Do’s and Don’ts of Plant Parenthood
(Not to be confused with the Do’s and Don’ts of Planned Parenthood — for that, you might want to check out your favorite Mommy Blog)
Odds are, during quarantine you’ve done one of the following: cut bangs, dyed your hair, rearranged your apartment/home, quit your job, or bought a plant. If you’re the overachieving type that has done two or more of the aforementioned, let’s chat because I aspire to be that dedicated to self-improvement.
I’m just going to come right out and say it -- I didn’t buy a plant...I bought six (or more idk). Yes, yes, thank you, thank you, I am a plant mother! I’ve been expecting for 12 months, since I moved into my former apartment. However, with brunches, work, and tha club calling my name, I never made time to prioritize honing in on my green thumb. Enter this global pandemic. In the last six months I’ve gone from owning two succulents and trying to keep my roommates whatever-it-was alive, to taking care of eight plants. However, it’s my dear money tree, that I got as a housewarming gift and I’m pretty sure is dying. that’s led me to write this post. Turns out, just watering your plants isn’t enough to keep them alive and thriving long term.
This week, I chatted with some of my favorite plant-loving Instagrammers and they gave me some awesome tips for first-time and seasoned plant-owners. These tips were too good to keep to myself, so keep reading for some do’s and don’ts of plant parenthood!
DO keep your plants away from pets and children
What do children, pets, and plants all have in common? They’re toxic. Just kidding — they have mothers!
Did you know plants can actually be poisonous when it comes to consumption? Make sure you do your research and keep toxic plants out the the reach of those that might not know that they can’t eat them.
“I had this beautiful calathea plant that I was OBSESSED with. My cat was obsessed with it too and knocked it off its plant stand repeatedly — eventually leading to its death. I had to keep them up and away from her.” - @_miranda_loves_
Moreover, pets and children tend to wreak slight havoc in their trails. For the health of all parties involved, keep plants in sight but out of mind for your furry and tiny friends…and also your pets.
DON’T drown your plants
For me, watering my babies is like the most fun part about having plants. I like to take them outside to water them with my cutesy little watering can (I might buy this one specifically for indoor plants — someone please stop me). However, the easiest and most fatal mistake according to some of my seasoned plant mom friends, is to over water your plants.
“Don’t over water your house plants! It’s better to wait for plants to dry out than to keep watering them — that’s the easiest way to kill them.” - @duurrl of @earthincolor.co
It’s important to pay close attention to your plants and their needs. While it’s a good idea to keep track of when you last watered, you don’t want to be too consistent with when you water. You can’t give your plant what you want, you have to give it what it needs. Overwatering can lead to root rot and ultimately a dead plant on your hands.
“Don’t water based on a strict schedule. Some plants need more water, some plants need less. Each plant has its own needs so you have to learn to listen to it.” - @yeeeaaahb
“Make the Planta app your best friend. It will help you keep a schedule of when to water your plants, it gives detailed care instructions and even has a light meter so you can see what lighting is like in every room in your house to help you find out where your plants will be most happy.” - @_miranda_loves_
Make sure to research your plant and it’s needs. You can also purchase a cheap water meter from amazon for a second opinion! I use the Planta app, recommended by @_miranda_loves_ to keep track of when I last watered my plants and to move them around my environment based on their needs.
DO your research
School is in session! Once you buy a plant it’s important to do a quick Google search to learn a little bit about your new friend. Honestly, you might want to do it before but sometimes...we impulse buy! Usually plants come with a little insert that tells you the name and possibly light instructions for growth success. If you’re like me and you accidentally threw away those inserts before reading them, have no fear! You can use the Planta app or this plant identifier to find your plant by just snapping a picture!
“Research is KEY. YouTube and Instagram make plant education so easy and there’s a huge community of plant pros that will answer any plant care questions you have!” - @_miranda_loves_
Some of @_miranda_loves_ favorite Plantstagrammers:
Harli G
Plant Kween
Kaylee Ellen
If you’re reading this blog because you’re looking into buying your first plant, here are a few plants to start with and some you might want to avoid:
Easy Care:
ZZ Plant
Rubber Tree
Pothos
Snake Plant
Lipstick Plant
Any kind of Monstera
Air Plant
Peace Lily
Avoid for First-Timers:
Fiddle Leaf Figs
Ferns
DON’T freeze your plants
“I had to learn, the hard way, that my house was too cold for my precious plants. My purple passion is down to one stem. It’s hard when you live with an Elsa.” - @soshenell
I like my living environment to be COLD. However, I’m learning that might not be the best for my green friends. Just like some people thrive in warm environments and some in cold, plants are the same. Some plants like it hot, some want it cold, and some — like Dorothy Locks — like it juuuuust right. Knowing this information in advance will help you ensure your plants blossom to their potential.
