Indoor Plant Hacks

Try these simple reader-tested and approved indoor plant hacks, then sit back and watch your houseplants grow and thrive. Being a houseplant parent has grown in popularity in recent years. According to civicscience.com, 66% of consumers in the United States own at least one houseplant. With so many people growing houseplants, there's always learning to do and our readers shared the best plant hacks for indoor gardens.

1. Use ice cubes to water houseplants

A birds and flowers reader has a secret plant hack to prevent waterlogging on the ground. "I put ice cubes on hanging plants," says Roslyn Francis of Lodi, California. "When the snow melts, the soil absorbs the water and it doesn't drain out of the bottom of the pot."

2. Get creative with plant placement

Some plants need full sun, some like full shade and some like a little bit of both. A hack that will give all your plants the space they need is to use furniture like long sofa tables and creatively place them in front of windows.

Hope Kate of Wilmington, North Carolina explains. "I put a long sofa table, half of which is in front of the south-facing window," he says. "The plants that love the most light are in the area in front of the window. But with the other half of the table in the shade, I can grow several plants in one spot and they're all happy.

3. Find a second use for your coffee grounds

After your daily cup of joe grounds have cooled, don't throw them in the trash. "Add coffee grounds to your houseplants and watch them thrive," says Dolores Goland of Pelican Rapids, Minnesota.

Here are some ways to use baking soda in your garden and landscape.

4. Invest in a moisture meter

Instead of using your finger to measure the soil moisture of your houseplants or guessing when it's time to water, you can use a hygrometer. “Use a soil moisture meter to prevent overwatering,” says Tracy McCallum of Joliet, Illinois. This will tell you if the soil is moist, wet or dry. The XLUX T10 Soil Moisture Sensor Meter has nearly 52,000 reviews on Amazon.

5. Rotate your plants even in sunlight

If you've noticed that your houseplants tend to gravitate toward the light, try this super simple hack. Judy Roberts of Graytown, Ohio, says, "Give the plants a quarter turn once a week to even out the sun." This will help your plant grow steadily.

6. Give the plants some rainwater

Little fresh air and no fresh water—and that's true for your houseplants, too. "If your pots are small enough to carry, put them out in light rain when the weather is warm," says Robin Moller of Sylvania, Ohio. "I have yet to meet a houseplant that isn't happy with a little rain."