Hey, It's Fola

I have always been into plants and dreamed of having a home full of greenery. That was until I actually moved into my own space and killed every single plant I brought into my home. I’m talking from simple flowers to plants notorious for being “hard to kill”, once they entered my apartment they had no chance.

Last spring my depression and anxiety were at an all-time high and my usual mind-clearing hobbies just were not doing the trick. I decided to give being a plant mom another go and really did my research to figure out why I had such bad luck with them.

Here are the main issues I found with my prior attempts:

• Water: I was using tap water and found out that the water in my area was known for being extremely hard. Every cutting I tried to propagate in water grew a slimy fungus instead of rooting and any soil-rooted plants ended up with root rot.
• Sunlight: There is a severe lack of light throughout my apartment. I have one significant source of light in the living room from the balcony doors and that’s it until you get to the bedrooms. Trying to get my plants to thrive anywhere else in my apartment besides right in front of my balcony was not optimal for obvious reasons.
• Fertilizer: I just bought the first bottle that said fertilizer on it and went to town. I didn’t realize too much or too strong of fertilizer would have adverse effects. Finding the right fertilizer that I could use in different quantities with most of my plants took a while.
• Soil: I definitely didn’t look into soil types or the different levels of aeration needed for each plant.

Once I realized the many things I did wrong, I did a bit of trial and error to come up with an easy-to-do maintenance routine for my plants.

Here are the tips I have to curate your own plant care routine. Please note that things will vary depending on the different types of plants you have but this is a good starting point.

• Water: So knowing that my tap water was probably too harsh for my plants I decided to give distilled and spring water a try. I found great results using both but I will usually stick to spring water unless I only have distilled on hand. I have yet to experience the same slime growth on propagations nor have I seen any root rot since sticking to these 2 types of water. I also mist my plants daily with spring water since my apartment is pretty dry, but you can invest in a humidifier for your plants to cut this step out. Another tip is figuring out a balanced watering schedule. Some plants need to be watered only when completely dry, and some like to be watered while still moist.
• Sunlight: Since I only have one main source of natural light in my living room, I decided to keep all of the plants right in front of my balcony doors. To fit everything without it looking silly and cluttered I opted for a plant stand that holds up to 5 plants. I also utilize one of my side tables as a plant stand for my out-of-control monstera and I’m loving how everything came together.
• Fertilizer: I currently use the Alaska Fish Fertilizer 5-1-1. I chose this because honestly, it was the most recommended to me, and also it has an easy-to-follow guide on how much fertilizer to use for different plant families. I honestly use a tad less than recommended because I am scared of over-fertilizing and burning my plants.
• Soil: For my plants that like a more dense soil like the monstera I use the basic yellow mag miracle grow. For my smaller plants, I found that they actually enjoy succulent soil. I actually ordered succulent soil on accident but need it in a pinch and surprisingly my plants started to flourish. Succulent soil is well-draining and light so if I need the soil to bit denser I will add a bit of the miracle grow.
• Pots & Planters: Repotting to a pot that is no more than 2″ bigger than the current one is crucial for keeping the roots of your plant healthy. If you notice your plants have stopped growing outside of the dormant season the roots are likely bound and need to be moved to a bigger pot. Also, make sure you chose a pot or planter that has drainage holes. If you prefer decorative planters that have no holes, I suggest using a nursery pot and placing that inside the planter.

You can find my favorite indoor gardening supplies on the plant care links page!

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