There are ten golden rules that every gardener follows when tending to house plants.  Like children, plants require proper care and nurturing to keep healthy and grow prosperously.  These rules include:

Do Not Drown The Plant
Roots need air as well as water.  Keeping the potting soil too wet or damp may cause a fungus to form on the roots, so be sure to water every other day or every two days.  In the winter, it is even much less.  The soil only needs to be moderately moist otherwise you are feeding your plant water when it is not craving for it.  Pearlite helps the irrigation system by soaking up excess water and promoting proper growth.

Give Plants A Rest In The Winter
Winter is the time for plants to hibernate somewhat, requiring much less watering and plant food.  They tend to take care of themselves during this time.

Keep A Mild Room Temperature
House plants require a comfortable climate, anywhere between 55 degrees to 80 degrees Fahrenheit.  Only tropical plants require a large amount of humidity and heat, but otherwise, plants prosper in a comfortable climate.

Treat Problems Promptly
Ignoring fungus growing on the root system or limbs exacerbates the condition and promotes insects to take advantage of the plant’s vulnerability.  Garden shops have sprays that eradicate insects and fungus from infesting plants.

Prune On A Bias
When trimming the limbs of your plants, be sure to cut on a diagonal line rather than a blunt cut.  This will encourage the branches to remain healthy and grow in normal formations.

Repot In The Spring
In the same way that your clothing wears out, so does a plants soil causing it to decompose or maybe the roots become too large to be contained in the pot.  Repotting plants is necessary to replenish the nutrients that the soil provides to the plants.  Repotting should be done at least every year in the springtime, and plants should be facing the Sun as it moves from east to west.

Use Peat In The Potting Soil
Peat regulates the ph balance in the compost or potting soil so the allotment of air and water is properly distributed preventing dryness from occurring or too much wetness from developing in the plant’s root system.

Partial Sunlight
It is wise to keep house plants someplace where sunlight will hit them, but not directly.  The vitamin D that sunlight provides to the human body is equally imperative for house plants, and just like the human skin can be irreparably damaged by too much sunlight, so too can plants.  Partial access to sunlight will provide plants with the right amount of vitamins without over saturating their foliage.

Use Drip Trays At The Base Of The Potted Plant
A drip tray under the plant’s pot allows the excess water that seeps out of the soil to be deposited into the tray, and keeps the plant from being overly stuffed and provides access to water when it is feeling too dry. 

Misting The Leaves
Watering provides drink for the roots, but misting is necessary for the plants petals and fronds which may dry up and shrivel even when the soil is moist.  Spraying water or a plant solution, which many garden shops supply, can keep a plant’s leaves and petals moist and refreshed.

Remember to transfer house plants to the outside in the Spring if their root system is growing too big for their pot.  This is the best time for buds to blossom and flourish while adapting to the outdoor soil and sunlight.