Hey Nah,

When you’re starting out… growing plants may seem like a simple task – just add water and sunlight, right?

Well, not quite…

While plants have a remarkable ability to thrive in the wild, cultivating them indoors or in a garden can present a huge range of challenges.

In yesterday’s email, I painted a plant-lover's worst nightmare… a wilting, curling, yellow-leaved friend.

And because we’re friends now, I wanted to share with you some of the most common plant myths that can actually cause this travesty to happen in the first place!

Because contrary to popular belief, growing houseplants isn’t as easy as plopping them in a pot and crossing your fingers.

(Don’t want to read about it? I made a YouTube video on this exact topic. Check it out at the bottom of this email)

Myth #1: Repotting Every Spring: This tip suggests repotting plants annually to refresh the soil and promote growth. However, repotting too frequently can disrupt plant roots and cause unnecessary stress. Instead, top dressing with compost is a less disruptive alternative that still provides essential nutrients.

Myth #2 - “Only Plant in Pots with Drainage Holes”: This common bit of advice insists that pots must have drainage holes to prevent overwatering and root rot. While proper drainage is important, especially for beginners, it's not the only factor determining plant health. Many plants can thrive in pots without drainage holes if watered carefully and provided with well-draining soil.

Myth #3 - “Rotate Your Plants Weekly”: The belief that rotating plants weekly promotes even growth and aesthetic appeal does not apply to all plants. To be honest, many climbing plants prefer to grow in a specific direction to optimise light exposure and leaf positioning and constantly rotating them can actually disrupt their natural growth patterns and lead to misshapen or stressed foliage.

Myth #4 - “Yellow Leaves = PANIC”: Yellowing leaves are often seen as a sign of plant distress or disease, prompting immediate concern. However, yellowing leaves on their own are often a natural part of a plant's life cycle, especially as older leaves age and are shed to make way for new growth. It's always a good idea to first assess the overall health of the plant and consider factors like age, environmental conditions, and leaf location before getting too concerned about yellowing leaves.

Myth #5 - “Fertilise, Fertilise, Fertilise”: The idea that plants require regular fertilisation, particularly during the spring and summer months, is not entirely true. While fertilisation is essential for providing plants with essential nutrients, over fertilising can lead to nutrient imbalances, salt buildup in the soil, and even burn plant roots. Instead, I’d recommend focussing on providing adequate light and water, with fertilisation being supplementary and tailored to the plant's specific needs.

How’s that? Hope I pruned away some doubts there.

And here’s the video for you visually-inclined folk.

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In tomorrow’s email I want to share with you some more plant tips - this time I’m going back in time and revisiting some of my “best hits” videos for both beginner and expert plant parents alike.

Stay tuned,

Rich

P.S. If my emails have been giving you plant-fever, be sure to click here and check out my Houseplant SOS online course. You can grab it today for less than the price of a womens haircut (not that I would know).