List of some Hard to Care Plants for Beginners

After getting around 70 plants and only having killed maybe 2, I thought I was pretty good at gardening. But the fact of the matter is that I'm still a beginner, learning more and more each day. And to attest to this fact, I'm going to talk about a few plants that are not impossible to take care of, but yes do give you some stress and make you want you to question all your skills as a gardener.

Don’t get demotivated, just try a lot harder to keep these plants alive. And if they thrive?! Oh, you can pat yourself on the back!

1. Orchids: 

These plants grow on other trees in the rainforest. Replicating those conditions is very hard. But we can try. First, let’s get the potting mix. Keep this in mind. Don’t use gardening soil. As this an epiphyte which is essentially an “air plant”. It does not get any soil on the tree barks. So, the potting mix should have things like Moss, Tree bark, Peat Moss, Coco peat, charcoal, perlite. No compost or gardening soil. Now the kind of pot- it should have slits and holes not only on the bottom but all the sides so that the aerial roots can breathe. Keep it in a spot where there is no direct sunlight. While watering, don’t water the whole plant, it hates water on its leaves. So bottom water the plant, by keeping the pot in a bucket of water for 10 to 15 minutes. And that’s it. Best of luck!

2. Fiddle leaf:

I have a fiddle that’s around 3 feet tall. And it has been giving me actual stress for the past few months. It is easier than orchids, but yes it takes some expertise or luck! It likes well-draining soil, a good mixture of compost, gardening soil, perlite, coco peat. Drench the whole soil till you see water coming out the bottom. It has to dry out quite a bit between watering. A good way to check is to dig your finger as deep into the soil and check if the soil is moist. If not wait another day. It likes a strict schedule. Once set, doesn’t like being changed. Same with its location. Once kept in a spot. Try not to move it around too much. It likes bright indirect light. And does go dormant in the winters!

3. Gardenia:

It does pretty well outside. Indoors, it can struggle. It needs moist soil, but overwatering will make the buds droop off. The soil should be well-draining soil. Water it little by little every day. And check if the top one inch of soil is dry and then water. They like a lot of light so keep them in the brightest spot you have. Check for pests frequently. And you can fertilize these plants with a good ratio od NPK fertilisers. May I suggest our hassle-free fertiliser sticks by LazyGardener!

4. Calathea:

 A minute of silence to mourn my 2 baby calatheas' that didn’t make it. But hope yours do! Calatheas are extremely beautiful plants that are once you figure out, you don’t have to worry about! They don’t like direct sunlight or even extremely bright light. They like to be in a shaded area. They like to be kept in slightly moist soil, but not soggy. It loves high humidity. Once you’ve figured out a spot where your calathea isn’t giving brown tips or is producing a new leaf. Just don’t ever move it!

5. Lemon Tree:

I thought it would be easy peasy lemon squeezy, but apparently not! (please laugh at my joke) okay. Indoor lemon trees or Dwarf citrus are very trendy these days. It is possible to have a healthy brilliant lemon tree growing indoors. But it's just a little finicky. It needs soil with Extremely good drainage. It can get root rot very easily. But you need to find the perfect balance between dry and moist. It doesn’t like drying out either. A good tool to have here is a Moisture meter. It’s a rod that you place into the soil and it will tell you how moist the soil is. They like being fed with a Nitrogen heavy fertiliser. The plant needs very bright light so place it in your sunniest window.

Until next time,

Have a lovely day!

Gayatri Vaidya ©