The most popular easy-care indoor plants

This green plant with its decorative thick fleshy pinnate leaves is a relatively young houseplant. For me, this is the easiest to care for of all the plants I have tried so far. She is absolutely frugal and forgives almost every care mistake. Compared to the often plain looks of other low-maintenance specimens, Zamioculcas looks really good. In addition, it grows quickly and looks really good after two to three years, an absolute eye-catcher in every room. I grow them in a Lechuzza planter with a water reservoir. It suits her very well and she grows and grows and blooms and blooms, although she only gets water every 8 to 10 weeks (big pot because the plant is now big).

maintenance

• Bright location but no direct sun (very sensitive to sun – burns)
• Also copes with slightly darker locations, but grows more slowly.
• Substrate – regular, well drained potting soil
• A drainage layer at the bottom of the pot is important!
• Temperatures between 18 and 24 °C
• In winter, slightly cooler temperatures are possible.
• Does not tolerate drafts!
• Water regularly, but moderately!
• No waterlogging!
• Water significantly less in winter!
• The stem is a water reservoir, the plant can do without water for a long time. But it shouldn’t become a habit!
• Fertilize moderately during the growing season.
• Zamioculcas loves being sprayed with water, especially in winter.
• Repot when the planter has become too small.
• I have never had any diseases or pests and I am not familiar with them either.

Sansevieria – Bogenhanf

The bow hemp was already a very popular houseplant in the 50s to 70s. This was certainly also due to the fact that this plant is extremely frugal in terms of location and care. Unfortunately, many consider the sansevieria to be a boring plant. Many strains really aren’t all that exciting, but there are some pretty unusual specimens. New breeds add variety to the group of plants and they are quite attractive.
There are two groups of Sansevierias, the tall ones and the shorter and bushier ones. Almost all species have leaves with interesting markings. Anyone interested in Sansevieria should read the book “The Sansevieria Genus: All Types and Their Care” by Peter A. Mansfeld.

Interesting Species:

• Sansevieria cylindrica – cylindrical, upright growing, often braided into a ponytail, very decorative, a bit more expensive, but a real eye-catcher, slow-growing
• Beamtenspargel, Sansevieria trifasciata
  • ‘Super Marginata’ – dwarf, squat growth, dark green leaves with a strong yellow outer edge
  • ‘Gold flame’ – great leaf markings in strong yellow and green
  • ‘Hahnii’ – stays small, many color variations, rosette-shaped leaves
  • ‘Twister’ – wavy leaves, medium-high form, with a light edge, marbled leaves
• Sansevieria dooneri ‘dwarf’ – short stature, leaves emerge in a rosette but then open wide
• Sansevieria francisii – grows truncated upwards, thick leaves tapering to a point, beautifully marbled, star-shaped in appearance

maintenance

• Likes a light location, also likes sunny. But it also usually works with less light.
• Get used to the sun slowly!
• Growth slows down in the shade.
• Drainage is important! drainage in the pot!
• Plant substrate – mixture of compost soil and sand.
• Water regularly during the growing season!
• No water in the leaf rosettes!
• Water sparingly in winter!
• Fertilize infrequently, every four weeks during peak growing season.
• Medium concentration liquid fertilizer
• Temperatures high, between 18 and 29 °C! Not below 12 °C!
• Rarely repot, indoor plants like constricted roots!
• Susceptible to vine weevil if plant is outside in summer.

elephant foot

The elephant ‘s foot is easily recognizable by its rounded, swollen trunk. Its dense tuft of leaves and the elephant’s foot are particularly decorative. The plant is very popular for being easy to care for, although I have to say many water it to death. It needs little water.
The elephant foot grows very slowly. It is related to the yucca, although you don’t see it at first glance. I think specimens are great where not just one shoot comes out of the foot, but several. Unfortunately, larger specimens are quite expensive, simply because they grow so slowly.

maintenance

• Bright location, without midday sun, also likes to be outdoors in summer
• Needs to get used to the sun slowly!
• Planting medium – mixture of leaf soil, calcareous clay and sharp sand
• Water once or twice a week during the growing season. The soil must dry well between waterings.
• Too much water is harmful, not enough!
• Regularly spray the tuft of leaves with water, then there are no brown tips!
• Dormant period from October to March – almost no watering, just don’t let the soil dry out completely! 4 weeks in a cool place, between 8 and 14 °C and light!
• Moderate to low nutrient requirements – fertilize at a moderate rate every 4 weeks during growth
• Withstands severe temperature changes
• Rarely repot, every 4 to 5 years
• Watch out for pests: spider mites and mealybugs!

