25 Unexpected Houseplant Hacks That Actually Work [You’ll Want to Try #7!]

deal for houseplant can be amazingly frustrating , with yellow leaves , stubborn non - drawers , and those plaguy flying gnat . Sound familiar ? We ’ve all been there . But what if a few eldritch ( and wonderfully effectual ) tricks could plow things around ? In this gallery , we ’ve gathered 25 unexpected houseplant hacks to help promote growth , contend pests , and simplify plant attention . From banana peels to diapers ( yes , # 7 gets a little wild ) , these clever tips enshroud everything from succulents to fern to flowering favorites . Get quick for eco - well-disposed surprises and happy , hefty houseplant .

1. Watering Orchids with Ice Cubes

This trick sounds strange , but research says using methamphetamine hydrochloride cubes to water your orchidaceous plant is secure and efficacious . Place 2 to 3 Methedrine cubes on the orchid ’s potting media ( barque or moss ) once a week and let them thaw slowly. The obtuse thaw give root a gentle , steady drink without waterlogging ; first-class for orchids , which hate sitting in puddle . apprehensive about the cold ? Orchids watered with ice rink cubes had the same healthy emergence and blooming as those water traditionally .

2. Fighting Fungal Problems with Cinnamon

dot cinnamon on the soil to keep fungal infections and ancestor waste by nature . It act as an fungicidal agent and keep pests at bay . you may also use Cinnamomum zeylanicum to do by plant life wound after pruning . Just dust it lightly on swing to foreclose disease . Cinnamon is safe , affordable , and smell terrific . Plus , it ’s thoroughgoing for organic horticulture .

3. Boosting Growth with Coffee Grounds

Mix used coffee grounds into the dirt to enrich it with nitrogen and give your plant life a healthy kick . Coffee grounds also improve soil grain and drainage . Just use them meagerly to avoid acetify the soil too much . Worms love java grounds , boosting natural soil aeration . Dry the priming first to forbid mold . It ’s a uncomplicated manner to recycle kitchen waste into plant Au .

4. Banana Peel Magic for Thriving Houseplants

Bury small opus of banana skin in your plant ’s grease to cede potassium and P naturally . These nutrients promote strong source and vibrant flush . hack the peel fine to help it break down faster and release its goodness . Another pick is pawn banana Sir Robert Peel in water for a few mean solar day to make a natural , nutrient - rich liquid plant food . This " banana peel tea " can be swarm directly onto the soil to further flora wellness . It is rich in mineral like Ca and atomic number 12 .

5. Gentle Leaf Cleaning Made Simple with a Paintbrush

A white , lenient paintbrush makes it light to disperse delicate leaves without damage . Dust blocks light-colored absorption and slows growth , so regular cleaning is vital . Small brushwood get into tight spaces without tearing leaves . lightly swipe along each airfoil to remove grime . This stay fresh your plant life breathing well . Plus , sportsmanlike leaves expect glazed and healthy !

6. Using Aquarium Water for Extra Nutrients

Water your plants with used aquarium water . It ’s full of fish waste that play as a natural fertiliser , and the water contains nitrates and mineral beneficial for growth . Be sure to apply only sweet , unmedicated tank pee . It ’s an eco - favorable way to reuse resource . Aquarium water is especially great for leafy greens and houseplants . determine your plants thrive with this nutrient boost !

7. Diaper Trick for Moisture-Loving Houseplants

draw the bottom of the pot with a sportsmanlike napkin to keep on moisture longer ; it ’s a secret plan - auto-changer for thirsty plant life ! The nappy ’s absorptive gel holds water and exhaust it slowly . This trick is arrant for plants that dry out quickly . It also avail during hot summertime months or vacation . Make indisputable to cut the nappy to fit the can properly . Your plants remain hydrated without invariant baby sitting .

8. Charcoal Trick to Keep Houseplants Smelling Fresh

A small level of activated oxford grey at the bottom of pots keeps filth fresh and odor - free . Charcoal soak up excess moisture and harmful bacteria , making it swell for terrarium and closed container gardens . It also prevents ancestor decompose by meliorate drainage . Use horticultural - grade charcoal for best consequence . Your plants will stay healthier and smell freshman !

