Plants, like people, need to stay hydrated but also like people, they can become bloated and suffer from edema. Drainage is important. Imagine if you had no way to eliminate fluids. Yeah. Not good. Not good at all. If your gorgeous pot has no drainage holes, you have to make sure that you allow the soil at the bottom to dry out, otherwise it’s like sitting with your feet in water for weeks. The best course is to keep your pot planted in the inexpensive plastic pot it came in and set that inside your pretty ceramic pot. This way, you can remove the plant in the pot, water it thoroughly (soaking it for a few hours in a sink half full of water so it can drink as much as it needs is a good option) and then return it. If you can’t remove it from its no-drainage pot, take a dull knife and make a hole big enough to get your fingers down to the bottom to see if there is standing water. If just a little, let it dry out. If it’s deep standing, stinky water, you have to pull the plant out and dump that water and clean the pot. Leave the plant out for a few days to dry out before returning to pot with some fresh potting mix and a little water, then return to a regular watering schedule (obviously less than you were giving it!).

If your plant/pot has good drainage, you should plan to water it about once a week. It needs a good healthy drink to make sure all the soil can fully absorb the water. If the plant has been left without water for a long period of time, the soil may be so dried and hard that the water simply runs between the dirt and pot and is not absorbed. If that is the case, let it sit in the sink or a bucket of water until the soil is soft and crumbly (overnight works), you might need to wait a week or so and then soak it again, just to get it fully hydrated and back on track.

One thing to avoid is the under/over watering cycle. Much like people who yoyo diet, your plant may live but it won’t be happy. Underwatering results in old mature leaves turning yellow, overwatering results in new growth coming in yellow and you’ll find roots/leaves that are mushy and water logged. If you’ve been yoyoing, you might find both. If there is not standing water/soggy soil/bad smell, the treatment is to fully soak the plant, wait a week, soak it again, repeat, repeat. Do this for a few weeks until it’s healthier and then go back to a once a week watering schedule. If there is nasty, smelly, water – leach the plant several times under running water to get rid of the stagnant water, let sit and don’t water for several days until it starts to dry out, then start watering weekly.

We’re going to assume you now have your plants in good locations and are watering correctly, Part 3 will talk about feeding and maintenance of your healthy houseplants. 

These are very basic plant parenting skills. Some people thrive in the sun and some wilt, some suffer even the slightest change and some thrive on it. When you purchase your plant, you should be given any special care instructions needed. If not, at least be sure to learn the correct name of your plant so that you can do a little googling on your own. If the plant seller does not know the correct name or care instructions, think twice about purchasing or at least try taking your new addition to a reputable florist or nursery to see if they can help you.

In Part 1 we’ll talk about Light, Location and Temperature.

Your tropical houseplants are very similar to you. They like a little more humidity than most of us, but like most of us living in Southern California they like warm weather. My general rule is to put myself in my plant’s pot.

Take a seat near where you plan to set your lush bit of tropical paradise and see how you feel. Make sure to do this at various times of the day and also seasonally.

I like light, so do my plants. If the light is too bright, your plants will be washed out looking instead of vibrant shades of green, where we turn red, they turn yellowish. But if it isn’t light enough, variegated plants will lose their distinctive markings and become a solid green, kind of like we lose our freckles.

I don’t like sitting in front of a west facing window in summer and burning up, neither do they. If your arms are burning from the hot sun, your babies’ leaves will be getting crisp as well and remember strong sun can burn even in cooler temps. Is there a cold draft coming through that window making you uncomfortable? Your plant can’t grab a sweater so you better choose a better location.

Is it dim, dark and depressing in the hallway where you need some life? Would you thrive sitting there? If not, buy a painting to fill up that empty space; think Monet and water lilies. Yes, yes, there are plants that can do well in low light but are they growing and thriving? I’m not someone who believes you have to talk to your plants but I do think every living thing on this planet needs a little fresh air and light.

Remember the last time you were in a restaurant and the air conditioning vent was right above your table? Unless the food was fantastic your experience was tainted. Make sure your plants aren’t sitting in front of heating and cooling vents.

Air conditioning and heating also dry out the air. If you get dry skin in summer from the air conditioner or in the winter from the heater, your plant might be getting the same condition. Try misting the plant regularly, setting it on a try of pebbles and water, or take in the bathroom with you while you shower, maybe your singing is what it’s missing in life.

