Over the years a number of ideas have come to be accepted as part of the conventional wisdom of plant care.
Maybe your great aunt has been doing this certain thing for 50 years and her plants are all alive, maybe you have read about it online, or the care tag on a plant gave you the care info and you’re just not sure.
In this blog, we will talk about some houseplant care misconceptions and debunk the plant myths.
Myth #1: Misting Leaves
Most plants that are kept indoor are tropical plants. So misting plants will increase humidity in the environment, which is suitable for plants, right?
The answer is surprisingly NO, misting does not surplus the current situation. Think of it this way, misting increases humidity in the surrounding for a few minutes and then it is back to normal as water evaporates. If you are really in need of raising the humidity level around a plant, use Humidifier.
Myth #2: Plants grow bigger in bigger pots
No! Another common myth.
Plants thrive in pots that are balanced equivalent to the size of plants.
If you repot a plant in a much bigger pot it will complicate watering and fertilization. Bigger pot will hold water for more time and it can cause rot in the roots. Also if you fertilize soil as per bigger pot, there are higher chances of burning your root nodes and eventually the plant will die.
If they survive, the plant will utilize more energy in spreading roots in pot than in growing new leaves and flowers.
Myth #3: Yellow leaves means over watered
Yellow leaves means over watered
When a plant parent sees yellow leaves the first thing parade in the mind is over watering. But it can be due to many other circumstances. Underwater also leads to yellow leaves, but water may not be the issue.
Tropical plants can perpetuate due to temperature, Inadequate light may lead to yellowing of leaves, over fertilization or little fertilization also causes this situation and even pets are also responsible for yellowing of leaves.
Myth #4: Sick plants will benefit from plant food
Remember plant food or fertilizer should not be used for medication purposes.
If the plant is ailing due to nutritional deficiency then withholding fertilizer is a death sentence.
Plant food are used for healthy plants that are accumulating nutritions from soil. Excess nutrients in the soil can burn the root nodules and cause leaf discoloration.
Ailing plants absorb fewer nutrients than healthy plants.
Myth #5: You need to repot a plant as soon as you get it
Never repot a plant immediately after getting it at home, there are chances of the plant dying due to Transplant shock.
Check our article of preventive measures to avoid transplant shock.
It is best advised to allow new plants to adapt to the environment change and after that examine the health for repoting it.
Myth #6: Plants can't be in a bedroom because they release carbon dioxide at nighttime
This is shockingly a common myth heard from people.
Yes it is true plants release Carbon dioxide at night time. But no house is air locked, nor plants are going to consume all the oxygen from your room over the night.
Lets just think about it, flora and fauna do live under the sky at night and no one dies of lack of oxygen. So your house, specifically your bedroom is a safe place to sleep if you have houseplants.
Well I have plenty of plants in my bedroom and I do sleep with doors and windows closed, and I am still alive.*wink*
Myth #7: Most indoor plants need extensive care in the winters
Most of the houseplants are tropical. During winter, the air is dry and days are colder. Therefore, it is almost impossible for plants to replicate the same conditions that affect their growth. This period of rest is crucial to their survival in order to regrow each year.
Most plants require little maintenance other than grooming to allow for new growth to come through.
Myth #8: All houseplants need to be in south facing window
Most houseplants actually will get sunburned if they get too much exposure to sunlight. The best thing to do is to research about the plant needs for water, soil and light requirements.
You might find yourself surprised how many plants don’t require that high of a light intensity.
Myth #9: Adding Hydrogen Peroxide to the soil
Adding Hydrogen Peroxide to the soil is a common thing to hea in the plant’s forum. This is rather a double-edged sword.
Since it kills microorganisms, and if you use it in an inappropriate quantity it may take a toll on beneficial bacterias in soil which are responsible for providing nutrition.
So a word of caution: use it wisely and only teat when infection is confirmed.
Myth #10: Wipe leaves with mayonnaise or milk to make them shine
This myth is being brought up in plant Forums all of the time. Both mayonnaise and milk are dairy, have you ever smelled dairy that dries? It’s gross and smells horrible.
The use of these two products can actually leave a residue on the leaves, gum them up and attract dust. This clogs up the pores and the leaves aren’t going to be able to breathe. Also, these can attract bugs and disease, neither of which are friends of the houseplant.
Mother nature has been making leaves shine with rain since the beginning of time, so if you want those leaves to be nice and shiny and healthy, take a soft cloth, like a t-shirt, dampen it, and start wiping those leaves off.
Need more help?
No matter what your question is or what kind of plant you have, we’re here to answer your questions and give you the encouragement you need to be the best plant parent you can be. So let’s talk about plants!