If you want to keep indoor plants healthy and green all year round, you need to master some proper care techniques. Most potted plants at home are very easy to care for, and their ability to adapt to the environment is also quite good. Pay attention to these eight key points during care, and there will be very few flowers you can kill. Let's take a look.

1. How to propagate

Most plants kept indoors are very easy to propagate, such as the common pothos, spider plant or ivy.

The one above is a spider plant. Next to it I have already propagated several pots. You can see that it grows some trailing offshoots. Just cut off these offshoots, insert them into the soil, place them in a warm, shaded place, keep the potting soil slightly moist, and maintain the temperature at around 20 degrees. They will quickly take root and sprout. Most other plants can also be propagated by cutting off some branches and inserting them into the soil.

2. Note when repotting

If you are not sure whether your potted plant needs repotting, you can check whether the roots at the bottom of the pot have grown out, or lift up the flower pot. If the roots are relatively few, do not repot it yet.

Potted plants kept indoors generally need to be repotted once every 2 to 3 years. Choose a time when the temperature is stable at around 18 degrees, repot in a shaded place, cut off any withered roots and rotten roots, add new soil, then water thoroughly, place it in a shaded, ventilated place, and let it slowly recover.

3. Clean regularly

After indoor plants have been kept for a while, dust will gather on the leaves. At this time, you can spray them with room-temperature clean water. If the plant leaves are fuzzy, you can use a soft-bristled brush to sweep the dust off the leaves.

Regularly cleaning the leaves and branches of plants allows them to better absorb sunlight and water, which is good for growth. Some people's plants do not grow for several years, possibly because they have not been cleaned regularly.

4. Pruning and pinching

If indoor plants are to look better and grow more branches, they need regular pruning and pinching. If you see that a plant has grown a relatively long branch, about 18 cm, you can pinch off the top to encourage branching and produce more side branches.

At the same time, if you see any diseased or withered branches and leaves on the plant, cut them off promptly to avoid infection by pathogens. The cut surface should not be exposed to water afterward.

Branches about 9 to 12 cm long that are cut off can be used for propagation by cuttings, so you will end up with more and more plants at home.

5. Cut off diseased leaves and branches

If you find that the flowers on your plants at home have withered, remove the spent flowers promptly. This preserves nutrients and also prevents infection by fungal diseases.

Normally, whenever you see yellow leaves, diseased leaves or withered leaves on plants, cut them off with sharp scissors, and the cut surface should not be exposed to water first.

6. Note when watering

Most indoor plants die because of overwatering. If you are not sure whether your plant needs watering, it is best to wait until the potting soil is completely dry before watering. To check whether the soil is dry, you can insert a dry wooden stick into the soil for a few minutes, then pull it out and look at whether the stick is dry or moist.

Of course, different indoor plants have different water needs. Pothos and nerve plant both like water relatively more, so they should be watered more frequently. Drought-tolerant plants such as money tree, aloe, snake plant and ZZ plant do not need frequent watering, and too much water can easily kill them.

7. Appropriate fertilizer

Plants kept indoors do not need frequent fertilizing and have a low demand for fertilizer. Plants growing indoors do not receive much light, so their growth is relatively slow. Generally, fertilize in spring and summer, once every 2 to 3 weeks.

After it turns cold in autumn, stop fertilizing. The fertilizer concentration should be well controlled. If the concentration is too high, it will not only fail to promote plant growth, but can also easily cause fertilizer burn.

It is best to choose some slow-release organic fertilizers, or commonly used liquid fertilizers.

8. Pest and disease control

If indoor plants are not cared for properly, they are prone to pests and diseases. Too much water can easily cause root rot and can also lead to fungal diseases. As long as you control water promptly, cut off the diseased roots, and water with carbendazim or thiophanate-methyl to prevent fungal infection.

If pests are the problem, such as the common mealybugs or scale insects, you can directly dip a cotton swab in alcohol and apply it to the affected areas.

If they are aphids, you can directly wash them off with a strong stream of water or spray common insecticides.

In addition, promptly deal with diseased leaves and branches in the potting soil. Do not let fallen leaves remain in the flower pot. Cut off diseased leaves and branches promptly, keep diseased plants separated from healthy plants to avoid spreading to each other. To control aphids, be sure to promptly remove ants indoors. Ants are the keepers of aphids, so they must be eliminated at the same time.