Maximize Your (Plant) Growth With Journaling
Have you ever been scrolling old photos or enjoying social media memories albums when you see a ‘baby picture’ of one of your plants?
You’re blown away.
You do a double take.
How could they have grown so much without you taking notice?
You worked hard for them plant gains.
It feels good to revel in your top notch plant care regime.
It also makes you wonder...
How much are you missing out on?
Finding a Clever Approach
Introducing... the journal.
Think about it.
Doesn’t any good scientist need to document their process to improve their methods?
Doesn’t any good edible food gardener make note of their planting dates?
How can you efficiently design the most low effort, maximum output plant care practice without truly understanding your process?
I doubt you’ll remember the exact dates you purchased, repotted, or even last watered every residing member of your jungle.
It’s like they’re staring…
And if you do... just wait...
I remember when my thumb really started greenin’ up and my plant family inflated more than the american dollar in the last 100 years...
Trust me. Once your plant population reaches triple digits, you’re gonna wanna save yourself the time and get systematic with it.
Your Scientific Journal of Houseplants
While this may sound like dreary homework, you may be surprised at the delight you find in these records down the road.
Not to mention, some people have a lot of fun designing journals with both utility and aesthetics.
If you’re a helicopter plant parent like myself, I know you’ll have a little too much fun with this.
Consider designing a page dedicated to each plant you want to flourish. This is where you’ll document repotting dates and the resultant growth that ensues. (Pictures never hurt either! Nobody said this can’t be a picture book!)
Additionally, you may want to journal the care for this plant. This way, when a problem occurs you have the greatest gift of all...
Data.
You can analyze your watering habits beyond your rough memory. This could be the factor that helps you distinguish between wilt from overwatering or underwatering.
This also comes hella handy when you have a plant consultant, such as myself, on the scene. This takes a lot of the guesswork out of revealing issues in the care regime.
These journals can be adapted to your needs, whether you want to hone your pest treatment skills or simply see some progress photos throughout your plant’s life.
Of course, if this practice can transform your plant’s livelihood so very much, why not yours too?
Practicing Mindfulness for Facilitated Self Growth
While I’ve always enjoyed writing, the benefits of the daily practice weren’t apparent to me until I actually stuck with it for a bit.
At first I didn’t know what to write.
That is, If I even remembered to write in the first place...
Still, it was helping me at least know what day it was so it couldn’t be all bad, right?
I started with baby steps:
Noting the day, location, and time.
Documenting what I was doing and how I was feeling.
Musing about my aspirations in life, while still grounding in 3 points of gratitude.
As my journaling tactics began to transform, I saw a parallel change take place in my life.
I occasionally did some journaling prompts, all the while finding loads of clarity in otherwise uncertain and nerve wracking areas of my life.
I began creating daily and weekly schedules, initiating more effective processes and heightened productivity.
Some days brought more free form journaling, which typically invited a lot of creativity and inspiration into my mindset.
Still... Some days I go back to my baby steps.
And ya know what? That’s totally cool too!
I’d highly recommend trying this out for yourself and your plants - all the while, keeping it real, staying true to yourself, and having as much fun as possible.
