CoirProducts.co.uk Featured Grower this week is Jo (@jos_leafy_nest). Jo loves growing and taking care of her indoor plants. In this blog post, she tells us about some of the most valuable lessons she has learnt when it comes to growing indoor plants, and what she loves the most about it. She also reminds us that we don’t need much when it comes to getting started on growing plants, just a window will do… we just need to start somewhere.
Recalling how she got into gardening, Jo says, “I first started getting into plants about 3 years ago when a lady gave me lots of free plants and I told her I would try my best to look after them.”
Since then, she has learnt so much about plants and growing. “I always thought indoor plants were like flowers and needed lots of water, how wrong was I! So I did kill many plants in the care process, thank goodness for Google,” Jo says.
Indoor plants are her absolute favourite when it comes to growing, Jo says, adding, “my giant bird of paradise is my favourite, it’s so easy to care for and so rewarding.” Among some of the most valuable lessons she has learnt, she says, is to do with keeping those plants happy. “Just keeping my plants happy and growing is always a bonus, as I didn’t do very well when I started.” In addition, she’s also learnt valuable lessons about the amount of water needed for plants, stressing, “definitely never over-water house plants. I only water when the soil is dry when you put your finger in. But most house plants will let you know if they need a good drink by drooping!”
One of the biggest challenges has been finding the right spot for some of her plants in her home, especially when it comes to adequate light. Also, as Jo says, “winter is quite challenging for house plants.”
Jo goes on to tell us what she loves the most about growing. “Tending to my houseplants is my favourite task ever, it’s so calming and relaxing. I like to clean my leaves and give them a good spray and it’s so rewarding, they love it.”
The benefits of gardening for her mental health has been immense. As Jo explains, “Looking after plants and having plants has played a very big part in my mental health. I suffer with ptsd and my plants have helped me through the very darkest of days. Beauty is good for the mind.” In addition, she adds that Instagram is great for seeing how others care and place plants around their homes, “it feels so good to look at plants on instagram and it gives me lots of inspiration.” She also finds seeing plants grow and new leaves appear very rewarding, “it’s just like you won an award..”
Having tried coir products, Jo says, “coir products are just amazing. I had a variegated monstera for many months and there was never any growth. So I potted her in a coir mix with soil in a coir pot and unbelievably she is growing, and all my plants are loving life in coir
I couldn’t recommend enough.”
Sharing tips with other growers and gardeners, Jo says, “many people tell me ‘oh I wish I was green-fingered, I can’t keep real plants’….wrong! As long as you have a window, use coir products. Remember to feed and please, never over-water. You will get there. We all start off somewhere”.
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In today’s world, gardening is much more than a pastime; it’s a mindful choice to support biodiversity, boost sustainability, and cultivate well-being. At CoirProducts of
