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Houseplant Make-Over Tips

by on Jun 26, 2007

"Plants planted on a tub"

My Snake Plant (aka Mother-in-Law’s Tongue) started looking a little sad. After some consideration, I decided to give it a make-over rather than replace it. MILT’s have shallow roots, which is why mine was falling over. To make the plant look a bit more interesting, I decided to add a friend to the pot. Of course it had to be a plant that would tolerate the same living conditions as the notoriously hardy MILT. A Philodendron–that I happened to have on hand and looking equally sad–was the perfect compliment.

A plant is in the pot.

Other quick houseplant make-over ideas:

A new hairdo: Don’t be afraid to trim straggling tendrils.

A new outfit: Transplant into a new pot or–better yet–slip the old pot in a new basket.

A new diet: Take out the top one inch or so of soil and replace the old soil with new potting soil to add nutrients. Gently cultivate the new soil into the old soil.

A good cleaning: Gently dust leaves with a soft, damp cloth or sponge. It’s best to have a wiper in each hand and clean both sides of the leaves at once. This way you will be supporting both sides as you clean. For plants with fuzzy leaves, like African Violets, use a baby’s hair brush or a feather duster.  

A good concealer: Add found sea shells, pebbles or clean, dried moss to the base of the plant. Of course, my Philodendron does a great job of covering up the MILT’s once-naked soil.