Plant Parenting 101
Plant Parenting 101
Most of the houseplants available to us in our local garden stores fall into two major categories; once you figure out which of these families your plant belongs to, it’s easy to guess the care it will need and make adjustments based on your plant’s specific language. The types of plants that tend to thrive in our warm home environments are almost always either tropical or desert species. The easiest way to tell what kind of plant you are dealing with is to assess the leaves. If they are thin, (roughly the width of a piece of printer paper), you most likely have a tropical species on your hands. If they are fleshy and plump, odds are you’re dealing with a desert species. Plants that live in tropical environments have regular access to rain and don’t need to store as much water as their desert dwelling counterparts. The juicy leaves of a succulent and the thick, barrel shape of a cactus are perfect for storing water in the long dry spells their climate is known for.
Now that we’ve determined which of the two major categories your plant belongs to, you can attempt to recreate their ideal environment in your own space.
Tropical:
Almost all tropical species can thrive in the conditions I am about to describe. Tropical house plants like good drainage, bright, indirect light, and to be watered when their soil is dry. Let’s break that down.
“Good” Drainage: This is a point that I cannot stress enough. It is often said that the number one killer of houseplants is overwatering, but I would argue that this is most commonly caused by what we call “wet feet”. Wet feet is a term used to describe the puddle of water that accumulates at the bottom of a pot with no holes in it. This puddle spells death for your leafy lads and ladies because constantly wet roots will almost inevitably lead to root rot, and eventually, death. This is sad news for many house plant novices because unfortunately, many of the beautiful decorative pots available to us have no holes in the bottom. Don’t fret! There is an easy way around this, and we call it a cache pot. Those ugly plastic pots you buy your plants in from the nursery aren’t garbage, but the secret to success when watering your plant. Keep your plant in this nursery pot, and simply place it inside those pretty ceramic ones you’ve been eyeing. For now, just stick to regular potting soil for your tropical friend.
Bright, Indirect Light: If you are like me when I first started keeping houseplants, this phrase is as vague as it gets. The easiest way I can help you to distinguish between low light, bright, indirect light, and full sun is to suggest you figure out which directions your windows face. The windows of a house in the northern hemisphere almost always follow the spectrum of North facing being low light, East being gentle but bright (close enough to indirect), West being rather harsh, and South being the harshest. To meet the lighting needs of a tropical plant, I suggest you place yours toward the middle of this spectrum. If you place your plant in an East facing window, great! It should thrive there as long as there are no large buildings or trees obstructing your plant’s access to the sun. If you place your plant in a West facing window, I suggest putting it on a shelf adjacent to the window rather than directly in it or shielding your plant from this intense light with a sheer curtain to filter some of the harsher rays. Another important thing to note is that the further away from the window your plant is, the less light it will get. This can work to your advantage if you are someone who only has West or South facing windows. You will know if your plant is getting too much sun if you get burnt, yellowing patches in the places on the leaves where the sun hits.
Water When Dry: This one is pretty simple. If your tropical plant is in the correct size pot and getting the correct amount of light and drainage, you should have to water about once a week. When going about watering, I recommend feeling the soil to ensure that it is dry and picking up the plastic nursery pot to feel its weight. If it feels very light, it’s time for some water. While you have your nursery pot out of the decorative one, walk your plant to the sink and water gently until you see it coming out of the holes in the bottom of the pot. Once your plant stops dripping, you can return it to its rightful home. The most important things to remember when watering is to water thoroughly and to allow all excess to escape. If you are vigilant about both these things, you will have a happy plant.
Desert:
Desert species can be broken down into two major categories: cacti and succulents. The most important distinction between the two, besides the obvious aesthetic differences, is that cacti are even more hardy to dry, hot desert conditions. Because we’re sticking to the basics, we are going to assign the same basic care to both families. Desert species enjoy great drainage, full sun, and infrequent watering.
“Great” Drainage: I say great drainage because all of the principles discussed in the tropical section still apply, to a greater degree. You still want to be sure there are drainage holes in your pots and that your plant does not have wet feet. The thing to be careful about is that desert species are extremely unforgiving of conditions that are too wet. They rot easily and once this process starts; it is incredibly difficult to rectify. Continue using a cache pot and try to use a soil with less organic material that has larger, rockier particles that don’t hold on to water. Cactus and succulent soil is readily available in most garden centers.
Full Sun: Desert plants want to feel the sun’s rays to their fullest extent. In order to meet these intense light requirements, I recommend putting your cactus or succulent directly in a West or South facing window. You will know if your desert plant is starving for light if it becomes “etoliated.” This is a term for the process in which a plant becomes tall and skinny in the search for more light. In a succulent this will look like a long stem with leaves that are spaced further apart than the typical compact shape, in a cactus this will look like the body getting skinnier as it grows up.
Infrequent Watering: Unlike tropical plants, I cannot tell you a specific amount of time between watering for your desert plant. The only way to properly water a desert species is to watch for signs of thirst. These signs will look like wrinkling leaves on a succulent and a cactus losing its plumpness. These species are extremely drought tolerant, so I definitely recommend erring on the side of underwatering to avoid your plants’ root system rotting. The most I would ever water would be every other week and the least would be about once a month. Other than watching for signs of thirst, just be sure you water in a place where the water can flow out of the pot and that your plant won’t sit in a wet pot. If you follow these guidelines, you should have SUCCess!
If you follow these basic care guidelines, you’ll achieve green thumb status in no time!