By Caroline Kotterer

A few helpful tips about handling the trials and tribulations of plant parenting.

So, you were bored in quarantine and picked up a new hobby that may or may not have turned into an obsession. Your room has become an urban jungle, but the seasons have changed, and they require a little extra tender loving care. To keep your plants happy and healthy, I’m going to share a few tips with you. Disclaimer: I am not a horticulturist, but if you follow some of these basic care tips for your plants, I can almost guarantee they will be happy.

One of the first things you want to consider when buying houseplants is the environment they will be in. For example, if your room isn’t very well lit, you should opt for a plant that can adapt to low light, such as a snake plant. You can research your plant’s native environments and figure out how you can imitate it. Having this information also gives you an idea of what kind of moisture it needs and how much light it requires.

Another factor to consider is the soil/potting mix you will be placing your plant in. A combination of potting mix, perlite, and orchid bark makes up a well-balanced medium for a plant. You can purchase many different types of potting mixes, but most could use a little bit of tailoring to your plant’s needs. Depending on the moisture level it requires, you may want to add orchid bark or perlite to better aerate the soil and increase drainage. The beautiful thing about plant parenting is that you have the power to choose what works best for you and your plant. However, to be safe, you could opt for a well-drained soil mix and choose to water them more frequently, so root rot doesn’t occur. Overwatering is one of the leading causes of root rot, and many plant parents have found themselves in this situation.

Let’s talk about watering.

Most houseplants prefer to be slightly dry rather than soaked in a puddle of water for days from you overdoing your green thumb. This can be prevented by doing the research beforehand on how much water the plant requires. When I water my plants, I do it slowly until water starts to trickle out from the drainage holes in the pot. During winter, plants usually need watering only a few times a month, but it is still important to try to mock a humid environment.

The last factor that is just as important, if not more so, than water is the amount of light your plants receive. Without any light, no photosynthesis will occur, and your plants won’t grow. There are three broad categories of how much light is required: low light (less than 3 hours/day), medium light (four hours/day), and high light (about six hours/day). Ensuring they are in the correct lighting for optimum growth will also prevent the plant from looking dull, or in some cases, they can even sunburn, which can be seen through brown tips appearing. All in all, if you follow these basic guidelines your urban jungle will thank you and not only will your plants grow, so will your green thumb.