. Rather than use household scissors for these tasks, using a dedicated tool will help keep them sharp and prevent the spread of bacteria.
Many plant pots come with matching saucers, but for those that don’t it’s helpful to have a few simple planter trays. Planter trays help prevent water damage to surfaces when a freshly watered plant is still draining from the bottom of the pot. While letting your plants drain in the sink can work, those with a lot of plants or busy sinks will find that having some simple plastic trays available makes watering days quicker and easier.
Some houseplants can grow to be enormous with age and proper care. Larger plants need larger pots with more soil and when all combined it’s easy to end up with an extremely heavy plant. Plant caddies are essentially small platforms on wheels that you can place under your larger plants to make them easier to move. They come in a variety of materials and sizes depending on style preference and weight you need to support. While your every day 6-inch house plant likely won’t need its own caddy now, get one before it grows too large to move comfortably.
Many new plant owners learn the hard way that it’s easier to kill houseplants with over-watering than with under-watering. Unfortunately, even with best intentions it's difficult to determine how much water a plant actually needs. A simple moisture meter has a long sensor attached to a gauge you can use to read the moisture levels in the soil. A quick check into the planter will tell you immediately whether it’s time to water or if it’s time to hold off and can also help troubleshoot drainage issues with potting mixes or containers.
There’s a good reason outdoor gardeners keep potting benches. Having a dedicated work space and area for your tools makes caring for your indoor plants easier too. Regardless of where you store your supplies, make sure you consider these suggestions to make sure you cover all the basics of plant care.
As a lifelong resident of Litchfield County, Heather is quite familiar with the beautiful Northwest Corner of Connecticut. In partnership with her husband at Turri, Inc., in Torrington, she managed and grew a 30+ employee electrical contracting firm that served both the residential, commercial and industrial industries. Currently residing in Goshen she hopes to transfer and utilize many of the skills she learned in contracting to the real estate industry.
Knowing how a vital community relies on its volunteers, Heather spent many hours in several capacities at local organizations that she admires. She serves on the Woodridge Lake Finance Committee and House Committee, Victoria Court Condominium Association (secretary) and Educating Canines Assisting with Disabilities (volunteer and nursery mom). Heather has also been involved with Goshen Community Care & Hospice (president of board of directors), Warner Theatre (board of directors), LARC (volunteer), Festival of Trees (founder), the Northwest Chamber of Commerce, and Goshen Business Circle. Heather also served as Vice President of Woodridge Lake’s Board of Directors.
In Heather’s spare time, she enjoys spending time with family usually in an active way by playing tennis, golf, boating, hiking and skiing.
Heather is honored to be a part of the E.J. Murphy team and hopes you will contact her with any of your real estate needs.
