You have found yourself with a new houseplant and suddenly you blink... your house is filled with plants! Congrats!
Once you have mastered watering, light, and soil, you might find yourself searching through hundreds of Facebook posts where people are talking about plant products you've never heard of and might not understand. That's normal - the market is flooded with a variety of helpful accessories and products (and some that are not so helpful). While having a wide range of options available is a plant lover’s dream, it can easily feel overwhelming. We get it.
Here are the five (or six) types of products that are very helpful to have on hand.
Pest Management Products
Spider Mites and Mealies and Aphids, oh my! One of the realities of having houseplants is pests. No plant parent wants to get them, but every plant parent will encounter a battle with pests at least once. While fighting with any pest is not enjoyable, having the appopriate tools and mindset will help with an efficient defeat.
We recommend stocking up on Concentrated Neem Oil and Captain Jack's Dead Bug. These two products are used to manage a wide range of pests. Neem oil can also be used as a preventive spray and it is a great way to shine up you leaves! Check out our Neem based pest spray recipe in our Fall Houseplant Care Guide! Captian Jacks Dead Bug is produced by Bonide, a reputable brand for pest management.
Pots
Have you ever had the urge to repot your plants and realize that you do not have any pots to move them into? Next time, make sure to have some extra pots on hand - it's an easy way to prevent this from happening.
To make sure you're ready for your next late night plant project, stock up on containers in a variety of sizes in your favorite style or color! If you prefer plastic nursery pots, keep all of your old pots as you repot your plants. You can also try checking online marketplaces for folks looking to get rid of some of their old nursery pots after the spring planting season.
Soil & Soil Amendments
Speaking of late night repotting…. You are going to want to make sure you have some chunky mix and soil amendments on hand. Not having enough soil in the middle of repotting a plant can be frustrating (and LITF doesn't offer DoorDash, yet). Having a few soil amendments like perlite, worm castings, and coco chunks make it easier to customize smaller batches of soil depending on the plant you are repotting! For more in-depth information on soil check out our blog post all about our potting mix!
Moss Poles & Trellises
We've all experined having a monstera push out a new leaf overnight that resembles a tree branch. The whole plant usually starts tipping over and a real tree branch is used as a prop. Let's try to avoid that next time! Grab an extra moss pole or trellis to keep at home for the next growth spurt. Don’t forget the plant velcro, too!
As some plants grow, they need something to grab onto so they can continue growing. In nature, many of our favorite plants actually grow on or up trees. When these plants are able to climb moss pole that resembles a tree, their new leaves grow larger and larger, often transforming into the mature leaf shape. On plants that get fenestrations (holes in the leaves), adding a moss pole helps the fenestrations develop because the plant is able to mature. Don't forget plant velcro to secure the plant to the moss pole. Plant velcro is gentle on the stem of plants, while still securing the plant to the pole. Plus it is reusable!
Fertilizer
Just like humans, plants need food! Now, instead of feeding your Philodendron a big cheeseburger, try fertilizer instead! We will have an entire blog post on fertilizer soon, but we will give you some basics today!
Most high-quality fertilizer has three numbers that explain the fertalizer’s N-P-K ratio. N-P-K stands for Nitrogen-Phosphorus-Potassium. Plants depend on a steady dose of these three nutrients. Plant Breakfast 101: Nitrogen helps with leaf growth, Phosphorus helps with strong root development and flowers, and Potassium enhances plant’s overall growth. While N-P-K is a good start, plants do rely on some other nutrients, too. We will go in-depth on how to pick a fertilizer soon!
For most plants and conditions, we recommend a general all-purpose fertilizer like Dyna-Gro's GROW 7-9-5 that promotes both foliage and root growth. Keep fertilizer on hand and remember to set that calendar notification for more consistent feedings.
Planty Merch
Collecting houseplants is incrediblly rewarding and engaging, you may find that plants will begin to take over many aspects of your life! Adding planty merch is the prefect way to declare your love of plants to the rest of the word. Sporting LF merch or other plant accessories can also be a fun way to meet other plant lovers at work, in a brewery, or just out-and-about. Hanging a floral print in your cubical or using a Philodendron Verrusosum phone grip are an affordable way of getting a wishlist plant.
We hope this helps provide some context and guidance for you as you check out new planty products!
Thanks for reading, untill next week...GET LOST
LITF