Creating Perfect Plant Conditions

What is the first thing you do upon bringing a new plant home from the nursery? 

Maybe you do a quick web search to figure out your care routine. 

Maybe you’re the kind of person to take one look at the plant tag and wing it. 

Did you know there’s another, more intuitive, method for figuring out the perfect plant conditions?

In fact, this method helps you infer the plant’s preference for light, soil, water, and air without digging through a single vague plant care guide. 

While the method may seem a little simple and free form, it will yield a greater understanding of your plant overall.

For someone who can’t decode these guides, doesn’t have the time, or simply wants to develop their plant intuition... this method may be for you.

It’s as simple as answering one question, which will give rise to a whole arsenal of clues to structure your plant care routine on. 

It all lies in determining your plant’s native habitat.

Hey baby, where you from?

I start with a simple web search for the plant’s native homeland, so I can make it feel right at home in my urban jungle. 

If you’re unfamiliar with the landscape, it’s as simple as taking a look at some photos.

This alone is enough to help us determine our first clue. 

Air

Does your plant originate from a dense jungle?

Then chances are it appreciates air thick with humidity - a slight breeze may even be in order.

From there, we can work to simulate these conditions to the best of our abilities. 

Maybe it’s a routine misting or a special spot in the bathroom. 

You may grace your plant with a little fan or cluster him amidst his friends so he can feel right at home. 

On the other hand, you may discover that your plant comes from the dry deserts of Africa, where many of our succulents friends are native.

We could infer that humidity isn’t such a priority, but in your search you come across another helpful clue.

You learn about the winter rainy season and can infer that your succulent will begin it’s active growth season during this time. 

With this knowledge, we can further hone our plant care routine by watching out for increased thirst during this cool season. 

This actually brings me to my next point...

Water

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to deduce that the jungle yields heavier drinkers while arid regions yield drought tolerant plants.

There is much more we can gather from water alone. 

Like our succulent example, you may discover a rainy season and infer periods of increased thirst.

We can take it a step further.

In fact, we can deduce clues about a plant’s feeding preferences by the abundance of water in their homeland. 

Places with lots of weather will have a greater abundance of water, and therefore more plants will readily grow. 

It’s this same abundance of weather which helps to break down dead plant matter and return those nutrients to the soil. 

For this reason, we can deduce that heavier feeders come from regions with lots of weather - such as a jungle or temperate forest. 

On the other hand, places with a scarcity of water will have a greater scarcity of live materials. 

This scarcity of weather and water means there are less materials breaking down more slowly.

The go getters, who are tolerant of infrequent feedings, are the ones who settle these harsh terrains - such as a rocky mountaintop or desert.

Light

We can’t talk about plant care without the topic of light coming up. 

It may seem straightforward at first, as we assume desert plants love sun and jungle plants will tolerate shade. 

There’s plenty of benefit to come from looking a bit deeper. 

The desert plant for instance...

Does it only pop up in the shade of other plants in the wild? Maybe tone that sun exposure down.

Is it a tough pioneer, bracing the full sun out on it’s own? Then let it shine!

The jungle plant on the other hand...

Does it capture what little light it can get on the bottom of the forest floor? Then sure, stick it in that low light spot. 

Do its leaves reach the sunny upper canopy? Then be sure to give it the light it’s so eager to reach for!

While this method may seem challenging at first, it can yield a deeper, more intuitive understanding of your plant’s ideal setup. 

Instead of simply memorizing care, you’re developing your plant intuition, honing your senses, and greening your thumb!

It helps to truly put yourself in the roots of your plant for just a few moments, because everything is not as it seems at first glance.