Best Plants for Beginning Growers
Are you looking to get a new plant, but not exactly sure where to start? Maybe you haven’t had a lot of success with keeping your plants healthy and want something that is low maintenance? I’ve put together a list of some of the easiest plants to grow for beginners or people that might not have a lot of time to devote to tending to plant maintenance. These plants generally don’t need a lot of attention and are happy in many different environments. These are also great plants to give as gifts!
A brief message about overall plant care for better success
Before we talk about the different available plant options, let me say this. The biggest thing you can do for all of your plants, to keep them happy, is to just give them consistent attention. You really only need to check on them once or twice a week for a minute or two. That is such a small amount of time so it can be easy to push it off and say you will get to it later, but if you do that, you will get into the habit of doing that. And your plants will suffer because of it. Set a reminder on your phone, or leave yourself a note, but stay consistent! If you just check on your plants consistently, after a few weeks you won’t even think about it. It will just become automatic. And then when an issue arises, you will notice it much faster and be able to deal with it much faster. In turn, this will promote a healthier and happier plant.
The Spider Plant
This particular spider plant is known as
a variegated Ocean Spider Plant, but there are many varieties of the spider plant and they are all easy to grow. They are happy in almost any area of the house, as long as it get’s an adequate amount of daylight. It doesn’t need direct sunlight, but it doesn’t want to live in a dark closet either. As long as it’s getting some light, it should be totally fine. Water it normally and it’s going to be happy for many years. Once it get’s big enough, it will start to sprout “plantlets” or baby spider plants! You can take these and plant them to make new spider plants. Just cut them off and place them in a glass of water so the root is sitting in the glass and the leaves are sitting outside. Put that glass in a window and within a few weeks, you will have roots! You can now plant it in soil and start the process over again. You can also try planting them in a nice pot and selling them. It could be a nice little side business. No matter what you do, you should have no problems keeping your spider plants happy and healthy for many years to come.
The Snake Plant
The Snake plant is a very hearty plant that you will often see just about everywhere. Just like the spider plant, it comes in many different varieties, but they are all easy to grow and very temperamental. It does like a fair amount of sunlight each day, but it can also survive in lower lighting conditions just fine. It can go longer in between waterings than many plants and will be fine. The one thing that it really doesn’t like is to be overwatered. So if you are unsure about how much water to give it, then error on the side of caution and water it less than you think it needs. If you are still unsure and need some help figuring it out, you can always buy a moisture meter. They are relatively inexpensive and will help to take the guesswork out of watering.
Cactus
One plant that many of us forget about is the Cactus. When it comes to low maintenance plants, the cactus is about as easy as it gets. And what is the golden rule for keeping them happy? Do not overwater! If you keep them indoors, then they are fine for whatever temperature you keep your home. If you keep them outside, then keep in mind that they don’t like the cold temps. If you live in a part of the world where you get cold winters, then you will want to bring them inside for the winter months. I usually water mine every couple of months or so and they are happy as can be.
Ferns
Ferns are one of those plants that many people may not even consider when thinking about plants to choose for home, but don’t be so quick to skip them. They add a nice element to your home with little care. There are many versions available and they are all very easy to maintain. They don’t like hot direct sunlight, but other than that, they should be happy in most areas of your home. They are happiest with bright indirect light, but will be fine in lower light environments too. They are also more forgiving to overwatering than many plants. 
Succulents
In the botany world, succulents are plants with parts that are thickened, fleshy, and engorged, usually to retain water in arid climates or soil conditions. Now it is true that they are not the easiest plants to grow, don’t let that dissuade you from trying one! They are actually easier then their reputation would have you think. They need to be in a window that receives a good amount of sun everyday. Generally speaking, that would be either a south or west facing window. Succulents like to have the soil dry out completely between watering. So again, you may want to get a moisture meter to see exactly how dry the soil is before you water. It may seem slightly intimidating, but as long as you pay consistent attention to the water and light situation, you should be just fine growing succulents.
Golden Pothos