6 Simple Practices to Keep Your Houseplants Alive

Discover the secrets to a thriving indoor garden with expert-backed strategies that even “red” thumb beginners can follow. I’ve collected expert insights from arborists, plant nursery owners, landscapers, and more to share their best tips for beginner planters. Learn how to avoid common pitfalls and tailor care to each plant's unique needs for a lush, vibrant home oasis. 

Consistency Is Key

My number one tip for keeping houseplants alive, even if you don't consider yourself a natural gardener, is to focus on consistency with watering and light. The key is understanding what each plant needs in terms of these two basics. Over the years, I've seen most houseplant issues stem from either overwatering or placing a plant in the wrong spot. A simple practice is to match the plant's needs to the environment, if you have a low light room, go for hardy plants like snake plants or pothos. Set a reminder on your phone to check the soil moisture once a week by sticking your finger about an inch into the soil. If it feels dry, it's time to water, if it's damp just wait another day or two. This one minute habit can make all the difference.

I've seen how these small adjustments lead to great results firsthand. A client of mine once came to me distraught because she had "killed every plant she ever owned." With my years of experience as a certified horticulturist, I helped her pick plants that fit her space and routine, like a ZZ plant and a peace lily. I showed her how to properly water them and advised her to place the peace lily near a window with filtered light. Within a month, her plants were thriving, and her confidence as a plant owner blossomed. The joy on her face when she saw her first peace lily bloom reminded me why I love sharing practical, achievable tips that truly work.

Andrew Osborne, Owner, Ozzie Mowing & Gardening

Master “Finger” Watering

The most important tip to keeping houseplants alive is mastering proper watering technique - namely, learning to water according to what your plant needs, rather than following a schedule. The simplest practice anybody can implement is the finger test: stick your finger about an inch into the soil, and only water when it feels dry at that depth.

This method prevents both overwatering and under-watering, which are the most common causes of houseplant death. No gadgets or special knowledge required - just a quick soil check before watering.

Instead of sticking to the calendar-based watering routine, this method allows you to act according to your plant's actual needs, varying seasonally, with a difference in indoor temperature and humidity levels, and differences with the type of plants you have. It's quite simple but reliable as long as you ensure that the plant gets the right amount of water to thrive.

Frank Sturm, Founder & CEO | GreenAce Lawn Care & Turf Pro, Green Ace Lawn Care

Get To Know Your Plants

The absolute number one tip for keeping houseplants alive, as well as any plant, is to research that plant and its requirements to know exactly what it needs and when and how. Keep track of how it should be watered and when it should be watered, whether it needs more or less, and always provide the proper lighting because all plants need different amounts of light.

A simple and easy practice to implement into the schedule of anyone who owns houseplants, whether you are an expert or not, is to water plants from the bottom. This will help you avoid over-watering by placing the bottom of the pot or container, if it has holes, into a shallow tray of water and allowing the plant to absorb as much moisture as it needs. You can take it out of the water after twenty to thirty minutes, even if the water isn't all gone, and this practice will promote the healthy growth of roots while ensuring the plant only takes what it needs.

Tammy Sons, Founder/CEO, TN Nursery

Focus on Simple Adjustments

My number one tip for keeping houseplants alive is to focus on understanding their specific needs, especially regarding water and light. Overwatering is the most common mistake, so I always recommend sticking to a consistent watering schedule and testing the soil before adding more water. A simple trick is to check the first inch of soil with your finger; if it feels dry, it's time to water. Equally important is ensuring your plants have the right light conditions, as some thrive in bright, indirect light, while others prefer shade. Matching the plant to its environment can be a game changer for even the most inexperienced plant owners. 

For example, I once helped a customer who struggled to keep a fiddle leaf fig alive, a notoriously finicky plant. Drawing on my years of experience as a certified arborist and my hands-on work with plants of all kinds, I quickly identified that the plant was getting too much water and insufficient light. I suggested they move it closer to a bright window and water only when the soil felt completely dry on the surface. Within weeks, the plant began to perk up, and new leaves started to grow. This simple adjustment not only saved the plant but gave the customer the confidence to care for others. Small, consistent practices like this can make all the difference, even if you don't consider yourself a plant expert.

Amaury Ponce, Business Owner, Ponce Tree Services

Leave Your Plants Alone

After raising 100+ plants, I've realized people have a tendency to kill plants by giving them too much attention, rather than not enough. My advice to anyone wanting to grow a houseplant is to know your environment and leave the plant alone unless it shows signs it needs care.

Know Your Environment: A common challenge for people in apartments is that sometimes they do not get much light, so recognizing if you need a plant that prefers shade or sun is important. Plants have a certain temperature, light, and humidity level they need. Pick a plant that fits your environment. Don't try to change the environment to fit the plant.

Leave it Alone: overwatering a plant is one of the easiest ways to kill it as it causes the roots to rot. Sometimes, this can look similar to under watering, so people tend to keep watering it, making the problem worse. A good rule of thumb is to wait until the soil is dry or the plant starts to wilt before watering it.

A good reminder is that plants are living organisms too, and they'll generally show you when something is wrong or they need attention. If they seem happy, leave them be!

Olivia Chiavegato, Founder, CMO, Head Writer, The Vitallist

Avoid Overwatering

I'm huge on house plants, my girlfriend has always been into them and I caught the bug as well. I think we have 115 plants in our living room currently and have gotten into collecting some of the more rare and hard to find plants. I think the biggest thing is don't overwater. I think most people overwater as opposed to under watering and more house plants die from too much water and attention in general, not too little. Another problem with too much water is it leads to gnats and mites which will quickly kill your plant, are hard to get rid of and spread to other plants. It's also important to understand the light needs of your plants and put them in an area of your home where they're going to get the appropriate lighting.

John Frigo, eCommerce Manager, My Supplement Store