3 Ways to Make Your Plants Look Their Fullest and Most Lush

Whether your have an entire collection or a few favorites, it's not easy to keep each of your houseplants always looking good. And it's impossible to be a perfect plant parent—even the most low maintenance plants will fall victim to bare spots, dropped leaves, and droopy stems at some point. So if you're looking for easy ways to spruce up your plants (and help them grow faster), here are the three simplest hacks guaranteed to make your plants look abundant and healthier than ever.

How to Make Your Plants Look Fuller

Pin the leaves down

One of the easiest ways to make your potted plant look fuller instantly is to clip the nodes of the leaves back into the soil. This method works best for vines, pothos, or leafy plants. 

To accomplish this, all you need is a bobby pin (or a plant clip if your stems are thicker). Stretch the bobby pin out to make sure it doesn’t pinch the stems of your plant. Then, choose a section of stem directly underneath a node or leaf. Use the widened bobby pin to secure the node directly into the soil, pinning the stem to the dirt. This will shorten the length of your plant in some areas, but the leaves that are pinned to the soil will make your plant have the appearance of looking bigger, fuller, and healthier.

The best part of pinning your plant: The nodes will actually take root in the soil and re-shape the plant to help it grow and look more full. Once the nodes have taken root, you can remove the bobby pins and enjoy the natural new shape of your plant.

Moss poles, trellises, and stakes

Styling your plants to look taller, fuller, and more upright is simpler than you may think (even if yours don’t have many leaves yet). Moss poles are a classic for helping plants grow the way you want them to; a bamboo pole covered in moss gives your plant a soft, secure way to climb as it grows. Start off by gently tying loose stems to the pole, and eventually your plant will be able to attach itself to the pole without any help.

Trellises and stakes also assist in making your plant look fuller. Wide wire trellises are best; they’ll take up a lot of space in your plant pot, which will help make your plant look fuller right away. The thin wires are also easily hidden and give your plant adequate space to grow through—the final look is a lush-looking plant no matter which way you rotate it.

Place your pole of choice toward the edge of the soil (and use multiple if your plant has a lot of free stems). Then, arrange the stems of the plant around the pole using plant ties to help hide the extra space. 

Propagation

Propagation is the method that takes the longest to complete, but if you want your plant to live a long and healthy life, it’s definitely worth it.

This method is, of course, easiest on plants with leaves and nodes that can be propagated by taking a cutting. Think philodendrons, pothos, herbs, and trailing plants. Simply snip off the stem below the leaf (or below a node or arial root if your plant has any) and place it back into the plant’s soil to allow it to take root.

To guarantee the success of your cutting, you can also place the stem in a jar of water until it starts to grow roots. 

For plants that don't easily propagate alone, add a trailing plant or pothos to the mix. Pothos grows well with nearly any other plant in indirect light, making any container look more lively. Growing pothos underneath a tall plant will hide bare soil and support the stems of the main plant, while placing pothos over a trailing plant that isn’t growing on top will cover empty patches and make it look fuller.