Need Help With Plant Care?

Plants are living things and all go through an acclimation period after being removed from the greenhouse, repotted, and delivered to their final destination. Some plants can be dramatic while adapting to the new home and environment. 

What to expect during the first few weeks after receiving a plant?

Death of lower leaves; droopiness, yellowing, and browning of some leaves can be expected. 

Leaves that are mostly yellow or brown should be removed. If the acclimation stress affects only tips of leaves, those can be simply trimmed with scissors. 

*** It is important to keep plants clean, free of dust, and closely examine plants regularly to catch signs of any other issues early to save the plant before it’s too late.

This can be happening for a few reasons.

Read about the most common issues here or watch our video about it.

It is very easy to fix a leaning plant.

• Top up the soil level if it went down. It should be no more than 1 inch below the pot’s edge.
• With one hand straighten the leaning stem and push the soil tight around it with the other hand to provide support.
• Rotate your plant often to provide equal light exposure to all sides to avoid uneven growth.

These annoying but harmless black flies are looking for moist soil to set up their breeding ground.

If your plant got them, most likely you have been watering it too often and that is why gnats are head over heels for your plant 😀

Watch our video and learn how to deal with this issue.

If you notice that your plant looks like it is covered with snow or leaves have some white spots, your plant is under the attack of Mealybugs.

Read about how to treat Mealybugs infestation here or watch our video about it.

If you notice that your plant does not look too happy, leaves show some spots and the color is not as green; you see tiny spiders crawling around and making a web… Your plant might be suffering from unwanted visitors – Spider Mites.

Read about “How to get rid of spider mites” or watch our video about it.

If more than 50% of the plant is affected, it is best to replace this plant.

Request replacement here.

If your plant is not thriving or after doing great for a while suddenly declining, you need to start ruling out common houseplant problems.

Plants can get sick or decline in the wrong environment and under improper care.

There are two types of problems:

Environmental:

Most common houseplant problems are the result of watering routine, light, temperature, and humidity.

Here is a list of common environmental problems and their causes.

• Spindly plants: Poor lighting conditions.
• Weak growth: Too much or too little light, the root system is damaged from poor soil drainage or over-watering.
• Wilting: Under-watering, over-watering, root rot, too much fertilizer, root-bound.
• Losing leaves: Over-watering, under-watering, root-bound, poor lighting conditions, exposure to extreme hot or cold temperatures, low humidity, poor air circulation, insects, and diseases.
• Yellowing plant: Poor lighting conditions, lack of nutrients, low humidity, cold draft, insects or mites, over or under-watering, poor air circulation.
• Spotty leaves: Mites, fungus, over-watering.
• Browning leaves and/or stems: Over-watering, poor air circulation, root rot, low humidity
• Scorched or faded leaves: Long direct sunlight or heat exposure.
• Brown leaf tips: Over or under watering, cold temperatures, low humidity, poor air circulation.
• Pale leaves: Poor lighting, lack of nutrients.
• White or yellow mold-like growth: Overwatering, soil fungus.

Pest Problems:

If there is no environmental issue but your plant isn’t thriving, it might have some pest issues.

Here is a list of the most common unwanted visitors and how to get rid of them.

• Mealybugs: They appear white and cottony. It can be spotted on stems, undersides of leaves, and on the nodes of houseplants.
• Mites: They are tiny, pale spiders that produce webbing on leaves and stems. Mites cause distorted yellow spotty leaves and feel like the leaf is covered with sand to the touch.
• Scale: They are oval or round, brown or white insects with a hard shell. They suck plant juice from the leaves and stems.
• Fungus gnats: They resemble fruit flies. These insects do not cause damage to plants but are very annoying. They breed and thrive only in constantly moist soil and are a common result of over-watering.

Diseases:

Diseases are the least common issue if the plant is growing in a proper environment and has a good care routine. However, plants are like people, and some weaker plants are more susceptible to infection.

Here are the most common diseases.

Powdery mildew: A white, powdery fungal growth that is airborne. Visible leaf distortion and potentially leaf drop. Important to provide good air circulation. Keep your pants clean! Wipe leaves with a moist paper towel at least once every 2 weeks, and remove all dry, yellow, and infected leaves.

Root and stem rot: The fungi survive in the constantly wet soil or in decaying debris on the soil. Their spores can be easily spread by wind or via air vents. It is important to provide good drainage; enough time for the soil to dry between the waterings which allows the oxygen to get to the roots and avoid the rotting process.

Cut flowers: cut flowers, whether from the store or the garden, are another possible carrier of houseplant bugs like aphids, spider mites, and mealybugs.

Fruits and vegetables: whether from the grocery store or the backyard garden, fresh produce can carry all types of houseplant bugs.

Other bugs: it sounds crazy, but bugs like ants are known to bring sap-sucking pests like aphids, scale, and mealybugs to a houseplant.

Other plants: any other plants that are nearby or plants that are anywhere in a building as they can get around via air vents.

Soil: soil gnats are harmless but very annoying visitors. They breed and survive ONLY in the constantly moist soil. If a plant has gnat’s eggs in the soil (which are invisible to the human eye) you will notice an issue very early, within the first few days, as these guys spread fast. If an issue starts later, this is the indicator that your plant is overwatered.

Doors, air vents, and windows: houseplant insect pests, like soil gnats and spider mites, can easily come even through the screens of open windows/doors (especially during warm seasons) or from anywhere in the building through an air vent.

Read about “How to save an overwatered plant” or watch our video about it.