Ask Dave Epstein: How to stop killing your indoor plants

Meteorologist Dave Epstein is our go-to person for pressing weather questions on everything from winter blizzards to summer droughts. He’s also a horticulturist, meaning he’s an expert in anything that grows leaves and flowers. GBH's Morning Edition asked our audience for weather and gardening questions, and Epstein graciously answered them on the air. This transcript has been edited for clarity.

Have a gardening or weather question for meteorologist Dave Epstein? Tweet him @GrowingWisdom, email us at thewakeup@wgbh.org, or text 617-300-2008.

I want to get into keeping houseplants, but I always end up killing them. How do I get into the green thumb mindset?

“It's got to become kind of a habit,” Epstein said. “If you've never done much gardening or your limited gardening, then it's just going to be one of those things that your life gets too busy and then you don't have time to do it.”

Instead, Epstein said, try habit-stacking: Add checking on your plants to something you already do every day.

“Every day I know I brush my teeth, so right after I brush my teeth, I check the plant,” he said.

Checking on the plant every day, however, absolutely does not mean watering it every day. Many plants don’t need more water until the top inch or two of soil are dry.

Over-watering can cause root rot and make plants susceptible to diseases and fungal infections. The ideal watering frequency depends on the plant, Epstein said, but it may be better to err on the side of underwatering when in doubt.

“Don't kill it with kindness,” he said. “Plants actually can recover much better from being dried out than they can from being overly wet.”

Some beginner-friendly plants Epstein recommended: A cactus, which can sit in a sunny window and get watered on the first day of every month. “You can put in your Google calendar,” Epstein said.

Philodendrons are green, leafy, and tend to grow quickly, and spider plants thrive in many conditions.

It’s also important to know what not to pick up at the local nursery or garden center.

“You get into some of the other plants which can be more difficult, like a polka dot plant. I even can't seem to grow those very well,” Epstein said. “Some ferns are kind of hard because some need a lot of moisture, some need a little bit less moisture.”

What should I be doing in my outdoor garden this week?

There’s humidity in the forecast, Epstein said. That means it’s time for some disease control in the garden.

“The weather looks nice in the next few days, but as we head to the weekend, humidity is going to increase,” Epstein said. Some frequent showers will come this weekend and last into next week, he said.

“I am preparing my tomatoes and some of my other plants by pre-inoculating things with disease spray, spraying plants over the next couple of days to prevent funguses and things like that,” he said. “Look for something organic that you can spray your tomatoes especially. They're very susceptible to disease in the upcoming weather.”