Oftentimes, when people start getting into plants and plant care they choose the plant based on the look of it. This could include its size, its growing pattern, color and shade of the leaves, and so many other traits. Another way people will choose plants is getting plants their friends or family have had success with. Unfortunately, these ways of choosing plants may not always be the way to have the most success.
As I mentioned in my first post, I have not had the best of luck with succulents and cactus. They require a lot of light and not a lot of water, if I gave it a sufficient amount of light, the watering may not have been that big of an issue. This picture shows exactly that, on one of my plants that is no longer alive. But the fact of the matter is, a lot of people, including me, do not give them enough light. So, they are not the best starter plant for many people, but they are advertised that way. So, we should be choosing plants based on the light we can give them and our care habits. Now let me clear this is not something you have to do, it is merely a suggestion to help people have the best luck with their new plants, especially when you are new to the plant parenting world. Summer Rayne Oakes does a fantastic job at explaining this in her Houseplant 101 video.
I find her to be a great resource with lots of detailed and well explained information, including specific plant care for the plants I am about to talk about.
There are a few staple starter plants that everyone should know about, and these plants have a few characteristics in common that make them great start plants. First and foremost, they will all survive and grow in lower light situations, but also, they will thrive in brighter light if it is available. Another great thing about these beginner plants is they are not too difficult with watering; all you have to do is wait for the soil to dry out then thoroughly water. These plants are also all easily found at plant nurseries and garden centers at home improvement stores. The plants are Golden Pothos, ZZ Plants, Snake Plants, Spider Plants, and trailing philodendron. There are so many resources online to help you with individual care for each plant, because although they are similar, they do very slightly, and they are worth learning more about.
Another factor to keep in mind when buying a plant is how much space you have now and in the future. Unless you are buying a plant that is already big, this is probably not something you will be thinking about right away because most plants you will find are pretty small. But plants like Monstera Deliciosa can get very large and take over a small room if it is happy. So, if you live in a small space and do not want to have a plant taking up your space make sure to find a plant that either grows more slowly or does not get that big overall. If you want small plants for a windowsill this is when I recommend succulents because they are very small and take a very long time to outgrow the window.
Last but certainly not least, if you have pets that could potentially get into the plants, you need to check to see what plants are toxic. Not all plants are toxic to all pets and not all pets care about plants, but it is just something else to keep in mind.
Now with all this being said, there are no rules to what plants to buy and there is nothing wrong with getting a plant out of your comfort zone. Just be sure to research the care for it and try your absolute best to give it the right conditions. The great thing about plants is that if you kill them, they are usually easily replaced.
Comentários