WHY DO MY PLANTS KEEP DYING? YOU MIGHT WONDER AND TYPE INTO GOOGLE SEARCH…

This Peace Lily did not get enough water :(

It’s almost always OVERWATERING. But there are so so many reasons why a plant will die… One thing you most likely won’t see other articles talk about is THE QUALITY OF THE SOIL! Which is why this article is the bestest and should skyrocket to the number one slot on google search.

I started incorporating interior plantscaping or plant design into my business after I met a plantscaper while organizing Reese Witherspoons’s home many years ago. Idolized this woman (the planscaper not Reese) although she did not know it. She was about to retire. She was almost 70. She cursed like a sailor. She was super fit and could lift a sixty pound pot like it was nothing. She was confident in what she wanted and what she created was always perfection. She had no website and was sought after by A-list celebrities and high-end interior designers. I told her I wanted to work for her and that I would do it for free. Despite her already having an assistant, she accepted. While working for her I learned about not only aesthetics but how to properly pot a plant. She eventually began to pay me, and then eventually retired. I got to go into some incredible homes while working for her and am forever grateful for the experience.

Sometimes my clients ask “is this an indoor or outdoor plant?” I remind them that all plants are outdoor plants and BUT they have been grown indoors and acclimatized to lower light so they can be placed indoors.

If you want a plant to thrive you need to figure out where the species originates from and try to replicate their natural habitat. For example, orchids are epiphytes and grow off the sides of trees in extremely humid tropical climates like the swamps of Florida - which is why watering orchids with ice cubes is no bueno. It’s a myth and I beg you to stop the torture now.

As I live in California, I often say “I don’t fuck with ferns.” Ferns are good only for a photoshoot. Trying to keep a maiden hair fern alive will raise my blood pressure and lower my life expectancy. Ferns grow in super moist locations and will easily crisp in the dry climate of California. They might do okay if you can provide them humidity and shield them from direct sun but one neglectful day and they will dry up. There are however fern varieties that are exceptions like the asperagus fern, who can go a long long time without water, but also prefers shade.

“I don’t fuck with ferns.” Lisa Shields - Plant Expert

Crispy dying maiden hair fern, money down the drain

As a general rule, most plants do not like their roots sitting in a pool of water. The amount of water you give a plant will depend on the amount of light it’s getting. And the amount of light it gets depends on the variety of plant.

Get a moisture meter to see how wet you plant gets and how fast it dries and adjust accordingly. Some plants like to dry out before being watered. Some plants should never be allowed to dry out, like the fishtail Palm. Although the fucking fishtail palm also does not like to sit in water. A fickle plant but I’ve outsmarted it by always keeping the tray filled with water so it can drink when it wants.

Some plants like to forever be on the dry side, like dracaenas, sansevieria, cactus and and most ficus. Peace lilies are fast growers, don’t like hot sun, and need so much water, which is why you only see their asses at Christmas because they will not survive long unless they have expert care.

Now for the soil…a lot of nurseries plant their plants in cheap soil. Home Depot soil for example is bad because most of it is ground wood chips that contain no nutrients. Some soil will be too dense and not allow a plant that needs good drainage to properly dry out. Dracaenas which mostly come from Hawaii should be planted in volcanic rock so the water can touch the roots and drain past and out so the roots are never wet. Dracaenas do not like a lot of water.

Basically, do your homework for each plant you get or HIRE AN EXPERT (me) to save you time and money and install it properly once and for all.

xo