General Plant Care
UNPACKING
When your plants arrive, unpack from box immediately; remove the plastic wrap and paper, used to retain soil/moisture during shipping. Place your plants in your garden or container and careful not to do not fray the roots; the root system will easily expand into the new soil. Be sure the plant has sufficient drainage to prevent damage. Keep in mind that a strong, healthy root system is the most important feature of the plant and sometimes damaged foliage occurs in shipping. However, the new growth will become the proper shade of green when the plant has recovered.
Pots and Soil
When potting, use a pot size to allow the roots to expand. Potting into a large a pot too soon, can increase susceptibility to root diseases. Clay pots are preferable, but require more watering. Plants grown in plastic pots require less watering. During potting, you will need to select a potting soil. We recommend purchasing a natural, peat-lite potting mix. These mixes are suitable for most plants. It is important to avoid soils that contain high concentrations of fertilizer, especially slow release fertilizers, because it becomes difficult to properly control the fertilizer level and may cause damage to your plants.
Watering
Proper watering is a key factor to success. With few exceptions, you should wait until the soil looks near dry (not a severe wilted plant) before watering. Give the plant a good drink and do not water again until the soil appears near dry. Exceptions: Ferns should be kept evenly moist, bog plants should sit in water.
Light Level
Sun-loving plants require a south, southwest or southeast window. To encourage symmetrical growth in a windowsill, turn your plants regularly. A half turn once a week is adequate. In a greenhouse or sun room, position your plants in fully exposed sun. For artificial light, select lights with the highest wattage available. We recommend using lights specifically designed for growing plants. Place plants directly under the lights, but do not allow the leaves to touch the light source. With an abundance of light, flowering plants will be encouraged to form buds and grow into full, healthy specimens. Plants that prefer partial sun should be grown in an east or west exposure. Place the plants within two feet of the window. In a greenhouse or sun room, grow them in a partially shaded area, or in a spot protected from the hot noonday sun. If the plants begin to "stretch" and look leggy, light levels should be increased.
Temperature
Most plants tolerate a wide range of temperatures and will endure short periods of extreme variation. Temperatures falling below 60° F can result in plant damage. Also, some plants require a cool period to encourage bud formation. A cool period (in the 40’s and 50’s) should be provided in the fall/winter, as the days shorten.
Fertilizing
We recommend a natural fertilizer. The recommended dilution of JC- Gro, is 1 tbsp. per gallon of water, applied once a week which gives an even, continuous supply of nutrients to ensure steady growth. A note of caution, do not force the plant with high levels of fertilizer. Too much feeding creates soft growth and encourages disease and insects.
Humidity
Humidity should be monitored (except for cacti), especially during the winter. Healthy plant growth is best maintained at above 50% relative humidity. However, most plants tolerate lower levels for short periods. When the air is dry, frequent misting or placing plants on pebble and water trays will help. Also, a humidifier in your indoor growing area during the height of the winter heating season is beneficial.
Pruning
Pruning can be performed throughout the growth cycle to maintain size or fill out a loose, “scraggly” plant. Pruning creates multiple offshoots and thickens a plant’s appearance. If a bushy, well-branched specimen is desired, pinch, removing the growing tip of the young plants, once they have been planted. If the plants are taller, the tops, also called terminal growth should be pruned, leaving at least two leaf nodes above the soil. One note of caution, on mature specimens, only prune after flowering, or at the beginning of their growing season, in order to avoid delaying or interrupting flowering. Vine plants are an exception and need to be trained on a stake or trellis. Other exceptions are plants to be trained as topiaries, or standard plants that normally grow upward and need the height to begin flowering.
Potting
Re-pot into larger pot sizes gradually. For example, move a plant in a 2.5” pot into a 4" or 5" pot. Move a plant in a 4" pot into a 6-7" pot. The root system needs time to grow into each new pot. Turn the pot upside down and gently tap the edge to release the root ball from the container. Never pull on the stem of the plant.
All plants have been pinched during their growing process, before shipping.