9. DIY Watering System with a Recycled PET Bottle

Use a recycled PET bottle to make a simple ego - lacrimation system for your potted plant . Fill the bottle with water and invert it into the filth near the industrial plant ’s root . The nursing bottle lento releases water , providing a firm and consistent wet provision . This trick is staring for vacations , busy Clarence Shepard Day Jr. , or but deoxidise watering chores . plug a tiny hole in the feeding bottle cap to regulate the trickle rate . It ’s an eco - friendly , depleted - toll root to keep your plant intelligent and hydrated !

10. Rotating Plants for Even Growth

ferment your plants every few weeks to avail them grow evenly and avoid leaning toward the lightness . Plants course twist toward their light source . rotate ensures all side get equal exposure , promoting balanced outgrowth . Use a mere admonisher to rotate on lacrimation day . This prevents skew-whiff plant and debile bow . Healthier , full plant are the result of this diminutive habit .

11. Reusing Tea Bags for Humidity

position used tea bags around plant base to hike moisture levels and flow nutrients back into the soil . The tea leaf bags break down and enrich the ground naturally . Their dull disintegration help retain water supply in dry mood . Plus , tea folio offer trace mineral like K . This method is heavy for wet - have it away industrial plant . It ’s an eco - well-disposed way to reduce wastefulness , too .

12. Using Epsom Salt for Lush Leaves

Dissolve Epsom saltiness in water and spray your plants to offer excess magnesium for greener leaves . Magnesium is vital for photosynthesis and healthy growth . Mix about one teaspoon per dry quart of urine . Spray once a month for noticeable results . Epsom Strategic Arms Limitation Talks also helps with blossom blooming . Be sure not to overuse it ; a piffling goes a tenacious way .

13. Eggshell Trick for Stronger, Healthier Plants

Crushed eggshells improve filth structure and provide a lifelike source of Ca . Ca beef up flora electric cell wall , preventing blossom - end buncombe . Rinse and dry the shells before crushing them . you could mix them into the land or sprinkle them on top . eggshell also help discourage pests like slugs . Over time , they kick downstairs down and nourish the land deeply .

14. Toothpicks for Propagation Stability

Use toothpick to support plant life cuttings , yield seed , or vegetables during the early propagation stages . slip in the toothpick around the root word to anchor it in home . This prevent cuttings from fall over in besotted soil . Stability helps roots form faster and stronger . It ’s a flash and straightforward agency to advance your success charge per unit . you may also practice skewer for larger slip .

15. Creating Mini Greenhouses with Plastic Cups

Turn a transparent plastic cup into a mini greenhouse to help unseasoned plants and cutting thrive . aim the cup over the plant in its pot , creating a warm , humid surroundings complete for goodish root development . This dome - alike binding gob moisture while letting lighting through , of course hie up increase . Make a few small holes at the top for ventilation to prevent mould . take away the cup occasionally to check moisture levels and ventilate out the plant .

16. Using Honey to Encourage Root Growth Naturally

When propagating cuttings , reach for the beloved jar ! Honey has natural antiseptic and antibacterial properties that help protect cuttings from infection and rot . While it ’s not a endocrine , it create a hefty environment for new roots to form . To use this hack : dim the cut destruction of a base or folio newspaper clipping into a scrap of honey before place it in water or soil . The honey forms a roadblock against fungi and bacteria , increasing the chances your cutting will take root successfully .

17. Spraying Neem Oil for Pest Control

Neem oil is a houseplant ’s unspoilt friend in footing of natural plague mastery . This organic vegetable oil ( adjure from neem tree source ) is a repellent and a modest insecticide against common pests like aphid , spider mites , whiteflies , and thripid . It even has antifungal welfare . To use neem oil , blend a few drop of concentrated neem oil color with affectionate water and a few cliff of balmy dish soap ( to emulsify it ) , then spray it on your plant ’s leaves and staunch , top and bottom . Neem ’s active compound , azadirachtin , messes with insects ’ hormones , blockade them from feed and breeding .

18. Placing Pebble Trays for Natural Humidity

Set great deal on trays filled with pebble and water to increase humidness around tropical plants . The water evaporates and boosts the moisture level around the plants . Make trusted the pot sit above the water line to prevent root rotting . Pebble trays are great for fern , calatheas , and orchids . Refresh the H2O on a regular basis to foreclose mosquito breeding . This method creates a mini humid environment effortlessly .

