Recently I’ve become a plant mama of 23 house plants and they are thriving! For me, this is a record of the most plants I have ever owned. I have caught the plant bug and I’m loving it. I love the colours and how they make me feel calmer just by looking at them or tending to them.
My previous track record with plants has not been so good. We all have busy lives and my most common problem is that I just forget to water them. Or a plant might not be looking too great and I’ll accidentally kill it with kindness by overwatering it!
I knew my new plant babies needed me to find a way to remember their needs and give them some water (but not too much!). Here are some of the things I’ve tried and what has finally worked for me.
- Keep a plant journal. Write down the names and requirements of all the plants you own. Use the information to write on the calendar what you need to do when. Set reminders on your phone to give yourself an extra push to do your plant admin! This method can be quite time-consuming.
- Download one of the many plant apps available, such as Planta, that allows you to add your plants and it will send you a notification when you need to water your plants. There can be a lot of reminders depending upon how many plants you have. Got too many things to do one day or you’re too busy to do them all? Don’t worry, being a day or two late won’t upset your plants too much.
- Research your plants and become as knowledgeable about them as you can. You don’t need to write anything down or act on reminders. Instead, every few days, simply check your plants, the soil especially. Some need dry soil some need moist soil before you water again, get to know what your plants need so you can act accordingly. Use your finger or a plant water meter to see if watering is needed.
What worked best for me? Number 2! Having a plant app on my phone has been brilliant. They’re easy to use and they send clear reminders about watering. It’s quick to search and upload new plants to the apps and you can find out a lot of information about plant care too. There are several apps available, but the one I used and would recommend is Planta. As a newbie, this method gave me the information I needed to succeed. However, as I learn more and become knowledgeable about plant care, I might just convert to method 3 in the future! If I can keep these plants alive, I just might be able to squeeze a few more into my house. You can’t have too many plants right?!!!
