Houseplants: Expectation vs reality.
Blog & Photo by Plant Sit
Looking at Instagram, it seems like everyone lives in the most beautiful, jungle-like homes filled floor to ceiling with tropical plants. But what happens when we try & replicate this look? Yes, plants look fantastic when they are just out of the nursery, but when they age & grow they might not look like their photo-ready counterparts on your Instagram grid. Below we take a look at some of the myths surrounding your plant babies, and why they are not dying but just ageing gracefully.
Myth one: is my plant dying with Yellow leaves?
Most plants get yellow leaves from time to time, so don’t panic! There are various reasons why this could be:
🌿Over-watering: If your plant starts to get more yellow with limp leaves & you get frequent leaf drops, this could be a sign of overwatering. Check the soil to make sure it is dry between waterings (at least the top inch) and cut back if needed.
🌿Under-watering: Confusingly, some plants leaves can turn yellow before they crisp up & fall off. Ensure your plants are not left to completely dry out, but this problem is much easier to rectify than over-watering.
🌿Old Age: Yes, some leaves do just drop off with age. Plants like your fiddle-leaf fig tend to shed the bottom leaves as it grows, and these can sometimes have a yellow appearance. It happens & is only something to worry about if it happens rapidly, and it is newer leaves from the top.
myth two: fronds stay green forever with no Brown tips.
Often found on palms & ferns, brown tips are part of the parcel when we bring tropical plants indoors & subject them to heating or air conditioning. Many of the plants we bring in need more humidity than our homes provide, but there are a few things we can do to help the situation:
🌿Mist your plants: Using a water spray bottle, if you mist your plants every few days. Plant varieties that will definitely need something like this are: ferns, palms & calathea varieties, to name a few.
🌿Add a pebble tray: Adding a pebble tray will also help boost humidity, and this is particularly good method for ferns. Add some pebbles underneath your nursery pot, whether this is in-between a more decorative pot or on a separate tray completely. Add some water & just ensure your plant’s roots are not sitting in it.
final thoughts.
Plants are also living things, so grow & age as they wish. Those beautiful, lush green fronds will last a while, but the beauty of having living plants is watching them die back & generate new life as they evolve with the seasons. Some points to remember:
🌿Plants can’t always adapt to the environment we want them in: No light in the bathroom but a perfect plant shelf? Ferns in the kitchen with fluctuating temperatures? We have all tried it, but as we continue with our plant journey we learn which plants are suited to which area in our homes or office, and which spaces just won’t love the plants.
🌿Flowering is seasonal: Those beautiful Orchids & Peace Lilys won’t flower all year round, so as soon as they die back just care for them as required until they bloom again. Same goes for many Bromliads, with some only flowering once in their lifetime, so enjoy whilst you can!
🌿Leaves will split: We are looking at you, Banana plants! They have a beautiful shaped leaf, but as soon as they start to age, they will split. This is just what they do in the wild as they get bashed around in their natural environment, so expect this when people brush past it in the office or you get an overexcited dog wag it’s tail too close.
There are lots more points to remember when it comes to curating the perfect plant jungle in our homes & workspaces, and so much to learn when sharing out space with living things. Follow us on Instagram & DM us if you have any more questions about what your plant should look like, and if there are any tips n tricks to help preserve them! We would love to hear from you 🌿