Houseplants 101: 4 Tips To Care For Your New House Plant

If you’ve ever brought home a new plant and watched it immediately die- you know the frustrating feeling of plant parenthood. Plants can be SO needy, and it’s sometimes hard to tell exactly what they want from us, especially new plants, it can be difficult to tell if it’s a you problem or a plant-problem.

Over the last year of my plant mom journey, I’ve had pest infestations, burnt my plants in the sun, almost drowned multiple, and have dropped them over and over- nobody’s perfect right? I think the best take away from my experience is to set yourself up for success from the moment you buy a plant. That way, you can narrow down the list of potential problems and maybe even save an unhappy plant from an avoidable death. Take a read through some tips of what you should know before your next plant purchase:

1. Inspect Your Plant in the Store

Of course you want to pick a plant that’s pretty looking, that’s houseplant 101, but there's a few factors that may indicate the plant isn’t doing so well. Think of it as a first date, you want to look for any obvious red flags before bringing it home. Although an unhappy plant is almost always saveable, a beginner plant parent may want to minimize the amount of work that goes into plant care. In that case, some signs of an unhappy plant are:

Browning/yellowing leaves
Drenched/soggy soil
Limp stems/leaves
Brown roots coming through the bottom
Signs of bugs/pests

2. Clean and Re-pot your Plant

Remembering to re-pot your new plant after bringing it home is a MUST. Not only do you not know what the soil composition is of the plant, but you also have no idea if it has a secret pest infestation, has been overwatered, etc. This may not always be necessary if you purchase from a local plant store, but is especially important if you purchase from a hardware store or somewhere that does not specialize in plant care. When you clean your plant, you can buy an actual plant-friendly cleaning solution, or mix together a teaspoon of dish soap with one gallon of water and carefully wash both the leaves and stems of the plant. Make sure to remove as much of the dirt as possible from the roots before repotting the plant to avoid any transplants. If the plant needs to be potted into a larger pot, choose one 2 inches larger than the last. You’ll know if it needs to be sized up a pot if the roots are long enough to come out the bottom of the current pot. Also make sure you are not repotting your plant into a pot without drainage! Cover pots are beautiful but either need drainage holes drilled in or to be placed in a pot with drainage within the cover pot.

3. Check for Root Problems

While you have your plant out of it’s pot to clean and repot it, you should also inspect its roots to make sure they are happy and healthy. A healthy plant root is white or sometimes tan. The plant roots should not be able to hold the shape of the pot- this is a sign that the plant is root bound- meaning the roots have nowhere left to go and need more space (aka a bigger pot). Remove as much dirt as you can to properly inspect the roots; if you see any brown roots remove those completely with a knife or scissors- as this indicates root-rot. If all of the roots are brown, remove them all and place the cutting in a jar to propagate new healthy roots. The roots are the most important part of the plant, as they give a plant its strength, so it’s important to inspect them thoroughly.

4. Create a Plant Quarantine Area

This is a precaution, and many people choose to avoid quarantining their new plants altogether. But, it only takes one pest infestation to wipe out your entire collection of plants, and as they say, it’s better to be safe than sorry. So, with that being said, it’s best to quarantine your plant in a different room of your house, away from any other plants, for at least 2 weeks to be sure that it is 100% healthy and safe to put with your other plant babies.

Plant Care

The biggest advice I can give you for buying a new house plant is to buy one you like, and make sure you know the kind of care it requires before you buy it. Of course plant’s can come with their own problems but it’s your responsibility as the new plant parent to care for them the best you can. To set your plant up for success, follow these 4 tips and check out my blog Caring for House Plants in Ottawa: 3 Easy Plants for Beginners if you are looking for an easy-care plant to add to your collection.

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