A handy-person has a tool belt, an artist has paint brushes, and you too deserve a special set of tools. I’m not encouraging clutter, but the right houseplant tools help you cultivate your collection with ease. Over the years I’ve narrowed it down to just a few. These are my favorite and absolute essential houseplant care tools. They keep my collection clean and tidy and make houseplant care simple and swift. 

Chopsticks

This one caused a heated debate on Instagram. I use chopsticks to aerate compacted soil, prop up stems, and generally take the place of a long finger when I need to reach into the soil line. The Instagram debate flared up when an expert argued that chopsticks break roots. He had a point, but you can easily get around this by being very gentle. 

The Right Watering Can

Use one with a long spout. Certain plants completely cover the soil line (hello, hoya carnosa compacta), so if you use a pitcher, water rolls right off the leaves and never makes it to the soil. A long spout ensures water goes directly to the soil line. I have a plastic one from Home Depot and it works great. 

Drainage Trays

An absolute essential; drainage trays protect your surface areas and keep the insides of cache pots and woven baskets from getting soggy. Use these lightweight trays to line the bottom of your planter so excess water won’t leak onto your surface areas. Inexpensive plastic drainage trays come in all sizes (make sure you measure). 

Felt Sliders

Slide a heavy ceramic planter across a surface and you’ll hear what sounds like nails on a chalkboard. I scratched my desk that way. Both terracotta and ceramic pots can scratch wood, marble, and other surface areas. This is easy to prevent by sticking felt sliders on the bottom of your saucers and pots. You can get these fuzzy stickers at craft or hardware stores. I recommend the variety pack with multiple sizes. 

Screen Patches

This one is a game changer. Potting mix tends to escape through drainage holes, and these tiny dirt piles create dusty saucers and window sills. You can prevent this with a piece of screen patch from your local hardware store. Cut it to size or buy a package of small screen patches then cover the drainage hole at the bottom of your planters. This will hold soil in, but let excess water out. Some people use landscaping fabric or cheese cloth, but I recommend screen patches because they allow for water and air to flow through easily. 

With a few inexpensive houseplant care tools you can water seamlessly, protect surface areas, prevent mold, and keep soil from escaping like a pro! These few essentials won’t even take up much room, so you can save more shelf space for plants.