When your plants arrive, unpack from box immediately; remove the plastic wrap and paper, used to retain soil/moisture during shipping. Place your plants in your garden or container and careful not to do not fray the roots; the root system will easily expand into the new soil. Be sure the plant has sufficient drainage to prevent damage. Keep in mind that a strong, healthy root system is the most important feature of the plant and sometimes damaged foliage occurs in shipping. However, the new growth will become the proper shade of green when the plant has recovered.
Pots and Soil
When potting, use a pot size to allow the roots to expand. Potting into a large a pot too soon, can increase susceptibility to root diseases. Clay pots are preferable, but require more watering. Plants grown in plastic pots require less watering. During potting, you will need to select a potting soil. We recommend purchasing a natural, peat-lite potting mix. These mixes are suitable for most plants. It is important to avoid soils that contain high concentrations of fertilizer, especially slow release fertilizers, because it becomes difficult to properly control the fertilizer level and may cause damage to your plants.
Watering
Proper watering is a key factor to success. With few exceptions, you should wait until the soil looks near dry (not a severe wilted plant) before watering. Give the plant a good drink and do not water again until the soil appears near dry. Exceptions: Ferns should be kept evenly moist, bog plants should sit in water.
Light Level
Sun-loving plants require a south, southwest or southeast window. To encourage symmetrical growth in a windowsill, turn your plants regularly. A half turn once a week is adequate. In a greenhouse or sun room, position your plants in fully exposed sun. For artificial light, select lights with the highest wattage available. We recommend using lights specifically designed for growing plants. Place plants directly under the lights, but do not allow the leaves to touch the light source. With an abundance of light, flowering plants will be encouraged to form buds and grow into full, healthy specimens. Plants that prefer partial sun should be grown in an east or west exposure. Place the plants within two feet of the window. In a greenhouse or sun room, grow them in a partially shaded area, or in a spot protected from the hot noonday sun. If the plants begin to "stretch" and look leggy, light levels should be increased.
Temperature
Most plants tolerate a wide range of temperatures and will endure short periods of extreme variation. Temperatures falling below 60° F can result in plant damage. Also, some plants require a cool period to encourage bud formation. A cool period (in the 40’s and 50’s) should be provided in the fall/winter, as the days shorten.
Fertilizing
We recommend a natural fertilizer. The recommended dilution of JC- Gro, is 1 tbsp. per gallon of water, applied once a week which gives an even, continuous supply of nutrients to ensure steady growth. A note of caution, do not force the plant with high levels of fertilizer. Too much feeding creates soft growth and encourages disease and insects.
Humidity
Humidity should be monitored (except for cacti), especially during the winter. Healthy plant growth is best maintained at above 50% relative humidity. However, most plants tolerate lower levels for short periods. When the air is dry, frequent misting or placing plants on pebble and water trays will help. Also, a humidifier in your indoor growing area during the height of the winter heating season is beneficial.
Pruning
Pruning can be performed throughout the growth cycle to maintain size or fill out a loose, “scraggly” plant. Pruning creates multiple offshoots and thickens a plant’s appearance. If a bushy, well-branched specimen is desired, pinch, removing the growing tip of the young plants, once they have been planted. If the plants are taller, the tops, also called terminal growth should be pruned, leaving at least two leaf nodes above the soil. One note of caution, on mature specimens, only prune after flowering, or at the beginning of their growing season, in order to avoid delaying or interrupting flowering. Vine plants are an exception and need to be trained on a stake or trellis. Other exceptions are plants to be trained as topiaries, or standard plants that normally grow upward and need the height to begin flowering.
Potting
Re-pot into larger pot sizes gradually. For example, move a plant in a 2.5” pot into a 4" or 5" pot. Move a plant in a 4" pot into a 6-7" pot. The root system needs time to grow into each new pot. Turn the pot upside down and gently tap the edge to release the root ball from the container. Never pull on the stem of the plant.
All plants have been pinched during their growing process, before shipping.
