Those tags can be misleading! I have even read where the tags, or a book will say water three times a week! NO WAY!
Many plants like to dry out, or dry out most of the way some before watering again. It's always best to test the soil with your finger to see if it really needs a drink or not.Where it's placed in the house for light also needs to be correct.

Some plants don't like to dry out completely, for instance like the peace lily. They like somewhat moist conditions.
Also, make sure the plant has just a little bit of growing room, like an inch of le-way between the root-ball and the inside of the pot, kinda like, fits almost like a glove thing.The soil should also drain well.

Succulents/cactus like to dry out between watering. I water my Mother-in-laws tongue maybe once a month, or once every other month since they can hold water in their leaves.Hardly any water is given in the winter and it does fine.

When to water all depends on the plant, temperature of the air, how big the pot is, how well the soil drains, how fast the soil dries, etc.The best thing to do is ck the soil first, not go by what the tag says.The plant just might NOT need any water that week. Fertilizer should be limited and diluted and only given to healthy thriving plants. Winter I don't feed any of mine.

Whatever plants you have, try and find out their basic needs, light, water, fertilizer, either here, or from someone who has one, or had one with success.We all started same as you. Your brown thumb can easily turn into a green thumb with just a little basic knowledge:>)

Billy Rae

Hi, pcake.

I'm relatively new to this, too. I think that maybe it's not such a great idea to follow the instructions that plants come with. The first thing I learned was that no plant can be watered on a schedule, such as once a week. Plants should be watered when they need to be, which depends on temperature, humidity, light and so on. Some plants need the soil to dry out a great deal before watering again, and some just the top of the soil to dry out. Many plants you buy may be in soil that is less than ideal, particularly given the environment in your home, compared to in the nursery where they were raised. Pick a plant and research its needs on this forum -- there's a wealth of information here.

Good luck!

Hi pcake,
Billy Rae and Londongirl gave great advice.
Don't read the tags attached to plants. Many times they even list the incorrect name of plant..
For the time being, either purchase or borrow (library) different books on house plants.
This way you'll learn the names of plants, ID'ing is important, and general care for each family. Like sun, fertilizing, temperature, humidity, watering and soils.

Watering is very important..Most plants are killed by overwatering..I believe overwatering is the number 1 killer.

You mentioned buying succulents..Most prefer very bright light and well-draining soil..Variegated succulents, (leaves w/more than one color) need even more light to prevent from reverting foliage to green.
Mother-in-laws-Tongue/Snake plant (Sansevieria) is another plant that needs little water and well draining soil.
When I say little water, I don't mean to say, when watering, add tiny drops of water..It's best to water soil thoroughly, (wet entire rootball) then before rewatering, make sure soil is dry. Dry soil looks crumbly..Pot weighs less. Sticking finger in soil, (3") is one way to check..if your finger comes out wet/moist, wait a few days and retest..if dry, it's time to water.

When you buy a Bromiliad, and it's in flower, the mom plant is actually dying..but this process can take several months, as many as 7 or 8 to a yr...Sideshoots sprout, which are to be removed w/a sharp knife..(remove as many roots w/shoots) Then pot in the same size container mom plant came in..discard mom plant..This is done only after mom plant dies. So, if you had a Bromiliad for several months to a yr, and it died, it wasn't your fault..This is a natural process, the next step is removing the babies.

Cactus are easy to grow, if you have south or west windows. They require infrequent waterings, and very little fertilizer.

You can learn a lot here on Gw, too...we all grow plants, some as long as 30 yrs. Not everyone will agree on certain issues, but after a while, you'll find your own ways to grow plants, and will then be offering advice to newbies..LOL..

