what to do with unwanted house plants

#1 Donate Your Plant

A local church that certainly doesn't have a budget for plants.
A community center or place it can be enjoyed by many.
Your best friend's house / someone you trust to care for it well.
A local business that may not have funding for nice plants.

How do I get rid of unwanted houseplants?

Getting rid of unwanted plants and trees can be as simple as digging into your household cleaners. Borax, WD-40 and bleach all prevent plants from growing and will kill them. Once the chemicals have killed the unwanted plants, dig them up and dispose of them to prevent them from rooting again.

How do you dispose of potted plants?

Discard the dead plants in a compost pile or over a garden area to decompose. Another option for recycling the dead plants is to spread the dead plants on a lawn and mulch them with a lawnmower.

What do you do with overgrown house plants?

The easiest way to fix an overgrown plant's roots is to prune them. Start by taking the plant out of the pot. On the bottom of the compacted rootball, make a clean X about a quarter of the way into the rootball with a sharp knife. Tease apart the roots and remove any roots that have been cut loose.

What do you do with house plants when on vacation?

Group the plants in the bathtub on pebble trays or a layer of plastic covered with wet newspaper. The plants can then be covered with plastic to keep humidity high. Use some form of staking to keep the plastic off the houseplants' foliage.

How do I get rid of bugs in my house plants naturally?

Natural remedies can get rid of pesky insects using natural products commonly found in the home.

Soapy water. Mix 5 tablespoons of dish soap with 4 cups of water in a bottle and spray plants with the solution. ...
Neem oil spray. ...
Pyrethrum spray. ...
Beer. ...
Garlic. ...
Pepper spray. ...
Herbal water spray. ...
Alcohol spray.

How do you kill roots of unwanted plants?

You can use ordinary rock, table or Epsom salts to kill the root system of an undesirable bush. Simply drill holes in the surface and sides of a freshly cut stump, then stuff them with salt. Do not simply pour salt on the stump or the surrounding area, because it can irrevocably damage the soil and kill nearby plants.

What can I do with used potting mix?

The easiest way to reuse old potting mix? Simply remove old plants from their containers, fluff up the soil and replant. If you've reused the same soil for several years or it's developed a white surface crust, you may have to cut it with 50 percent new potting soil and/or apply fertilizer.

Do you throw away old potting soil?

Save potting mix the right way

In fall, pull up any dead plants and shake out the roots. ... If the plants in the container had a disease, that mix should be bagged up and sent out with the trash.

Is it OK to throw away plants?

Don't harm the environment by throwing your plant waste in the trash can. As it is, each human generates several pounds of waste each day—most of which cannot be, or simply is not, recycled.

Should I cut the brown tips off my plant?

When you see dead leaves, dormant stems, or brown parts of leaves, cut them away. It's fine to pluck dead leaves or stems with your hands when possible, just don't pull too hard or you may damage the healthy part of your plant. For tougher stems or to remove brown leaf tips and edges, use scissors or pruning shears.

When should I cut back my indoor plants?

The best time to prune indoor plants is right at the beginning of the growing season. For most houseplants, late winter or early spring, when days are getting longer and plants are starting to wake up, is the best time. For flowering plants, you may want to prune right after a cycle of flowering if you choose to prune.

How do you fix leggy houseplants?

Many "leggy" indoor plants can easily be made bushier by cutting back the long stems and encouraging shoots at the base of the plant. The best time is early spring just before new growth begins. Select a houseplant, such as, a begonia that has become tall and leggy.

How long can indoor plants go without water?

Most houseplants can survive quite happily for up to two weeks in most indoor conditions without being watered. They may not survive this neglect on a regular basis, but if you are away for two weeks, most of your plants will do OK.

How long can I leave my plants without water?

How long will houseplants survive without water? Most houseplants can survive without water for 2-3 weeks. However, the watering needs may vary depending upon the weather and types of plants you have. While plants like succulents and cactus can survive longer, other tropical plants like monstera, pothos may suffer.

Is soapy water bad for plants?

Soapy wash water from dishes or laundry will help keep plants alive in an emergency, but you should be aware of certain possible problems. Chlorine. Bleaches commonly contain chlorine, which can damage plants, particularly if it touches the foliage.

Why do I have little bugs in my house plants?

Fungus gnats (also called soil gnats) are probably the most common (and annoying) houseplant pests. ... You will notice these indoor plant bugs crawling out of the potting soil, or flying around your plant when you water or otherwise disturb the soil.

How do you keep bugs out of house plants?

Best ways to prevent houseplant pest infestation

Inspect a plant before you buy it. ...
Use clean pots and potting soil.
Remove any potential pests from the actual soil ball of the plant.
Isolate your plant from other plants for a few days to a couple weeks.
Don't let other plant's leaves touch the leaves of your new plant.

Does vinegar kill plant roots?

Vinegar (acetic acid) is a non-selective burndown herbicide. ... Vinegar can only burn the parts it touches and unless it gets right down where the roots are, it is not going to kill the plant, which is what we want. Instead, it does temporary damage.

How do you break up roots in soil?

Try to cut far from the root ball. Next, use the grub hoe to lift out the cut roots. Pull additional ones out by hand if you can. Push the stump back and forth to loosen the roots and continue to cut and pull roots until you are able to remove the root ball from the soil.

Will vinegar kill tree roots?

Select a warm, dry day and fill a spray bottle with undiluted white vinegar. Spray vinegar to thoroughly coat the leaves of shoots growing back from the tree roots and stump. This destroys the leafy top growth that is supplying the roots with food and eventually kills the remaining tree roots.