Complete guide to growing our top 5 indoor houseplants from seed that are suitable for beginners

It's a really exciting prospect to grow your own houseplants. However, sometimes the reality is that you don't really know what you are doing (at first!) and just waste your money on all of the things you need without the knowledge and fail. Well look no further, this is definitely not going to happen if you read on and learn all you need to know about how to grow our top 5 easiest house plants for beginners.

These absolute stunners are not only beautiful and look great in your home, but they are also fabulous for air purity making them perfect for the environment inside and out of your home. There have even been studies on this particular plant which have found that they remove toxins like benzene, formaldehyde and toluene from the air. They also remove toxins released into the surrounding air by cigarettes.

Luckily these babies are also easy to grow from seed, making them the perfect addition to your home, especially if you are looking for an easy to look after houseplant which is easily maintained and doesn't require a green thumb. Another bonus is that they have been specially cultivated to not grow too big and only grow to a maximum of 3-4ft which is perfect for a tropical indoor house plant.  

So in order to grow them, all you would need is a propagator set or if not you can use 3-4" pots with a Ziploc bag (which will create a similar atmosphere for the seeds to grow), an all purpose potting soil (we use the miracle-gro all purpose which works perfectly well with houseplants), a plant mister and of course the Umbrella tree seeds.

Firstly, a little tip for the umbrella tree seeds is to soak them in warm water for 12hrs. After you've done that, either fill the seed tray with holes (which comes with the propagator set) with the compost (leaving the tray without holes underneath to catch any mess) or fill the 3-4" pots, whichever you decide. Then make sure the compost is moist but not wet. Then plant the seeds around 1" deep in the soil. After this you will need to place the propagator lid on top (or the Ziploc bag) and place the seeds in a warm sunny spot - a windowsill is perfect for this! Expect them to germinate in around 5-7 days (it may take longer if it is cold). Then once the seeds have produced their first set of true leaves (the set of leaves that come after the initial sprouts) you can remove the propagator or Ziploc bag and allow the plant some air. After this, you can transplant them into pots and keep potting them up as they grow. A fertiliser once a week would help the plants to grow quicker, we use the miracle-gro pump & feed, it's super easy to use and the plants thrive off it. Also, another quick tip. These plants absolutely LOVE being misted as it emulates the atmosphere they originate from as they are tropical plants. Our plant misters do the job perfectly.

The Philodendron species of tropical plant are very easy and quick to grow, and we love the philodendron hope houseplant as it is beautiful and well known for its fabulous, showy, wide, and welcoming leaves that have the feel of a tropical jungle. Don't get me wrong this isn't a small houseplant. It can grow up to 15ft if given the space! However, do not be put off, you can reduce its growth and keep it as small as you want by keeping its pot small.

This impressive houseplant is luckily very easy to grow from seed, and is certainly suitable for beginners! For this one, you just need your all purpose potting soil, again we use the miracle-gro all purpose as it works perfectly with houseplants. You'll need your philodendron seeds, a propagator set or 3-4" pots with Ziploc bag or cling film and finally a plant mister.

The Philodendron seeds will benefit from a good soak in warm water for 1-2 days. Once you've done that, fill you trays or pots with the soil (if you are using a propagator set, keep the tray with no holes underneath to prevent mess). Then ensure the compost is moist but not wet, plant misters are great for this. Plant the seeds into the compost at around a third of an inch deep, and then cover. Then place the propagator, cling film or Ziploc bag over the seeds and leave them to germinate in a moderately sunny spot but not directly in the sunlight. Expect the seeds to germinate within around a month, but make sure to keep checking the soil is still moist. Also, as they start to grow, be careful not to just take the plastic off as this could damage the growth so at first take the plastic off for a couple of hours a day, and then eventually after a couple of weeks you can remove it entirely. Another thing is to keep misting the plant with a plant mister to keep the plants happy. Then once they start to grow their true leaves, you can add a little fertiliser every 1-2 weeks to encourage growth and keep the plants healthy. We use the miracle-gro pump & feed as it is very good for houseplants.

These beauties have been seen in some of the most beautiful landscaped gardens you've ever seen, but they are also a very attractive standalone houseplant which is certain to attract the attention of anyone who sees it. The huge bonus of these plants are that they are super easy to grow from seed! Even for beginners.

