Never had houseplants..Where to start??

I have a small apartment and would like to have some plants..
Any advise?
Thanks

I really do not keep a lot of houseplants so may not be the best for advice but would like to help if I can.

Do have a lot of light or not so much? Interested in foilage or flowers?

There are a lot of foilage plants that do very well in the house which usually would be considered low light. A lot of the viney type plants do great as houseplants and thrive on neglect. Peace lily and snake plant are two standbys that do very well also. They seem to thrive no matter what you do.

If you have a spot where you can give them supplemental light african violets will provide you with beautiful blooms with an almost endless variety of colors. Believe it or not there is also a wide variety of orchids that are very easy to grow as well. The familiar corsage orchid is cattaleya and is very easy to care for.

My advice would be to go to the library and check out a couple of books on houseplants.

One that's widely available and a good starting point is Reader's Digest's 'Success With Houseplants'.

This is the first book on Houseplants that I read. I purchased a copy of my own a few years back, and I still refer to it from time to time. It's really a wealth of information.....and photos, too. The photos are watercolors, but they're wonderful and very well-done.

Good luck in your new adventure!

Yes first try to match the conditions you have with suitable plants, make a list of what you can grow and take it to your local garden centre.

Good luck, you'll have a lot of fun, and do let us know what you choose!

I agree with all of the above! Doing research to find the best kind of plant for you light conditions is where I would start first. Do you have lots of direct light coming in your windows? Or is it indirect light/low light? Then do research plants that require and would really thrive in that situation. That will be the fun part! You will learn about plants you never knew about. Fall in love and discover what the plants names are that you see every where. It is really neat. I got to warn you though... it is addicting! Your list may become never ending like all of us. He he.

After you found a plant you would like to have, that has the same light conditions as you can provide them with ,then do a little more research on how they like to be watered, fertilized, pruned etc. Sometime people think that they need to water on a schedule or every day or every other day. But you gotta water when the plant NEEDS to be watered. That can change through out the seasons from summer when it is really hot and dries out fast to winter when you have to water the plant a lot less. You can dig your finger in the soil and see if it is really dry or the top is just dry. Too much water can rot your plants roots and ultimately die if you dont catch it soon enough. Each different plant/species has different requirements... I think finding out how to make your plant happy is apart of all the fun. I am learning something new every day and I am still making mistakes. :)

This message was edited Dec 2, 2008 8:05 PM

If you have any questions feel free to dmail me... I also live in an apartment with different light conditions. Welcome to davesgarden!

Sincerely,
Vanessa

I also agree with all of the above; especially Vanessa. Watering plants is more of an art than a science. Their needs change every season, and I've found that the "finger test" is an excellent way to gauge them.

Don't worry if you kill some in the learning process. I like to tell beginners that no matter how good someone is with plants, they still had to start at Level Zero, and work their way up from there. I've been growing houseplants since the 70's, and I think I could nearly fill a dumptruck with the ones that have died from my inexperience. Never let a plant dying discourage you! Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you really wanted.

Do your research, and be persistant! I had been trying to grow African Violets for years; it's just in the last two years that I've finally had some (modest) success.

You're in the right place here at DG; there's ALWAYS someone who will help you out, or at least point you in the right direction.

Enjoy your new addiction! ;D

Marsha.

I have some of these Peperomias. Grew in my MIL's apartment,very well, grew for me anywhere I put them, never wilt. High light, low light, doesn't need much water. I have seen them sold at Lowe's. I just bought a pretty variegated one there.
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/adv_search.php?searcher%5Bcommon%5D=&searcher%5Bfamily%5D=&searcher%5Bgenus%5D=peperomia&searcher%5Bspecies%5D=obtu&searcher%5Bcultivar%5D=&searcher%5Bhybridizer%5D=&searcher%5Bgrex%5D=&search_prefs%5Bblank_cultivar%5D=&search_prefs%5Bsort_by%5D=rating&images_prefs=both&Search=Search

I realize that advice is the only commodity on the market where the supply always exceeds the demand, but since you asked, I would offer that efforts directed toward gaining a thorough understanding of what constitutes a good soil, and better still - how to make a good, durable soil will (not 'can') be the key to eliminating a larger % of houseplant heartaches than even volumes of knowledge in many other areas. Following closely on the heals of the soil knowledge, and in my estimation more important than individual research on any one particular plant, is a strong understanding of plant physiology in general. Armed with this understanding, you can easily interpret the signals any plant is giving & adjust those cultural conditions that are amenable.

Every container planting has it's soil as the very foundation the planting is built on. A poor soil is to a planting as a crumbling foundation is to a building. Practical experience has shown me that an overwhelming % of problems, including watering, nutritional, even insect and disease woes, can be directly linked to stress/strain resulting from an inadequate soil.

Sermon ends. Abandon soap box. :o)

Al