Dearest Ash,

I have the brownest thumb of anyone I know.  My family gives me plants as gifts, because I like them so much, but within weeks, I’ve killed the plant.  I water them, but they still croak!  What am I doing wrong?

Brown Thumb in AZ

Dear Brown Thumb,

Most plants have a really awesome moisture control indicator: the soil.  Aside from cacti, most house plants will tell you exactly when and how much they need to be watered.

Store bought plants are somewhat tricky: usually, they come in a plastic pot, and they’ve likely been grown in a green house.  When you first get a plant, allow it to adjust to your home’s temperature and humidity without doing anything to it at all.  Aside from watering it when the soil is dry, allow your plant to get used to your home, before you do anything, for at least a week.

After the plant has adjusted to its new space, find a clay pot that is just barely bigger than the one it came in.  First, place a few medium-sized rocks in the bottom of the clay pot.  Next, gently tip the plant upside down, securing the plant itself with your hand.  Pull the plastic pot off of the soil and root system.  If you’re having a difficult time with this, it might serve you to cut the plastic pot off of the root system.  Once the old pot has been removed, gently “massage” the root system so that the root ball is not too tight to grow nicely in the new pot. Gently place the root system and soil into the new pot.  You may need to add more potting soil to fill in the gaps.  After you have topped it off with new soil, slowly water the plant– watch out, the new potting soil won’t absorb water as quickly as the old soil!

Now here’s the part where you keep the plant alive.  Pay attention to the plant’s needs by the clear indicators it gives you! If the soil becomes dry right away, it indicates that the plant needs to be watered more, or more often.  Figure out what kind of plant it is, through an internet search.  This will tell you how much sunlight it needs.

Eventually, you’ll be able to start interpreting the signs and symptoms of your plant’s ill health early on.  If the plant’s color becomes dull, you need to give it slightly more sun and slightly more water.  If the leaves turn brown, pick them off.  The brown, dead leaves indicate that the plant wasn’t getting enough water, so it started to shed them. If the leaves are black, that means it’s being over watered.  If it is droopy, it needs water.  The first indication is always the moistness of the soil.

Most importantly, if you want to keep your plant alive, you must give it your attention.   Your plant might not need a lot of it, but check it out at least every other day.  Tend to its needs, and nurture it.