When to Leave it Alone

Philodendron Golden Melinonii with Pervious Heat Spots Due to Lack of Air Flow, Now Growing Happily

Plants, like us, often take time for changes in environment and conditions to take effect. When we notice something is not right with our plants, it may be an immediate fix that shows positive results quickly, or it could be something that takes longer for improvements to be seen. The important thing to remember is that overall, the more we fuss with our plants changing their position, watering levels, and such, the less likely they will be to settle, thrive and grow the way we hope. Let’s look at when to take immediate action with our plants, and when to leave them alone.

Signs of Pests (Spider Mite)

When to take immediate action

There are times when we need to take immediate action if our plants don’t look quite as they should. This can be a need for water when a plant is drooping or the leaves have gone pale. Immediately watering a dry plant can improve its look within hours and helps the plant to stay healthy and strong over time. Some plants will dramatically tell you it’s time for moisture, such as a Spathiphyllum or Oxalis with its leaf droop, or colour change such as a Spider Plant with its suddenly greying leaves. Others may have yellowing leaves at the base or lose their plumpness which can take longer to spot, and for some, you may need to actively feel the soil before lack of water causes issues. Whatever the plant, taking action to keep its moisture levels correct is immediate and shows results fast.

Yellowing Lower Leaves, a Sign to Increase Water

Another sign that needs to be addressed when noticed is pest damage. Noticing leaves that have been chewed, bugs on leaves, or other telltale signs of pests requires immediate action. If left, infestations can kill plants, especially with pests like Spidermite and Mealy Bug. Leaving plants that have pests can also cause the problem to spread to more of your indoor plants. Immediately washing off the leaves and possibly isolating a pest-ridden plant, then spraying it with appropriate treatment will help ensure the future health of your plants.

Light is perhaps the biggest issue for plants and one that requires immediate action. Light can be difficult to get right in our homes as our perception is vastly different from a plant’s and well-meaning placement can be a mistake. For example, dappled or filtered light outside can be bright, whereas dappled or filtered light inside is medium to low. Putting a plant that needs bright indirect light into a filtered light position can therefore cause issues to the plants’ growth with the light level being too low for health and development. Moving a plant to a brighter position should happen as soon as you become aware the light level is incorrect, signaled by gaining new information, or the plant itself showing signs of a lack of light. This will also help with watering as a plant in the wrong light position will often have water issues too. We recommend using a LUX meter to ensure the perfect placement of your plants, you can find more information on that in our previous blog on light found here.

These issues and signs all need immediate action once brought to your attention for the future health of your plant. However, once we have addressed these immediate issues its time to leave it alone.

“The important thing to remember is that overall, the more we fuss with our plants changing their position, watering levels, and such, the less likely they will be to settle, thrive and grow the way we hope.”

When to leave it alone

Often, once an issue has been noticed and addressed, we expect to see our plants pick up, perhaps put out new growth, and generally stop losing leaves or conditions the way they were before and this is the time when many people continue to fuss when the plant just needs to be left alone.

Philodendron Goeldii Cut Back, Then Left Alone

It is important to remember that when a pant has an issue, the damage is done, then expresses slowly over time. If an Epipremnum Aureum has not had enough water, it will begin losing leaves, first yellowing then falling, from the base of the plant. We may notice one or two and increase the water level to stop the issue immediately. However, if the plant has had damage from being too dry, more leaves will fall even after correcting the water levels, as their damage was already done and need to express itself. If more yellowing leaves occur and the water is therefore increased again, the plant will be too wet. This will then cause new damage to the already stressed plant. Adjusting the water and then leaving the plant alone will allow it to express damage done, then grow happily in the coming weeks. Hours or even days is not enough time for the plant to return to health. Another plant that will take time to show improvement very clearly is the Ficus Family. If the light is too low, Ficus will shed lower leaves to put growth into the top of the plant hoping to seek out a brighter position. When the leaves start to fall, people may initially think the plant is too dry and increase water further compounding the problem. Once the light is adjusted, however, it will take some time for the plant to stop loosing leaves and begin growing normally. Moving the plants position every few days in the hope the leaf fall will stop means the plant cannot adjust and will beome further stressed.

From these examples, we can see that once a problem is noticed, leaving the plant alone is safer than continually changing something. Time is needed for the new conditions to take hold and the plant to start expressing happiness or displeasure with the changes. It can be that the new conditions are still not quite right, however it takes weeks, not days, for that to become apparent. Fast action can end up causing more damage, or even death, than watching a waiting.

This can be seen in our ‘Clearance Plants’ when available. They are cleared due to looking a little ugly or worse for wear, not because there is a growth or health problem. Most have had some sort of issue with the growing environment in the Nursery. This may be pest damage requiring the plant to be treated and cut back, it could be a plant that was hidden at the back of a tray, having its light and water swallowed up by other plants, or it could even be a plant that did not have enough airflow and developed spots or fungus. In all of these situations, the plant issues are corrected and the health of the roots is ensured in the coming weeks. After that, sitting on the plants until full, lush, and attractive again can take some time, which can occur in homes and doesn’t require a Nursery environment. These plants are perfect examples of leaving it alone as health is now fine, and new growth will come in time.

Ficus Audrey Cut Right Back After Pests

Now Growing Normally & Happily

Benefits of ‘Independent’ Plants

Loving our indoor plants and wanting the best for them is an understandable pursuit, and changing things to ensure they are living their best life is part of every home grower’s desire. Plants in the wild however rarely have the same attention and ever-changing conditions. They need to struggle and strive to become the strongest, tallest, and healthiest plants they can be. Sometimes, we need to take a ‘leaf’ out of their book and allow our plants to toughen up too. Obviously, in a home environment, our plants are dependent on us for water and fertiliser. They cannot sink their roots deeper into the soil to find these nourishing elements like their outdoor siblings can, however, they can learn to develop tolerance to less water, less food, correct lighting, and more if we allow them to. A plant that is left until it needs intervention, is a strong plant. Big issues need to be addressed, but small ones don’t and a strong plant can then develop.

Here at Verdant Dwellings, we pot into the highest quality soil for plant health, and due to its ability to hold nutrients and water longer than other potting mixes. Our plants can be left to develop and grow without the need for constant intervention, feeding, and watering. This shows as the plants develop strong and healthy, even after they have left the Nursery, especially when in a good light position. They will tolerate too much or too little water easily if the light is correct, and develop strong and healthy roots that can cope with stressors well.

An independent plant also allows you to have a life beyond your greenery! With life always busy with things like work, study, kids, pets, social life and more, finding time to fuss over your plants can be hard, and knowing they can be left happily to grow and develop is a great thing. So unless it is a new and immediate fix problem, try leaving your plants alone for a while. You will really get to see what they need and love.

Happy Growing!