As for temperature, they are tropical houseplants so they don’t really like cold weather. Most houseplants like daytime temps in the 70-80’s but do fine if a little warmer, they also like to sleep in cooler temps, usually in the 60’s at night. If you’ve put your indoor plant on an outdoor patio because you live in a tropical paradise, it will do well. For those of us in Southern California, it’s fine through most of the year but if the temps fall below the 50’s it won’t be too happy. Since we have few of those colder nights, if the plant is in a large pot they usually do okay. Small pots should be brought inside.

So there’s your first assignment. Get to know your home from your plant’s point of view. In Part 2 we’ll grapple with water – the main culprit in plant death. 

We’ve already discussed adding fresh potting mix regularly, checking for pests/diseases and getting rid of them. The only other maintenance is to remove dead or yellowing leaves, trim back areas that are getting leggy and keeping the pot cleaned.

Soil contains salts that are necessary for plants, but too much can have an adverse effect. I told you they weren’t so different from people. If you see a white residue on the top of the soil or the side of the pot, you have too much salt probably from overwatering or overfeeding. Detoxing plants is easier than with humans. Remove the plant from the pot, clean the pot well and let dry, put plant back in pot and then start leaching the soil. You can add as much water as possible, let it drain for several minutes, repeat, repeat, repeat or you can do a soak/drain cycle repeating several times. As long as there is drainage, you won’t be overwatering. Put back in pot and add a little potting mix if needed. If it’s really bad, it’s easier to just repot the plant. 

If you have health problems with your plant – pests, diseases, really nasty water from overwatering, salt, etc. it might be best to just repot and get a fresh start. Remove the plant from the pot, break away the soil, wash the roots (use soapy water if pests, disease then rinse well) and set it aside while you prepare your pot. Put some potting mix in the bottom, add the plant and fill with the remaining potting mix pressing it down enough to hold the plant upright. Your pot does have drainage right? If not, get another pot. Water thoroughly and you’re done.

If you are repotting because your plant is rootbound you basically do the same thing with a bigger pot, but you don’t have to discard the old potting mix. Just put some potting mix in the bottom, add the plant and add extra potting mix. Viola! But, if you do this, you know your plant will get bigger right?

If you don’t want the plant taking over your home but it’s so root bound there is no room for soil, you can just remove from the pot, trim off a couple of inches of the bottom roots, put potting mix in pot and replace the plant. Add a little more potting mix, water and your plant will stay about the same size but be nice and healthy.

That’s it, you are now a tropical houseplant expert! 

For families going through one of the worst times, we can come to you to make the arranging of tributes easier. The next time you need sympathy flowers, please call and let us help you through a difficult time. Pictured is our cross , sure to offer comfort where needed. 

Your plants, like everything else in your home will get dusty and dirty. Use a damp cloth to wipe the leaves and remove dust. If your plant is in the kitchen and gets a greasy film, use soapy water (just use dish soap) and clean the leaves. You can put your plants in the bathtub and use a spray bottle or even the shower as long as the stream of water is weak and soft. For smaller plants, I just put the top in a sink full of dish water, swish around and then rinse them off. A good rinsing, even if they aren’t really dusty is refreshing for the plants. We don’t just swim when dirty and I like to think they like taking a dip as well.

Plants attract pests, especially if you have open windows and doors. Scale looks like little helmets and is usually on the stem and underside of the leaves and leaves can be sticky. Mealy bugs leave what looks like little bits of cotton on the stems/joints of plants. Most pests can be killed with soap, so spraying or dunking with diluted dish soap is a good treatment. I usually leave the soap on for a while to kill the pests and then rinse the plant. Many pests lay eggs in the soil, so leaching with soapy water is necessary to kill the larva. If you have a serious infestation, let the soil dry between watering, the larva like it moist, or remove the top couple of inches of potting mix and replace with new. For bigger clusters of infestation, a qtip dipped in rubbing alcohol will work. Killing a large infestation can be time consuming, so checking and stopping it when it starts is best. Give them regular washings and showers and they will be happy.

There are several diseases your plants can get, mold, mildew, stem rot, etc. but if your plants is well cared for this is unlikely. If you do see mold or mildew, remove the infected areas, and go back to part one and start treating your plant right! Most mold or mildew comes from over humid surroundings, poor ventilation or pests.

For really bad infestations or diseases, it’s best to clean the plant, remove affected areas and then repot.