Used to buy houseplants on impulse, now I wait a full month before committing

I mean, I used to walk into a nursery and grab whatever looked pretty at the moment. Usually ended up with something that hated my low light living room and died within 3 weeks. About 6 months ago I started taking photos of plants I like and then going home to check their needs on my phone first. Last week I went back for a Calathea I spotted in March and it was still there, so I finally bought it. Has anyone else started doing research before buying, or is it just me?

3 comments

3 Comments

ray_sullivan8d agoMost Upvoted

30 days is smart. i do the same thing now after killing like 4 fittonias in a row cause i just grabbed them without checking if my bathroom had enough light. @the_mia that darryl cheng episode was huge for me too, his whole "buy with your brain" thing stopped me from grabbing a white fusion calathea on a whim last month. i just keep a folder of screenshots on my phone now and if something sticks around for a few weeks i look up the actual care.

the_mia8d ago

Did you catch that episode of On the Ledge where Darryl Cheng talked about shopping for plants with your brain instead of your eyes? It really changed how I look at buying houseplants now. I mean, it's so easy to fall for a pretty leaf and ignore its actual needs. Reading his stuff made me realize I was just wasting money on plants that were doomed from day one.

nina_hall488d ago

Expanding on what @the_mia said, Darryl Cheng's whole point about plant shopping was a real wake-up call for me too. That Calathea I waited months for? Checked its care sheet, figured out it needed humidity trays and filtered water, so I set up a pebble tray a week before buying it. Now I keep a running note on my phone called "maybe plants" with photos and light requirements, and if a plant is still on that list after two paychecks, it actually has a fighting chance in my apartment.