From the Potting Shed: Indoor Plant Advice from Landscape Manager Dan Bellavia

Having more indoor plants is one of the popular new year’s resolutions, so we reached out to Dan Bellavia for some advice on how to get started! Dan is the landscape manager at the Eastman Museum, which means he ensures that the historic gardens from George Eastman’s estate always look their best. Here’s his top advice on getting started with indoor plants.

Anyone can grow plants!

There is no such thing as a green thumb. It doesn’t matter what color thumb you have. Just follow some simple guidelines and you will soon be enjoying live plants in your home. Keep in mind that plants are very resilient. You can mishandle most plants and still get them to grow.

Picking the right plant

There is a wide variety of houseplants that are available, and choosing the right type for success is the key. Depending on your expertise level, you want to pick plants that both beautify your home and are easy to care for. No one wants to keep buying plants because their last one died.

The range of plants run from the simplest to care for, succulent, to extremely difficult, orchids. Most house plants take basically the same care, and it often comes down to how much attention you want to give to them.

I recommend succulents, such as Aloe Vera, Jade, most cactus, etc. for the novice. They are the easiest to care for, requiring little attention, and can go for a long time without paying attention to them. Forgot to water them recently? NO PROBLEM. These types of plants store large quantities of water so regular watering is not necessary. Many do not even need a sunny location to grow. One of the things I like about them is that they are easy to propagate, so you can either have more plants or give them to friends and family. If a part of the plant breaks off, just stick the broken end back into the soil and it will root and start another plant.

When purchasing a plant, look at the label. It will let you know some basic requirements for the plant (e.g. light and water requirements).

Proper care is essential

Everyone has seen that sad little brown plant sitting in the corner, and that is something we want to avoid. Proper care is an essential part of being a successful plant owner.

Here are some simple rules of thumb to consider:

1. Water once a week. If you want, you can fertilize at the same time. Use a water-soluble fertilizer (like Miricle-Gro) at ½ of the recommended strength. Watch that you don’t overwater. If the soil is wet when you put your finger in it, skip a week.
2. Look for any problems with your plant. Are the leaves turning brown? This is usually caused by a lack of watering. Is the plant limp? The plant could need to be watered or, surprisingly, it could have been over watered. Do you see any indications of pests (e.g. webs, white powdery substances)? This can be a pain to deal with, but remember, if you have more than 1 plant in your home, finding pests on one plant usually means you will find them on others.
3. Watch where you keep your plant. Window sills are fine, but keep in mind that during the winter season, window sills tend to get much colder than the rest of the room. Some don’t tolerate drafts or cold temperatures. A great place to keep plants is in the kitchen or bathroom. These rooms tend to have a higher humidity level where many plants will thrive.

Want more advice from Dan on how to care for your plants, inside and outside? Let us know! We welcome you to email [email protected] with feedback on topics you want to learn about from the museum.