Indoor plants beautify every home and, in addition to the general feel-good aspect, also have a practical use. They humidify and filter the air, enrich healthy cuisine in the form of fresh herbs from the windowsill and, as in the case of aloe vera, even serve as a universal, natural medicine cabinet!
However, specialty plant care products available in stores give the impression that chemical fertilizers and the like are essential for healthy indoor plants. Simple means and hand movements are sufficient for the plants to feel good and thrive. With the following tips you can sustainably care for indoor plants – which not only protects the environment, but also makes your home healthier and greener.
Caring for indoor plants sustainably
Indoor plants, large and small, appreciate careful treatment and give thanks with lush growth. It is advisable to proceed in a sustainable and ecological way – a few easy to implement are sufficient
Points: 1. Use flower pots made of clay: It is advisable to replace flower pots made of hard-to-break plastic with the more sustainable variant made of unglazed clay. The open-pored material regulates the temperature and humidity in the root ball much better and reduces the risk of waterlogging. Clay pots also usually look nicer, so that you can save yourself the planter in many cases.
- Watering with rainwater instead of tap water: The high calcium content in tap water is problematic for most plants in the long run, softer rainwater, on the other hand, is almost always better tolerated. If you don’t have your own rain barrel, put a wide bucket on the balcony to catch some of the precious water on rainy days.
- Water from above: Instead of regularly wiping the dust off the leaves with a cloth, you can simply put your indoor plants outside when it rains. It’s much faster and cheaper. The natural shower acts like a fresh cell treatment on most leaf plants.
- Produce ecological fertilizer yourself: There are many synthetic fertilizers on the market with ingredients that ultimately end up in the groundwater and thus in the water cycle. On the other hand, fertilization with natural products that would otherwise end up in the waste is more ecological and cheaper. The soil from a self-made worm box or the Bokashi bucket is also a free, environmentally friendly plant fertilizer. Especially interesting for coffee drinkers: coffee grounds sprinkled on the potting soil provide plants with many nutrients! When removing the withered leaves, flowers and stems, it is advisable to use the dead plant parts for the compost straight away. This way they go into natural cycle and become nutrient-rich soil that you can use later.
- Biological alternative against pests: If the plants are sick, you can simply produce an effective bio-spray against pests and diseases yourself instead of the commercially available chemical helpers or use other natural remedies against aphids, scale insects, mealybugs, mealybugs and blood lice.
- Propagate plants yourself instead of buying new ones: Many plants can be easily raised at home by cutting, dividing or sowing. A nice way to do this is to duplicate your favorite plants with family and friends so that others can enjoy them too. How about a self-grown avocado tree, your own coffee plant or always fresh basil on the windowsill?
