plant parenting: a guide

plant parenting: A GUIDE

what

WHAT IS PLANT PARENTING? what is plant parenting?

On the surface level it is just having and taking care of houseplants. If it was really that simple then I don’t think that I would miss my plants more than my roommates when I am out of town, but I do. I think that it depends on the person how involved with your plants that you get. I know someone who only gives their plants distilled water. I do not do that because I do not care quite that much. what is plant parenting?

what is plant parenting?

your experience. There are plenty of chill houseplants that their own reasons why they like them. For me I think that houseplants are super fun and the level of involvement that they take is perfect for me.

There are a few things that you might want to consider before you decide to have house plants:

- SPACE: how much space do you have for your plants? This will determine what size of plant you buy.

- AMOUNT OF LIGHT: where are the windows in your house and which way they are facing? Some plants need more light than others. If you are in a space that gets less sunlight there are still some plants that can thrive. Don’t the basics

think that if you don’t get much sunlight you can’t have houseplants, you do need at least some light though.

- LEVEL OF INVOLVEMENT: how much time and energy do you want to give to your plants? I would still recom mend starting out with an easy plant.

If you have access to all of this stuff then the next step will be to buy a plant. Many people will buy a succulent or cac tus for their first plant. While there is nothing wrong with this, succulents don’t need to be watered often so they are fairly easy to take care of, I feel that a low maintenance house plant might be a better option. Personally, they are much more rewarding and fun to have because they grow more and it is really exciting when they start to get new leaves. Some easy beginner house plants include pothos, snake plant, spider plant, and zz plants (more info and

the basics

pictures will be included later). There are a few different places that you can find common house plants, your local grocery store might be a good place to start. If there is a nursery in your area they might have a few more options, walmart usually has a decent selection, home depot typically has quite a few options as well.

Once you pick what plant you want you will probably want a pot to put it in. You will want to get a pot that is one size bigger than the pot that it is initially in, and ideally with a hole in the bottom for drainage. This will give the plant room to grow. Some plants come already in pots but if you want it to grow you should get a new pot. You will also need to get some soil to fill in the extra space in the new pot you got. I personally don’t think that the soil you get super matters, if there is one that is fast draining that might be a good option. Lately I have been buying organ ic soil not for any real reason, but that’s what I do. If you really want to get into it you might do a lot of research and learn how to mix your own soil for your specific plants, that feels overwhelming so I will probably never do that. Repotting plants: (you will repeat these steps whenever you buy a new plant or just need to size up your pot) Get all supplies out and ready (your plant, soil, new pot, and water) the basics

REPOTTING PLANTS:

1) Fill the new pot about 1/2-3/4 of the way full, with a well in the middle.

2)Remove plant from its current pot - if it is in a plastic nursery pot then it should be pretty easy. Just squish the sides a little to get it loose, I put one hand on top of the dirt and then tip the pot and the plant should come right out - if it isn’t in a nursery pot then it becomes a little harder. I take a butter knife and very gently take it around the edges of the pot to loosen the soil. Doing this a few times should get the dirt loose enough to get the plant out.

3) Break up the root ball - when plants have been in a pot for a while their roots can get somewhat stuck in the shape of teir previous pot. To help the plant grow in its new pot it is very helpful to loosen up the dirt around the plant’s roots. - to do this very gently massage the roots to get some of the dirt out. You don’t need to get all of the dirt

out of the roots but removing some of it will help the plant thrive in its new pot.

4) Place the plant in the well of the new pot, gently pack it in - don’t get too aggressive with it if the soil is too packed it will be hard for the plant’s roots to grow. Fill in any space with soil - I always have a little extra space in the pot so I just get handfuls of soil and fill in where it needs it.

5) Water the plant in its new pot

That is all your plant has a new home! Place the plant near a window and don’t forget to water it as needed (I typically water my plants x1-x2 times a week depending on the plant). Hopefully your new plant starts growing soon. Some plants grow pretty quickly while others take much longer to get new growth. Pick a plant that will suit what you are looking for!

plant guide

HERE I WILL LIST A FEW DIFFERENT PLANTS, A PHOTO OF THEM, AND A LITTLE INFO ABOUT THEM TO HELP YOU PICK WHAT YOU WANT FOR YOUR FIRST ONE.

POTHOS

medium-high light

water every 4-5 days fast growth rate

z z p l a n t

medium-low light

water when soil dries out completely. maybe x1 a week

M E D I U M / L O W L I G H T

water when soil dries out completely slow growth rate

s p i d e r

high light

MONSTERA

R I G H T D I R E C T L I G H T

succulant

o w g r o

bright direct light water when soil completely dries out slow growth

water every 4-5 days medium growth rate

ALOE

VERA

b r i g h t i n d i r e c t l i g h t

O M M O N CONCERNS

ROOT ROT: when you water your plants too much (either too often or just too much water at once) without proper drainage, they risk developing root rot. The excess mois ture in the soil causes the roots to rot. This means that the roots become useless and then the rest of the plant won’t be getting the nutrients that it needs and will probably kill your plant. So just try not to water your plants too often and make sure that they have proper drainage. If your pot has a hole in the bottom then you should be ok, also you can buy fast draining soil so if you are worried then that might be something you want to consider.

YELLOW LEAVES: if you have some leaves on your plant that are turning yellow that means that there is probably a watering issue. The plant is either getting too much water or not enough water. If you think that you might be wa tering too much then consider watering a little less, less often. If you tend to forget to water your plants then you probably need to water your plant more.

common concerns

BUGS: sometimes bugs might be attracted to your plants. There are a few different reasons that your plants might get bugs, some include, the moisture of the soil attracting gnats, if it might have gotten something from the place you got it. I have found that the more common pest issues can be solved with a pesticide. Neem oil is a pesticide and a fungicide that is safe for use on house plants.

TOXIC: most houseplants are toxic if ingested. This isn’t really a concern if there is nothing in your space that might accidentally eat your house plants. Just be aware and keep an eye on any kids or pets that might get into your plants.