3 Plants for People Who Are Bad With Plants
I think everybody should be growing at least one plant at any given time. It's good for you. There is something about caring for a plant and watching it grow that is incredibly rewarding and relaxing. So this blog post is inspired by a recent comment asking for advice for people who want to grow plants but aren't green thumbs. In other words, people who like plants but tend to accidentally kill them. If this is you, the best advice I can offer you is to start with something very easy.
These plants can all be successfully be grown indoors in a pot, so no yard is required. Also, they're all pretty forgiving when it comes to their water and temperature needs. They're not going to keel over if you leave the window open overnight and it gets chilly in your house. Plus, even though all three of these plants like as much sun as possible, they can get by in any spot that gets direct sunlight a few hours per day.
1. Aloe Vera. This is the easiest plant of these three plants to grow, so if you've killed lots of plants and cannot bear to kill another, start with an aloe vera. You can start aloe vera plants from seed, but if you happen to know someone with a aloe plant, there's a good chance they'll have a baby aloe sprout they'd be willing to share with you. Cactus plants are notoriously the easiest of all to grow, but aloe plants are just as easy as a cactus, plus they have the ability to give you something back -- they have countless medicinal and health uses.
2. Lettuce. If you are a fan of fresh lettuce, you should definitely try growing your own! The great thing about lettuce is that it's a fast crop - after you plant the seeds, you can start using the leaves within a few weeks. Plus, lettuce is a short-lived plant. It's meant to be used up, and then you re-seed it again for a new crop. So, if you're afraid of a long-term commitment, this is the plant for you.
3. Marigolds. If you want a plant you can grow from seed that will produce a pretty, bright flower fast, then you should give marigolds a try. I'll warn you that marigold plants have a distinct smell to them that you'll notice when you brush against the leaves. Personally, I like their smell. But if you don't, you may want to put the pot outdoors once the plants get larger.
Good luck!
-Brigitte
Do you have a comment? We'd love to hear what you think!
Do you have a question that we haven’t answered yet in About SAM-e? If so, please Ask Us a Question.
Comment Policy
We value your comment. Please see our comment policy for more details on our guidelines for commenting.
Comments
Osmyn Thursday, April 08, 2010
I've had a rubber tree plant for ten years that has been a great companion.
It's very hardy and more interesting than a philodendron, which are super hardy.
To start a new rubber tree just cut off a small limb from an existing tree, trim it so it only has one or two leaves, and then stick it in potting soil - it will grow without any root treatment at all.
My wife bought our tree for me for our first Christmas, and we've moved it across country and back with us. We left a shoot with friends in Seattle (along with the plant's story as a memento of us when we moved away) and have giving other shoots to family members. It's become our signature plant!
Blargal Friday, April 09, 2010
Hello,Brigitte.
At my house, Crocus' pop up every spring. Gradually their numbers are increasing. Daffodils also make na early appearance here. Indoors I have a pair of Christmas cacti. They are very easy to keep going. In fact, I have to thin them, they are outgrowing their pots!I must be doing something right,they flower at various times of the year!
Joe436 Friday, April 09, 2010
Thanks Brigitte. I think I'll go with Aloe Vera. I need the easiet possible plant. My current plants (Jasper and Agamemnon) aren't dead yet but they're not getting better either. So I need to make sure I don't fail again. This will be five plants in two years. One more and Greenpeace will start protesting outside my apartment.
romeo Friday, April 09, 2010
aloes are cool but my all time choice for low maintenance succulents is the quintessential century plant aka agave tequila..
lettuce is fine for amateurs but for the truly bold and daring in and of of us all -try savoring the crisp 'Belleville' Leaf Sorrel for a spin.
marigolds are great flowers typically used down south to enable those devoted few to commune with the departed -jasmine lends itself to the virtue of patience within ~i say tulips for life for good......
john Tuesday, April 13, 2010
I found it dificult to grow little bonzi trees inside. My solution was a lot of hair spray at the first hint of brown. It now has its own private corner shelf and I havent had to water it in 15 years. While we might shape our own destiny, the shelf I had to buy.
Aaron Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Hmm... I'm interested in the aloe, but had a couple questions that simple googling would no doubt answer. But that makes for lousy dialogue on a blog.
1. Are aloes cat-safe? Like, if my cat decided to eat a bunch of it (she tried to eat my plastic (!) Christmas tree numerous times over the holidays, so I can only guess what she'd do to a REAL plant), would she be ok afterwards?
2. How much water/sunlight do aloes require?