Can you feel that? Things have started to heat up and all these long and warm days mean that summer is here! ☀️
At this point in the year, our house pants begin to really feel the full effects of summer, after experiencing their spring awakening.
This means that once more it is time to switch up your house plant care routine to match!
We have pulled together some of our top summer care tips to help your plants stay in tip top shape through out the summer season.
]]>At this point in the year, our house pants begin to really feel the full effects of summer, after experiencing their spring awakening.
This means that once more it is time to switch up your house plant care routine to match!
It can be hard to know exactly what to do when it comes to caring for your plants in summer and it's probably the time of year that you'd rather be out at the beach or relaxing with a book and a glass of wine than looking after your plants.
However it does mean that our plants may become a little more high maintenance than during other seasons. This doesn't mean they are suddenly harder to look after, you'll just need to check on them a little bit more than you usually would.
Feeling stressed already? Never fear! We have pulled together some of our top summer care tips to help your plants stay in tip top shape through out the summer season.
Let's start with watering shall we! Switching up your watering routine is in our opinion THE most important change you should make to your care routine.
The summer heat can be REALLY tough on our house plants. With longer, warmer and sunnier days on the cards, they are at a their highest risk of drying out and dehydrating.
Bonus Tip: Watering your plants in the early morning or the late evening when the sun is at its weakest can help stop the water from evaporating too quickly and to help prevent them from 'boiling'.
Moving on to the second (and third and fourth) most important aspects of plant care in summer which is sunlight, temperature & humidity.
These three go hand in hand with each other, each becoming more extreme at this time of year so it's crucial to make checking these a top priority.
Once your plants are well fed, watered & are in the perfect position, you can start monitoring for any pests. The best way to do this is by keeping your plants as clean as possible & establishing a good pest control routine!
Last but definitely not least on the list of summer jobs is to keep your plants well pruned & well potted. This is usually the most enjoyable of all plant care tasks for us plant lovers as we get to see all our hard work paying of!
Bonus Tip: We highly recommend giving your plants a good water/feed with your favourite Plant Food a day or so before re-potting to help prevent stressing out your plant. It's also recommended to re-pot in the early morning or evening to prevent heat stress.
Thank you for making it all the way to the end of this blog post! I hope you learnt something new/found it useful!
Join the conversation by leaving us a comment below on what you think is most important thing to remember about surviving the summer season with house plants!
I know there is A LOT of different advice out there on how we can best look after our plants during these colder months, but I'm here to (hopefully) simplify it all for you.
]]>So, winter has well & truly arrived once again!
You've begun to notice your house plants have slowed down, producing less new growth and maybe dropping a leaf here or there.
Now's time to switch up your house plant care routine!
I know there is A LOT of different advice out there on how we can best look after our plants during these colder months, but I'm here to (hopefully) simplify it all for you.
Our house plants naturally go through a so called 'dormancy' period over winter. This means their care requirements change quite dramatically and it's important that we keep on top of it!
By dormancy I don't mean that they all die back and you will have bare shelves for the next few months! It simply means that they are going through a period of rest, storing all their energy up for spring!
Whether you are a first time winter plant parent or a seasoned (😂) professional, here are my top tips for house plant winter survival!
Watering is one of the most important areas in which you need to switch up your routine during winter.
It's extremely easy to kill your plants with kindness, aka overwatering so make sure to get on top of this first!
Humidity can drop dramatically over the winter months!
As the air is colder, it holds onto less moisture and as we know, our house plants prefer a humidity level of around 45% or higher if possible.
During the winter months, the sun sits lower in the sky which means our homes get less daylight. Not to mention the sun has disappeared by about 5pm!
They may also begin to drop a few leaves as they store the energy away, this is completely normal so no need to worry!
I recommend that you continue your regular fertilising routine, but make sure you use one that isn't so intense.
I highly recommend the Growth Technology range! They are free of Urea & chlorides which burn fragile roots, which make them safe for continual use!
You can also continue using soil enhancers, such as Kiwichar & Groconut! These directly help the soil, rather than the plants themselves.
The drop in temperature is one of the more obvious signs that winter has arrived, and can be one of the most crucial parts of caring for your plants!
If you haven't already, now is the time to stop re-potting your plants! As they have now gone 'dormant', they no longer have the energy to adjust to a new substrate or pot. They may go into shock so best to leave re-potting to spring.
The same goes with any propagations you have going. Ensure they are kept warm (preferably on a heat mat in a prop box) so they also don't go into shock!
Thank you for making it all the way to the end of this blog post! I hope you learnt something new/found it useful!
Join the conversation by leaving us a comment below on what you think is most important thing to remember about surviving a winter with house plants!
What Is Tree Fern Fibre?
Tree Fern Fibre is a fibrous substrate which is made from the NZ Native Kuripaka tree fern.
