Houseplant Supplies You Probably Already Own

Houseplant care supplies are all around us! You don’t need to spend a ton of money to care for your plants, you probably already have plenty of things right at home. Here's an list of household items I use to care for my houseplants.

Wooden chopstick or skewer

Used for: aerating soi, as a moisture meter to check how much the pot has dried out, and as a temporary stake for young plants that need some support

Old (Clean) Socks

Used for: Wiping down dusty leaves

Empty glass/plastic jars/cups/containers

Used for: Water propagation vessels

Turkey Baster

Used for: Sucking up excess water in a drainage pan

Pie pan

Used for: Bottom watering plants or watering multiple plants at once.

Rubbing Alcohol

Used for: Cleaning pruning shears or treating mealy bug infestations

Plastic takeout containers/clamshells

Used for: Propagation boxes 

Twist ties/rubber bands/random string

Used for: Attaching plants to a stake to prop them up

Cylindrical flower vase

Used for: Turn it upside down and it's now a cloche to help a plant that needs higher humidity

Ziploc bag

Used for: A less glamorous version of the upside down vase. Great for making mini-greenhouses

Milk Jug, Abandoned Brita, or any larger vessel

Used for: Pre-mixing larger quantities of water/liquid fertilizer