dragon tree

The dragon tree is one of the agave plants. Although a real tree in its homeland, it only grows to 1.20 m to 1.50 m in a pot. There are dragon trees with different leaves, long and very narrow, but also shorter and wider. They are grateful houseplants that can handle many care mistakes. They grow quite quickly and can easily be pruned if they get too big. It is also beneficial to cultivate them hydroponically or in a planter with an irrigation system. However, the dragon trees then grow even faster, which is not necessarily wanted.

maintenance

• Bright location, especially for the variegated species and varieties
• Temperatures ideally between 16 and 24 °C
• Withstands temperatures down to 10 °C, but not for long.
• High humidity is important, which is why they thrive particularly well in the bathroom. Otherwise spray with water!
• If the air is too dry, the tips turn brown and later the whole leaf
• Planting substrate – standard soil or compost soil with peat admixtures
• Water regularly and plentifully during the main growth period, otherwise water significantly less, very little in winter!
• Always keep the root ball slightly moist in summer! (Hydro or Lechuzza)
• Don’t let the bales dry out!
• Fertilize – every two weeks during the main growing season with a complete fertilizer
• Repot if pot is too small

Efeutute

The ivy is a climbing plant that clings well to artificial climbing aids with its aerial roots and forms veritable towers of leaves. The heart-shaped, mostly multicolored green leaves are decorative and their leaf surface is very shiny. Unfortunately, the ivy hardly produces any flowers. On the other hand, it is very easy to care for and forgives care mistakes quite well. What it needs is high humidity, no low temperatures, a bright but not sunny location, then it is almost guaranteed to thrive. The spider plant has similar requirements to the ivy.

maintenance

• Bright location without direct sun!
• No temperatures below 18 °C, not even in winter!
• Plant substrate – young plants in uniform soil
• Older plants in standard soil or compost soil
• Keep the bales moist (works well in Lechuzza containers)!
• Water more sparingly in winter!
• It is best to water with stagnant water!
• Balls must not dry out!
• Fertilize – from March to October every 14 days with complete fertilizer
• If not held as a traffic light, the shoots need a support!
• Very robust plant – diseases and pests hardly occur
• Also suitable for hydroponics, which greatly simplifies maintenance!

Sheath leaf – single leaf, leaf plume

The sheath leaf is an indestructible houseplant that also produces good flowers. The leaves are long-stemmed, have a slight luster of dark green and look quite decorative even without flowers. As with most arum plants, the inflorescence is made up of small, inconspicuous flowers that form a bulb. The bract, which towers over the entire inflorescence, is then decorative. After artificial pollination, you even get fruits in the form of red berries. The sheath leaf is particularly favorable as a houseplant because it does not rest. The flowering period is between March and June.

maintenance

• Semi-shady to shady location without direct sun!
• Air must be moist, so spray it daily if possible or cultivate it in the bathroom!
• Especially in winter, pay attention to humidity in heated rooms! Humidifiers do a great job!
• Substrate – use a coarse, slightly fertilized peat culture substrate if possible!
• Drainage at the bottom of the vessel is important for water drainage!
• Keep evenly moist! It does well in pots with an irrigation system.
• Fertilize only when the bale is damp, because the plant is sensitive to salt!
• Weekly with diluted complete fertilizer
• Fertilize less in winter!
• If a break is observed, do not fertilize at all!
• It is good to occasionally wipe the plant with a damp cloth or rain it down!
• If the air is too dry, spider mites can easily appear.

Conclusion
There are numerous easy-care indoor plants. When choosing, you have to make sure that you can provide the plants with a suitable location. This is often crucial for good growth. Watering can be made easier by using hydroponics or planters with an irrigation system. I have had very good experiences with Lechuzza vessels. Almost all of my plants are in it. I would no longer use them for palm trees because they grow too quickly and form too many roots. You have to repot them every year, otherwise the roots will suffocate. This is too much work for me. Otherwise, the vessels are great and I can recommend them for all the plants mentioned above. It really is less work.