Plant Care
Like us plants are living breathing organisms that require oxygen, light, water, nutrition and attention. Again like us each plant is different and therefore should not all be treated the same. Below are our basic tips which will help you along the way and hopefully keep your plants thriving!
So here it is #TheLifeILeaf 101
1. When you first get your new plant, we’d always suggest giving it’s leaves a clean. Get a clean cloth and wipe down each leaf (top and under) with a soap and water solution or give it a good shower. This will keep dust away making it easier to breathe, absorb light and keep pests away. We encourage you to do this often.
2. Positioning - make sure your plants are not by any cold drafts or radiators. Most house plants are tropical plants meaning they come from warm and humid environments. So try and ensure their environment is not too dry in air or cold.
3. When watering, it’s best with most plants to not drown the soil in water frequently and it is important to not have the roots sitting in water for long periods of time as it can cause the roots to rot. One way to gauge whether to water your plant (or not) is to put your finger in the soil about two inches deep and see if the soil is still damp or if it’s dry. If dry then water.
4. Always use a pot with a drainage hole! All of our plants come in there nursery pots with drainage holes however as many put them in a decorative pot remember after watering to come back and make sure it is not sitting in a damp puddle it can cause root rot. If your plant grows and needs to be re-potted make sure you create a drainage system if there isn’t one.
5. Windows with lots of medium indirect light are always good and will have most if not every plant thriving. If your plants are not happy, they will flop and sag or even worse die - Your plant will tell you if they’re not happy so make sure you’re watching for any changes in it’s behavior.
6. Nutrition is something people tend to neglect with their plants. If you’re thinking ‘well plants make their own food via photosynthesis’, then you are correct! However plants also get nutrients from their soil. As time goes on the nutrients in the soil becomes less and less as the plants are feeding off it. Also when we water plants, nutrients are lost as the water flows out. Therefore, fertilising is a good way to give the soil a nutrient boost. Changing the soil can do this also but we only recommend doing this when the plant roots have outgrown it’s current pot.
7. To check whether your plant needs to be re-potted, take the plant out of its pot/nursery pot and check to see if it is root bound. Sometimes roots are growing directly out of its nursery pot’s drainage hole and this is a pretty good indication that it has outgrown it’s current pot. If you are unsure there are many videos of this on YouTube to help you make your decision.
8. Show your plants some LOVE! Talk to it, sing to it play some music and just vibe! There are many studies that show talking to your plants in loving tones encourages faster growth. So don’t be shy, get to know your new bubba.
9. The internet is your best friend! Research your plant. Make sure you know your plants needs and make sure to keep up with it. We have basic tips in the product description of each plant, so it is definitely a good place to start, however if you are doing all and something still isn’t right, then you need to look deeper. It could be your environment, the type of water, it could be cold, seasonally dormant, infected, infested the list goes on!! Make sure you research all that you can.
10. Have fun with it! There’s a whole lot to learn about plant rearing so sit tight and enjoy the ride. No one expects you to be an expert, we all started from somewhere 😊