Caring For Your Indoor Plants
Once you’ve ordered your new indoor plants, you should do some research on what you need to do to care for them while waiting for them to arrive. Hopefully, you’ll have considered important factors such as the placement of your plants to ensure they get the appropriate amount of light, as well as details such as how often you’ll need to feed and water them.
Stocking up on plant food, pots, and other gardening supplies such as secateurs will mean that you have everything you need to care for your plants and keep them healthy and looking great from day one.
Has Your New Houseplant Arrived? Here’s a Checklist Of Everything You should Do
Check The Condition Of The Plant
When your houseplant arrives, you should give it a little inspection to ensure it’s turned up in good condition. Give it a good once over by checking the leaves, which should look healthy and not be turning yellow or brown or cracking. You should also be able to lift the plant out of its pot fairly easily and the roots should hold the shape of the plant firmly. The roots should be white or tan, and there should be lots of them. They should have a succulent appearance - if they look brown or crumbly, this is a sign that the plant isn’t healthy.
Repot your plant
When your new plant arrives, it’s also a good idea to put it in a pot right away. Choose a pot that’s a few inches larger than the current one to give your houseplant room to thrive. Put a couple of inches of fertile soil in the bottom and then place your new houseplant in the pot, and pack in soil all around the edges.
Insecticide & Quarantine
We all might be sick of the word quarantine these days but quarantining your plants after they arrive in your home is a smart idea. Give it some space from your other plants for a couple of days to let it settle in and minimise the risk of spreading any diseases.
To ensure that your houseplant doesn’t bring any unwanted mites or bugs into your home, you can spray it with an insecticide at the top and bottom and all around the leaves. This will ensure that your plant doesn’t create an infestation among other houseplants when you merge them together too.
Feed & Water Your Plant
Check the soil of your new houseplant. Our plants are well watered and fed before they arrive, but if the weather is particularly warm on the day of arrival it might need a little water. You can check the soil with your finger to see if it’s thirsty.
Feeding your houseplant a nutrient-rich plant food will also give it a good energy boost and ensure it gets off to a great start in your home. This should only be done during the summer months.
Finding A Place For Your New Indoor Plant
All plants need access to some light, though some plants can still thrive in shaded areas. Knowing the unique needs of your houseplants will ensure you put them in the perfect spot. Light acts as food for plants, so the more light you expose a plant to, the bigger it will grow, and the bigger it grows, the more light it wants.
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All plants need access to some light, though some plants can still thrive in shaded areas. Knowing the unique needs of your houseplants will ensure you put them in the perfect spot.
Indoor Plants - Signs Of Trouble
Understanding the early warning signs that indicate your plant might be in trouble can also help ensure you take swift action to nurture your plants back to life.
Here are some of the signs that your plants need help:
Rotting roots
If your houseplant roots are soft and mushy or if you notice the roots growing out of the base of the pot this would suggest that you are overwatering.
Leaf edges blackening
If you notice the edges of your leaves turning black, then your houseplant could either be suffering from low humidity or a type of fungus that could be devouring its leaves.
Yellowing leaves
If the leaves of your plant are turning yellow, this could be for a myriad of reasons. Yellow leaves are essentially a cry for help. Your plant may be overheating or it may be too cold. It could be too wet or too dry. So you’ll need to do a bit of investigating to figure out the cause. If it’s just the odd leaf here and there, you probably don’t need to do anything as leaves drying off from time to time is a perfectly natural process.
Drooping Leaves
Drooping or wrinkled leaves is a clear sign that your plant is thirsty and needs a drink. Regularly checking the soil and watering your plant when the soil is dry will prevent this from happening.
Leaves Dropping Off
If leaves start dropping off your plant, don’t panic. With the move to a new environment it can be quite stressful for the plant so a few leaves dropping isn’t something to worry about. However, if this is worrying you and you might not think it’s a normal amount, contact The Stem for advice as we’re happy to help. Excessive leaves dropping can be a sign of not enough sunlight.
Now You Know How To Care For Your New Indoor Plant!
Keeping your new houseplant happy is important, and by following the tips above, you should have a healthy, thriving plant that will continue to look great in your home. So now that you’re ready to take on the responsibility of caring for your plant, why not browse our fantastic collection of stunning houseplants and pick your favourite today? For more plant care videos and guides, head to our Plant Academy, which is full of information to help you become the best plant parent.