Houseplants can be a great way to bring nature indoors, reducing stress and helping us to breathe cleaner air, but they can also cause distress when once-healthy plants start wilting and looking sick.
This was the case for a distraught gardener who reached out on Reddit to ask for help to save their browning indoor plants.
"My plants aren't doing so well and I'm not sure what's wrong with them," the gardener posted on the subreddit r/plantclinic, where the community helps people to diagnose what's wrong with their plants. The post received lots of comments from people who all said the same thing — the plants were thirsty and needed a good watering.
Aloe and cactus plants are from hot and dry climates, so they need a certain watering regimen. According to several of the commenters, these plants do best when people do "drought and flood watering." This watering method ensures the plants are well watered and then the soil is left to completely dry out before they are watered again.
"Dude you should be DROWNING that plant every time you water. Just don't do it often," one commenter wrote.
While another added, "Cacti prefer to go through famine and feast cycles. Let their soil get bone dry and then flood them, while making sure they don't sit in extra water."
Taking care of houseplants and gardening has been shown to benefit mental health because it allows us to form connections with nature, which can reduce stress and help us to feel more energized. Gardening can also be good for the environment, especially when you include plants that are native to the area.
Adding native plants and trees to your outside space also has other benefits such as spending less time and money on garden maintenance. Native plants are adapted to the local conditions, which removes the need for added fertilizer and hours spent watering. Additionally, if you use native plants in your lawn, you will also remove the need for regular mowing.
And an added bonus is native plants are great for local wildlife and provide food and shelter for pollinators such as birds, bees, and butterflies, which are important for food production and healthy ecosystems.
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How much time do you spend taking care of the plants inside or outside your home? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Several hours a week 🧑🌾 
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