Surviving The Plantdemic

literally me

It’s a real dumpster fire out there so let’s talk about plants that make your home feel like a safe, lush oasis during these crappy times. I don’t know about y’all but we’re not leaving our house much these days. My own personal plant collection has grown into what can only be described as Poison Ivy’s lair with a little less graffiti.

Being outside, being in nature makes us feel better. There’s actual science behind it!

The bummer of course being that we are living in COVID times currently and we’re forced to spend more time indoors. Many of us are working from home and trying to create a space that sets them up for success every day. Plants reduce stress, increase oxygen (when you have a shit load of them) and most importantly they heal our hearts.

The yogi in me believes that to help heal your heart chakra, we need to spend more time in nature. Bringing plants indoors with us is a great way to soak up some of that healing green plant energy. Plus, caring for plants is one of my favorite moments of Zen to look forward to each week. Watering, inspecting for pests, and pruning get me feeling like I’m as mellow as Mr Miyagi with a bonsai tree.

Here’s some of our favorite indoor plants to make your home feel like a cozy jungle:

The Paul Rudd of Plants “Hey Man! I went to Trader Joe’s for Dip!”

The Pothos Vine - What a crowd pleaser this guy is! Everyone’s favorite. I imagine a Pothos to be the guy who walks into a party and everyone shouts “POTHOOOOOOOOS!!” when they see him. Everyone knows his name. He comes in a lot of varieties and is relatively easy to take care of. A real laid back, good dude. He would even show up with drinks AND A DIP if he came to your party. A good dip too.

Pothos can deal with low light up to bright indirect light. They’re just not into too much direct sun, they’ll burn. They are also very tolerant of neglect. Water them when the soil feels dry, usually about once a week to 10 days. You’ll notice leaves folding and wilting when he’s really thirsty. PSA: Pothos are not pet safe, if you’ve got a plant nibbler at home keep this one away from them.

Philodendrons - Another fine vine! This vining plant is my fave to the point where I think I have about 13 of them in my house. They love bright indirect light, which I have a ton of. They can also deal with low light just fine and are kinda like the more tropical version of the pothos. Like the pothos’ distant cousin, by marriage. She’s got lovely heart shaped leaves and comes in beautiful variations. Like the Brazilian Philodendron with a yellow stripe. She’s just as laid back as Pothos. Requiring little work and propagates even easier!

Like that friend you only talk to 4 times a year, it’s okay! We’ll catch up soon, we’re both busy!

Dracaena or Dragon Tree - You probably have one of these you picked up from Ikea when you were in college! I’m a fan of these plants, because they come in so many different colors and grow pretty quick. They have a real 70’s beachy vibe to them and they’re also low maintenance. They love indirect bright light and don’t require water very often. If you’ve got leaves falling off frequently, it’s getting too much water. Yellowing and leaf drop = too much water.

Succulents + Cacti - If you’re someone who forgets to water your plants, give succulents or cacti a try. The biggest reason people kill these is from overwatering. Overwatering can still happen even if you are giving your cactus a thimble full of water a month but he’s sitting in a glass container with no drainage. These desert dwellers need drainage! That’s why we say when in doubt, just don’t water them. They need bright sun to live their best lives. Succulents and cacti do best in bright, sunny locations. Water them when the soil feels very dry. About once a week in the summer, then in winter you can reduce to once a month.

Tips To Keep All Your New Plants Alive & Thriving

Schedule yourself some planting time. Get your hands dirty, dig in some dirt and water your plants. Every Wednesday and Sunday are my watering days. For about 2 hours each of those days, I pop headphones in and water my plants. It’s my time to listen to podcasts I love, or dance around to music I’d be embarrassed for anyone else to hear.

Get personal. Get to know your plants. Get used to sticking your finger into the soil and feeling when they need water. This is probably like 80% of being a Plant Lady. Just learning when your plant needs water. I can tell you to water your pothos every 7-10 days but maybe your pothos is under an AC vent and dries out fast, maybe it needs water every 5 days. Figuring out your plant’s watering schedule takes a little practice. For most lower maintenance plants like we’ve talked about here, you’ll want to water when the soil is dry to your first knuckle on your finger. About 1-2” down into the soil. If it’s still wet down there, no need to water just yet.

Find your light. This is just a good rule for everyone in every way. Find your light in life, in love, in selfies and in your house so you know what kind of plants will do best! If you’ve got nothing but morning sun, succulents won’t do well but lower light plants like ferns and most tropicals will be your jam. If you can’t keep certain plants alive, it might not be you! It might just be that you don’t have the right light for them.