“All I’m going to say is...calatheas. If you know you know.” - @hollytiara
DO go #natural
I was stressed when I found out that plants need more than just water. They actually require similar nutrients and care to any human you might know or care for. To supply them with the necessary nutrients, you can buy fertilizer sticks at your nearest home supply store or you can try this:
“Go natural! Coffee beans are a great nitro-pick-me-up and a superb fertilizer alternative.” - @soshenell
Surprise number two! Your plant also has an immune system. You don’t have to take them to the plant doctor but you can use aspirin to help them build resistance to disease and unwanted pests!
DON’T forget to inspect your plants
If you’re afraid of spiders you might want to skip this tip. Actually, if you’re scared of spiders then you should DEFINITELY read this tip from @yeeeaaahb.
“This is a funny situation where I learned a huge “don’t”. Sometimes bugs can be an issue! Recently, I experienced a spider mite infestation.”
“I noticed the tiny bugs on one plant; I kind of ignored it for a couple days...HUGE MISTAKE. Those guys take over quickly! I had to quarantine the affected plant and spray it with need oil — which is supposed to kill the spider mites.”
“In the end, my plant was already too far gone; the bugs sucked all of the life out of it. I had to throw the plant away, that made me so sad. ALWAYS INSPECT YOUR PLANTS! Especially the underside of the leaves. If you notice something like bugs, take care of it immediately.”
“Sometimes, a plant can already have mites at the plant shop and when you bring it home, all of your other plants become infested. Make sure you’re bringing home a healthy plant. My friend lost 30 plants to these mites, don’t let that be you.”
*shudders* Brb, headed to check ALL of my plants. In the spirit of inspecting your plants, remember to also prune them. When one leaf dies, it’s not the end of the road for your baby. Pinch that leave off or remove it from the soil so it doesn’t rot and ruin the rest of the plant’s growth.
DO repot your plants
Just like you’ve outgrown your clothes from middle school, plants out grow their pots when you take good care of them. Their roots expand and they become too large and numerous to grow any further in their current clothes. The recommendation is to go up at least two inches in the next pot.
To clear up shelf space you can try hanging your plants with macrame hangers, buying a plant shelf, using hanging pots, or arranging them on the floor!
(Tip from @yeeeaaahb: Marshalls has amazing plant decor!)
It’s important to make sure that your potting has adequate drainage options to keep water from sitting and causing root rot. If you find a pot that you’re in love with, but it doesn’t have drainage holes try one of these two options:
Drill a hole in it, lol
Keep the plant in it’s plastic pot and put the plastic pot inside of the cute pot! You can remove it for watering and put it back once the water has drained.
DON’T forget to personalize your plants
This tip is something that I’m surprised I haven’t done yet. Name my plants!
“You feel more attached to your plants if they have names. They literally all become your babies, unique in their own way! I like to give my plant catchy names for instance my first cactus that I was gifted is named prick…” - @hollytiara
This personalization allows you to envision your plants and their growth as an extension of yourself.
“I actually named one of my plants after myself, so when I talk to it and tell it positive and encouraging things, I’m giving myself affirmations.” - @hollytiara
DO steal your plants
Just kidding…the actually term is propagate. You can start your plant journey in so many different ways. Buy from a local shop, a home supply, OR you can just break off a piece of a friend’s plant!
“Propagate your plants instead of buying them from large plant shops. You can get plant cuttings from your friends plants! I’ve clipped pieces of jade and then planted them in my house. Sooooo steal your plants…” - @duurrl of @earthincolor.co
This is something I’m definitely planning to do with my dad’s garden. He’s got the gift of the green thumb...I’m sure he won’t miss one little cutting.
Writing this blog has given me so many tips and tricks and I feel ready to be a very attentive plant parent. I hope this has been as informative for you as it was for me! And if you’re wondering if you should start your plant journey...DO IT!
As always thank you for the honor of your time. SUBSCRIBE down below (at the very bottom of the page) to get these blog posts delivered to your inbox on Mayaesthetic Mondays!
Yours Truly and Truly Me,
Maya G
Special thanks to all of the ladies that helped me create this blog post:
@duurrl of @earthincolor.co
@hollytiara
@yeeeaaahb
@soshenell
@_miranda_loves_
#plantparenthood #plantmoms #plantjourney
