The Simple Fork Hack That'll Help Your Houseplants Thrive

When you think of houseplant care, you think of watering them to keep them hydrated. Knowing how often you should water is vital to keep them from drying out and dying. You may remember that you need to give them access to sunlight too, although shade-loving types prefer less. But soil treatment, especially aeration, is often forgotten, even though it's also a crucial part of proper plant care. Luckily, all you need is a fork and a little gentle poking and wiggling to aerate your soil into a thriving environment for your houseplants. 

Outside, nature provides everything plants need to thrive. Rainwater hydrates, and the sun feeds them nutrients through photosynthesis. Then, there are the worms and other living creatures that provide aeration as they move about underground. This brings oxygen into the soil, breaks up dry pockets, and gives roots room to breathe and soak up moisture. Since you don't have these built-in features for your indoor plants, aerating the soil is an absolute must. Otherwise, they're going to struggle as they sit in stale, compacted soil that doesn't allow any air or water through.

You will also need to fertilize your houseplants occasionally and consider soil testing to check the pH balance. But if you want your plants to really thrive, regular aeration is key. So, pay attention to the soil and get your fork ready.

Sometimes you need to call in the pros to help aerate your lawn, but inside your house, you're the pro, and your tool of choice is a simple fork. It doesn't matter what size fork you choose, and once you've repurposed your eating utensil into a gardening tool, the process is simple: Start by gently poking your fork into the soil. You want to be careful not to puncture or tear any roots, which will cause damage to the plant and expose the root to possible disease. So, gently dig in, then wiggle the fork back and forth, then side to side, until you've created little air pockets in the soil. Do this all around the plant, being more careful as you get closer to the base of your plant and the epicenter of the root system.

Aerating like this is going to help proper drainage and ensure even hydration throughout the soil. You're also preventing trapped roots, which can cause additional issues. Trapped, dry roots will starve because of the lack of oxygen. Wet roots that are trapped are the cause of root rot, fungal diseases, and pesky fungus gnats. So, you're giving your entire plant what it needs to thrive by using this simple fork hack.