Little-known house plant mistake kills them quickly without you realising

13 March 2024 , 13:35

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This mistake could kill your houseplants (Image: Getty Images/Westend61)

Calling all house plant lovers, this mistake is an easy one to make, but it could be killing your plants.

If your home looks like a luscious, green-filled jungle because you're the proud owner of quite a few house plants, then you will likely know that each of your beloved plant children has different needs. Each kind requires a different type of care to ensure that it thrives, providing a beautiful display in your home, and creating a tranquil and peaceful atmosphere.

But there is one common and very easily made mistake that a lot of people make when it comes to their houseplants, and it's something that can reportedly do damage most kinds of plants.

As reported in The Express, this easy mistake comes down to placing your plant too close to one common household item: the fruit bowl. This is because fruit emanates ethylene - a gas - as it ripens and this can kill flowers and plants quickly, leaving florists to even refer to it as a "silent killer".

This naturally occurring process "can stunt plant growth, cause deformed growth, curl leaves, prevent buds from flowering, and cause premature flower death." While not every plant will be as badly impacted by being close to ethylene, it's best to move your houseplants or any bunches of flowers you have displayed at home away from your fruit bowl.

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The fruits that emit the most of this gas include apples, bananas, tomatoes, avocados, stone fruits, kiwis, mangoes, and some kinds of melons, and the same process can occur in your fridge if that is where you tend to keep your fruits, so you should also be careful about how you store things in there to ensure that everything stays as fresh as possible, for as long as possible.

"Exposure to ethylene can cause broccoli and cabbage to yellow, cucumbers to pit, and carrots to turn bitter," the Washington Post reports. Equally, "lettuce and other greens, as well as some herbs, can also discolor or droop in the presence of ethylene."

You should separate those that are sensitive to the gas by using separate drawers or shelves, or using lunchbox containers or plastic storage bags to keep them apart.

This issue is easily solved by switching out where you keep your vase of flowers, fruit bowl, or favourite houseplants, but if you're really stuck for space and don't have much room for manoeuvre, then experts suggest "using ethylene absorbers, similar to those used by florists to extend the life of cut flowers."

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Emma Mackenzie