The Surprising Bathroom Item That Will Make Your Household Plants Thrive
Caring for houseplants is a relaxing hobby that has exploded within the last few years (via NBC News). There's something calming and satisfying about tending to a plant and watching it thrive and grow under your care. Many found this to be true during the pandemic lockdowns and now have a home full of plants that require a lot of attention.
Between propagation, watering, pruning, repotting, and ailment diagnosing, caring for houseplants can take up a lot of your life. So if you're anything like other plant parents, you're always on the lookout for plant care hacks that can make life easier or improve the health of your plants. There are a lot of tools that help us when tending to our leafy friends, but there's a new trick that might shock you. However, once you hear how it's been used and how effective it can be, you'll be looking to add one to your plants, too.
A toilet paper holder in your pots
So what bathroom item could help you care for your plants? A toilet roll holder might be the next big plant hack. Per a post shared on Reddit, a plant parent used a metal toilet paper holder when she potted her monstera. She did this so she could more easily add a moss pole later on and commented that it also made repotting much easier since all she had to do was grab the metal holder and pull the entire plant out.
This was a much less dangerous method than turning the plant on its side and pulling it out by the stems. The roots and soil stuck together, and she was able to easily move her monstera to a bigger home.
Not only will this make repotting plants more manageable, but as user whatisthisohno111 says, you can also add a moss pole to the pot, and the toilet paper holder will provide stability. This is a fantastic idea when repotting a monstera since these plants love to climb (via The Healthy Houseplant).
What climbing plants could this benefit?
To use this plant hack, you'll need to start with a pot large enough to accommodate a toilet roll holder. If you do, it should save you time in the future when it's time to repot your plant, while also giving your plants something sturdy to hold onto and climb.
If you've ever tried to add a supportive pole or moss pole to a pot, you might know just how hard it can be to find a sturdy way to do so. Sometimes the plants are too heavy, or the pole just won't stay straight. However, by using a toilet paper holder, it gives the pole a broader base where the weight of the soil and plant will hold it down and provide the pole with something to hold on to.
So what other plants could benefit from this handy trick? You could use this for plants like pothos, which love climbing up poles (via Flora Delaterre). Of course, Monstera deliciosa is another excellent option, as mentioned above, but its cousin Monstera adansonii would also benefit as well as philodendrons, hoyas, and a creeping plant like the Tradescantia zebrina.