Over the three-day weekend some of my roommates and I decided to do something we’d all been secretly dying to do together: go plant shopping. I’ll admit, I was a bit nervous to go. The last time I had owned a plant it started to die two weeks after I bought it and by the time I realized I needed to figure out a better way to water it, it was too late. Luckily, my roommate Samara is a MASTER at taking care of her plants (she now has eight!) and after hearing her advice, I feel so much better about taking care of my “plant baby”, Malcom. Here’s some tips from her that will hopefully grant you the same plant care success!
1. It’s all about the water
That’s right ladies, before you even think about watering your precious succulents you have to think about the quality of the water. My roommate suggests either boiling the water or using filtered water to ensure that no harmful chemicals will make your plants sick. She also suggests watering the plants with water that is not cold or hot – room temperature ensures that the plants won’t go into shock.
2. Be mindful of your watering techniques
My roommate’s favorite technique is what she calls “drenching.” After her boiled water has cooled down to room temperature, she drenches the soil entirely until she sees the water begin to accumulate in the plant tray (the water is not overflowing entirely, it’s just slightly seeping out of the tray). Then, every ten minutes for the next half an hour, she begins to repeat this “drenching” process until the water is no longer visible in the tray, which means the plant has reabsorbed it from the roots up. She also advises to only let the water touch the soil when watering; otherwise, the plants will begin to droop. Other popular methods of watering include putting it in a box and allowing the plant to soak up the water from the roots up, using a ceramic watering bulb, or “spritzing” the plants with a mister.
3. Avoid over watering!!
Unless you live in a tropical area or your dorm is extremely humid, you should only water your plants once a week. Some plants may need more water (tropical plants) and some may need less (desert plants, such as cacti). It’s best to do some online research about your plant species to see what watering methods will work best for your plants. As far as “spritzing” goes, misters should only be used for plant appearance upkeep because only the leaves will benefit from this method.
4. Don’t be afraid of pruning
Prior to taking care of her plants, my roommate avoided snipping away at her plants. Worried she would hurt her plants, she refrained from pruning them until she realized that it’s actually a good thing! Continual pruning throughout the quarter will promote healthy plant growth and you’ll find your plants happier than ever! Another bonus is that it can be pretty therapeutic to come home and take care of your plants via pruning after a rough day.
5. Yes, classical music is a must
If you’ve ever done some research on plants, you may have read that plants THRIVE off intense classical music. Sadly, for those of you that are fond of rap and rock music, plants supposedly do not vibe with those music genres. Go Beethoven!