[Jonathan Leane]

Is Your Houseplant Collection Thriving? ‘Grouping Your Plants’ Might Be the Answer​

We here at the SDC love nothing more than coming home to a house full of healthy, thriving plants. There's just something about being surrounded by greenery that instantly makes us feel calmer and more relaxed.

If you're anything like us, you probably have a decent collection of houseplants scattered around your home. But what if we told you that there's a way to make your plant care regime easier, and your plants happier and healthier? It's called grouping, and it's when you place similar plants near each other so they can benefit from each other's company.

Sounds good so far, right? If you're intrigued and want to learn more about grouping houseplants, read on – we've got all the need-to-know info right here!

What Is Grouping?

Grouping is simply placing similar plants together so they can create their own little microclimate where they will be happier and healthier. Many people do this because it cuts down on watering time (if all your plants are in one spot, you don't need to wander around your home with a watering can), but there are other benefits too. We'll get into those shortly!

Grouping indoor plants together can be good for them, as well as being aesthetically pleasing. Source: OpenAI​

How to Group Plants Successfully

Now that you know a bit about grouping, you might be wondering how to go about doing it successfully. Here are a few tips:

- Stick to plants with similar watering needs. This is probably the most important tip, as it's essential to water all your plants at the same frequency. Over or under-watering just one plant in the group can cause problems for the others, so it's best to stick to plants with similar watering requirements.

- Consider light needs. Another important factor to consider is light – make sure all your plants are getting the right amount of light for their needs. Grouping plants together that have similar light requirements will make it easier to give them all the light they need.

- Think about temperature. Temperature is a vital consideration, especially in winter when homes can get quite cool. Grouping plants that like similar temperatures will help them stay happy and healthy.

- Choose plants that complement each other. As well as grouping plants together that have similar needs, you can also choose plants that complement each other in terms of appearance or function. For example, you might group plants with similar foliage colours, or plants that have different shapes and textures.

- Use containers of different sizes. If you're grouping plants together in containers, using containers of different sizes can add interest and visual appeal. It can also help to create different microclimates within the group, which can be beneficial for the plants.

Benefits of Grouping Plants

There are many benefits to grouping plants together, both for you and for the plants themselves. Here are just a few:

- Fewer waterings. As we mentioned earlier, one of the main benefits of grouping plants is that it cuts down on watering time. If all your plants are in one spot, you can just water them all at once instead of having to water each individual plant.

- Easier to care for. Grouping plants together also makes them easier to care for in general. If you have all your plants in one spot, it's easier to keep an eye on them and make sure they're getting the care they need.

- More efficient use of space. If things are already looking a little cluttered, this technique can help you to make more efficient use of the space in your home.

- Create your own microclimate. Grouping plants together can also create your own little microclimate, which can be beneficial for the plants. When plants are close together, they can create a mini ecosystem where they can share water, nutrients and other resources. It can increase the humidity around the plants, which is beneficial for those that prefer higher humidity levels.

- Increased visual appeal. Last but not least, grouping plants together can also make your home look more attractive. A well-designed group of plants can add interest, colour, and texture to your space, and it can be a real talking point for visitors.

For the green thumbs out there, what do you think of this approach? Here at SDC headquarters, our plant-growing experiments have been mixed, but grouping plants together sounds like a great way to create a healthy, thriving environment for them.

Not only does it make watering and caring for them easier, but it can also provide many other benefits too. So, if you're looking for a way to take your plant care to the next level, why not give grouping a try? Check out the video below for some house plant styling tips to get you started:

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