Your Plants Are Different Than My Plants and That’s Ok

So I’m out to dinner with @apartmentbotanist and @plantmepaul after a lovely afternoon at the New York Botanical Garden when we land on the topic of our plant care routines (shocker right?). Alessia is talking about her extensive anthurium watering schedule and Paul is talking about his winter maintenance, when I casually mention that most of my plants are in planters WITHOUT drainage holes...

Alessia nearly choked on her wine as she tried to hold back an Oscar-worthy spit take and I could have sworn Paul fainted for a hot second.

Silence…

Then the questions came rolling in.

How do you handle your watering routine? Are your plants still healthy? Are they growing? Do you feel like you are limiting their potential? Why don’t you make the switch to drainage holes? Why do you do this?

All understandable questions and I expected nothing less. 

Buster basking in his plant kingdom

I made this somewhat controversial plant decision because I didn’t want excess water laying around for Buster (my adorable 80lb chocolate lab) to lap up when he was feeling curious. He hasn’t messed with my plants before but I was certain he would treat a drainage tray like an extra water bowl. I wasn’t willing to take the risk.

I understand the science behind proper drainage and aeration. I understand the damaging effects of root rot. But I was going to try it anyway.

Four years later, my FLF is 7ft tall, my BOP is touching the ceiling, and my Raphidaphora tetrasperma is my fastest growing plant. No drainage holes. Would my plants perform better in a pot with drainage? Probably, but I had to find the best system and set up that worked for me (ie. SUPER well aerated soil and lava rocks).

After explaining my rationale and meticulous watering system, Alessia and Paul were nothing but supportive. They are two amazing plant friends that are always open to new ways of thinking, but the same can’t be said for everyone in the plant community. Too often I see plant parents openly critiquing (or sometimes bashing) each other, and it drives me insane. (I guess I have a lot to look forward to when I become an actual parent… ugh). But here’s my philosophy:

If my plant children are flourishing and living up to my expectations then why do you care?

We are all a part of this ever-growing botanical ecosystem so let’s be supportive of one another. We have different backgrounds, different education, and different interests, and I am always open to respectful suggestions or new ideas. At the end of the day, we are all contributing to making the earth greener and that’s why I’m here. Why are you?

With that in mind, here are three tips for developing your own personalized plant routine:

1. Do What Works For You

Don’t let anyone tell you there is ONE way of doing things. The majority of us aren’t botanical plant scientists, so find what works for you, your space and your lifestyle and stick to it. Google or your favorite plant person on IG don’t have all the answers and their strategies might not be as effective for your plant situation. If you keep your home 44 degrees and water your plants with champagne, but they’re still growing strong, then don’t change a thing. Prove it to yourself and then roll with your plant rhythm.

2. Don’t be Afraid to Experiment

Try new things. I cannot stress this enough, especially for new plant parents. Buy two of the same plant and see how it responds to different conditions. Does it survive in the lower light areas of your room? Does it grow well without a drainage hole? Does it handle periods of dryness? Experimenting with plants is the best way to get hands on knowledge and also get you comfortable with the inevitable reality that you will lose plants along the way. Plants die. Animals die. We die. Get over it. 

3. Buy Small, Grow BIG. 

Plant fear is a real thing but don’t let the idea of failure discourage you. Remember, we’ve taken these plants out of their natural outdoor environments and plopped them in our less-than ideal indoor spaces. It’s not always on us, but if you are still a bit uneasy, start out by buying smaller plants. A 4in monstera may not look as regal as an older 6ft giant, but it is an inexpensive way to learn about its behavior and give yourself the assurance that you can care for it.