I have a black thumb - everything I plant dies...?

Question

does anyone have any suggestions of what kind of plants are hardy enough for me to keep alive in my house?

Answer 1

Try a plant called a cast iron plant, or aspidistra. It is called a cast iron plant for a reason--it is very hard to kill. Also pothos, or devil's ivy, or dracena. Go to your neighborhood Home Depot--and look at the house plants. The ones that still look good even after being in the store where no one has the time to take proper care of them are the ones you want. If all else fails, silk plants look really really good. Just a tip--overwatering kills more house plants than any other cause.

Answer 2

One plant I'd suggest is pothos ivy. It has heart-shaped leaves, and it will grow in nothing but plain old water!

With most houseplants, though, the thing that I see people doing most of the time is killing them with kindness, ESPECIALLY over-watering them. Houseplants should never sit in water for longer than an hour (cacti shouldn't sit in water at all). The soil should be moist, but not wet. Most plants do well in bright-but-indirect light, or under fluorescent lamps. If the plant is a foliage plant, then a simple, balanced fertilizer like a 10-10-10 should work. If you are growing a flowering plant like an African violet, then something like 10-20-10 helps it bloom. Light, water, and fertilizer are just about all any plant needs.

If you see your plants getting yellowish and droopy, then they're almost certainly getting too much water; this drowns the roots, and limits the plant's ability to take up nutrients, so it dies. If the leaves get "crispy", then it's getting too dry, or may be in an area where there is too little humidity. That's easily remedied with a pebbled-filled plant-saucer (the kind that are often put under plants to catch excess water); pour water over the pebbles until it's just below the tops of the pebbles, and set the plant on top of the pebbles. As the water evaporates, it will increase humidity in the vicinity of the plant.

Answer 3

If youre a friend of beagles, you don't stand a chance. Is it you killing the plants or overactive beagles? I know many people who have beagles and no plants. Why no plants? Beagles. If you dont have Beagles, your house may not be condusive to house plants. My house does not have any location that allows for good sunlight so I have no indoor house plants. However, it seems that noone can kill a spider plant. You might try one of these. I have seen spider plants rise from the dead and rejuvenate almost overnight.

Answer 4

There is one plant you almost can't kill--a philodendron. Don't put them too close to a south window, but other than that, just give them a little water twice a week, and they'll go nuts. My aunt left two of them with me about a year ago. When she left them, they just covered the tops of the tables they sat on. Now both of them are dragging the floor. You can get new starts off of them very easily--just cut off branches about the length you want (close to the nearest leaf), stick them in water for a few weeks (they'll look pretty in a vase), and they'll develop root systems on their own. Plant them when the roots are about 3-4 inches long. So if one of them starts to die off, just cut off part that's still healthy and start over.

Answer 5

TRY A BAMBOO PALM. THEY ARE A GREAT HOUSE PLANT AND FILL UP A CORNER NICELY. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS PUT IT IN A SUNNY LIKE LOCATION AWAY FROM DRAFTS AND WATER EVERY WEEK OR 2. THE BEST PART IS THE CAN GO AT LEAST 3 WEEKS WITH NO WATER. DONT TRY THIS THOUGH BECAUS YOU MAY DAMAGE THE PALNT.


GOOD LUCK.

Answer 6

Get a jade plant or other similar succulent. The only way you can kill them is by overwatering them. Otherwise, forget about them and they're just fine.

Answer 7

try a Christmas cactus. thrives on neglect.

Answer 8

Try a rock garden.

Answer 9

sunflowers