Caring for plants: how to stop being a plant killer

For many people, caring for plants is a real challenge. They call themselves plant killers and even believe they belong to a group of human beings who have not been blessed with the gift of enjoying them. However, let’s break a spear: you are not born being a plant killer, and being able to cultivate them does not imply that which sounds almost like witchcraft and that we usually sing about «having a hand» with them. Fortunately, having healthy plants is something much more mundane.

So if you are one of those who have said that even your cacti are dying, don’t worry. To begin with, they are not that easy to grow as they have specific demands that we are not usually aware of. But in addition and apart from this, there is an easy solution to stop belonging to this select club: just know some basic premises that will allow you to reconcile with plants and, most importantly, enjoy them.

Let’s banish the fears and the feeling that having plants is something for a select few!

HOW TO GET STARTED WITH SUCCESSFUL PLANT CARE

Although we may think that the world of plants contains more secrets than a Mayan pyramid, the reality is quite different. In reality, caring for plants correctly only involves meeting their needs to the letter; and observe how they react to our care to put a solution if necessary. The best guarantee for them to grow up with well-being and, above all, to avoid getting frustrated and giving up a life without them.

However, and despite the fact that this may seem like a drawer, there are other aspects that we must consider when we intend to take care of plants after chaining some other failure in their cultivation. Little tricks that will allow us to reconcile with the green world, and learn to shake off that curse that accompanies any self-respecting plant killer.

1. Start with easy plants, fundamental

As much as we fall in love with a certain plant with complicated care and this may seem like a challenge, it is not the best way to start caring for plants. Most likely, its care will be uphill for us and, by the time we detect that our plant is not well, it will be too late.

Avoiding it happens by setting less ambitious goals, and always starting from less to more. Thus, if we opt for easy-to-care-for plants, we can become familiar with their cultivation. A way to lose the fear of gardening but, above all, to train ourselves to open the door to more complicated plants.

2. Choose the plants according to the conditions of the space

Although we are optimistic people convinced that everything is possible, no: it is not a good idea to choose plants with needs that we cannot respond to. What do we mean? To opt for, for example, species with a high demand for light if our house or the place they are destined for has more darkness than light. Although there are extremely versatile plants capable of adapting to environments that are not what they need, they are not the majority.

For this reason, and always before opting for one plant or another, it will be essential to know its requirements in depth. As silly as it may seem, we have half the success of your cultivation guaranteed. Do not hesitate to ask when it falls into your hands or even consult our blog to find the answer you need.

3. Take care of irrigation, both in deficiency and in excess

How to recover a plant with excess water is one of the most frequently asked questions, both among those who are new to the world of caring for plants and for those who are faced with growing an unknown variety. Watering more or less is, in 90% of cases, responsible for our plant being ruined.

For this reason, we will have to banish two of the favorite phrases of any self-respecting plant killer: «a little more» along with «I haven’t watered for weeks». Because yes: it will depend a lot on the plant, and perhaps nothing will happen to it, if we opt in the first case for humidity lovers or, in the second, for drought-resistant plants. But both the excess and the defect usually take their toll.

To avoid these episodes, it is better to water less and always in depth so that the water penetrates to the roots. And no: the dish with water underneath is not for everyone. What’s more: in some cases, it is what spoils a plant. So, again, before carrying it out, nothing like investigating if it is good for you or if it can be harmful.

4. Dedicate some time, as important as knowing how to care for plants correctly

What if. Although they are not a being that looks at us, barks at us or speaks to us; plants also need our time. A way to regularly check if they are in good condition, if they present a problem or even if a pest has made an appearance.

A daily minimum is enough to check the state of the leaves or flowers, to check if the substrate is wet or dry; or even to check whether or not the roots protrude through the drainage holes. These minimum regular attentions will allow us to ensure the well-being of our plant.

5. Do not improvise, key to your well-being

What exactly do we mean? Even if we wake up one morning wanting to transplant our plant, we decide that it is a great day for it to be outside or we think that a pruning would do it good… calm down!

Before performing any task that could alter your health, it is better to take some time to check if it is recommended or not. It is enough to review the care of our plant and contemplate the vegetative moment in which it is found to know if it is the ideal one or if, on the contrary, we have to wait.

And now that you know these tricks to take care of plants, change sides! You will discover a fascinating world in which you will not only keep yours alive, but you will also see that it is not so difficult to enjoy them.