Buy plants for your apartment they said, plants are easy to take care of, they said. These are probably your thoughts as you stumble across the succulent in the windowsill that was forgotten for a few weeks after an impulse buy at Whole Foods.
Everyone wants to reach that plant oasis aesthetic with their apartment within a concrete jungle. Not all folks have an outdoor living space, and plants are a solution, in theory. Having plants is also beneficial for boosting mood and if you buy the right plants, the air quality of your home.
There are a lot of factors to consider if you want to be a responsible plant owner instead of a plant serial killer. You have to break some habits and build new ones. Break the impulse buy succulent purchasing, they will just keep dying because clearly, it isn't the right plant for the space you are wanting to fill. Second, create a habit of caring for your plants. This takes learning about them, and how to best care for them in your home.
Once you can keep some plants alive, it will become more innate and fun. Like any other hobby, having plants takes time, skill development and learning. Reframe your mindset from achieving a plant aesthetic in your apartment to improving your skills as a plant parent.
What To Expect As A Plant Parent
Not all plants need the same care. It is easy to think water, sun, repeat, but that isn't the case. You also have to factor in humidity, direct sun or indirect sun, insect attacks, and how much water the plant actually can take up. In general, wilting is a sign of plant stress, don't let it get that far! Maintain instead of treating the plant, just like you would do for yourself for a pet. Here are some tips to readapt for plant parenting
- Watering: Feel the soil of the plant. If the soil sticks to your fingers, it is still damp and doesn't need to be watered. Instead of watering every day, check the soil every day.
- Repotting: Yes, the soil that the plant was purchased in shouldn't be the soil it lives in. Many are guilt of directly putting a plant with its original soil and plastic container into a more beautiful pot. This is a mistake because the plastic container will not allow water to drain out. As your plants get bigger, you will need to re-pot them as well.
- Sunlight: Google how much sunlight your plant will need to thrive. Some plants need a lot of direct sunlight, while others need indirect. An insider tip is to rotate the plant so they receive even sunlight, and occasionally move the plants around the house.
- Maintenance: Prune the plants, if yellow leaves develop take them off. You can spray the leaves with water to hydrate them and also clean the leaves as dust can accumulate. As mentioned rotate the plants and check the soil, don't forget to prevent insects. You can buy an organic insecticide if you have a serious outbreak, but cleaning the plants with a little soap and water or having lavender in the house are some at-home remedies for prevention.
No one ever tells you that once you keep your plants alive and well, you could have an insect outbreak in your house. Care for the plants to care for your home, just like you would for a pet with a flea outbreak.
Respect Your Limits And The Plants
A common plant killer tendency is to forget about the plants. It is essential to get rid of the notion that the plant is a decoration, it is a living thing that you are bringing into your home. Your old habit might look like watering the plants every Sunday. Your new habits should include feeling the soiling, cleaning the leaves to prevent insects, rotating the plant and above all learn about your plant's specific needs by googling it or reading on social media. There are even apps such as Florish or PictureThis to help you learn, care and even remember to care for your plants.
Know your limits, if you have a habit of forgetting to care for your plants then take a break, or just care for one instead of several. Make sure the plants are in a location where you can see them, and remember them. Putting a monstera plant in the bathroom might not be a good idea if you only see it in the shower.
Consider the space you are trying to fill with a plant. If you want to put plants in your living room, evaluate the light situation and find a plant that would thrive in that environment. It is easy to run across a beautiful plant out shopping, but if you don't find a plant that fits your space, they will continue to die.
With changing your habits about how to care for a plant, and filling your space with the right plants, you should start to see changes in yourself as a plant parent and towards reaching your house asthetic goals.
