When I moved into my first apartment, I was determined to make my new home an oasis full of Tropical Plants. Unfortunately, my love of the A/C and lack of a southern facing window made it difficult for these plants to grow and thrive. But of course, I didn’t realize that until I had killed all of my tropical plants! Since then, I’ve learned that it is possible to keep tropical plants alive..with the help of the right tips in the right kind of apartment. Keep reading to see what the tropical plant tips are:

Light Levels Are Crucial 

As much as I didn’t want to believe it when I lived in my first apartment, light levels are crucial. Many tropical houseplants require light levels of at least 4-6 hours per day. If your living space can’t require those kinds of needs, I recommend taking a look at other low-light plants instead!

More Water Isn’t Always Better

It’s easy to fall into think that all tropical houseplants need tons of water to stay healthy, but that isn’t always the case. Overwatering your plants can cause issues of root rot, which will compromise the health of your plant. Test the soil with your finger and only water when the soil feels dry.

Up The Humidity Levels

Most tropical plants LOVE a humid environment! Mist the plants in between waterings to fake the illusion of a more-humid environment. Make sure that your read your plant’s tags when you bring it home from the nursery so you can take note of their individual watering needs.

Skip The Fertilizer

Contrary to popular belief, tropical plants don’t actually need much additional fertilizer! In fact, I rarely fertilize my tropical plants and seem to get away with doing it on a once-yearly basis. The truth is, excessive fertilizer can do more harm to your plants than good, and it’s best to follow the ‘less is more’ adage.

Re-Pot Your Soil 

Though tropical plants may need to be re-potted if they get larger, new plants also need to be re-potted in new soil. Plants are not meant to live in the containers they are sold in, so it’s crucial that gardeners always re-pot their tropical plants. When it comes to actually re-potting tropical plants, choose a new pot that is only 1-3 inches larger than the previous one. Even one inch will make a huge difference!

Drainage Is Good

If you only remember one of my tropical plant tips, I hope you remember this one! When it comes to tropical plants, adequate drainage is necessary. Always make sure that new pots have a hole for the water to exit. Excessively moist soil will always kill your tropical plants, and adding a simple hole to the bottom of the pot will save you so much heartache!

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