Text and photo: Laura Pigeon
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The good weather is coming, the days are getting longer, and the urge to buy new plants to brighten up our interior decor (or replace those that died during the winter) is overwhelming... I'll give you a few tips to avoid making mistakes when you buy your next plant!
Choosing a plant without considering its light requirements
This is often a fatal mistake for our Green girls. It's extremely important to check the light needs of our new plant. For example, if we decide to buy a beautiful ficus, it would be wise to place it near a south or west-facing window; putting it in a bathroom with a north-facing window would not be ideal. If we buy a maranta and hang it in a south-facing window, the hot afternoon sun might burn its pretty leaves.
Repotting our plant in a cachepot
The word says it: cachepot. A cachepot is not meant for directly placing a plant inside. Ideally, you should leave the plant in its nursery pot and then find a cachepot large enough to insert the pot. It's important to consider that water will drain during watering and may accumulate at the bottom of the cachepot. Be careful not to rot the roots as a result. I recommend taking the plant out of the cachepot to water it!
Not checking if our new plant needs repotting after purchase
It's not uncommon for plants bought at garden centers to need repotting right after purchase. What I recommend is checking the roots once at home to see if the plant needs a bigger pot. Increase the pot size by about 1 to 2 inches in diameter, but no more. Putting our plants in a pot that's too big will result in fewer leaves and more roots.
Buying a lot of plants at once
I'll always repeat it: buying a lot of plants can lead to the loss of some due to lack of care. I recommend buying 2-3 plants at a time rather than 10-12. This prevents having too many to care for at once and allows you to better inform yourself about the care they need.
Repotting in soil not suited for indoor plants
"Oh, I had some old black soil, so I put my plants in that." That's a very bad idea, especially for black soil! It's really not designed for indoor tropical plants that need good aeration. If a soil mix is not airy enough, it can lead to root rot. I use a soil mix for all my indoor plants: repotting soil + perlite + orchid soil. It helps prevent overwatering my plants!
So there you have my 5 little tips to help you adopt your new plants without making mistakes! I hope this will be useful to you.
Tips and advice
