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As most of you know by now, I am a proud Plant Mom to many sweet leafy babies! Raising them alongside Beau has been a journey all in itself! And by journey I mean a road of trying to not kill off all of these green babes within minutes of having them. There is a lot of balance that needs to go into growing your plants and even more research behind each individual plant. Nonetheless, here are some of my go-to tips and tricks to keep your plants alive!
Just like people, each one has its own particular needs so there is really no one size fits all strategy to take care of all of them at once. I mean unless you ONLY have the same type of plant, then you really are the life-hack master at this point and should be writing this blog instead of me! :p
Choose Plants That Fit Your Home
So, if you are living in a smaller, darker apartment you might want to consider looking up plants that can thrive indoors and with minimal sunlight. But if you have a large area of your home that has lots of sunlight, then go for others that may need additional sunlight. Just make sure you are in a habitat in which they can thrive and survive in.
Watering – A Saga
Between you and me, I never knew that “over-watering” a plant was a thing. I mean doesn’t everything need water?! Who doesn’t need extra hydration?! Apparently some plants take a hard pass on getting a lot of water. This can honestly can be a great thing for you if you have the tendency to forget to water them! Make sure you research how much water some plants need. Say if you are always out of the house, you might want to opt for a low-maintenance one. Or if you have enough time to tend to one, choose one within your range.
A special thanks to the Loft Garden Oasis for the photo location.
Plants Need to Upkeep Good Hygiene, Too
I am telling you this now so that you don’t have to go through the heartbreak I did when I realized one of my little babes got a bad case of root rot. You need to ensure there is a drainage hole in each of their planters. With that, you may want to look up how to purge and trim the dead or excess leaves or limbs on your plants. Just like when we get a haircut, it is to rid our hair of the dead ends that do not benefit us in the slightest for healthy growth!
My last point on good plant hygiene is to clean your plants! So, if you have big leafy things that collect dust, make sure you clean them with a wet towel every now and then. This will ensure they can absorb all of the vitamin D to make them as green and luscious as ever! Don’t forget this tip to keep your plants alive.
Spin Them Right Round Baby
To prevent your bigger babies from getting lopsided and looking uneven, make sure you rotate your pots on the regular. This will make sure they stay straight and even! You may even want to keep track of where the sun is through the year. Then you can start to adjust where your plants may need to go as the seasons change. As summer comes, they will get more sun. But then when winter is coming, they might not be getting as much sun as they were from their summer spot. Just keep an open mind when it comes to moving your plants around the house!
So many of the tricks to keep your plants alive are really simple. It just takes time to learn about your plants. Have patience with yourself. One other tip is to not go and buy 6 plants at once. Gradually adopt your plant babies to give yourself time to help them thrive.
What to Research
All in all, I highly encourage you to research your little green heart off when it comes to adopting new plants into your family. Don’t get me wrong, they are so fun and sweet to have. However, they do take work and if you have some knowledge backing you up, then it will get easier and easier!
To keep your plants alive, you should research some of the following things when you get a new plant:
- How much water will it need?
- What kind of soil does it need?
- How much sunlight does it need?
- Does it need a humid/dry/cool/warm atmosphere?
- Signs of under/over watering for x type of plant
- How large will this plant get over time?
- Do I need a propagation station?
Each plant is unique and different, which makes us love them even more! And TBH if all else fails, there is nothing wrong with you. Just get going to TJ Maxx and getting a cute little plastic plant. 😀
Do you have any tried and true trick to keep your plants alive?
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Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
These are great tips. Indoor plants are becoming a thing in this side of the world 🙂