# equipment

Plant care could be as easy or complex as we want it to be. Pothos in a jar of water will thrive just as well. Equipment help us in our practice but are not absolutely required.

# labels

labels help identify plants, and can be used to indicate pest issues, lighting needs, or feed frequency. While basic they can be hugely helpful.

# spade

A small well shaped spade is great for any repotting task.

# dibbles and widger

Funny names for hole pokers used to make plating holes in soil for seeds or cuttings. Some gridded widgers can put a organized series of holes for planting.

# garden line

Used to ensure plants are place in a straight line. Not terribly useful for indoor planting.

# knives

Anything with a clean sharp edge can be used to prune plants, score seeds, clean up root balls, and much more. Have a good clean knife handy when you are gardening.

# potting box/area

Having something to catch all the dirt from repotting is very useful for indoor plants. In a hard-floored apartment we can get away with diligent post repotting cleaning, but any carpet or rugs should definitely be covered.

# watering can

Having a solid watering can is great for a variety of reasons. Many urban water systems have chemicals that are safe and necessary for human sanitation but some plants are sensitive to, watering cans are great containers are great for this as you can directly use and then refill it. Watering cans are easier to tip, which can keep water from splashing around and deliver water in a more targeted way.

# gloves

Gloves keep our hands clean and our plant parts clean also. Make sure to clean gloves between handling different plants.

# turkey baster

For the situations when a plant is overwatered and flooded, a turkey baster can be used to get excess water out of a large plant that you can't just carry to the sink to drain through.

# mister

A pressured mister produces a much finer spray than a standard sprayer, and can mean the difference between a light touch of humidity and scorching droplets on leaves.

# isopropyl alcohol

Rubbing alcohol can be used with cotton swabs to dab most of the common houseplant pests. Test on one leaf before using it on the whole plant if concerned with leaf damage. A diluted solution can be used if something milder is needed.

# neem oil

neem is an effective treatment on a variety of houseplant pests including insects and fungus without harming the plant itself. It does have a very strong odor that some are sensitive to, so testing is always helpful.

# lint roller

the lightly sticky surface of lint rolling paper is perfect for sticking up aphids and other pests. Large leaves can be rolled over for easy pickup, and the paper can be used in strips for smaller leaves.

# sticky traps

yellow paper sticky traps attract a variety of flying insects and can be good to have around to alert us to the presence of pests. Good for both prevention and control.