I do not know how long the above video will be available to you, so I've transcripted the most important details here for your convenience and added some tips of my own. Most credit goes to PickUpLimes. A PLANT CARE GUIDE FOR EVERYONEToday I want to cover a topic that a lot of you have asked about and it happens to be a topic I'm incredibly passionate about. There's something about plants that make me so happy, I feel like it's like you brought a little piece of nature outside into your house or into your work space. It just livens the place up, gives it some more color, and when you see a plant thrive that you've given tender, loving, care, it's just such a rewarding feeling. So today's video above is kind of like a beginner's guide on how to take care of houseplants. It's for anybody who feels like you just keep killing your plants and you don't know why or maybe you're just looking for some new pointers. A lot of what I'm actually sharing today are things that my mom shared with me as I was growing up. But everyone has a different way of doing things so if you have any recommendations of your own. I welcome you to share that in the comments below. But for now, let's dive in. CONSIDER THE LOCATION: Before you go to the plant store, it's important to know exactly where in your house or in your workspace you want that plant to go.
CHECK THE ROOTS: When you have found a really beautiful healthy plant that you know is the one that you want to take home, one of the things I recommend doing is very gently taking the plant out of the pot just to see what the root situation is like. If you see that there's a whole bunch of roots along the outside and on the bottom, it might be a good idea to just buy a larger inner pot that you can then transfer it to. You can also look for a nice outer pot that will fit the repotted plant while you're still at the nursery. If you would like it to remain in the same pot, consider trimming the roots back about 1-2 inches. Be gentle, some roots are fragile. CHOOSE A POT: It's incredibly important that the pot that your plant is in has holes because we need the water to be able to drain. But not all pots with holes are created equal. Some have holes but there's a valley beneath the holes and this is a place where water can collect. The problem with water collecting is it can cause the roots to rot which might mean the plant could eventually die. So the point here is that we want to make sure we get a pot with holes at the bottom-most point of the container. POT IT UP: Oftentimes plants do not react well to a change in their environment. So, perhaps a plant that looked like it was thriving in the nursery suddenly seems like it doesn't take well to being with you. Don't worry! It's not you :) But, there are a few things you can do once you get home to help them acclimate more easily to their new surroundings.
WATER YOUR PLANT ACCORDINGLY: Over-watering and under watering plants is probably the single most common reason why a lot of houseplants die. Every plant is very specific when it comes to its watering requirements, but there are a few important rules of thumb that might help:
FERTILIZE IT: So we all know that houseplants need soil and good light and some water in order to thrive, but one thing that can commonly be missed is the fertilizer, which is the plant's food. Every plant is different but in the spring and summer, usually they need to be fed every two to four weeks. I usually do it every two weeks but in the winter it's in its rest period so they usually don't need any feeding at all during that time. I use a universal liquid variety that works on all of our houseplants. Don't get it on the leaves! SUN: Some plants work well in the sun and some work well in the shade. Regardless, all of them need some source of natural light now in the darker winter months. You might need to move your plants towards a light source, but generally speaking plants don't like to be moved. They get accustomed to the environment that they're in so move your plants if you have to but otherwise just let them be. TEMPERATURE: The other consideration with plants is the temperature. You want to make sure you keep it within a range that it's comfortable at. Keep in mind that plants in front of windows see pretty varying temperatures depending on the weather outside as well as plants that are by air-conditioning units or radiators. Now if you find this all really overwhelming to keep track of we actually created a free pdf for you that might help out a little bit. In addition to some tips there's a page that you can use to document the needs of each of your plants that you can then later refer to in case you've forgotten and there's also a plant watering tracker. So to get your PDF check out the link below. PRUNE YOUR PLANT: Whenever I see leaves that are visibly about to die, I just prune the plant by cutting these off so they don't steal essential nutrients from the leaves that are continuing to thrive. To prune, you can use your fingers and simply pinch it off, or you can use some scissors or shears. It's up to you and whether the plant is too thick for pinching or not. INSPECT FOR INSECTS: Insects and bugs love dead and decaying foliage. So be sure to remove any rotting or dying leaves that are just sitting on top of the soil. While you're caring for your plants just take a quick second to inspect the leaves to see if there's any signs of any insects or bugs and if there are you want to deal with these right away. You might notice little webs or insects that look like fruit flies or these bugs that look like they're covered in cotton and if you don't know what it is you can take a picture into your local nursery for some help or search it up online. For a lot of the different kinds of pests I usually just spray the leaves with a bit of soap and water solution and then wipe it clean using a damp cloth. You might need to repeat this a couple of times, but it usually does the trick. BE PREPARED TO LET GO: Whenever you're dealing with plants don't be discouraged if you try something new and it doesn't work some plants just die. It's the circle of life, but you're going to get better at it each time. And remember you can always also match your comfort and skill set level to the kind of plant that you're going for. For example, something like succulents and pathos are pretty easy to care for. As are Spider plants. They're less fussy than some of the other plants like ferns. Now, if you learned something new in today's video or blog and if you enjoyed it, I welcome you to comment below. It always means a lot when you do and remember to also get your free Plant Care Guide PDF in the link is below. ~ Ashley
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