Indoor plants that you can’t ‘kill’ easily

IT’S nice to have small pots of plants in your house or at your desk in the office. However, not everyone has green fingers. Many fail to keep plants thriving in their premises regardless of the amount of effort they seem to put in, or so they say.

According to Aquacult and UGC Damansara founder Ivan Ho, there has been rising interest from people looking to keep simple pots of plants indoors as decoration, for their natural air-purifying capabilities and for their stress-relieving effects.

Some customers often ask for ways to care for their plants and many complain that almost every plant they keep do not live very long including cacti, which are among the most resilient plants on earth.

“Many people feel discouraged after multiple failures in keeping their plants healthy but the truth is, most plants are not that difficult to take care of. There is no such thing as plant killers and so do not think of yourself as one,” he quips.

Plants do not require as much attention as pets and with the right method and environment, indoor plants could survive by themselves without much care.

For the so-called plant killers among us, Ho suggests indoor plants that do not need frequent fertilising or trimming.

“Most indoor plants are easy to take care of, but the main reason the plants wither and die is either too much or too little water, or it could be the way you water the plants,” he points out.

Over-watering will cause the roots to rot, while too little water will dry out the roots and leaves.

“Besides this, when watering plants, it’s better to pour the water gently into the soil and not directly on the leaves or roots. Like succulents, if you pour the water on its leaves, it will injure the leaves, leaving yellowing dry scars on them,” he adds.

It is important to know the right way of handling a particular plant. For instance, cushion moss, which requires minimal care and watering, is the most suitable plant for closed terrarium pots as the closed environment will keep the moisture and temperature stable, making it the best environment for moss to grow.

For cacti or succulents, although not much water is needed, the plants need sunlight and an environment with good air ventilation.

“It’s not about neglect or lack of attention or care, but because of the lack of knowledge, hence the plant is placed in the wrong place and handled the wrong way — this is what kills the plant.

“You just need to understand your preferred plant’s nature and keep them in the right environment,” he says. Just to help the novices along, Ho has picked seven hardy indoor plants that won’t die so easily.

This story first appeared in TheEdgeProperty.com pullout on Jan 20, 2017, which comes with The Edge Financial Daily every Friday. Download TheEdgeProperty.com pullout here for free.