Caring for plants isn’t overly complicated — it just comes down to a few key elements done right. With a handful of good habits, your plants will be thriving in no time.

In this guide, we’ll help you avoid the most common care mistakes and share a set of easy, go-to tips you can rely on for looking after your houseplants successfully.

Let’s dive into our quick top tips below:

LIGHTING:

• Know your plant’s light needs. 
  • Different plants thrive in bright, indirect, low, or direct sunlight.
  • Check each plant’s preference in our A-Z Guides.
• Observe natural light patterns. 
  •  Notice how sunlight moves through your space during the day and place plants accordingly.
• Avoid sudden changes
  • Moving a plant from low to intense light can shock it; acclimate gradually.
• Rotate regularly.
  • Turn plants periodically so all sides receive light and grow evenly.
• Supplement if needed
  •  Light changes throughout the seasons; adjust plant positioning or supplement with grow lights, especially in winter.
• Optimise lighting by keeping your plants' leaves clean
  • Wipe leaves regularly with a soft lightly damp cloth to remove any dust blocking light.

WATERING

• Establish a regular schedule to check whether the plants need water; only water them if it is necessary. ○ Consider getting a Water Meter to guide your decision-making. 
  • Always water by effect, not timing! 
  • Check whether you need to water; if not, skip watering until the next scheduled check. 

How to Check if Your Plant Needs Water:

•  3 Ways to Check if a Plant Needs Watering:
  • Look: is it drooping, or are the ends dry? underwatering. Are there yellowing leaves? Generally overwatering.
    Be mindful though, that yellowing can be part of your plant's natural cycle or caused by another symptom. 
  • Weigh: Is it light (the soil has less water) or heavy (the soil is saturated with water)? 
  • Feel: the soil, 4-6 cm deep -Is it wet or moist? 
• Don't let plants sit in water; empty excess water out of pots and drip trays.
• With Large plants – make sure to water effectively. 
  • Take to sink, balcony, etc.; soak them; let water run through a few times until all the soil is wet/moist.
  • Note that the more soil you have, the more water retention, meaning longer periods of drying out = less frequent watering.
• It is always easier to fix underwatering vs. overwatering. 
  • If in doubt, don't water! Read up more on Watering here. 

Seasonal Adjustments

• Be aware that different seasons bring different conditions:
  • Definitely, in winter/cooler months, err on the side of underwatering. 
  • Rather “tie a plant over” by “spot watering”, i.e., just enough, to avoid relative overwatering in cooler months. 
• Plants grow faster in the summer, using more water; be sure to check in more often than in the cooler months, but be mindful of just watering.
  • Remember to assess soil before watering.

HUMIDITY

• Know your plant’s humidity preference. 
  • Tropical plants often need higher humidity, while succulents prefer drier air.
• Monitor indoor humidity 
  • Heating and air conditioning systems dry the air.
• Watch for symptoms of low humidity
  • Browning leaf edges, curling leaves, or slow growth can indicate the air is too dry.
• Group plants together or use boosters 
  • Trays with water and pebbles, misting, humidifiers and strategic placement such as in bathrooms and kitchens, help raise local humidity.
• Avoid sudden changes
  • Keep plants away from drafts; open doors and windows.
• For more on managing humidity, check out: The Ultimate Guide to Humidity for thriving houseplants.

CHECKING PLANT CARE SYMPTOMS:

• Build a culture of "plant awareness"—not  just on the water-checking day. 
  • If you notice something – drooping, yellow leaves – this might indicate that attention is needed. 
• Pests hide on stems, in crevices and under leaves. Check regularly, especially if you notice discolouration and leaf deformity.
  • Use this guide to identify pests.
  • Check out our Pesticide Guide here.
• Take photos of the plant to compare against if you need support in tracking changes in the condition of the plant. 
• Early interventions and prevention related to care are better than waiting. 
• Check in with us if any issues arise.
  • Check the list of symptoms for each plant. 
• If you notice symptoms, don’t panic or overreact by watering more; check in on symptoms and manage accordingly. 
  • Rather set up a regular care regime; once the issue has been identified and managed, the plant will settle and start growing normally again.

FEEDING

• Be sure to feed your plants over time to keep them healthy.
  • Here's a guide on fertilising. 
  • Top Tip: The faster the plant grows, the more regularly you feed. i.e., every 2 weeks
    The slower it grows the less you feed it, i.e., once a month
• It is best to only feed from spring through summer.
  • Light winter feeding is only required if the plants are still actively growing.
    
• Check out our Guide on choosing the best fertiliser for you and your plants' needs.

REPOTTING

When to repot or upsize?

Upsizing = Plant needs more space to grow.
Repot = Plant stays in the same container to manage size, but soil is refreshed.

• Upsize every 1–2 years (on average). 
  •  Most plants benefit from a refresh in this timeframe, though slow growers can go longer.
• Repot only if the soil has a sisease or needs a refresh.
• Best season is spring/early summer
  • plants are actively growing and can recover from root disturbance more easily.
• 4 Signs it is time to upsize
  • If roots are growing through drainage holes or circling tightly inside the pot, it’s time.
  • This occurs when the soil dries out too fast, stays soggy, or appears compacted.
    Repotting with fresh soil can help.
  • Growth slowdown: if a normally thriving plant seems stunted despite good care, it may need more root space or new nutrients.
  • The Plant keeps toppling over: This means the plant is about 3 time bigger than it's container and needs a larger more stable environment.
    

What to do when repotting or upsizing:

• Choose the right pot size 
  • Only increase the pot diameter by about 3–5 cm; too big a jump can cause overwatering issues.
• Refresh the soil
  • Replace as much old soil as possible with a fresh, high-quality potting mix suited to your plant.
• Loosen the roots. 
  • Gently tease out any roots that are circling the rootball to encourage new growth.
    Be careful; some plants like Ficus and Peace Lilies do not like their roots disturbed; avoid messing with their roots.
• Water lightly after repotting
  • Rather repot a dry plant
  • Water lightly; let the plant settle and the roots adjust to the new soil.
• Reduce stress. 
  •  Keep the plant in similar light and temperature conditions for a week or two after repotting to minimise shock.

Need help repotting? We've got you! Check out our services here.

• Here is another wonderful guide to caring for houseplants: Beginner's Guide to Plant Care

HAPPY PLANT PARENTING!!!!