5 Most Common Mistakes New Houseplant Parents Make

1. Pots without Drainage

As a new plant parent, have you ever come across a charming decorative pot, you get home, and you are all excited to place your new plant inside,  to find out your plant did not thrive as well as you'd thought? Many make this mistake, but we are here to help. Most of these decorative pots often do not have a drainage hole, causing excess water to sit on the bottom of the pot, and this can potentially cause the roots to rot - a plant condition that can kill your plant and is hard to reverse once they've rotted. Here at IvyMay, we recommend leaving your plants in the plastic nursery pots for drainage purposes as this will allow water to flow out of the bottom. All you have to do next is place the entire pot into a decorative one. 

2. Overwatering

Are you giving your plant a little too much love? Another mistake is overwatering. Sadly this is the number one reason why plants die. So how do you avoid this mistake? Most houseplants need water when the soil feels dry. One option you can use to tell if the soil is dry is by sticking your finger into the soil. Alternatively, you can skip the guessing and purchase a moisture meter, which does it all for you. 

A good rule of thumb is the less light your plant needs, the less water it will need, and vice versa. If your plant needs low sunlight, chances are you only need to water it every 7-10 days.

3. Not enough Sunlight

Did you know that your plant’s number one source of food is light? Without light, your plants won’t use the water through photosynthesis to grow. Most plants prefer bright, indirect light to thrive, whereas some plants can tolerate a low amount of light.

It is a good idea to consider your light situation before you make a purchase. If a plant needs light and you do everything else right, but you place it in a dark room, chances are it will not survive. Considering this beforehand will allow you to choose the best option for your next plant purchase.  Make sure to also check whether the plants you are buying are for indoors or outdoors, as this will make a huge difference.

4. Really Dense Soil

It would be best if you also considered your plants' soil, as not all soil is created equal. Your typical "all-purpose" soil can use more drainage with ingredients such as perlite, vermiculite, and bark. Having drainage allows water to flow more freely and helps the soil dry quicker to prevent root rot. If you are looking for new soil, our premium organic soil mix has vermiculite, perlite, bark, and earthworm castings as a natural fertilizer to help your plants thrive in their potted homes. Our IvyMay Redwoods Potting Mix has all the right ingredients in one place. We hope it will help make your plant journey a little easier.

5. Forgetting to Clean the Leaves

This sounds silly, but hear us out. Plant leaves need a good cleaning! For example, it can prevent your plant's foliage from absorbing the light they need for growth. So cleaning the leaves once a week with a microfiber cloth and water or a leaf cleaning spray will help them thrive.  Doing this will allow your plants to breathe better and also prevent pests. 

Don't be scared to research your new plant friend and learn about everything it needs. Getting all the details will help tremendously.

When you purchase from IvyMay, we understand that being a new houseplant parent is not the most straightforward task, but we can assure you that it will be a fun one. If you purchase from us, we help you by placing an informational card with all the plants you buy. This will help you to know how to take care of your plant in the best way possible! We hope this information has helped you and if you have any questions, please feel free to contact us. We love making new plant friends!