Plant Care for Beginners: Choosing Houseplants with Confidence
Bringing a houseplant home should feel exciting — not intimidating. At Cactus + Co., we believe plant care is about choosing plants that fit your real space and lifestyle, then setting them up properly from the start. Whether you’re brand new to plants or building a growing collection, these basics will help you feel confident choosing and caring for your houseplants.
Start with the Right Plant
One of the most common reasons plants struggle is simply being mismatched with their environment. Success starts with choosing a plant that works with your space and your habits. Your plant doesn’t need a perfect caretaker, it just needs the right one. Start with matching your plants to your lifestyle.
Busy schedules or frequent travel → Try plants that are drought-tolerant or low-maintenance. They’ll require water less frequently (every few weeks) making them easier to maintain. We’d recommend shopping for a snake plant, ZZ plant, hoya, cactus, succulent, ponytail palm, string of pearls, string of hearts, haworthia, aloe vera, or burro’s tail.
Enjoy hands-on care → If you want to care for your plants on a more regular basis (think: every few days), try plants that prefer more frequent waterings or regular pruning. We’d recommend shopping for a calathea (prayer plant), polka dot plant (hypoestes), inch plant (tradescantia), peace lily or a begonia.
Decor-focused → Choose the plant that fits your taste and makes you happy to look at, then adjust your care based on their specific needs. Ficus plants and Anthuriums are gorgeous, eye-catching plants you might want in your space.
A few other plants that we’d recommend for a beginner include Philodendron varieties, like a Monstera or Heartleaf Philodendron, as well as Pothos and Peperomia varieties depending on what sort of sunlight your space gets. You can browse through a more extensive list of houseplants and their specific needs here.
2. Understanding Light
Plants rely on sunlight for photosynthesis, but different plants prefer different light levels. If you’re unsure what kind of light you have, start by noticing which direction your windows face and how long sunlight stays in the space each day. Pro Tip: Use the compass app on your iPhone to help.
Full sun (4+ hours daily): Best for cactus and succulents. This is typically found near South or West-facing windows.
Bright, indirect light: Best for tropical plants, as their leaves can sunburn with too much direct sun exposure. This can be found in spaces that get a few hours of sunlight each day, just not the hot afternoon sun. East-facing windows that get morning sunlight work great, or setting your plants off to the side of, or a few feet back from your South or West facing windows works too. Learn more about finding this light in your space on our Bright Indirect Light Blog.
Low light: This does not mean NO light, low light plants still need to get some sunlight to survive. This can be found in North-facing windows, or in spaces that are farther (8+ feet) away from your other windows.
If you’re unsure, it’s always better to slightly underestimate your light than overestimate it.
3. Understanding Watering Basics:
Watering may seem simple, but it’s where most plant issues start. We often find that people want to water their plants way more frequently than necessary; We’ll start by letting you know now, watering your plants daily is a big no-no. Different plants prefer different moisture levels, so checking the soil for moisture before watering, by feeling it with your hands, is key. When in doubt, it’s usually safer to wait a day rather than water too soon. Although some plants will wilt to indicate that they need water ASAP, (like a polka dot plant, or peace lily).
Keep soil evenly moist: This means you’ll probably need to water Every few days.
Let the top layer of soil dry between waterings: This means you’ll probably need to water Weekly (every 7-10 days).
Drought-tolerant plants that prefer drying out completely: This means you’ll only need to water Every few weeks.
When you water, it’s important that any excess water the plant isn’t going to use has a place to escape. Your planter should have a drainage hole in the bottom to allow for this. If there’s a plug blocking the drainage hole, remove it when watering, and replace it when you’re done. You’ll want to water your plants thoroughly, not just give a tiny bit at a time. Add water until it starts draining from the drainage hole in the bottom of the planter. Pro Tip: If you have a decorative planter that doesn’t have a drainage hole in the bottom, you can keep your plant in it’s plastic grow pot (aka nursery pot) and sit that inside of your planter. We call this a cache pot, you’ll want to remove the plastic grow pot from the cache pot to water it, or dump out the excess that drains through.
5. Potting Basics: Setting Your Plant Up for Success:
Choosing the right pot and soil plays a huge role in long-term plant health. For a step-by-step guide on pot size, drainage, and soil types, check out our Houseplant Repotting 101 Guide.
6. Growing Confidence, One Plant at a Time
Plant care doesn’t have to be complicated. With the right plant, proper potting, and a little attention to light and watering, most houseplants will thrive. Remember, the best plant isn’t the trendiest one — it’s the one that fits how you actually live. If you ever have questions, need help choosing a plant, or want advice tailored to your space, we’re always happy to help. Plant care is better when it feels supportive, not stressful. If you’re not sure where to start, we’re always happy to help you choose a plant that fits your space and lifestyle — no pressure, no judgment.
