My obsession with plants started a couple of years ago, I think the first one I bought was a rubber plant, which is sadly no longer with us.
I think in total I have around 20 plants and succulents in our home now, maybe more but i’m too lazy to count them all. I guess I have turned in to a bit of a crazy plant lady and since I have gained a fair bit of knowledge around keeping plants alive. The process however, has been very trial and error resulting in a lot of plants being launched in to the wheeley bin. It’s not all doom and gloom though, I have managed to succeed in keeping almost all of my current plants alive and i’m going to share with you how I have done that.
I must stress that I am not an expert and the information I am providing is based on my own experience with my plants.
- They don’t need as much water as you think…
If you find that you are killing your plants off fairly quickly its probably because you are over watering them. All plants have different needs, and it may seem obvious but try not to drown them. Choose a day of the week where you know you will be at home and go around and water them. Before you do however, put your finger in the soil and push it down about an inch. If the soil is moist, then you don’t need to water your plant, if its dry then top it up. Remember plants need less water in the winter than they do in the summer. If your plant sits in a tray, then put the water in the tray and allow the plant to suck up the amount it needs through the roots. Also ensure that your plant is able to drain the excess water, if your plant sits in water this can lead to root rot.
- Remove plants from dark corners…
Most plants need ample sunlight. The second rubber plant I bought following the passing of my first was sat in our bedroom in a dark corner. It started to brown and leaves kept falling off, to the point where I almost gave up on it. After a bit of research I moved it to our utility room which is like a green house and it started to thrive, sprouting new leaves every week. If you have a specific area of a room where you want to position a plant but it doesn’t get any rays, I would suggest researching plants that are either faux or don’t require much sun.
- Size matters when it comes to pots
When you buy a plant from a shop, normally it has been contained in the smallest pot they can get away with which massively restricts the growth of the roots, meaning your plant can’t reach it’s full growth potential. Find out what size pot your plant is in and upgrade to the next size up. When you repot, take care not to damage any of the roots when removing, pop a small layer of fresh soil at the bottom of your plastic pot, place the plant in to the new pot and fill the gaps with more soil. Then you can put it in to a pretty decorative pot.
I hope these basic tips help to keep your plants alive, let me know how you get on.
Until next time
Hayley x
