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Green and Blooming Plant Care Tips
We're thrilled to provide plants as a gifting option. Here are some care tips for various kinds of plants that are often sent as gifts:
Talk to your plants, enjoy them and revel in them - they respond to good feelings and intentions as much as people - and the loving care you give them will nourish your soul, too!
Green Houseplants:
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Medium light, indirect, either in a North, or East-facing window or in a room with diffused light.
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Take a look and see if the pot or container has a hole on the bottom or not - care is really different based on this one option!
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For pots WITH a hole: Make sure to water it in the sink, or with something underneath it so that your desk or table doesn't have water spilling.
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For pots or containers WITHOUT a hole: water carefully 1-2 times a week, and if you feel it has a lot of water/too much, take it to the sink, and gently tilt it to the side so excess water can run out - the roots can 'drown' if they're sitting in water, unless it's a plant that grows in wet or bog-like conditions in it's natural setting.
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How often should I water? typically with house plants you want to keep the soil moist and not too soggy and not too dry. Unless it's a succulent (see below).
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If the soil dries out to the point that it's hard and water runs through it quickly without really wetting the soil, you will want to soak the whole pot in water for about 215-30 minutes until the soil is completely saturated (either in the sink with water at least half way up to the soil level, or in a pot without a hole, fill the pot and let the water sit and then drain it).
Succulent Gardens
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Succulents are very drought tolerant and really like drier soil, but will shrivel if not watered at all - different than an actual cactus!
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Water succulents a little bit every week - even an ice cube or two placed on the soil at different spots to soak in can be enough for a smaller container.
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Succulent gardens can sit in direct sun either outside or inside, and will want more water if they are.
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See notes above regarding whether the pot has a hole or not, also, and adjust for succulent care.
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Another strategy that some use is to lightly and completely soak the soil, as long as the soil is fast-draining, and then leave it until the soil is dry.
Orchid Plants:
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Orchids are - in their natural homes, they grow in moist tropical settings on the sides of trees or cliffs.
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Watering: your orchid should be potted in orchid bark, which will absorb moisture and release it back to the orchid - every week, fully submerge the orchid bark in water for 20-30 minutes, and then drain off. If the orchid is potted in a more normal potting soil, keep the soil evenly moist and not too soggy.
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In our Arizona dry climate, here are a few ways you can support them:
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mist them daily or every few days with regular water (or distilled water if you're concerned about mineral spots from the mist)
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place the container they are in onto a tray filled with rocks, and add water to the tray to below the container level, so the water evaporates up around the orchid (though now with concerns about mosquitoes breeding in standing water, this would not be a good option if you keep it outdoors, or if mosquitoes get into your home from outside).
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keep your orchid in a very well lit bathroom, where the extra moisture from your shower or bath boosts it
Other Blooming Plants:
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See the notes for green houseplants, regarding whether the pot has a hole or not and general watering.
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Blooming plants like some sunshine, but not so hot that it dries them out. The blooms will typically last longer if they get some sunshine.
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Most blooming plants will bloom for a few weeks or longer. Once the blooms are gone, you should be able to cut the dried blooms off and have a healthy green plant. It might bloom again if sun and moisture conditions are right, or it might not.