I’ve been successfully taking care of plants for nearly 5 years, and these are the 8 items I use on a regular basis.
I’ve tried out a lot of different things to keep healthy plants, but these are my favourites, and what I would recommend for a quick start for beginners into plant care.
It can get expensive taking care of plants, but these items are a great place to start, and will set you up for success. You can scale the items you have as you have need for them.
1. Watering Can
I’ve used a metal watering can since 2020, and still love it. I used to water with a measuring cup, but I find the long spout on a watering can easier for precision, and even watering. However, if you have larger plants, you will want a larger watering can (like this one).
2. Plant Trays for Bottom Watering
Probably the number one way people kill plants is overwatering. It’s easy to do. Everyone wants to make sure their plant is hydrated, but if you water your plant from the top, and the pot doesn’t have drainage holes the plant will eventually get root rot, and die, or get fungus gnats.
I keep a lot of my plants in nursing pots since they have a lot of drainage holes, and allow me to bottom water my plants and avoid root rot.
When you place your plant in a plant tray and fill it with water, your plant absorbs the water through the drainage holes at the bottom.
3. Humidifier
Humidifiers are crucial if you have tropical plants (which most of us do). You want to try and mimic your plants natural habitat, so having a humidifier that you can set the humidity level is key. Most plants are fine with humidity at 40% to 60%. I set my humidifiers at 50%.
I have 3 different humidifiers: my main humidifier in the living room for the majority of my plants, a smaller bedroom humidifier, and a smaller desktop humidifier for more localized humidity.
I have had my main humidifier since November 2021, and it still works great. I’m a huge fan of Levoit Humidifiers. I tried some others, but I had to replace those ones more regularly. Since switching to Levoit, I haven’t had to replace my humidifiers for years.
When looking for a humidifier, I like one with a large water capacity. This is because I like to travel so I don’t have to worry about crispy leaves while I am gone, but also so I don’t have to fill up my humidifier as often. If you get a really small humidifier, and live in a drier place, you might be filling up your humidifier multiple times a day.
Another thing I look for is the ability to set the humidity level. This helps you know what the humidity level in your home is, and automates when the humidifier will start adding mist to your room.
There are also a lot of health benefits for humans with humidifiers, so it’s a great purchase for you too!
For more humidifier options, visit Levoit store on Amazon.
4. Pruning Shears
For my larger plants, I use pruning shears to cut off any yellowing leaves, or leaves infected by pests. For my smaller plants, I just use some clean kitchen scissors as the shears are too big. For thick stems, you definitely want a pair of shears.
5. Kitchen Scissors
Like I mentioned above, for my smaller plants, I use some clean kitchen scissors as the shears are too big. I use the scissors that came with my knife block.
6. Insecticide (Homemade or Pre-Made)
Homemade Insecticide
I use this on a very regular basis. A lot of pests are hard to see with the naked eye until they are a problem, so I will use my homemade insecticide on my plants while wiping my plants leaves. I either spray the plant itself or spray a bit on my microfibre plant dusting gloves so it is damp and wipe the leaves. If I have pests, I also use the homemade insecticide to eradicate them. The recipe I use is 1 spray bottle, 1 tbsp dish soap (not dish detergent), filtered water, 1 tsp neem oil). I prefer using a homemade insecticide because I can be a bit sensitive to chemicals, and certain pests can build up a tolerance to manufactured insecticide.
Manufactured Insecticide
If you don’t want to make your own insecticide, Safer’s insecticide is a good option. Make sure you follow the directions on the bottle.
7. Microfibre Plant Dusting Gloves
These gloves have changed my life. They have saved me at least an hour a week wiping down my leaves. They work so quickly, and I would recommend these to anyone. They can be used both dry and damp. I have a pair from Fuliage, and I can’t recommend them enough.
8. Mason Jars
These are great for a lot of reasons. One is that they can be used for water propagation, but this isn’t what I use mine for. Tap water can sometimes have too many minerals, and can cause brown tips on some plants. Because of this, I fill my plants up with the filtered water from my fridge. However, the water from my fridge is too cold for the plants so I fill up mason jars and set them on my counter without a lid until they are room temperature. Once they are room temperature, I pour them into my watering can, and water away. These jars are the closest to the ones I have.
Hope this guide helps you with everything you need for day-to-day plant care. I have other guides on specific tips such as: pest management, plant growth (potting/repotting, support), vacation plant care prep (setting up automated systems), individual plant care guides, common pest guides, and my favourite planty books!
