Do you want to add some life to your dorm? How about growing houseplant or dorm room plants?
The space is surely not as big as your home but you can still utilize what you have to add much needed color and nature.
Placing plants in your dorm will not only help in increasing productivity but also greatly reduce stress.
That said, you must be pretty busy in college to take care of the plants all the time.
For that, you should certainly choose low maintenance plants that will thrive with little care.
If you are looking for plants for your dorm room, you are at the right place.
Keep reading to know which ones you can put in your room.
Dorm Room Plants Considerations
Environment for Plants
You may not get ideal environment for plants in a limited room.
Therefore, you should select the plants that grow well in the environment that your room provides.
For instance, if you get more sun light, you can add sun loving plants, if not you can grow shade loving plants.
Therefore, you should not expect that a particular plant breed that survived in your hometown will also survive at your dorm.
The conditions may be different and that can eventually affect the plant.
Light for the Plants
Plants can thrive in direct sunlight, indirect sunlight or shade, however, all plants do so differently.
Those that require direct sunlight will lean into the direction of light.
They tend to grow well in the window sills.
On the other hand, the indirect sunlight ones can droop in sunlight and they may also burn.
Though, the best part is that you can place them anywhere in the room.
After all, they like sun but from a distance so place them on a desk or bookshelf where some light enters.
However, if your room gets no sun at all or very little, it is time to consider shade loving plants.
These shadow plants are the only ones that can survive low light.
Know Its Health
Not all plants are in their best condition during purchase.
Thus, you should know if your plant is infested by some pest or is overwatered.
Look for fungi, pest infestations, plant in a small pot, underwater or bad drainage.
Check the leaves if they are wilting, have spots, have brown or yellow leaves, and the overall plant is wrinkling or shriveling.
Maybe the plant died not because of your room conditions, but that it was already in a bad state before purchase.
Room Conditions
Humidity
The air quality of your room improves after placing plants.
Though, the existing humidity in your room can affect their growth.
Humidity and air quality can be low, medium or high.
Therefore, a native plant of an area which has wet climate will not be able to grow well in an area with dry air.
Thus, the overall humidity of the place where your dorm is located can affect the growth of the plant.
Temperature
Like humidity, temperature is an equally important concern for the growth of the plants.
If you like to keep the temperature of the room cold by turning on the air conditioning then picking plants that cannot thrive the cold will not be a great choice.
Those plants that need steady warmth will suffer in such temperature conditions.
Besides keeping the general weather of the area in mind, also consider how you keep the temperature in your room and what plants can thrive in there.
Water
Water may not be a condition of your room but it is an important consideration while choosing your plants.
You should be well aware of the water requirements of the plants.
If you are busy, you should prefer plants that need less water rather than those that need more.
In that case, choose plants that need watering once a week rather than multiple times.
It is also important that your plant drains well.
Dispose off the water that drains out.
However, if your plant keeps sitting in water, it can result in root rot and eventually kill your plant.
Therefore, watering the plant according to its needs and also assuring that it drains regularly is important in ensuring the health of your plant.
Now that you know the conditions and considerations, let’s find out what plants you can grow.
Dorm Room Plants
Succulents
These easy to care for and attractive plants are a favorite of many students.
They can keep up with harsh condition thus, allowing you to grow them even if you are not well versed with indoor plants.
You do not have to water them frequently but soak the roots, wait for them to dry out and then water again.
Give them full sunlight, little water and a dry well draining soil.
These are low maintenance as well as resilient plants.
Pothos are drought tolerant, can survive many light conditions and also come in different colors.
These plants flower but it is difficult to flower them indoors.
Water them when the soil is almost dry and give them bright, indirect or low light.
Get a hanging planter to hand the pothos as its vines will grow and spread.
Aloe Vera
While these are succulents, aloe vera is another college student favorite.
It can grow in different climates, does not need excessive water.
In fact, you should wait for the soil to dry down completely before watering it again.
Though, the plant will prefer bright and sunny conditions.
Ensure that they have a well draining soil and water only when it is fully dry.
The plus point is you can extract aloe vera gel for skincare from the plant as well.
Snake Plant
These plants are slow growing but what makes them the ultimate low maintenance plant is that they are quite hard to kill.
They are beautiful to look at and also come in several shapes and size to fit according to your needs.
Snake plant prefers free draining water and bright but indirect sun light.
You will only need to water them every 10 to 14 days.
Plus, these plants improve air flow in the room.
Other Plants to Place
- Hoya: Hoya has waxy leaves and aromatic flowers that you get from a hardy plant. They can survive some neglect and are drought tolerant. It will however, need a lot of bright, indirect light.
- Bromeliad: This plant is known for its long strappy leaves and beautiful color. Add a pomp of color through this plant. Bromeliad likes high but indirect sunlight. These drought tolerant plants but should not get direct sun, otherwise they can burn.
- Lucky Bamboo: Your lucky bamboo will not die. Ok, that’s an exaggeration but it is indestructible to a good extent. You can grow it in distilled water with the decorative rocks, or also in the soil. You need to however, change the water weekly so that there is no algae growth. It will need bright, indirect light and water that keeps the soil moist.
- Money Tree: Like other plants here it requires bright, indirect sunlight but this is a large statement plant. If you have enough empty space, you can consider planting this. They can grow up to 6 to 8 feet tall and can also handle overwatering. Only water it when the top two to four inches are dry. That said, it is a really tidy plant that grows within the space you want it to grow.
- Philodendron: These are flowering foliage plants that are also popular as houseplants. That is because they are low maintenance. Philodendron can grow well in low light and are drought tolerant. Water it only when the top inch of the soil feels dry.
- ZZ Plant: This grows well in low light. It requires little water as it stores water and nutrients for weeks to months. ZZ Plants are slow growing so do not need repotting
Other plants:
- Air plants
- Cacti
- Fiddle-leaf fig tree
- Peace lily
- Spider Plant
- Fern
Growing Dorm Room Plants
Knowing Repotting
Do not repot a plant too soon.
That can cause it shock leading to wilting and dying.
First, let the plant adjust to the environment it is in.
Once, it does, it is time to place it in a planter, in case you do not like the look of the container it was in.
Go for cute plant hangers to utilize maximum space and make them hanging plants.
However, remember to use containers that have many drainage holes.
It is best to only repot when a plant has outgrown its container.
You will know when there are roots poking from the top of soil or out the bottom.
Love Your Plants
Plants are living things, they brighten up your space and provide you with many benefits.
So don’t be harsh with them, rather love the, give them a name and say nice things in front of them.
Trim their dead leaves, wipe the leaves, spritz them with water and add some organic fertilizer for growth.
All of these things help in their growth and the plants in your dorm room thrive.
Therefore, even if you deploy plants that are hardy and low maintenance they will only survive if they are loved and taken well care of.
Keep your dorm room plants in good condition by giving them care alongside meeting their growth needs.
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