There's a lot of info on the internet, too..Just type in the name of a plant, and general info will pop up or direct you to a site that does..Ironically, many times you'll be directed here to Gw..(S)

Don't feel bad about losing plants, Pcake..we all have, even to this day..It's difficult at first, but before you know it, you'll be buying flowering plants, rare tropicals and succulents. Sowing seeds, and rooting cuttings.
Good luck, and don't give up..Toni

These are two books I own and really like---excellent info for beginners and experts alike, and many beautiful color pics:

1. The Houseplant Expert by Dr. D.G. Hessayon (there is also a "book two" of this one, which covers additional topics)

2. The Complete Houseplant Survival Manual: Essential Know-how for Keeping (Not Killing!) More Than 160 Indoor Plants, by Barbra Pleasant

Read. Learn. Grow. Plants will die. Learn. Experiment. Keep learning. Keep growing. It is a fun and rewarding journey.

Start by not paying attention to labels. Those instructions will keep the plant looking the way it does for a few months before it dies and you have to buy a new one. That's one way $$$ is made in the industry, they are counting on you to kill the plant and buy a new one, IMO.

Try some very easy stuff first, a snake plant (Sanseveria) for example. Then work your way into more exotic plants. Buy cheap, small plants so it's not a big investment. You will be rewarded with large plants in time, and won't be upset if they don't grow well.

Most importantly - Have fun!

There is a list of "easy plants" but why not start out with just one, master that one, then try another.

Maybe you can try a pothos (Epipremnum) Common name, (Devils Ivy) if you haven't already. It's a pretty easy plant and it doesn't require a lot of fussy care.
They do well in indirect "bright" light, no direct hot sun which they don't need anyway to do well and direct sun can burn the leaves.
Water the soil well when dry, letting the water drain out the drain holes while wetting the whole top of the soil and around the inside edges of pot as well, you want to wet the entire root-ball.
Spill out any excess water in the saucer after it stops dripping so the plants not sitting in water for a week, which over-time could cause root rot.

Don't water again until the soil is pretty much dry all the way down.
Just ck the soil every 5 to 7 days with your figer like Toni suggested. If the soil still feels moist even a little bit, I'll walk away, wait a couple days or so, then ck it again.
Being dry a day or two is ok, any longer might cause the leaves to wilt some, but watering will make them firm again. After a while you should get a "feel" for when to water before that happens.

Toni, you never sent me your mailing address for the yellow COT, lol. Did you maybe change your mind?

Billy Rae

Depending on where you're buying your plants, you could also be getting plants that were barely hanging on, diseased, already being watered to death, etc etc.

Indoor florals at grocery stores are a big NO NO and NOOOO! since most of the plants there are barely rooted cuttings. Bouquets designed to last a little longer.

Even Home Depot can utterly blow it with some of their indoor stock. I attempted to rescue a hen and chicks with the intent of hardening it off for outdoor use, but it was just too far gone. It was in a low light/ no light location and utterly drowning. It turned into a little flat mush ball less than 24 hours after getting it home.

The one I got elsewhere is still doing a-ok.

When you look at a plant in a store, look for signs of new growth, check for weird looking spots/ discolorations, look at the plants around it. If they have signs of spots, over watering, discoloration, leaves falling off, then it is more likely that the plant you're interested in has by contact got some of the same problems. The shipping conditions can be pretty bad, and disease can spread quickly.

I also look for the plants that are budding, rather than blooming in flowers, so rather than taking it home and waiting eternity for it to bloom again, you can take it home, get it settled in and then see it bloom.

If you're friendly with neighbors &/or local friends, you might try asking them for cuttings they could spare of any plants you've admired &/or that are doing well for them.

Then they'd also be able to suggest how to care for them, or share what they've been doing with the plant that's worked well for them.

Billy, I don't know how to get in touch w/you..LOL.
I've emailed you a few times in the past year, but either you didn't get the letters or, well something..(S)
I didn't send my addy since I don't know where to send it..
I tried emailing you via GW and your addy to no avail..again this was a while back, it had nothing to do w/the COT's..I wanted to talk to you about another plant anyway..What's the best way to get in touch???

Pcake, I agree w/the House Plant Expert, and one of my all time favorite basic books is Hyponex Plant book..You can find both on Ebay at decent prices. My old Hyponex book fell apart, lol, so I did a check on Ebay, found it for 1.00 plus shipping which was inexpensive.