All you need to grow the Dragon Tree as a house plant or even as an ornamental for your garden is a seed starting mix such as the miracle-gro all purpose, small 3-4" pots or a propagator kit, the dragon tree seeds and a plant mister. Firstly, the seeds would benefit hugely from a good soak for a few days (3-5), this will help them to germinate quicker. Then place the compost into the trays or pots (if using a tray keep the one without holes underneath so that it catches the loose soil) and ensure the soil is moist but not wet. A plant mister is perfect for this. Then sprinkle the seeds over the moist compost, and then cover lightly with soil. Then place the propagator over the top of the trays to give it that greenhouse effect, or use cling film for the pots. The seeds need to be at least 20 degrees Celsius to germinate, so if your house isn't that warm, we'd recommend a heat germination mat. Place the trays or pots in indirect sunlight, not on a windowsill. Keep misting the soil to ensure it doesn't dry out. Remove the propagator or plastic when the seeds have germinated. Expect the seeds to germinate in around 4-6 weeks and keep potting them up as they grow. Once they start to develop into a plant, they will greatly benefit from a fertiliser once a week, we use the miracle-gro pump & feed as it works fabulously on all our houseplants. Also, keep spraying the leaves with a plant mister throughout as it makes for a very happy and healthy plant!

The Pink Splash is an absolute stunner, it stands out a mile as it has gorgeous and vibrant pink splashes covering its leaves. These plants have so much personality and are perfect for any home! They can grow up to 3 feet in diameter, which is the perfect size and they are super super easy to grow from seed, even for beginners!

All you need to get these babies growing is a well-draining potting soil like the miracle-gro all purpose, a propagator set or 3-4" pots with a Ziplock bag, a plant mister and of course the wonderful pink splash seeds. These seeds are ready to go and do not need to be soaked. Firstly, place the compost inside the tray with holes from the propagator set (leaving the tray without holes underneath to catch any mess) or in the pots. Moisten the soil with a plant mister. Then place the seeds on top of the soil and place the propagator on top. Keep the temperature as high as you can inside your home placing them on a windowsill that is warm but does not necessarily get direct sunlight is perfect otherwise the direct sunlight could damage the foliage. These babies will germinate in less than a week and true leaves will start to form after less than a month! When they have germinated, take off the propagator lid or Ziploc bag. Once they start to grow their true leaves, start to add a little fertiliser each week to promote growth we use the miracle-gro pump & feed as it's super easy and effective to use. Throughout the growing stages, give the plants a little mist as they do tend to thrive off high humidity as they are tropical plants. Also be sure to pot them up as they grow and another tip, they thrive off having a pinch back of the leaves every now and again to promote a more bushier growth. To do this all you need is to place your index finger and thumb just underneath a set of leaves and pinch them off. This won't do your plant any harm but it will promote a beautiful bushy plant and will not allow it to get too tall.

Cordyline Stricta aka. Narrow Leaved Palm Lily or Slender Palm Lily

This plant is a very popular ornamental house plant and only grows to 2-3m tall in pots which makes them the perfect size for a real life showpiece for your home. These gorgeous plants also produce gorgeous little pale purple flowers in the hotter months and are super low maintenance and even more excitingly are easy to grow from seed! So much so that if you were to have one in your garden, they would reproduce by themselves!

All you need to grow these babies from seed is a good quality potting soil like the miracle-gro all purpose, the cordyline stricta seeds, a propagator set or small pots with plastic wrap and a plant mister. The seeds don't need to be soaked and are ready to go. Firstly, place the soil into the tray with holes on top of the tray without holes or inside your small pots. Then, mist the soil to ensure it is damp but not wet. Plant the seeds on top of the soil and cover with a very thin layer of soil. The seeds will germinate at a temperature of around 18-22 degrees Celsius and thrive off the sun so keep in a sunny spot. Expect them to germinate in around 8-12 weeks and ensure the soil stays damp throughout this process. Once they start to grow, fertilise them once a week during the growing stage we use the miracle-gro pump & feed as it works a treat. Regular misting using a plant mister is perfect for this plant.