Is it possible to keep houseplants in my van while traveling in Europe? If so, how can I ensure they stay alive?
The answer to our question is yes. You can have houseplants in your van quite easily. You just need to find a good spot for them and know how to take care of them. We used to have over 50 houseplants in our apartment but nowadays we only have six of them in our van. In the future hopefully more!
Why it might be challenging to have houseplants in a van?
Living conditions in the van are quite special compared to a normal apartment:
- Not that much natural light
- A constantly moving home for the plants and possibly soil everywhere
- Changing temperatures
- Only a small space to share with humans and pets
What houseplants do we have in our van?
The best one - Golden Pothos (Epipremnum Aureum)
How to take care of
🌤️ Partly cloudy
❗️More light gives more light stripes
💧 They don’t need much watering. Allow the soil surface to dry completely between waterings
🍂 Brown spots- not enough water
🟡 Yellow leaves-too much water
This one is almost impossible to kill. Be careful, because Golden Pothos is mildly poisonous to pets. The liquid from the plant might also irritate human skin.
Snake Plant (Sansevieria Trifasciata)
How to take care of
🌤️🌞 It thrives in direct sunlight or shade
💧 They don’t need much watering
💀 The only way to kill it is to overwater it
A Snake Plant barely ever gets any pests. It also needs very little light and water but it does not like cold.
Money Tree (Crassula Ovata)
🪴How to take care of
⛅️ 🌞 It is okay with shade but likes a more sunny place
💧 They don’t need much watering
💨 Dry room air is the best for them
A Money Tree can survive in cold temperatures for short periods if the soil is dry. They are a bit more fragile if you think about the constant movement of the van.
What houseplants we would try as well?
Spider Plant (Chlorophytum) is a really easy plant that also makes flowers sometimes. It enjoys direct sunlight but prefers partly cloudy. The only minus is that Spider Plant might grow too fast and too big for the van.
Eternity Plant (Zamioculcas Zamiifolia) you can keep alive even in bathrooms. The only minus is that they are usually too big for vans.
Air Plants adapt to new places better than most plants. They don’t need soil. They are so-called independent because they do not require much care. Only spraying water once a week is enough.
Aloe Vera does not need much water and is easy to take care of.
Tips for taking care of the plants in a van
🚚 Don’t move the plant inside the van too often. Try to find a stable place for the plant so that it stays in the same chosen spot all the time. Choose a place where the plant is not on your way during your daily routines.
❄️ Don’t put houseplants too close to the window. Yes, they need natural light but if you are traveling when it is colder they will freeze when living next to a window.
💧 Don’t water the plants too often and water only with lukewarm water.
💦 Spray plants sometimes with water because the air might be dry inside the van.
Where to place them inside the van?
Shelf Plants won’t be on your way but you have to drill holes to the wall.
Magnets Attach the houseplant to the countertop with strong magnets. Make sure that you have strong enough magnets since a pot full of soil is quite heavy and you want it to stay in its place while driving.
Macrame hanger The plant will probably get a bit more damaged when swinging while driving.
Recommended items that you might need with plants
Our favorites are Elho products. They are pretty, affordable, and light. They are made from plastic so they won’t leak and you can’t easily break them. In most of the pots, the plastic is recycled. We also use Elhos spray bottles for taking care of the plants.