Don’t Overlove Your Plants: Indoor Plant Care Mistakes You May Be Making

Spending more time at home during this strange season of most of our lives may mean spending more time around your house plants. You see them more, you think about them more, you give them more care. Typically when you think of giving something more love or care, you think that can’t be a bad thing right? Well, when it comes to indoor plant care, it might just be that...a bad thing. Many common houseplant problems stem from OVER caring for your plants. You may be overwatering, over-fertilizing, over adjusting the plant’s location or pot situation. Your plants may not be doing so well because they are OVER all of this extra love.

No worries, we know that your heart is in the right place when it comes to your plants. The first step in fixing your fixation of over caring for your plants is to recognize the signs that you may be doing this. It’s important to be knowledgeable of each of your plant’s care needs and to recognize that needs (and the amount of attention needed) will vary from plant to plant. 

Common Houseplant Problems Related to Overcare

Overwatering

The most common way to kill a houseplant is to overwater it and many of us are guilty of this. So what are some signs of overwatering your plants? If the soil of your plant consistently feels damp or moist and the pot heavy, you are overwatering. Plant leaves that begin to yellow and wilt or a soggy base to your plant is another sign that too much water is being given. Keeping an eye on your plant’s roots is a good way to monitor plant health. If your plant has a soggy bottom and roots are mushy and brown, root rot has set in. Healthy plant roots should be firm and pale or white. Lastly, mold growth on the plant base or soil or the appearance of fungus gnats is another sign of overwatering.

How do you avoid overwatering?

A good rule of thumb is that plants with thinner, more delicate leaves will need more water than thicker, fleshy leaves. Think of a fern plant versus a plump succulent leaf or cactus. The thicker leaves and stems hold and store water, meaning the plant will need to be watered significantly less than some of its counterparts.

Begin to only water your houseplants when the soil has dried out between waterings. Stick your finger in the soil to check for moisture. Make sure your plant is getting enough light to help it dry out between waterings. Watering your plants in the morning gives them more sunlight hours to dry out during the day. Making sure your plant has good drainage will also ensure overwatering is less of an issue.

Over Fertilizing

Just as humans need to eat, plants require different elements found in fertilizers and water to stay healthy and vital. Fertilizer can be used to provide added minerals and nutrients in a pellet or liquid form. But with everything, moderation is key. You may be wondering if you are over fertilizing houseplants. So how often should you fertilize indoor plants? You only need to fertilize once or twice during the spring and summer growing season or if you have identified signs of a nutrient deficiency, (yellowing or pale leaves).

What are signs that you may have over fertilized your plant? 

Over-fertilizing can lead to “burning” your plant. The high content of different types of salts in fertilizers can pull moisture away from plant roots and cause chemical burns and dehydration. This may look like crispy, browning edges of leaves, browned or blackened roots, or yellowing and wilting of lower leaves.

Avoid over-fertilizing by limiting application to once or twice during the growing season. You can dilute the fertilizer to ¼ or ½ strength to reduce the risk of burning. A little will go a long way! Another recommendation is unless you’ve recognized an immediate need, forgo fertilizer and water with tap water, which already contains a balanced amount of minerals. Check out more information on how to fertilize indoor plants here!

Always Repotting & Moving

Another cause of over caring and subsequent stress to your plants is changing their growing environment too much. This could mean repotting too often or even moving them around your house too much. Just like most of us, plants crave stability. Constantly moving your plant around your home or living space, can cause your plant to have a hard time adjusting to different light, temperature and humidity situations.

If you are one to switch up your style often and have the urge to change out your plants’ digs frequently, you may be causing it stress. Repotting too often can cause leaf drop and root damage. We suggest only repotting when a need is identified. It is time to repot when the plant is visibly outgrowing its current pot or the plant roots are bound and growing through the drainage hole. It is a good idea to transfer it into a pot that is 1-2” larger in diameter than the original.

Moving and repotting your plant too much can cause your plant to go into shock. This is often characterized by yellowing or brown wilted leaves that droop drastically. Often a stressed plant becomes very delicate and the leaves easily fall off, if touched or bumped. 

A good rule of thumb to remember is during the fall and winter months of the year, your plant will need less care. Their growth slows down during this time of year so watering can slow down and fertilizing can stop. Gear up the caring again come springtime when the growing season ramps up!

Are you guilty of over loving your plants? Share your story with us by tagging @wild_interiors on Instagram!