Apartment Living: Tips for Keeping Plants in Your Apartment

apartment livingWant to add a little more greenery to apartment living?  You already know how plants on an apartment patio can beautify apartment living.  But did you know that indoor plants can be just as beneficial to apartment life?  Plants don’t just spruce up your apartment; they’re actually good for you, as well!  Apartment living with plants can improve the air quality of your home, since there are many plants that filter out common volatile organic compounds from the air you breathe.  Top contenders include Gerber daisies, chrysanthemums, red-edged dracaenas, weeping figs, azaleas, English ivy, and heart leaf philodendrons.

Here are some more top tips from ApartmentSearch for keeping plants in your apartment to improve your apartment living.

Take Care of Your Plants

There are a lot of plant-keeping basics that many apartment-renters forget when tending to their houseplants.  First, find out how much water each particular plant requires, and how frequently it needs it, then remember to water them regularly.  (This includes spritzing the leaves, not just watering the roots.)  Next, add rocks to the bottom of your plants’ pots for better drainage, so the excess water won’t rot your roots.  Last, make sure your plants get the right amount of sunlight, and once you give them a home in your apartment, let them stay in the same place.

Plants in the Bathroom

Plants thrive in moisture-rich environments, so your apartment bathroom is a natural choice for a houseplant.  Try orchids, which are great tropical plants, or low-maintenance plants like bamboo or spider plants.

Clean Your Plants

You might not think of houseplants as things that need cleaning, but they can get just as dirty as the rest of your apartment.  Living plants like ficuses have waxy leaves that can collect dust, dirt, and allergens, making them both unhealthy and unsightly.  Take some time approximately every two months to prune dead leaves, dust the rest, and wipe down their leaves with water.

Keep Your Pets Safe

If you are a cat or dog owner, be wary of certain plants; some plants are actually toxic to animals if ingested!  If your pets don’t tend to nibble at your possessions, you ought to be safe by simply keeping your plants out of reach.  However, if you have a rambunctious puppy or an overly-curious cat, you should avoid these plants, and other poisonous plants, altogether:

  • Aloe vera
  • Asian lily
  • Asparagus fern
  • Begonia
  • Baby’s breath
  • Calla lily
  • Daffodil
  • Geranium
  • Jade plant
  • Pencil cactus
  • Ribbon plant
  • Tulip

More Apartment Living Tips from ApartmentSearch.com

What tips do you have for the care and keeping of houseplants and apartment living?  For more apartment living tips from ApartmentSearch.com, keep reading our Apartment Living blog, and connect with ApartmentSearch.com on Twitter and Facebook.