We all know I looooove plants & we also know I kill plants…alot. I feel like I am constantly reaching out to my friends, family & followers for help in this department. Lol. And despite all the tips it is still a struggle- plants don’t seem to stick to a schedule and I feel like I am always just guessing what they need. (Also not keeping track of when I’m doing things) I decided in hopes that at least your plants can survive this winter that I would share with you guys the tips that have been passed along to me through you guys! Compiling a list that we can all reference and add to!

Drainage
I had NO CLUE this was thaaat important, I knew that some pots had little holes in the bottom where the excess water could drain, but I never thought as far as what happens if you pot plants in pots without those tiny holes. Here is the deal-if you don’t create a spot for excess water to drain then the water will sit in the bottom of the pot & the roots will rot and yes, the plant will DIE. Here is the trick- you can still use all those pretty pots you have that were not specifically intended for plants (what they’re made for, I do not know..) but just fill the bottom with rocks. This way the water can drain to where the rocks are and eventually evaporate,…..all is well in plant land!

Deadheading
This is something I do, but I didn’t really know the idea behind it, I just did it to help with the overall look of the plant (which is one reason lol) but the others make a ton of sense to me now. When you cut off the dying / dead leaves from a plant you’re helping it conserve energy or more likely redirect energy to the areas that are actually trying to grow. The plant is no longer trying to revive it’s dead parts and can focus on the growth of newer parts. So go ahead and cut those life sucking dead parts off, in your life & on your plants.

Snake plants are invincible
You know my favourite part about a plant, it’s when it surprises you with some kind of crazy new growth that you did not expect. That is exactly what happens with snake plants in my experience. I will feel like I’ve neglected it (along with the rest of them) and then all of a sudden it has a HUGE growth!! I love it. Maybe this is the only plant I should own. These plants are seriously so low maintenance it’s incredible, we even used one in the basement makeover we did because the room had such little light. I know it will survive, these guys are a no brainer if you’re new to the plant world, they are impossible to kill & they are so cute.

Animal safe
One of my followers pointed out that some types of plants are not safe for pets (cats & dogs). I didn’t think too much of this because thankfully my pets leave the plants alone, but I think it is something that people really overlook. You know those Christmas poinsettias- bad for cats- who knew? While a poisonous plant might not kill your pet it could be causing them to get sick. This tip isn’t plant care but it’s part of being a good plant mom/dad, here is a list of plants that are poisonous to DOGS in particular!! Do your research!!

H20
I find it a little hard to remember how much water a plant gets and how often. Oftentimes this causes me to just underwater my plants completely. I’ve heard that under watering is better than overwatering but I am still not convinced. One of my followers suggested this trick that is a general rule for MOST plants. Touch the top of the soil or even stick your finger into the soil a little , if it is still damp you are good for a another day or so.. if not I would give it a good watering. Another trick I was told was to use chopsticks to make little tunnels down to the roots for the water to flow into- this way it makes it directly to the roots faster- essentially going where to needs to be! I also just ordered this hydrometer off of Amazon and it’s SO easy to use. It literally lights up red, yellow or green if you plant does, or doesn’t need to be watered. It’s fool proof. Lol.

Would love to know if you learned a new tip here or if you have any to add!! Definitely leave a comment below so we can all reference this and hopefully to save the world one plant at a time.

xx

Allie