As a houseplant enthusiast, I frequently get questions like “What plant should I get?”, “What are the best plants for beginners?” or “I killed my plant, where did it go wrong?”. But sometimes, I also get questions like “Why do you like plants so much?”, “What is it about plants?”. In this post, I will be sharing my top tips on plant care for beginners but also the spiritual benefit of bringing plant life into your home!
By the fig and the olive.
QURAN – 95:1
If things went downhill with your first indoor plant, I am pleased to know that you are willing to try again and to give yourself another chance. I believe that anyone can be made for it, it is not an innate skill. I would never have imagined myself with a plant – and look at me now! In less than six months, I have gathered 10 green companions! I did have three more but unfortunately, they did not make it. Instead of giving up on bringing greenery into my home, it was a learning process for me but also, a spiritual one.
What is it about plants?
For me, plants and spirituality are intertwined. Even though I take care of them by watering and tending to them, they also take care of me. They have taught me patience, discipline, and consciousness. To be conscious and present for every single drop of water I sprinkle the plants with, in every single leaf that grows and in every ray of sunshine that hits it.
Slowly, I began to realize that I had started to build a relationship with each plant as if it is a living being – and that, it is indeed!
Nature is God’s creation, and every creation of His reminds us of Him – and we love His creations as we love Him. We love beauty, He is the Beautiful and He creates beauty. To take care of such delicate beings, to water them, to fulfill their needs, and to witness their growth is for me, a spiritual activity. In the process, I witness God’s blessings, God’s Beauty and I cannot but praise Him in the process “SubhānAllah”.
Taking care of plants is an act of worship
As mentioned in a past post regarding Islam and the Environment, the world is our amanah and everything has been created in perfect balance. We need trees and plants to survive. Houseplants themselves are known to purify air in the home.
Islam regards the act of planting trees and preserving the earth, as an act of worship and a charity for the doer as an act that conforms with the companionship of man and animals with the plants1
It is He Who sends down rain from the sky: From it, you drink, and out of it (grows) the vegetation on which you feed your cattle. With it, He produces for you corn, olives, date palms, grapes, and every kind of fruit: Verily in this is a sign for those who give thought.
QURAN – 16:10-11
The same way Allah (swt) wants us to take good care of ourselves, our body, our mind, and our soul, I see plants as His creations entrusted to us. Allah (swt) mentions several times in the Qurān, the blessings of nature, trees, gardens, lands, and fruits. Even Paradise is spoken about with abundant gardens, trees and fruits like no mind can imagine. It is the garden of Allah (swt). In each plant, I see a garden of His, full of His blessings.
Now, if you are truly serious about getting your first plant or trying again with a new one, where should you start? Here are my top 5 tips on plant care for absolute beginners.
5 Tips on Plant Care for Beginners
1. Choose the right plant
Ask yourself – how attentive are you or will you be towards your plant? Will you be able to give it the proper attention it requires? To give a first plant owner confidence and courage, I would suggest opting for plants that are resilient, low-maintenance, and do not require a lot of time. not require a lot of time and are easy to care for.
The following are my top recommendations that make excellent plants for beginners:
- Most Succulents
- Snake Plant | Sansevieria Trifasciata Laurentii
- ZZ Plant | Zamioculcas Zamiifolia
- The Spider Plant | Chlorophytum comosum
- Pothos | Epipremnum Aureum
2. Find the best location
Light is a crucial factor to take into consideration when one decides to grow indoor plants.
It is important to analyze your space and see what kind of light enters it: direct sunlight, indirect or no light at all. There are types of plants for each kind. By considering the light conditions, you are being selective about which plant to get.
Be mindful that a low-light tolerant plant does not necessarily mean that it needs complete shadow, they all need some light to survive. Some plants will burn if they are too close to the light or wither if they are too far, the perfect example is the Peace Lily. This one is a sensitive plant! Others, like the Snake plant, can survive far away from your window. Mine is at least 12 feet away and is doing just fine. The Bird of Paradise, on the other hand, requires as much light as possible, as it is a tropical plant. I know it’s one of those aesthetic “Instagrammable” plants, but as a plant for beginners, it’s a sun lover so if you don’t have enough light, it won’t last long!
3. Keep it hydrated
Every type of plant is different. Some plants need to be watered once a day, once a week, or even once a month. Overwatering and underwatering plants are one of the main reasons for them not surviving. One must be aware of the watering needs of the plant to make sure that it survives and grows.
So how do you know? Research about your plant or ask the local plant store, but most importantly, LISTEN to your plant. Yes. Read that again. The reason why I am saying this is because some plants when they are thirsty, are dramatic and sad. Their leaves drop completely. The first time I saw my Peace Lily thirsty, I thought it was gone and dead, but after watering it, it came back to life!
A great thing to do is to fill a spray bottle with water and lightly spray the plants every morning to keep the leaves fresh and hydrated. You can get yourself a cute mister like the ones below to remind you!
4. Give it a good home
When I got my first plant, I was not aware of the importance of having the right pot. A crucial thing to consider is that the pot must have a hole or multiple holes at the bottom to ensure water drainage when watering the plant. Plants drink the amount of water they require and leave the rest. If your pot does not have a hole, the water will accumulate in it and this could lead to over-watering.
Another thing to keep in mind is the size of the pot. If it is too small for your plant, the roots won’t be able to grow properly because space will be too tight. With time, if you have a plant that grows a lot like a Fiddle-leaf fig plant, for example, you have to re-pot it in a bigger pot according to its size.
I used pots like these for my little plants such as Aloe Vera or Peace Lily and they worked pretty well.
5. Take one step at a time
My last advice on plant care for beginners would be to start slowly. One step at a time, one plant at a time.
Your first plant is your teacher. Learn how to take good care of it and when you feel ready, and only then, start thinking about getting a second one. And it is exactly like this that I ended up with 10 plants! Be careful though, you will always want more! Don’t say I didn’t warn you!
So those are my top 5 tips on plant care for beginners. It can seem like a lot at first but don’t overthink or stress too much about it. After getting your plant, make sure to research and take into consideration other needs like the following: warmth, humidity, soil, and fertilizer.
The green world is a whole world in itself – one that I will leave you to discover and grow with.
May it be a flourishing journey!
