I don’t know why I wrote all this but here’s some house plant advice for those struggling:
POTTING
Don’t pot directly into a hard planter if you can avoid it. Use a plastic pot (with drainage) and put it in the planter. This makes it easier to move, repot, and water.
As for repotting, people often repot too soon. Your plant is more likely to die from the stress than from being too big for the pot. Many plants prefer to be rootbound (monstera, orchids), too. Don’t make huge jumps in pot size when you do.
WATERING
The top of the soil being dry doesn’t mean you need to water it. What matters is if the bottom of the soil is wet. Plants usually prefer the soil to become completely dry between watering. Roots need to “breathe” and keeping the soil wet will make them rot. This kills the plant.
You can get a moisture probe for like $20 but if it’s in plastic, you can tell just by giving it a squeeze. You can also kind of tell by weight. Pick up your plant after you water it and compare it to when it’s dry. You’ll have intuition for it in no time.
LIGHTING
The typically-used lighting requirements are insanely misleading. “Indirect” doesn’t mean you can put it in the corner. It means it can survive an arm’s length away from the window.
Almost all plants (including every single “beginner” plant) will do better directly in front of a window that gets several hours of sun each day. The more light, the better.
LED Grow lights are cheap and don’t get hot. I use mostly Barrina T5s but there’s other brands and styles more aesthetically pleasing.
Thank you for coming to my plant talk. This is general information and you should verify it applies to the type of plant you have.
I don’t know why I wrote all this but here’s some house plant advice for those struggling:
POTTING
Don’t pot directly into a hard planter if you can avoid it. Use a plastic pot (with drainage) and put it in the planter. This makes it easier to move, repot, and water.
As for repotting, people often repot too soon. Your plant is more likely to die from the stress than from being too big for the pot. Many plants prefer to be rootbound (monstera, orchids), too. Don’t make huge jumps in pot size when you do.
WATERING
The top of the soil being dry doesn’t mean you need to water it. What matters is if the bottom of the soil is wet. Plants usually prefer the soil to become completely dry between watering. Roots need to “breathe” and keeping the soil wet will make them rot. This kills the plant.
You can get a moisture probe for like $20 but if it’s in plastic, you can tell just by giving it a squeeze. You can also kind of tell by weight. Pick up your plant after you water it and compare it to when it’s dry. You’ll have intuition for it in no time.
LIGHTING
The typically-used lighting requirements are insanely misleading. “Indirect” doesn’t mean you can put it in the corner. It means it can survive an arm’s length away from the window.
Almost all plants (including every single “beginner” plant) will do better directly in front of a window that gets several hours of sun each day. The more light, the better.
LED Grow lights are cheap and don’t get hot. I use mostly Barrina T5s but there’s other brands and styles more aesthetically pleasing.
Thank you for coming to my plant talk. This is general information and you should verify it applies to the type of plant you have.
That’s really kind of you!