Reasons Why Your New Plants Aren’t Thriving

There’s nothing quite like picking out some beautiful plants for your area!

Whether you want a potted plant or a wall installment, plants are

sure to brighten and add life to your space. As you get your plants, you may be stumped as to why they aren’t thriving. Don’t panic! Three main culprits tend to be why your new plants aren’t quite thriving yet.

They’re Adapting to Their Surroundings

We know you’re excited for your new plant to flourish, and with the proper love and care, it will! However, your new plant can take some time to get used to its surroundings. Typically, it takes around two weeks for your new plant to get comfortable in your new spot! So, give it some time, and make sure you know what your plant needs to thrive!

Improper Light

Each plant will need a different amount of light to not only survive, but thrive! Our plants need anywhere from low to bright lighting, so ensuring your area can provide that is key. For example, an Allii Ficus tree requires bright light levels, whereas our Aspidistra requires medium to low light levels. To tell the difference, there are a few things to keep an eye out for:

If your plant has yellow or brown leaves, it’s a sign that it has been exposed to too much light. This can be from other things; however, if the leaves are still intact and displaying these signs, they are likely burnt.

If your plant has leaves that are pale, or have slowed or stopped growing, it’s likely that they aren’t receiving enough light.

For either of the above, the adjustment is simple: simply move your plant to an area that is more fitting for them—less light for burnt, more light for deficient.

Under-or-Over Watering

Much like sunlight, different plants need different amounts of water! You may think that too much water is better than not enough, but that is not the case- you can actually drown your plant! It’s important to know how much water your plant needs and water accordingly.

To tell if you have drowned your plant, or conversely, underwatered it, here are some tips:

Overwatered plants will have yellowing and wilted leaves. It may begin to smell sour and will likely be dripping water. To fix an overwatered plant, allow the plant to properly drain before watering again.

Underwatered plants also have wilted leaves (albeit the underwatered ones are dry, as opposed to the overwatered ones being limp) that droop. Another sign is if it appears that the soil is pulling away from the container. To fix an underwatered plant, water the plant and trim away any dead growth.

The above information may seem overwhelming, but don’t worry! We offer services such as plant rentals and maintenance if you want to ease into your plant keeping. At Kim Parker Plants, we love our plants, and we know you will too. We proudly serve the Silicon Valley and Bay areas with our award-winning plants, and would love to assist you in getting your installations and plants. To get started, call us at (408) 262-8989!