19. Pruning Regularly for Bushier Plants

Snip leggy ontogenesis to boost full , shaggy , and healthier houseplants . even pruning redirects push into new growth . Always apply clean , tart scissors grip for a white cutting . Remove dead or yellowing leaves promptly . Pruning also helps improve atmosphere circulation around your flora . A well - shaped plant is a happier , more vibrant plant !

20. Aloe Vera Trick for Stronger, Healthier Cuttings

Use novel aloe gel to care for damaged leaf or stems and encourage ready healing . Aloe is a natural antiseptic and moisturizer . give a thin level of gel to wounds after trimming or chance event . It seals cut and shorten focus on the plant . Aloe gel also boosts natural flora immunity . Keep an aloe plant ready to hand for your gardening toolkit !

21. Giving Plants a Breeze for Strength

Stagnant indoor air can lead to weak , floppy plant . In nature , confidential information help plants make grow hardy stem turn so that we can mime that with a small fan . run an oscillating rooter on low in the room for a few hours day by day will gently joggle your plants . This triggers them to grow thicker , potent stems and can preclude them from getting too leggy . The improved breeze circulation also keeps fungus at bay by dry out excess moisture on leaves and soil

22. Shining Leaves with Banana Peel or Milk

Dusty , dull leaves ? sample a banana Robert Peel rub or a milk wipe for a natural effulgence . For the banana illusion , take a mature banana peel and use the soft inner side to wipe your plant ’s leaves lightly . The carbohydrate and oils in the peel clean off stain and add a healthy sheen to the foliation . Plus , it feed a tiny dose of nutrient to the folio . or else , make a leaf - clean solution with equal parts Milk River and water . Dip a soft textile in the mix and wipe each leaf ; the Milk River ’s lactic acid will help dissolve dirt and hard - H2O slur .

23. Trapping Fungus Gnats with Vinegar

If petite flies oscillate around your plant , localize up a simple apple cider acetum trap . Mix equal parts water , apple cider acetum , and a drop of dish scoop in a shallow dish or jar lid . The sweet flavour of the vinegar lures grownup fungus gnats in , and the declination of grievous bodily harm recrudesce the liquid ’s Earth’s surface tension so the gnat settle and drown. Place the dish near your impress works ’s pot ( or on top of the filth ) . shortly you ’ll find out it dotted with captured gnat . Replace the vinegar smorgasbord every few days and keep trapping until you do n’t see any more gnats .

24. Saving Leggy Succulents with a Quick Beheading

When succulent stretch tall and lose their compact flavor , there ’s a hack to deliver them : chopper and airplane propeller ! Using clean , acuate scissors , reduce off a leggy succulent ’s top stem canker ( the reasonably part). Leave an column inch of stem turn on that top cutting . Then cut back the remaining bare radical of the female parent plant down to just an inch or two above the soil , keeping a few leaves at the base. Let the cut and the base prohibitionist for a few days until the undercut ends callous over ( this prevents rot ) . Now plant the rooted rose window top into unused soil ; it will before long sprout new roots and become a whole unexampled plant .

25. Poking the Soil with a Chopstick for Aeration

If your industrial plant ’s soil has become arduous or compacted , a elementary chopstick can breathe fresh liveliness into it . mildly poke the chopstick ( or a pencil ) into the potting mix in several spot , going almost to the bottom , and give it a little wrench to create zephyr communication channel . This aeration loosen the land , allowing O , water , and nutrient to reach the roots more easily. It ’s like till a garden , but on a little scale . Do n’t worry if you snag a few theme ; they ’ll recover and value the extra air . This plug is handy for plants in older soil that has compacted , or for oxygen - have sex plant .

Unlock Your Green Thumb!

These unexpected ward-heeler are astonishingly well-fixed yet fantastically effectual for good plant care . Try one , try them all ; and do n’t forget to experiment to see what your leafy friend love most ! Thesetricks can lead to big , felicitous , goodish houseplantsevery time of year . With creativeness and love , your indoor jungle will thrive like never before . Embrace these fun hacks and watch your green quarter round grow stronger every sidereal day !