Having plants in your home should be a source of pleasure, not a source of stress. Many folks who are new to plant care have gone online seeking advice on how to care for their plants. They quickly discover conflicting advice and varying suggestions about what your new plants require. Suddenly, you feel overwhelmed trying to figure out what to do with your plants. And now those plants are becoming a headache, rather than a source of joy, particularly after they start to decline.
This is a shame, and it doesn't have to be this way. Since the start of the global Pandemic, we have had too much stress in our lives with COVID and all of the changes that have been imposed on us. Now that things are starting to loosen up and more people are protected by vaccines (at least in the US), it may be time to reassess plant care.
Here is a list of things that you do NOT need to do and probably should NOT do.
• Repot or replace the soil of your plants. This usually does more harm than good. Plants do best when kept tightly potted and their roots are left undisturbed.
• Fertilizer is unnecessary for almost all plants. Save your money.
• Misting does nothing for your plants nor does raising the humidity.
• Moving your plants outside in warm weather is not necessary and may introduce new problems.
• Moisture meters, plant apps, and self-watering planters are not reliable. Save your money.
• Normal household temperatures are not a problem for houseplants. If you are comfortable, then so will your plants be.
In general, there are only two things you need to attend to when caring for your plants – LIGHT and WATER.
When a plant does not get adequate light, nothing else you do will make up for it. Learn to evaluate indoor light properly and know what the light requirements are for each of your plants.
Plant roots need water and also oxygen. They get water that we add. But the oxygen they need and that keeps the roots from suffocating is only available when we let the upper layer of soil dry out appropriately. Most plants need to have the top half-inch or so of soil get dry to your finger probe before watering. Succulents need to dry much deeper into the pot. Learn the drying out requirements of each of your plants.
Try to avoid attaching too much emotion to your plants. No plants live forever, especially in the less-than-ideal conditions of our homes. The average houseplant survives for only 1 to 3 years. If you are not prepared to have a plant die, then maybe you should reconsider having it in the first place.
Don't be too hard on yourself. Plant care is not easy and that includes the so-called "impossible to kill" plants. Every experienced green thumb has had their share of failures. For them, every plant failure is an opportunity to learn.
Finally, focus on the successes rather than failures. Plants are never perfect and they have blemishes and minor defects just like people. Don't worry or fuss over minor imperfections. Focus instead on the overall health and appearance of your plants. Sometimes, we need to just step back and enjoy what we have. Plants are in our homes to give us joy and pleasure!
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