New plant parent
Bringing your new plant home
Moving a plant stresses it out so bringing it home from shop or garden centre to home will cause it some stress. What you need to do is not cause anymore trauma while it settles into it’s new home.
So that being said even if your new plant looks like it needs more room, wait a few months to re-pot it.
Healthy houseplants should have green leaves, but it’s normal for some plants to lose a few leaves after having gone through the shock of being transported from a greenhouse to a supermarket/nursery and then to your home. There’s no need to panic. Simply cut off the yellow or yellowing leaves with a pair of sharp secateurs.
Now a little ‘bringing your new plant home routine’
A few easy steps to ensure your current plants and new plant stay happy
Quarantine your new plant
Even if you have bought your plant form your trusted favourite plant shop, for example, NOOD Stores ;) you really should still quarantine your plant for extra protection against spreadable fungus or pest infestation.
I will always advocate for a strict quarantine of the new houseplants for the first 2 to 3 weeks. This means keeping it a safe distance away from your existing houseplants .
Even quarantine the plants you buy from other people and the ones that you get from plant swaps or gifts.
Check for Pests
A plant could already be infested with bugs when it arrives at your house. Examine leaves for holes or jagged edges along with discoloration. Bugs also like to hang out on stalks and stems. Using a magnifying glass to look for pests on your plants or in the soil can help. Remember that pests such as the thrips and mealybugs are hard to spot with the naked eye and their eggs are often hidden at or below soil level.
If you find pests, start treatment immediately. Neem oil is a great way to rid of bugs a natural way. It’s a little stinky but works well.
Here is how to inspect your plant for pests
- start with the leaf surface;
- then check the underside of the leaves;
- inspect along the petioles (the short sticks that help attach the leaf to the stem);
- scan the stem;
- and end by inspecting the surface of the soil.
But what exactly are you looking for?
Here are the most common signs of pests that you may notice on a houseplant:
- Mealybugs – these are small, powdery-looking bugs;
- Spider mites – you’ll first notice a delicate web underneath the leaf and along the petiole;
- White flies – they look like tiny flying specks and resemble mealybugs;
- Aphids – they are bright-green, pear-shaped juicy bugs;
- Thrips – they’re very hard to spot because they are the color of the potting soil; a telltale sign of a thrip infestation is black dots on the surface of the leaves and along the stem.
Aclimatise
Your plant will want to acclimatise to the new home. Light is crucial in the new setting, place your new plant in bright areas for at least three or four weeks and then move them to their final location
If you’re bringing it from another house, replicate the conditions it was happy in
Your new plant may get a little sad due to the move and not look so healthy. Don’t be tempted to move your plant trying to find a spot that will make it happier. It needs time to relax and settle into it’s new sot. It’ll perk up if its in the right light, warmth and has the correct amount of water.
Don’t panic!! We will cover that in our plant care guide below.
Now you have checked your plant and acclimatised it… it’s ready for it’s more permanent placement in your home and on to some long term plant care guidance. You can always come back to this when you need a little reminder.
