Wright & Co - A Full-Service Wedding Planning, Design & Event Team

February 23, 2021

Mistakes You Might Be Making With Houseplants

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Let’s be honest. When your indoor plants look sad or droopy its heartbreaking. Not only because it’s probably your fault but also because you may not know what to do.

As an indoor plant fanatic here at Wright and Co, people often tell me about their green companions’ misfortunes. If your plants leaves look droopy or brown you are not alone, and it happens.

Here are my top mistakes people make so you can identify what might be happening with your plant baby:

Mistake #1 Overwatering

Ironically the most frequent cause of houseplants not surviving is overwatering. People mistakenly think that all houseplants need to be watered the same way. And that’s just not true. Cacti and succulents require dry soil, they can survive months without water. Most succulents thrive with a monthly watering, whereas a weekly watering will kill them.

A rule of thumb is…The thicker the leaves the less water a plant needs. On the other end of the spectrum delicate plants like ferns that have tiny leaves can dry out quickly.

Be sure you look up details of each plant species and water them accordingly.

 

Mistake #2 Too much Direct Sunlight

People think all plants need a lot of light. Light is of course essential but bright direct sunlight for most species is to be avoided since it tends to be too harsh. For most plants indirect sunlight is best since it’s softer. Bright sunlight reflected on the wall that’s diffused gives perfect indirect light.

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Photo by: Emily Tebbetts

 

Mistake #3 Thinking All Plants Need A Lot of Maintenance

Some hardy species are actually pretty happy when you neglect them. Many house plants are actually hard to kill and require very little attention. Here is a list of some of the top invincible house plants.

 

Mistake # 4 Moving Plants All The Time

Stability is essential for your plants to adapt. Some changes can be disruptive to the plants balance, such as repotting, moving rooms etc. Also, the steep variations in temperatures or humidity can be detrimental.

 

Mistake #5 Not Checking The Roots

Most people forget about the roots but roots are the feeding organ of the plant, so its essential to keep them healthy. Make sure you are checking the roots once a month for rot or overgrowth.

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And it’s as easy as that! Now you know what to avoid to keep you new green babies alive!

If you have any questions be sure to leave them below for our Wright & Co team and we will be sure to pop in and answer them.

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