Can You Have Too Many Plants? That Is The Question!
Can you have too many plants? That is the question.
If you want the short answer, here it is: it depends.
There is no universal answer that fits all.
Allow me to elaborate on this.
We all have different personalities, skills, lifestyles, financial status and homes. These are all factors that need to be considered to answer the much-debated question objectively.
The latest indoor plants trends for 2024 see a push for quality vs. quantity, which is a major shift from the pandemic and post-pandemic years trends.
However, if you don’t follow the trends and like to forge your own path, you are still left with the question; “Can I have too many plants?”
Research proves that houseplants have many benefits for us; they help reduce stress, increase productivity and add a natural, soothing element to your home.
On the other hand, too many plants in a small space can significantly increase humidity levels, leading to mold production. This can become an issue for many reasons.
So, what you should be really asking yourself is not “Can I have too many plants?”, but rather, “Which plants are right for me?”
Read along to unfold this common conundrum.
can you have too many plants?
Even though we’ve just determined that there is no absolute answer, the question still remains for you as an individual; “Can I personally have too many plants?”.
I can help you answer this question by presenting scenarios for both answers. You’ll determine whether YOU can have too many plants based on which scenario you best identify with.
It’s important that you keep an open mind because even the answer you come up with today is not absolute. Your life circumstance change with time. If you are too busy today to have too many plants, you may have the time in ten years from now. If you have the financial means to care for dozens of plants today, you may want to use those dollars for something else in five years from now.
No, you can't have too many plants
Ideally, to have an indoor jungle, you need passion, time, a conducive environment to grow plants, and plenty of money!
Many people can get by with just passion and time, working around the rest!
If you are reading this Blog, we can assume that passion is not your issue, so let’s move onto the next “easy” obstacle to overcome.
Do you live in a home with plenty of natural light, and high humidity levels?
If not, you can mitigate the problem with grow lights and humidifiers, which cost money.
The more plants you have in your home, the more time you’ll need to care for them, and the more money you’ll need to deal with their health and growth.
Grow lights and humidifiers aside, you will need pest control products, pots of different sizes to accommodate their growth, and different types of soils for the various plants you have; succulents, tropicals and typical houseplants.
Then you’ll need support stakes, trellises, fertilizers and watering cans.
The financial obstacle can be overcome too if you are wise and get your plants from cuttings and propagations, garage sales or donations. Many pots are recyclable and can be used for numerous plants, and they are also available at thrift stores.
Time is the most significant obstacle to overcome. Time is the most precious commodity these days, even more valuable than money.
So, me telling you that you need plenty of time to look after a lot of plants, should not surprise you.
If you find yourself with a lot of free time due to different circumstances in life, you can’t have too many plants. Go for it, keep collecting your green babies!
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yes, you can definitely have too many plants
Here is where I get personal but honest. This is what you want to hear if you are still debating whether or not you can have too many plants.
I am a mother of two humans, two fur babies, a wife, a daughter, a sister and a friend.
Like millions of women at my same stage of life and in my same circumstances, I do my best at mothering, being a good wife, cultivating self-care, nurturing friendships, working hard at being and eating healthy, and last but not least, trying to grow my business.
It’s a lot. And it’s exhausting! (And for this, we all have to thank the bullshit societal expectations that have been put on women in the last few decades!)
So, if you ask me, yes, you can have too many plants.
I also don’t want to be a hypocrite with you. Despite the rant and telling you that you can have too many plants, I still have over 100 plants in our home!
That’s because plants are my therapy and help me a great deal to cope with stress and anxiety. But this is a topic for another Blog that you can go read if you believe in the healing power of nature.
You don’t have to be a woman or a mother to have a busy life.
There are millions of individuals out there, bachelors, single women and men, retired couples, a whole diversity of people that simply don’t have the amount of time required to care for too many plants.
It also doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have any plants! As mentioned before, the most important question here is; “Which plants are right for me?”
The answer is, plants that suit your lifestyle. I always preach about the importance of surrounding yourself with plants that suit yourself and your home. Don’t go with the trends; follow your heart and your time limits!
Here are some guidelines on the topic!
