If you want some green at home but have little time or experience, choose plants that forgive mistakes: a missed watering, a dim windowsill, dry winter air. Pothos, peace lily, ZZ plant, snake plant, the moth orchid (phalaenopsis) and kalanchoe all fit. They cope well in an ordinary Lithuanian flat and make sensible gifts. Below is what each needs, how to care for them once the heating comes on, and what to know if you have a cat or a dog.
The main rule: too little water is safer than too much
Most beginners overwater rather than underwater. When the soil stays wet, the roots cannot breathe and start to rot. Before watering, push a finger 2–3 cm into the soil. If it still feels damp there, wait a day or two.
Plants are usually sold in a plastic pot with drainage holes, set inside a decorative pot without holes. About 15–20 minutes after watering, tip out any water left in the outer pot. Standing water is the most common cause of root rot.
Six plants that are easy to start with
Pothos
A trailing plant with heart-shaped leaves, often marbled with yellow or cream. It suits a shelf or a hanging pot and copes with moderate light, although variegated leaves turn greener in low light. Water when the top layer of soil has dried. Drooping leaves simply mean it is thirsty.
Peace lily (spathiphyllum)
Dark, glossy leaves and white flowers shaped like a sail. It likes evenly moist soil and shows clearly when it is dry: the whole plant flops, then stands up again a few hours after watering. It tolerates shade, but flowers more freely in a bright spot out of direct midday sun. It likes humid air, so in winter an occasional mist on the leaves helps.
ZZ plant (zamioculcas)
One of the toughest houseplants. It stores water in its thick stems and rhizomes, so it can go a long time without watering. Good for offices, hallways and north windows. Water only when the soil is completely dry, which in winter may mean once every few weeks. Its real enemy is watering too often.
Snake plant (sansevieria)
Also known as mother-in-law's tongue, with stiff upright leaves. It tolerates bright or fairly dim spots, dry air and rare watering. Like the ZZ plant, water only when the soil is completely dry, and very sparingly in winter. Try not to pour water into the centre of the leaf rosette.
Moth orchid (phalaenopsis)
The orchid most often given as a gift, often in flower for several months. It grows in bark rather than soil, usually in a clear pot, so you can see the roots: green when wet, silvery grey when dry. When the roots turn silvery, stand the pot in room-temperature water for 10–15 minutes, then let it drain thoroughly. Do not leave water sitting where the leaves meet the stem. An east or west window, with good light but no direct summer sun, usually suits it best.
Kalanchoe
A succulent with fleshy leaves and clusters of small flowers in red, orange, pink, yellow or white. It usually blooms in winter and spring, a good inexpensive gift in the darker months. Kalanchoe wants plenty of light and does well on a south or west windowsill. Water moderately, once the soil has dried.
Light in a Lithuanian flat
Lithuanian winter days are short, so give plants the brightest spot you have. Roughly:
- North window or further into the room: ZZ plant, snake plant, pothos, peace lily.
- East or west window: moth orchid, peace lily, pothos.
- South window: kalanchoe, snake plant. In summer, move other plants back from the glass or use a sheer curtain at midday.
If a plant stretches towards the window and its new leaves are smaller and paler, it needs more light.
The heating season: dry air and cold draughts
In Lithuania the heating usually comes on in October, which starts the hardest stretch of the year for many houseplants. Radiators often sit right under the windowsill, so warm, dry air rises straight into the leaves.
- Do not put plants on a hot radiator. If the sill above it gets very warm, move the pot away from the edge.
- The peace lily and the moth orchid are the most sensitive to dry air. Grouping plants together helps, as does a tray of damp pebbles under the pot, as long as the pot itself is not standing in water.
- When you air the room in winter, move plants away from the open window. A blast of icy air can damage leaves within minutes, especially on orchids and peace lilies.
- Keep leaves from touching cold window glass.
- Water less often in winter, as plants grow more slowly, but a pot on a warm sill can dry out fast, so check with your finger rather than the calendar.
If you have a cat or a dog
Several popular houseplants are toxic to pets if chewed or eaten, which is worth knowing before you buy or give one.
- Pothos, peace lily and ZZ plant contain calcium oxalate crystals. Chewing them irritates the mouth and can cause drooling and vomiting.
- Snake plant can cause stomach upset.
- Kalanchoe is considered toxic to cats and dogs, so keep it well out of reach.
- The moth orchid is generally regarded as non-toxic to cats and dogs, which makes it one of the safer choices.
Cut lilies are very dangerous to cats, even the pollen, so choose a different bouquet for a home with a cat.
If your pet has chewed a plant and seems unwell, call a vet and say which plant it was.
A plant as a gift
A potted plant lasts much longer than a bouquet, so it suits a housewarming, a colleague's desk, a name day, a teacher or a grandmother. A few suggestions:
- For someone who says "everything dies on me", a ZZ plant or a snake plant.
- For an older person or anyone who loves flowers, a moth orchid.
- For a home with a cat, an orchid rather than a kalanchoe or a peace lily.
- Add a short note on how to water it.
In winter, carry the plant home wrapped in paper, pot and all: even a short walk in frost can damage an orchid.
Where to find them
You can find orchids and other potted plants at Gitanos gėlės, inside the Šilas supermarket at A. Baranausko g. 26, Kaunas, with plants from 8 €. If you would also like a bouquet, you can pre-order it by SMS at +370 656 38880 or on gitanosgeles.lt.
