One weekly email with tips, tricks, guides and discussions around our favourite thing – houseplants!
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My top 5 Amazon plant buys
Rich here, and welcome back to Houseplant Digest, sponsored by Houseplant SOS.
In this week’s issue:
The cheap gadget that ended my overwatering habit
Light levels: why “bright indirect” isn’t enough
The terracotta holiday hack for thirsty ferns
How I track humidity (so my calatheas stop sulking)
Pretty watering globes that actually work
Quick history on the first potted plants
And more…
🇬🇧 Sheffield Answers
Every week, I get tons of questions about growing houseplants. In “Sheffield Answers”, I’m going to pick one out each week and answer it. Want to submit your own and get it featured next week? Click here to ask me a question!
Question: My dieffenbachia has 4 things that look like flowers but do not open. They are a rosy color and I only have a few leaves on this plant, it is not a full plant. What should I do with them? Phyllis
My Answer: I used to cut the flowers off my houseplants thinking it would direct energy back into leaf production. The flowers on most indoor plants aren’t lookers! These days though I leave them to run their course, so the plant can go through its natural cycle.
🪴HOW TO & TIPS
People often ask me what “secret tools” I use at home for my plants. The truth is I don’t have a cupboard full of special gadgets like I’m Batman (a moisture meter is far less impressive than a batarang).
Most plant care is still good soil, good pots, and consistent attention. But, there are a handful of things I’ve bought over the years that actually stuck. Tools that genuinely solved problems, stopped me making rookie mistakes, and made plant care easier.
So this week I’m sharing 5 of my favourite Amazon buys that I still use to this day.
1. The Soil Moisture Meter
If you’ve ever lost a plant to root rot, you know the pain. Most people (me included, back in the day) stick a finger in the top of the soil and think “looks dry, time to water.” But that only tells you about the top few centimetres. The roots below could still be sitting in a swamp.
That’s why this little gadget is so handy. Pop the probe into the soil and the dial instantly tells you if it’s dry, moist, or wet. No waiting, no batteries. It’s simple, and it works.
It’s also gentle. One thin probe causes less root damage than some of the bulky two-prong versions. Just don’t leave it sitting in the soil long-term (the tip can corrode), and avoid using it in very hard or rocky soil. For me, this tool turned watering from guesswork into something reliable.
“Bright indirect light” – the most overused, vague phrase in plant care. What does it actually mean? Is your shelf bright enough? Is that corner too dark?
Instead of guessing, I started using this digital light meter. It reads light in lux, and suddenly everything made sense. That “bright” corner of my flat? Barely 200 lux. No wonder my calathea hated it. My sunny windowsill? 5,000 lux in winter and nearly 20,000 in summer.
This meter is accurate, quick (updates twice a second), and works in any room. It even has a big digital screen so you don’t need to squint. I use it to decide where to put plants, especially fussy ones like fiddle leaf figs or citrus that need serious sun.
Hands up if you’ve ever gone on holiday and returned to crispy, brown houseplants? Yep. Me too.
These terracotta stakes saved me. The clay slowly releases water as the soil dries out, so the plant gets a steady drink while you’re away. All you do is soak the spike first, bury it in the soil, and flip a bottle of water into the top. One full bottle can keep a plant watered for a week.
I love that they’re eco-friendly too. You reuse old water bottles instead of buying new containers. They’re also surprisingly cheap, and the pack comes with enough to keep multiple plants happy. Fragile, yes (don’t drop them on the kitchen floor like I did), but worth it.
Humidity is the silent killer of houseplants. Your central heating kicks on in winter, the air gets bone dry, and suddenly your calatheas look like someone took a blowtorch to their edges.
This smart hygrometer is my early warning system. It measures both humidity and temperature, stores a year’s worth of data, and connects to an app on your phone. I’ve set it to ping me when humidity drops below 40%, so I know when to crank up the humidifier.
It’s a bit techier than the other items, but for sensitive plants, it’s a lifesaver. It turned me from reactive (“why is my fern crispy again?”) to proactive.
I’ll admit: I bought these partly because they look cool. Little glass globes sitting in your plant pots like ornaments. But they also work.
Fill one with water, pop it in the soil, and it slowly releases moisture for 3–7 days depending on the plant size and environment. They’re not a replacement for careful watering, but they’re brilliant as a backup, especially for plants that like evenly moist soil.
I use them in a couple of my bigger ferns and peace lilies. They stop me from forgetting during a busy week, and honestly, they just look nice.
So there you have it , 5 gadgets I’d happily recommend. Not because they’re flashy, but because they solve real problems: overwatering, light confusion, holiday neglect, dry air, and forgetfulness.
If you’ve been debating which ones to try, I’d start with the moisture meter and the terracotta spikes. They’re simple, affordable, and you’ll notice the difference right away.
Happy growing, and happy shopping!
Plant Of The Week
Syngonium 'Mottled'
This guy has fantastic variegation and is 100% worth adding to your collection if you’re looking for something that will stand out.
The first “potted plants” weren’t for decoration at all. Ancient Egyptians brought plants indoors around 500 BC for medicinal use, while the Romans grew lemons in containers so they could be wheeled inside during frosty nights.
