Anyone obsessed with houseplants will know it’s impossible to stick with just one. You may soon find yourself surrounded by more plants than you know what to do with. If you’re nurturing an indoor jungle, here are a few tips to make care simpler and less stressful.

Choose Your Plants Carefully

When caring for tons of indoor plants at once, you don’t want them all to be high maintenance. Fill up your space with easy-care plants like Philodendrons, peace lilies (Spathiphyllum) or spider plants (Chlorophytum comosum) that thrive on neglect and don’t take up much time. This leaves you more space to worry about a few fussy plants that require additional attention. When purchasing, start with healthy and established plants that are less likely to encounter growth problems later on. This is especially helpful with indoor trees, like Ficus lyrata, that can quickly outgrow small pots when bought at the early stages of growth.

Group According To Care And Conditions

Part of keeping many plants alive and happy is ensuring they are in the conditions they prefer. This limits any potential problems that will require later attention and additional care to resolve. Group plants by their light, temperature and humidity requirements to foster a mini ecosystem that keeps each plant in that section happy and thriving. It also helps to group plants according to care – particularly watering. This will stop you from going around to every single plant once every few days to test the soil. Instead, you can focus on the group and water them all at the same time as needed.

Trays Are Your Best Friend

Speaking of watering, this task is one that becomes more and more tedious the more plants you have. To avoid trekking plants to and from the sink, dripping water around you home as you go, ensure every pot has its own tray. It’s far easier to water the plants in the place with a watering can than over a tap. Don’t overwater to prevent the trays from filling up, resulting in root rot. You can also DIY a self-watering planter with a pot cover and string, although these do require some additional upkeep to prevent bacterial growth.

Make Time For Your Plants

As stunning as masses of houseplants look, they cannot be considered inanimate décor pieces. Plants require care and attention to keep them alive, so only take on as many as you are willing to care for. Set aside a few minutes every day to check on their health, test the soil moisture levels, and rotate the pots. Don’t neglect tasks like repotting, pruning or wiping down leaves to ensure they remain healthy for years, not just months. A consistent routine will give you time with your plants and comes with some mental and physical health benefits that make the time spent worthwhile.

Featured image: Annie Spratt via Unsplash