As I reflect on my first post I wrote about my indoor plants, last June in fact, I’m humbled to see most of them are still thriving on my window sill today. Having a proud plant parent moment that’s for sure!

So I decided to recycle content and provide an update, for those of you just as plant-obsessed as myself, on my current indoor garden & the plant care tips and products I’ve been using with much success in their growth.

Fiddle-Leaf Fig

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I didn’t realize how high-maintenance these particular plants are until reading up on the species AFTER purchasing (whoops.) Let’s just say there’s a reason why you see so many artificial versions of this plant. It likes a lot of water & sunlight, but prefers its soil to dry out while remaining moist to the touch…YES, that’s how needy & emotional this plant can be.

It’s only been one month but I honestly haven’t had any issues with this fella yet (knock on wood) nor have I been worried about it. I left it alone for 10 days while in Amsterdam and returned home to a happy plant. Placing it on a standing planter helps it get more sunlight which might be doing the trick.

One thing I’ve been told is that these fiddle-leaf figs can develop root rot, which if not treated can kill your plant from the inside out. Try to pot them using half houseplant soil mix and half cactus soil, as the blend will help it drain faster and prevent root rot.

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Purchased from 14th Street Garden Center

One of the best places I’ve ever shopped for plants! They even pot your plant for you, which is probably why he’s thriving so well.

Snake Plant

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This beast of a snake plant is one of my favorites because despite its massive size, its the most low maintenance one of them all! They say it really takes a lot to kill a snake plant, but I have to disagree because my original table-top one died the minute I moved it from the window into my bedroom. Apparently the air is drier in there and the transition threw it into shock. Lesson learned.

So I went bigger, way bigger, with my replacement & couldn’t be happier with my decision. I water it maybe once every 2-3 weeks very lightly & keep it cozy in the corner of my living room. Plus, I feel like having it displayed on a standing planter amplifies its size in all the right ways.

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Purchased from Bloomscape

One of the only online vendors I found with large plants. Everything is categorized according to size, difficulty, light level, pet friendly, and air cleaner so you’re destined to find the right plant for your type of home & lifestyle.

Peperomia Marble

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I’ve had this one for a year now but only recently has it shown growth progression… I think it’s because I accidentally gave it more water than normally do one time and literally saw improvement overnight! I guess I always played it safe with this one because it didn’t seem unhappy, but clearly more water 1x a week makes it blossom.

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Purchased from The Sill

I chose it because it’s categorized as a ‘pet-friendly’ plant, which at the time made me feel better about leaving it at a reachable height for my cat. He went through an aggressive phase of chewing my artificial plants so better safe than sorry..

Golden Pothos

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Okay, this one is hands-down my greatest accomplishment as a plant owner. I got this Golden Pothos last year right when I moved into my apartment. Compared to how it looked when I first brought it home, it’s AMAZING how much it’s grown in 12 months! Every time I look at it, I get warm & fuzzy inside with a sense of pride.

The trick with this one is to give it lots of water all around the pot, as it has multiple roots, 1x a week. I’ve also kept it in the same place that gets a decent amount of sunlight with a handful of shade.

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Purchased from PlantShed

I chose not to hang this one & placed it in this box instead. It’s adapted to it and has since grown around it, extending its vines down & around in the coolest way.

Peace Lily, Baby Snake Plant, & Dieffenbachia

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These 3, along with the fern shown below, came in a 4-pack Clean Air Plants Collection. They’re not only some of the easiest plant species to grow, but they’re scientifically proven by NASA to be some of the best plants for clean air as they filter indoor pollutants. If you live in a city apartment, then these guys will do wonders for your space & breathing.

All 4 plants came in 4″ grower pots and range in size from 10-15 inches tall. I water the Baby Snake Plant and Fern lightly every other week, while the Peace Lily and Dieffenbachia get regular water 1x a week. Crazy story: I left for 10 days to Amsterdam and when I returned, the Peace Lily was completely wilted down. I thought there was no salvaging it but decided to give it a generous amount of water right away, just in case. Well good thing I did because the next morning it was completely erect! I couldn’t believe it! I now consider it one of my warriors, which just goes to show how relentless and strong these guys can be. Never give up on your plants!

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Purchased from Amazon

You don’t get to choose which plants you’ll receive but out of the 6 species available, all of them are easy to take care of. I also got a set of 4 ceramic pot planters with attached trays, 1.5 inches larger, to place them in so they have slight room to grow.

Fern + Haworthia Succulent

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As I mentioned above, the fern came in the Clean Air Plants Collection & requires very little maintenance to stay happy. So I’ve placed it on the leaning ladder bookshelf next to my Haworthia Succulent, another plant that’s made it one year around the sun with me. Both of these plants have indirect sunlight & ask for little water. In fact, I haven’t watered the succulent in probably 2 months.

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Succulent purchased from City Blossoms

The planter its in came in a set of 2 I found on Amazon; the 2nd one I’ve potted my Ponytail Palm plant in below.

Ponytail Palm

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I’ve had this one for a year now as well and I honestly don’t recommend getting one if you live in an apartment. Palms can be tricky because they need large amounts of sunlight, but their size & shape makes it difficult to place in an apartment setting. My window sill is too narrow for it to stand comfortably, so I’ve relocated it to my coffee table which gets a decent amount of natural sun but probably not enough that it deserves.

However if you have the space & sunlight, these plants will 100% thrive! It’s relatively easy to take care of, asking for a small amount of water 1x a week on top of large amounts of sunshine. I wish I had a balcony or something of the sort to make mine happier.

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Purchased from PlantShed

Try to place these types of plants in smaller, confined pots with excellent drainage, as they seem to be happier when the soil is drier.

Here are some of my favorite plant care products I use weekly, or as needed:

Plant Self-Watering Spikes System

These came in handy while I was away in Amsterdam, especially for my Golden Pothos & Fiddle-Leaf plants which require regular water. Lesson learned that my Peace Lily also requires one of these for the next time I’m away longer than 7 days. Thankfully these came in a set of 12!

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Small Watering Can

Yes, it’s a bit extra but it really does make watering plants much easier. Its small size makes it perfect for storing when not in use, but its cute look also makes for a great display.

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Pruning Snip Scissors

Small but effective, a must-have for plant maintenance. I heavily rely on these for removing the smallest of dead leaves, for leaving them on a healthy plant can do more damage than you’d think. Best to remove the dead stems as quickly as you see them & these tiny scissors makes getting into hard spots much easier.

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Miracle-Gro Indoor Plant Food + Leaf Shine

For the plants that need a bit of a boost, especially in the summer, I give them a few pumps of the Indoor Plant Food with their weekly water. Be sure to read the instructions to make sure you don’t overfeed, as pumps are based on pot size.

You should also treat your plants like you do your hair. I know whenever my hairs dirty, I really appreciate being able to wash it in the shower. Same goes for plants & their leaves – it’s important to keep them clean for a happy plant. I use the Leaf Shine on my bigger leaf plants that can sometimes get dusty, like the Fiddle-Leaf Fig & Golden Pothos.