- Best Low Maintenance Houseplants
- Plants That Need Little Water
- 7 Best Indoor Plants That Are Ideal For Beginners
Remember, even though you came to the conclusion you can have too many plants today, it doesn’t mean it’s forever!
Keep that passion going, keep that light sparkling inside of you, and perhaps, one day soon you’ll be able to have the indoor jungle of your dreams!
Cleaning day is my least favourite day. Not only because I have to clean, but because I spend over an hour moving the majority (not all) of my plants back and forth to a central spot so that they are not in the way when cleaning. Who has that extra hour in a day to do that? I don’t, but I do it anyway because I compromise something else, which is always time for myself!
how many plants should you have in your home?
Another question for which there is no absolute answer!
So, here we go again; it depends.
The number of houseplants you can grow in your home varies depending on many factors.
It can be 40 plants if you have hard to kill plants that require very little care. It could be just one if your heart is set on a precious and finicky species.
Let’s not forget that houseplants can make or break the look of a space and emotionally affect you.
A few well kept indoor plants will enhance and liven up the look of your space, while numerous leggy, overgrown and wilted plants will bring the space down, and your energy with it.
Because many of us feel guilty about throwing away miserable-looking plants in the hope of reviving them one day, we tend to accumulate unhealthy plants in our homes.
This habit negatively affects the energy of a space, adversely affecting us as well.
So, be wise when purchasing plants. Keep in mind quality vs. quantity and never forget your tendencies to rescue dying plants.
Pothos are great plants to have in your home. They are extremely easy to care for, propagate and they elevate your home with their beautiful trailing stems. You can start with just one Pothos and end up with multiple plants by rooting their cuttings, as shown in this picture.
what to do if you have too many plants
I have over 100 plants.
The only reason why I am managing is because they are my therapy, just like reading, napping or solving puzzles might be for you.
I can see how many people can be overwhelmed by an excessive amount of plants they collected during the pandemic months.
If you are one of them, I can’t blame you. There are times I feel overwhelmed too, and I go into purging mode. But my purging might look different from yours because when I discard three miserable plants that make me feel miserable too, I end up rooting seven new ones!
If you realize you have too many plants and want to scale back, there is nothing like gifting plants to family and friends.
How do you choose which plants to let go?
Here are some ideas;
- which one is requiring too much of your time?
- which one looks miserable?
- which one is growing too big for your home?
- which one do you have multiples of?
- which one do you simply not love?
It’s a therapeutic process, much like purging a closet of excessive clothes that don’t fit you anymore or that you don’t like anymore.
It will bring you joy once it’s done.
Remember, reducing the amount of houseplants you own it’s not a failure. It is simply realizing that this is not the right time in your life to collect plants. This is called awareness.
So good for you for realizing it is time to scale back.
My friend Dusty was thrilled to receive one of the ZZ Plant cuttings I obtained after dividing my Giant ZZ Plant.
how to avoid buying more plants
This is a tough one!
It’s one of my biggest temptations, so I am simply giving you suggestions; I am not preaching. I would be a hypocrite.
Avoid impulse buying based on scarcity and trends. It’s one of the biggest traps, (and scams!). You’ll regret it.
Plants are living specimens that can thrive for many years if properly cared for. Don’t just make the purchase because you’ve seen the plant in multiple Insta feeds and you too have to have it.
Buy with intention. And the intention is to nurture yet another plant for years to come.
Guilty as charged! Plant shopping with friends.
I should just steer clear of plant shops!
I hope this Blog has brought you some clarity on whether you can or can’t have too many plants in your home, based on where you are in your life.
Everything is relative; nothing is absolute, and life continues to evolve.
If you can’t have too many plants today, you’ll be able to do so in the future if that is your passion.
Or, perhaps, knowing that you can, in-fact, have too many plants is a relief and validation, allowing you to purge the excessive ones that “don’t spark joy” anymore!
Hey Midlife Mom!
Reclaim 10 Hours in Your Day With My 5 Day E-Mail Guide Without Sacrificing Family Time, Even If You Are Already Multitasking From 5 am Till Midnight