10 Easy To Maintain Plants For The Unskilled Gardener

Plants are nice. Gardening can be a calming, therapeutic activity. Not everyone’s cut out for it though. Some of us lack the patience or motivation for ongoing upkeep, but would still like to have some plants in our backyard. Here are 10 easy to maintain plants for the unskilled gardener.

Snake Plant

Native to West Africa, Sansevieria trifasciata, also known as the snake plant or mother-in-law’s tongue and various other names, is on the easiest plants to grow. They are very low-maintenance, being able to withstand weeks of neglect (poor thing). They don’t need a whole lot of light, and they don’t have to be watered often (it’s ok to let them dry out a bit in between waterings). In return for little upkeep, they give you cleaner indoor air, as they filter toxins and provide oxygen.

Calatheas

This genus of plants is native to the tropical Americas. These plants are often seen decorating office spaces as well as homes. They do just fine under indirect lighting, as their broad leaves can absorb as much light as possible. As a matter of fact, direct sunlight will burn them. Also, too much water will drown them, so their soil needs to be moist but not soggy. Given their point of origin, they like a warm and humid environment.

They are known for their vibrant leaves and will flower if you fertilize them. They don’t grow too big and there’s basically no pruning involved.

Crown of Thorns

Scientific name: Euphorbia Milli, otherwise known as the Christ Plant, they come from Madagascar. They can withstand the heat and endure droughts. They can be planted outdoors. In the immediate period after planting some irrigation is required until the plant sets up its roots, but it requires little water after that. During warmer weather, it can produce pretty little pink flowers.

Jade Plant

These succulent plants hail from South America are considered to be symbols of good luck. While they cannot be left to dry out completely, they cannot be watered too often either. The time to water them is when the soil is dry to the touch. They need the full sun so place these outside or in a place where they can catch a lot of sunlight. They need only be fertilized every 6 months.

Crotons

The plants that fall under this variety also like humidity. Because of this, it’s good to mist them if kept indoors. Outside they can grow to be 5 to 6 feet tall. When first bought they will lose some leaves which may alarm you but this is simply their reaction to being moved. From them on it can stay in the same place. They require rich soil, fertilization around once a month, minimal water during the winter, and 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight every day.

Hoya

Most types of Hoya plants are native to Asia, so they too require a humid environment. They grow in filtered light – morning light or a brightly lit spot indoors. They like growing in tight spaces, so they need not take up much room. Feed them fertilizer every fortnight during summer. They only need water when it’s very hot and very dry in summer and none at all in winter.

Aloe Vera

Why know it from the many uses that we get out of it, but aloe vera is one of those plants that aren’t particularly difficult to take care of. It also requires very little room, as it grows in snug places. Place it in a sunny place and water it heavily around every 2 weeks. The soil must be dry when you do so as it’s a desert plant.

Baby Toes

These plants are small and cute (as the name suggests) and easy to care for. They only require watering once a week, and with that and enough light they can send up flowers. Which also look cute. It’s recommended to grow them on windowsills or outside as they need to be in bright light for most of the day. They need very little fertilizer and sometimes none in winter.

Echeveria

These beautiful succulents are evergreen. They can tolerate heat whether it be full sun, part shade, or drought. You’d probably want to have it indoors though as frost can terminate it. It only needs to be repotted once a year, watered 1 to 2 times a week when blooming and 2 times a fortnight when it’s not. In winter watering it once a month will be enough. Excess water is what often kills it so go easy on that front.

The Burro’s Tail

The Donkey’s tail, also known as sedum morganium, can be an outside or indoor plant. It hails from Mexico and it likes bright shade or partial sun. The leaves store water so you can’t overwater it. When it’s growing you can get away with watering it roughly once a week, even slightly more. If not growing you can push it to 2 weeks.