A NATIVE tree fern? Don't worry! Fernwood have made sure that they have the approval of MPI and the relevant government departments to get the permits to source this product and it is 100% sustainably sourced from private property. They're not just running around chopping out half the native bush 🥰
What Are The Benefits of Using Tree Fern Fibre?
You'd be surprised at which house plants we keep in our homes are naturally epiphytes! This means that in nature, they actually live off other plants. Tree Fern Fibre is a substance that most closely mimics their natural environment, that's why they love it so much!
There are several benefits that can be gained from using fern fibre as part of your house plant care including:
How is Tree Fern Fibre Used?
Tree Fern Fibre has a few different uses. It's all about experimentation and finding out what works for you.
1. It can be mixed in with your current favourite potting mix to provide extra soil aeration and a boost to your plant's root system.
2. It can be used alone as a complete potting medium.
3. It's a great medium to use for propagation! I can honestly say my success rate has gone from around 80%, to 100%. It's also much faster!
If you've ever wanted to give Fern Fibre a go, this is your sign!
We stock all ofthe most popular Fern Fibre Products in our Growing Media category and hope that you will find something that suits you! And if we don't have it, we can order it for you!
]]>So, you've purchased your first house plant, Congratulations!
You've officially joined the community & are on a slippery slope to wanting every single house plant available on the market. There is MUCH to learn about the ups and downs of plant parenthood, however I have a few words of advice for all you brand new plant mums & dads!
So, you've purchased your first house plant, Congratulations!
You've officially joined the community and are on a slippery slope to wanting every single house plant available on the market.
As you bring your new baby home you've probably got a million questions already...
- How do I take care of this plant?
- Where will I put it?
- When can I go plant shopping again?
There is SO MUCH to learn about the ups and downs of plant parenthood. This blog is dedicated to helping all you brand new plant mums & dads!
There are a few things I wish I had been clued in on before I started my plant parent journey!
Start with one or two relatively cheap and easy to get plants and learn how to care for them properly. Taking the time to research a plant and its unique care requirements before you make the purchase is the way to go! This way your initial experience with house plants will likely be a more positive and rewarding one. Nothing like the disappointment of buying an expensive house plant and killing it in a week! EEK! 😱
Don't rush out and purchase 100 house plants at once. Grow your collection slowly and learn to enjoy the process! It is also a good way to figure out if you actually have the time (and energy) to spend on caring for them. House plant ownership can become overwhelming VERY quickly. You want it to remain a hobby because when it becomes a chore... it's no fun anymore!
Buy the plants you LOVE, not the plants that are trendy. This is in my opinion one of the most important pieces of advice I wish I was given when I started out. It almost always leads to regret. Trends can consume us SO quickly. I can't even tell you how many times I have rushed out to purchase a plant, simply because it is a 'new release' or 'popular' and then regretted it later. Buy plants that make YOU happy, because in the end it's you who will be looking at them all the time and your wallet that takes the hit!
Don't go into debt for plants! Just like anything else in life... house plants are not worth going into debt for! Yes, maybe you've just seen someone selling a wish list plant for a great price... but you will get the opportunity to purchase it again! There will always be another one. This also leads to spending more than one can afford on plants. Every day expenses should always come first! Remember your family are also affected by your plant purchase decisions!
Take the time to check for pests on plants while in the shop. No matter how reputable the shop is you are purchasing a plant from, everyone is vulnerable to pests. Have a good check of your plants before you take them home. This can save a lot of hassle later & save the rest of your plant collection. If you get it home and find it DOES have pests, contact your store and they'll help you out! I also recommend quarantining new plants for at least a week when you bring them home, so you can catch anything before it spreads.
When interacting with others in the plant community, don't be scammy! Speaking from experience here, there is nothing worse or more annoying than being nagged or almost begged for 'free or reasonably priced' cuttings or plants. A lot of people believe that just because people have large plants or a lot of one type of plant, that they should just cut it up and share it around because it didn't cost them anything right? Wrong! People spend a lot of time and effort into propagating & growing their plants and deserve to be treated with a bit of respect for it.
Unless it's offered, don't ask for free plants!
Swaps are an amazing way to expand your collection, just be polite! Swaps can be an awesome way to expand your plant collection without spending a cent! Just a word of caution, make sure you do your research on the person you are swapping with and don't be scared to ask for certain photos or proof that the plants actually exist! Many people have been scammed out of their plants this way and it's a quick way to loose your faith in the house plant community. Also, be polite when organising a swap! Don't be afraid to haggle, but also don't be offended if someone declines a trade. Trades are opinion based, so don't always work out.
Just be kind :)
To sum it all up, just enjoy it! The moment you get dragged into drama, overwhelm yourself with too many plants or get sucked into plant trends you don't actually enjoy it will spoil the experience of plant ownership.
Purchase the plants you enjoy and take good care of them and they will reward you 1000x over!
- Rachel
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