This Is What You Need To Do Before Bringing Home A New Plant

Inside: Are you an impulse houseplant shopper? Do you often wonder if the plant you’re buying is compatible with your home life? Find out the exact process you need to take to ensure the new plant you bring home will be the perfect match for your home and lifestyle. 

After spending a nice day out with your honey, he decides he’d like to make a pit stop at the local big box hardware store. You’d rather go home, put on your favorite jammies and binge-watch some Netflix, but the second he mentions you checking out to see what new plants they have, your eyes bug out like a little girl who got her first Barbie. 

Does he know you or what? 

When you get to the store, you run in yelling, “Don’t worry, I’ll find a new plant…oops, I mean I’ll find you”, as you sprint towards the indoor garden center.  

As you draw closer, you become intoxicated and consumed by the green foliage of the new plant babies you can’t wait to adopt.  

 You case the garden center taking a quick look around the perimeter, until focusing in on one particular plant you’ve been dying to own.  

Without thinking about your home conditions, or the plant’s lighting requirements, you find the prettiest plant and put it in your cart.  

Once home, you put your new plant baby in what you hope to be its forever home.  Weeks later, regardless of all the first-aid efforts you put into it, your new plant is terminally ill and death is just days away.  

Impulse shopping for a new plant is a double-edged sword

There’s nothing more exciting than impulse shopping for a new plant baby.   

All plant parents, both new and experienced, become crazed with getting every plant that looks beautiful, or that you’ve seen on YouTube videos that you want to buy all.  

The thing is this. If you buy a houseplant because it’s one you’ve been wanting and your living and lighting conditions don’t mesh with the plant, you’re setting both you and the plant up for disappointment. 

Like everything in life being a plant parent is a gamble. The plant you adopt may have specific lighting requirements, but you’re unable to supply them with what they need. 

Does that mean the plants going to die if you put them in a low-light area with or without supplemental lighting? 

Nope. 

It just means the plant may not flourish as well as it would in ideal conditions.  

But, what if you have ideal conditions? Does that mean your new houseplant will do great? 

Nope. 

The thing about houseplants is, that there’s no guarantee they’ll thrive in a spot where you think they should thrive. 

6 things you need to do before bringing your new plant home

Choose the right plant for your home

Before you bring your new plant home, you’ll want to make sure you have adequate space to put your new plant.  

If the plant you’re buying is in a 6-inch pot, you’ll have to remember, that the plant is going to grow. If you’re placing it on a bookshelf now, in a few months it’ll more than likely have to be relocated to another spot in your house. That spot may or may not be sufficient for your plants’ needs.  

Just make sure your plant has enough room to spread its leaves and breath.  

You’ll also want to learn about the plants growing habits. Are they vining plants? Do they like to grow wide and bushy, or will they grow so tall, that you may have to accommodate the plant by making a hole in the ceiling? Okay, I’m kidding on that part, but you get the point.  

It’s all about lighting baby 

Make sure you can supply them with the correct lighting.  

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If you live in a cave (like I do), you’ll want to invest in some supplemental lighting. Supplemental lighting, or grow lights are pretty inexpensive. I have 7 sets in my house, and in all honesty, without them, none of my plants would have a chance to survive.

Before bringing your new plant home, you’ll want to make sure you have sufficient lighting.  

More than anything, I want a fiddle fig tree, but unless I move to another house with great lighting, and some East and West windows, I’ll never be able to get it. It would break my heart to put the plant in poor conditions. There’s not enough supplemental lighting to replace the actual sunlight this plant requires.  

Check to make sure the plant is healthy before bringing it home.  

Check to see if it’s healthy. Look at the leaves. See if there are any visible bugs.

If you can remove it from the pot and look a the root structure. You may not know what nice roots look like, but I guarantee you know what a bad root system looks like once you see it. If the roots look black, don’t buy them. If they look white, that’s good 

Research before buying and bringing your new plant home 

While you may be pressed for time when you’re at the store salivating over the possibility of taking home your new plant baby, you’ll want to research the plant as much as you can (if you hadn’t done so already).  

Research the care for your specific plant and make sure it fits in with your lifestyle (does it like its soil moist? Does it require weekly watering? 

 Recommended Reading: The Best Way How To Water Your Houseplants Without Killing Them

 If your plant requires to be moist all the time and you travel for your job and you’re gone for a few weeks out of the month, you may want to reconsider the type of plant you’re getting. 

Does it require high humidity? If so, do you have or want a humidifier? If you don’t want a humidifier, will the plant do well in your bathroom? 

Not all soil is created equally 

You’ll also want to consider what type of soil your new plant requires. Some plants need quick-drying soil, whereas others will tolerate and thrive in standard potting soil, which tends to hold in moisture. Make sure you’re willing to accommodate the plants’ soil requirements before bringing your plant home.  

Peachy Tip: While in the store, check the soil to see if it’s extremely wet. If it looks like there’s too much water in the pot, pour the excess water out. 

Is this plant pet and kid-friendly?   

Do you have dogs, cats, or kids? If you answered yes to any part of that question, you’ll want to make sure the plant is suitable to have around dogs, cats, and kids.  

Being a plant parent is a commitment  

Before bringing home a new plant, you’ll want to make sure you’re ready to take the plunge and truly commit to taking care of your new plant baby. You’ll want to ensure you have the proper living conditions to assist your new friend to live a long, beautiful, lush life.

Your Turn  

What was the last plant your brought home? Share in a comment 

Stay Peachy!