Checking out online nurseries and browsing through Ebay is another way to find plants..pics w/ID..Also, if you see something you like, it's just a matter of a click of the button, and voila a new plant..lol...Toni

I have the Complete Houseplant Survival Manual too and I love it! I have about 10 other houseplant books but this one is my favorite:)

Classes are a good idea, I have thrown the idea around a few times to take some classes but never ended up following through, I should though....
If you killed succulents and Mother In Law tounges you may be liking watering too much, how about trying a Peace Lily??? Or even a Syngonium (arrowhead plant) they love the water. when I first started getting into these I got a Pothos that was dying from no water, I was lucky, I put it outside and just drenched the sucker every day, it came back, had lots of new shoots on it and from then on I assumed Pothos love to be watered, nope! It was just cause it was hot as heck and the soil was drying out every day. When I brought it in and I started getting all these yellow leaves I finally researched them and found out I was overwatering it, now I water mine once a Month if they are lucky and they do great, they do have a water indicator, the leaves get curly and soft, so that one would be a good one for you to start on as well.
But as I have learned no one can tell you which ones will be a easy houseplant for YOU, everyone has a different touch for every houseplant.

Toni,

I'm sorry you weren't getting through, I just didn't understand it! Well,I found out what the problem was! You were on my block list, and I didn't even know where the block list was until I read your email and thought I'd better try and look for it, lol. It took me a while, but I finally found the "block list" Even my one sister was on it!I must have done it by mistake, sorry!
Ok, it should be ok now, I removed all the names that shouldn't have been on there including yours, so if you try again via GW I should get your email this time, or write me directly, @aol.com

Just write a short sentence ok? If I don't get it in a few days, I'll email you, that is, if I'm not on YOUR block list, lol.

Billy Rae

Stick to easy plants as a beginner, ignore the labels except maybe for lighting needs, and water when dry! The main thing to do is remember to check them alot, so until you develop your green thumb, best to keep your collection small and managable.

Pothos, Snake plants, Hoya Carnosa, and philodendrons are all good starter plants that won't drop dead if you forget to water for a few days. As Toni said, more plants die from OVER watering, not underwatering. All you need to do is pay attention....give the plants bright light but no burning sun, and every other day or so, stick your fingers deep into the soil - when it feels dry an inch or two dowm, take the plant to the sink and water thoroughly. Never ever water on a schedule, never water a plant whose soil feels wet or even moist, and never leave a plant sitting in water. Let it drain, return it to it's spot.

Good Luck, you can do it!

Of the first plants I bought, (a couple of years ago when I knew Sweet Fanny Adams about houseplant care) those that have survived to this day are; all the cacti I bought, Madagascar Dragon Tree (Draceana marginata) and Devil's Ivy/Golden Pothos (Epipremnum lureum) ones I killed at first, were a Spider Plant, a Winter Cherry, and an English Ivy.

For all that's worth to you.

Devil's Ivy has to be my favourite plant for ease of care vs attractiveness... I have it on the top shelf of my bookcase along with a load of empty beer and cider bottles which the plant grows in amongst.

Micke is right - everyone has a different touch with plants, and you might find that one most people say is "easy" just won't grow for you - or vice-versa. For instance, a former co-worker could never understand how I can grow African violets without a problem - hers always died no matter what she did. On the other hand, she had ivy flourishing everywhere when I can only seem to keep it alive for a week or two at the most.

ZZ plant is another one that's undemanding and adaptable - they're becoming more and more available now. It's not picky about light, but it doesn't like to be kept too wet - water when the top inch or so of the mix is dry. Asparagus ferns are another pretty plant I've found to be undemanding - a bright window and they're happy. They like a little more water than a ZZ does - with them, water when the surface of the potting mix is dry. They grow fast, too.

Try Spider plants, VERY easy

Don't get discouraged, keep trying. The most important things are light and water.