Top 5 Universal Plant Care Tips
Every time people ask me for help with their struggling plants I always ask them the same few questions:
- Can I see a picture of your plant?
- Does the pot have drainage holes?
- How often do you water your plant?
- How much light does your plant get?
These questions are universal and are relevant to all different types of plants.
Answers to these questions tell me what is wrong with those plants, (most of the times!).
You may wonder why do I want to see a plant’s picture and how is this going to help me.
Looking at a plant’s picture I can see many things, but mostly I can determine two important things that apply to all plants;
- If the pot size is right for the plant, (it can be too big or too small, and as such it can compromise its health).
- If the plant needs to be pruned in order to grow fuller and healthier.
Other things can be seen through a picture, but they are more plant specific.
There are 5 care aspects that are paramount and universal to all plants, no matter the species!
Let’s learn and understand each one of them.
1. provide proper Drainage
Every plant needs proper drainage!
Without proper drainage, the roots can become water-logged.
Water-logging happens when the soil is not able to flush out excess water through drainage holes and it becomes saturated. When the soil is saturated, all the air pockets are blocked, leaving the roots without any oxygen to “breathe”.
When this happens, the roots rot and eventually, the plant will die.
It is critical that all plants are provided with proper drainage.
Ideally, all plants are planted in pot with drainage holes.
When this is not possible for various reasons, there are still ways to create adequate drainage within the pots for the plants to be healthy. Read this article to learn How to Plant in Pots Without Drainage Holes.
These are pebble trays filled with water I use to increase the humidity levels around those plants that thrive in high humidity. These trays are also a great gauge to help me determine how much water my plant needs at any given time. As soon as I see water flushing through the pot’s drainage hole, I know I gave the plant enough water.
2. provide plenty of bright, indirect light
Despite the fact that every plant has different light needs, I’ve seen all plants thriving in bright, indirect light, even those plants that do well in moderate light conditions.
The most important thing is to make sure the light is bright, but not direct!
Ideal locations are North facing windows, where plants are exposed to light but never direct sunlight.
Direct sunlight, (especially the hot, western afternoon sun), can be damaging to many plants, as it can scorch their leaves.
Every plant does well in bright light!
I’ve seen so many plants turning from mediocre to lush and full when going from medium to bright, indirect light!
Bright light helps plants grow bigger and fuller, have starker contrasts if they are variegated, grow bigger leaves, and even produce more fenestrations in the case of Monsteras.
This is one of the most popular windows in our home. Plants do really well in this location, where the North window provides a great amount of light without exposing the plants to direct sunlight.
3. choose the right pot size
(Pot) Size matters, we all know it!
Whether it’s too big, or too small.
When it comes to plants, too small is actually better than too big!
Why? You may ask.
Because the bigger the pot, the more soil it contains, and the more soil there is, the more moisture will be retained within the pot.
Now imagine having a plant in a pot that is too big for its roots. The small roots will be surrounded by a big mass of damp soil, keeping them constantly wet.
Roots that are always wet and don’t have a chance to dry out, risk to decay and rot, killing the plant.
On the other hand, when roots are too crammed inside their pots, they don’t have sufficient soil left to absorb the nutrients they need to grow.
It’s worth mentioning that many plants thrive in tight pots, like Peace Lilies, Aloe Veras, Jades, Schlumbergeras and many more…to the point that being root bound is the ideal condition that makes them bloom!
However, there is always a point in which, even the plants that enjoy being crammed in their pots, will need to be repotted into bigger containers.
So how do you gauge when is the right time repot your plants?
The proper way to determine if it’s time to repot a plant is by removing the plant from its pot and seeing if there are more roots than soil left inside the pot.
If that is the case, and you notice there is little soil left, it is time to move your plant into a bigger container.
But be cautious! Don’t you go all crazy and by a way bigger pot so that your plant will have “plenty” of space to grow! Just repot it into a container that is one, max. 2 size bigger than its previous one.
For example, if your plant is currently planted into a 6″ pot, repot it into an 8″ pot, max. 10″, but don’t you go any bigger than that, otherwise the pot will be too big and the roots will get too wet!
For more details on repotting, read my article on Why, When, and How to Repot Houseplants.
Different pot sizes for different plant sizes.
Here’s a root bound Peace Lily that definitely requires repotting into a bigger container. As you can see there are more roots than soil left in the pot, which is a good indicator it’s time to repot the plant.
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4. don't over-water
If you are a plant lover, there is a great chance you are also an helicopter (plant) parent and are probably giving your plant too much TLC!!
And by too much TLC I mean too much water.
Too much water, in combination with poor drainage is lethal to plants!
Under-watering plants is actually better than over-watering them. Did you know that?
Some plants can even give you clues on when they are thirsty and need water. (check for drooping leaves…)
The best way for you to determine if a plant needs water is to abandon the “watering on schedule” method, and to simply rely on your finger to determine when it’s time to water your plants.
Simply stick a finger in your plant’s soil to determine the moisture level. Each plant’s species has different watering needs that you will have to learn based on the plants you have.
However, over-watering plants is a universal issue with indoor plants. It’s an issue that can be easily overcome.
Stick a finger in your plant’s dirt before watering!
5. deadhead and prune decaying stems and leaves
This tip mostly applies to trailing plants, as they are the ones most likely to grow long, leggy and straggly stems.
Every time you notice a decaying flower, leaf, or stem, prune it!
Plants put so much energy even into decaying flowers and leaves. Imagine diverting that energy into new growth?
That’s exactly what plants do every time you prune a long and leggy stem, or simply cut a yellow leaf or dead flower!
It may not seem too much to you, but if you start practicing pruning decaying parts of your plants, you will notice the difference!
Pruning long, leggy stems will allow the plant to grow new stems, making your plant look fuller.
Pruning decaying leaves and flower, will help your plant produce new blooms.
It’s a matter of simply diverting energy!
For more details on pruning, read this article on Pruning House Plants And Why It Is Beneficial.
These are all Monstera Deliciosa leaves I pruned off my plant as they were decaying.
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