Similarly, humidity — which comes in high, low and medium — along with air quality (which improves with plants, FYI) and the temperature of your new home are just as important for you as they are for your green friends. Do you like it cold? Then picking plants that need steady warmth might not be the best. Also, dry air like we have in Seattle (or the Northeast in winter, when the heat is blasting) doesn’t mesh well with plants that originate from wet climates. Think about these things when choosing your plants.

2. Know what kind of light they need

Plants generally fall into three categories “direct sunlight,” “indirect sunlight,” and “shadow.”

Direct means plants that do great in windowsills and by streams of light. They need lots of sun to help them grow and often lean into the direction of the sun. Indirect plants can actually burn or droop in direct sunlight, they like the sun, but prefer it a bit from afar, like on a bookshelf or desk that gets slightly less light. Indirect plants you can place almost anywhere in a room. Shadow plants are those that thrive in very little light. They grow well in the shade, awesome for those of you whose windows get little sun.

3. Know what their water requirements are

Water is (obviously) super important for your plants, but knowing how much water each plant needs is vital to plant health. Most of my plants are fine if I only water them once a week, but one of mine needs water multiple times a week. Some plants turn yellow if they are over-watered or under-watered, so it can be good to err on the side of less water and then up the water intake if the plant is drooping.

Making sure your plant has drainage in its pot is also SUPER important. It helps to bring your plant over to a sink for watering so the water you put in can easily drain out the holes in the bottom. If you don’t have easy access to a sink, make sure to dispose of the water that drains out of your plant after watering. Having the plant sit in water can cause root rot which will kill your plant.