What to Expect, When You're Expecting…Plants
Look at you! You did it! You picked out a new plant that Andy and Gerald just brought to your door. Pat yourself on the back because one of the toughest parts of plant parenting is picking out a new plant! We love plants, people, and pets, and we want to make sure that like a new parent, you know more or less what to expect with your new foliaged friend.
We’re right there with you… We’re huge fans of what some nice furniture and good looking plants can do to get your home vibes right. With that said, good plant parenting comes when you realize that a plant is definitely not like a coffee table, or a desk. In reality a plant is much more like a pet. And no, plants may not move around or interact with you, but they are living things that eat, and breathe.
Unlike a piece of furniture, not only do plants clean the air in your home, but they can respond to their environment too! Sometimes the response is great: You’ll see tons of new growth flush out, and feel a sense of satisfaction because you might actually have this plant parent thing down-pat. Other times the plant may not respond well at all: Leaves are yellowing or browning, and your plant just doesn’t look happy. No matter the case, we gotcha covered.
Here’s what you can expect to get familiar with as you’re learning to care for new plants:
Each plant has different needs.
Whether it’s water, light, or temperature… not all houseplants are the same. Just like pets, and people! A cat has very different needs than a dog, and you have different needs from your sibling or close relative. And plants are not the same. Expect to do a little bit of research on plant care once you’ve decided on what plant you’re bringing into your home. Doing research will get you familiar with what watering and light requirements are best for your new plant friend!
Overwatering is the enemy.
Look, we get it. Sometimes you just have a lot of love to give! We see you wanting to become the best plant parent you can, and so surely giving your new plant loads of water is the way to go, right? You love your plants, and we love you… So we have to break the news: Too much water is not the way. Overwatering can make any plant's health go south really quick if you’re not careful. And it’s really hard to come back from a soggy, rotting root system. Like we said before, be sure to research your new plant to get to know how frequently it likes to be watered! If plants had a love language it would definitely be learning.
Plants slow down their growth in the winter time.
We might think that no one knows what winter hibernation means better than a Chicagoan, but your new plant is right there with you. Sure, new leaves can still grow in the winter… But your plant just isn’t as high energy as it was during the summer when the cold fall/winter months come around. Temperatures dip down, access to sun decreases, and the indoors get arid and dry… And your new plant is bound to slow down. Lower temperatures and less light mean less growth, it’s just the natural rhythm. But fear not, once the growing season gets going again your houseplant will bounce back into a growth stage, no worries.
Most plants need to eat every now and then.
A plant can most definitely survive and adapt to a “water only” feed regime, but if you want a really healthy lush plant you’ll make sure to add a little substance into its diet. Plants typically prefer food in the spring and summer months, this is when they are the most active. So like any active living thing, expect to feed your plant every now and then. Plants need food not only to stay healthy, but to tend to their daily functions. We generally recommend feeding your houseplants at least twice during the months of April-September, with an all purpose plant feed.
If plants aren’t healthy, they might get sick!
While this is the least enjoyed topic of conversation in the plant world, it’s a reality of having plants. Whether it’s scale or mealybugs, rot or mildew, when these show up on your houseplant, it’s not a fun time. Plants, like people, fight off getting sick by having healthy immune systems and being in the right conditions. In dire cases, your sick plant might need over the counter help (neem, fungicide, etc). If your plants are healthy, fed well, and watered appropriately, they are less likely to have trouble with bugs or sickness of any kind. But if they’re weak, not watered/misted well, and never fed, they are more likely to have issues. Our best advice to avoid bugs: research your plant’s needs in depth, and keep your babies fed, healthy, and in optimal growing conditions!
Losing a leaf is usually no biggie.
Sometimes you’ll bring a new plant into your home, and notice that one of its leaves isn’t doing too hot. Maybe it looks a little yellow, or brown, and you’re just not sure what's going on. Rest assured, plants losing leaves is completely natural! Whether you chose to cut it off, or wait until the plant uses up the stored energy, expect to lose leaves on occasion. If you lose one, your plant will likely replace it with time.
Your houseplant will outgrow its pot.
Plants don’t just grow from the top, but their roots grow and take up space too! As your plant gets bigger, expect to move it up into a bigger pot or divide it at some point. Houseplants can’t stay in the same pot forever. It might take some time before this happens but it’s a given. When deciding whether to move your plant or not, make sure you research your plants. Some plants don’t mind being tightly bound in their pots, while others really don’t enjoy it at all. If your plant does need a bigger pot, make sure to move it up 2 inches at a time. For example: If your plant was in a 6” pot, an 8” would be the next size up. If it was in an 8”, a 10” would be the next size up.
Plants die.
While G and the PDC team love to keep things cheeky and fun, there’s just no other way to phrase it folks. Plants are living… Which means that eventually at some point, they’re going to leave the party. Whether they’re sick, didn’t like their environment, or their time has come… It’s natural. Our best advice for when plants don’t work out:
Put on “Changes” by Fleetwood Mac and feel the bummer.
Put that old plant in your compost bin or in a worm compost.
Really do your homework about what went wrong with that plant, be honest!
Research new plants.
When you’re ready, buy new plants.
Use the compost you made from your last plant to feed all your new plants.
May the foliage be with you,
PDC + G.