Great Ways to Start a Plant Headache - Sunburned plants, heat stressed plants, over watering

I always try to keep an eye out for plant related things... even when I'm driving. While I was waiting for my daughter the other day, I noticed an SUV parked next to me with a beautiful orchid sitting in the back seat. 

Here was the problem... no one was in the car and I waited for 10 minutes. What will the "health" of this plant be like in 30 minutes? Will the flowers last at all?

Most plants which are sold for indoor use are tough, but there really are some basics that you need to follow if you want to be successful.

Pick the Wrong Plant

There are plants for just about any light level. Take a little time before you buy your plant to check out the light in your home. Do you have bright light for a Ficus tree or low light for an Aglaonema? How many hours of light does the place you plan on putting your plant get during the course of the day? 

After you know more about your interior space and the light your plant will be getting, then you can select a plant for the lighting and space. Trying to put a plant that prefers high light into a low light setting just doesn't work. 

Plant Transport

After you've taken the time to select the right plant for your home... don't stop after you've put it in the car. Go straight home, don't make a detour to the store or run some errands. This goes for both summer with the heat and winter with the cold. 

Your plant can be damaged very quickly in the trunk or in the back seat of your car. Ask the nursery for what is called a sleeve or a box or something to protect the plant and keep it out of the direct sun.

If you're aren't comfortable sitting in the car with just a t-shirt and shorts during the winter or summer... don't expect your plant to enjoy it either.

Repotting the plant

Most plants have enough fertilizer and soil to hold the plant for a long time.... many, many months or even years. As your plant begins to acclimate to its new home the plant will not have as much demand for fertilizer and water as it did in the nursery. In fact, the root system can shrink. The plant is going into "maintenance mode".

Repotting and fertilizing the plant just adds a "shock" to the acclimating process. It keeps more moisture around the roots which can rot the roots and the fertilizer can burn the roots.

Instead of repotting... cache pot

Sitting in Water

Since we're talking about rotting roots, it's very important to water your plants thoroughly. That also means to drain off the excess water. Don't allow your plant to sit in a saucer full of water. 

Once a plant is watered it's important to drain the excess water off to allow oxygen to fill the spaces. Roots need the oxygen to help support the leaves and perform other functions. You can't hold your breathe for 10 minutes under water, roots can't sit in water for days and expect to be healthy.

Those are 4 quick things to keep you from starting a plant headache. Now check out your nursery for all those new tropicals and start your plants off right.