So, you just ordered a plant and you have no idea what to expect. We’ve all been there—it feels like a first date where you’re super excited about the person, but you could also throw up at any moment because you don’t want to ruin it. Here are a few steps that could make or break your first date plant:
Assess your light. Figuring out what type of light you get in your space and where you will be placing your plant is arguably the most important step in the process. In fact, you should have already done this before even ordering your plant. Do you receive full, direct light or low, indirect light? Is your source of light east or south-facing?
The point we’re trying to make is that, like dating, compatibility is key.
Unbox your plant.
So your plant arrived, amazing. But don’t rush things—all good things take time. Carefully cut the tape on top of the box so that the foliage that sometimes comes to the top doesn’t get damaged. Once opened, grab the handle of the inner box and pull it out. Locate the corner tab on the side of the box and pop it out so that it sits flush with the rest of the box. Finally, tilt the box back to a 45-degree angle and press the center tab found on the bottom of the box until all tabs unlock. Slowly place the box down onto the floor and pull the box up to reveal your plant. Maybe even capture some slo-mo #content and tag @heyrooted?
Remove excelsior and packaging materials. When you take your plant out, you’ll notice excelsior (wood shavings) and/or kraft paper wrapped around it. Go ahead and remove all of these for they’re only included to protect your plant during transit.
Assess plant health. Now that you’ve unboxed your plant, it’s time for a quick inspection. If the plant is looking healthy and happy, thank your delivery person. Plants commonly get stressed during the shipping process, so don’t be alarmed if you do notice a wilted or yellow leaf, just leave it for now. If you think there may be something wrong like excessive drooping, discoloration, and/or broken stems, shoot over a few pictures to hello@heyrooted.com and we’ll get you sorted.
Finger your plant. Grow up, this is serious. You’re going to want to get into the habit of doing this to make sure your plant is getting the water it needs to succeed. You can find your plant’s specific watering needs on the page from which it was purchased. If the soil is very dry, give it a thorough soaking. Water can greatly reduce the stress of transit, so make sure not to skip this step. Not entirely sure how to finger and/or water a plant?
To re-pot or not? So you already know where you’ll be placing your new plant, but how will you display it? If you already have a pot that is at least 1-2” larger in diameter than the nursery container the plant arrived in, we suggest re-potting it ASAP. These plastic nursery containers (we highly recommend terracotta) are not meant to house your new baby forever. It’s imperative that you re-pot your plant if you see roots escaping from the bottom or poking out on the top. If this is not the case, feel free to hold off for a bit, but we always say the sooner the better. Oh, how convenient, another quick how-to for those of you that don’t know how to pot a plant.
Place your plant. Remember step 1? It’s time to get your plant set up in that one spot you picked out. Monitor it’s health over the next week or so and if you think the light may be too high or too low, consider a new spot.
There you have it. By following these seven simple steps, you’ll have a radioactive green thumb in no time. If the thumb actually starts glowing then consult your local physician. Finally, don’t hesitate to ask for help by emailing us at hello@heyrooted.com. We got you.