Have you ever scrolled through Tik Tok, liked something, and for the preceding two weeks you got the same type of content on your For You Page? Yeah it happened (or is currently happening) to all of us. For me, I somehow landed on the side of plant Tik Tok just three weeks before I moved into campus. While I’m not exactly sure which plant Tik Tok I liked that led me to plant Tik Tok, I am definitely glad that I ended up here. From plant reviews to plant care tips, I became more and more obsessed with all the different types of plants out there. In this blog, I want to share with you all the plants I’ve purchased since I moved campus and some tips to take care of them, and maybe I can inspire you to purchase your first plant baby.
Monstera deliciosa
Also known as the swiss cheese plant or the split leaf philodendron, the monstera is known for their splitted leaves. They’ve become increasingly popular over the last 4-5 years and they’re a staple in various types of interior design magazines. While they might seem intimidating at first, monsteras are actually one of the easiest plants to take care of for beginner plant owners. They only need to be watered once a week (can be watered less frequently with the current Boston weather) but they do require a lot of indirect sunlight. While fertilizer is optional, I’ve heard from multiple sources that it’s beneficial to use liquid fertilizer, such as the one from Miracle-Gro, once a month especially during the growing season. Like many of the other plants I own, monstera is a tropical plant, meaning it likes to be a humid environment. But because Boston is so dry especially during the winter months, I would have to find ways to create humidity for my monstera. While it’s beneficial to invest in a humidifier, a good one can get really pricey. What I do to combat that is to put my monstera in the bathroom every night before everyone in my apartment showers. The steam from the hot shower creates humidity, even though it’s not much, it’s still better than nothing. I purchased this plant the first week I moved to campus and the warm weather during the first few weeks of the semester caused my monstera to grow a lot of baby leaves. But recently I’ve noticed that the leaves grew slower ever since the temperature began to drop. While my monstera still doesn’t have any split leaves (to get split leaves the monstera needs a lot of indirect sunlight) I did notice a new leaf beginning to grow and it does look like it has a few splits in it!
Chamaedorea seifrizii
Otherwise known as the bamboo palm, they are found in the forests of Mexico and Central America where it lives in the shade of larger trees. This means it has adapted to lower light conditions found in most homes. It is a great choice for the home or office because it rates highly on NASA’s list of air-purifying plants. I actually got this plant because my fellow intern Clara got this plant and I fell in love with hers and decided to purchase one for myself. Similar to the monstera, the bamboo palm originates from a tropical climate. I help it get the moisture that it needs, I also put it in the bathroom before everyone in my apartment showers. One thing that I would be careful about with the bamboo palm is that it hates to be overwatered. You will notice it reacting to being overwatered if the tips of its leaves begin to turn brown. I usually only water it once a week but because the temperature has dropped recently, I’ve been giving it a bit less water but it is still thriving.
Pilea peperomioides
Also known as the Chinese money plant, pileas are known for their bright green, coin-shaped leaves. They grow well in dry conditions, can adapt to low light areas, and are fast-growing, making them low-maintenance and great for beginner plant owners. They are also known as the friendship plant because they grow small offshoots near the edges of the pot and you can propagate them and gift it to your friends and family. This was my third plant purchase since I moved in. I stumbled across on them when I was walking along Mass Ave. and saw it outside Fern, the nearby plant shop. I immediately fell in love with it and could not justify not purchasing it. Similar to my other plants the pilea requires a lot of indirect sunlight, and to prevent them from growing lopsided, it is highly recommended that you rotate them at least 2-3 times a week, or everyday during growing season. While many plants don’t like to be overwatered, pileas especially don’t like to be overwatered. There isn’t a set frequency to water them because it all depends on how dry the soil is. Pileas do not like soggy soil, so allow your soil to dry completely between each watering. During the warmer months, they should be watered more frequently.
Ficus elastica “tineke”
The Ficus tineke is part of the rubber plant family and it is a variegated version of the original type of ficus elastica. The term “variegated” means when a plant has two or more colors in its leaves – typically white and green, and it is often very rare and expensive. While my ficus tineke isn’t expensive I know certain variegated plant species can cause up to $300 just for a cutting (over $1000 for a full grown plant). While there are other types of variegated ficuses out there, my favorite would have to be the ficus tineke. They are known for their colorful leaves that almost makes it look like watercolor. Similar to most of my other plants, ficuses are also really to take care of and are perfect for beginner plant owners. However, one thing that I did read about the ficus tineke specifically is that it will lose its variegation if you give it too much or too little sunlight. Speaking of sunlight, ficuses love a ton of indirect sunlight so much sure you place it near a window. In terms of water, ficuses love to be watered consistently. When watering, make sure to allow the top inch of the soil to dry out before watering it thoroughly. In terms of humidity, ficuses are low maintenance when it comes to moisture in the air but they still appreciate a bit of humidity once in a while.
Some general care tips that I would give when taking care of any plants is to make sure that the environment of your apartment or room is suitable for the plants you would like to get. Before you make your first plant purchase, find out which direction your window faces (this is easy if you have the compass app on your phone). South facing windows get the most lights throughout the day while north facing windows get the least. East facing windows get the most sunlight during the morning while west facing windows get the most in the late afternoon. My window faces southwest, which means that it still gets a lot of sunlight throughout the day and there are a lot of other buildings and trees around my building which creates the best indirect sunlight that all of my plants thrive off of. In addition, make sure you allow the plants to completely drain once you water them. If you don’t the water will sit in their pot and will cause root-rot, which is the number one plant killer. I hope you guys enjoy learning about the different plants I have, and if you ever need help or tips, please reach out and let me know. While I’m not an expert, I would love to offer some of the things I know about plant care and I would love to learn about your plants!
