IF you struggle to get houseplants alive, fear not, you’ve come to the right place, as we have just the thing for you.
A gardening whizz has revealed that your houseplants are dying because you aren’t aerating the soil often enough.
So if you want your houseplant to not only survive, but to thrive too, you’ll need to grab some chopsticks quickly – yes, you heard that correctly.
Posting on TikTok under the username @purivedplantfood, the houseplant fan explained that she uses a chopstick to aerate the soil of her houseplants.
She noted that she does this at least once, if not twice a month, in order to keep her houseplants growing.
The gardening fan said: “I aerate my houseplants’ soil with a chopstick once or sometimes even twice a month.
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“My Jade plant’s soil really needed this, it was so compacted.
“Make sure to be gentle and clean the chopstick or grab a new chopstick before moving on to the next plant.”
In the clip, we saw the social media user using her chopstick to aerate her plant’s soil.
Aeration involves perforating the soil with small holes to allow air, water and nutrients to penetrate the grass roots.
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This helps the roots grow deeply and produce a stronger, more vigorous plant.
The main reason for aerating is to alleviate soil compaction.
The gardening fan then explained: “Houseplant owners often use chopsticks to aerate their soil because it can help to loosen compacted soil and improve water and nutrient distribution to the roots of the plant.
“When soil becomes too compacted, it can prevent air and water from reaching the roots, which can lead to problems such as root rot or stunted growth.
“By gently poking holes in the soil with a chopstick, you can create pockets of air that allow for better oxygen flow to the roots, and also improve drainage by allowing excess water to drain away more easily.
“This can also help to prevent soil compaction in the future, as it encourages roots to spread out and grow more evenly throughout the soil.
“Additionally, aerating the soil with chopsticks can also be a way to loosen up any surface crust that may have formed on the soil, which can prevent water from penetrating the soil and reaching the roots.
“Overall, using chopsticks to aerate the soil can be a simple and effective way to promote healthy growth in houseplants, especially for those that are planted in heavy, compacted soil or have been in their pots for a while.”
The gardening fan’s clip has clearly impressed many, as it has quickly amassed 71.4k views.
It has 2,437 likes, 23 comments and 64 shares.
Social media users were grateful for the helpful tip and were eager to give it a try themselves.
One person said: “I’ll try this.”
Another added: “I need to do this more often!”
A third commented: “How often would you do this?”, to which the gardening whizz explained “At least once a month but sometimes more.
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"You can tell when your plant really needs it. Older soil needs it more.”
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