Care Instructions

Congratulations! You are the proud owner of some beautiful living art! We have carefully hand-selected healthy, quality plants just for you, and have installed them in a position in your home where they will thrive. Now it is up to you to keep your babies alive.

The easiest way to stay on-top of maintenance is to set a recurring reminder on your phone. Your plants require regular watering, dusting/wiping of the leaves, and inspecting for pests and disease. The secret to successful plant ownership is to observe your plants frequently. This ensures that you pick up on any changes or potential issues before they become serious.

There are a lot of free plant care Apps available, including but not limited to:

Planta
Blossom
WaterMe

Porch Envy have not personally tested these applications, but they (and others) look like they may be worth considering and testing to see if they work for you.

Trouble-Shooting

Brown or yellow leaves: Older leaves towards the bottom of plants will yellow and die off. This is normal. However, if leaves or new growth at the top of the plant are affected, this is not normal and calls for immediate action.
Brown tips of all leaves: This is usually an indication that the air is too dry. Try a humidifier. Or, if indoors, the plant may not be getting enough fresh air in the house/room.
Leaves curling: This is usually an indication that the plant is thirsty and needs more water.
Brown/black patches on leaves/plant: Too much water.
Leaves falling off suddenly: Not enough light.
White cotton-like substance on plant: Your plant has a pest - mealybugs. Remove the bugs from the plant/leaves with a damp cloth and treat with eco-oil.
Little brown bumps on leaves: Your plant has a pest - scale. Remove the bugs from the plant/leaves with a damp cloth and treat with eco-oil.
Plant starts leaking or becomes squishy: In the case of agaves, cacti and succulents, this usually means the plant has been overwatered.

Plant begins to shrivel: In the case of agaves, cacti and succulents, this usually means the plant has been underwatered.

General Rules for Watering

A common mistake that people make is to water their plants regularly with small amounts. If you use only one method of watering for all of your plants, use the drench and drain approach.

Start when the soil is completely dry.
Drench the plant. Water with enough water that the soil is completely drenched and dripping out of the drainage holes.
Let the water drain completely. If you have one, don’t let water accumulate in the saucer.
Let the soil completely dry again.
Repeat.

With succulents and cacti, when you’re not sure whether to water or not, a good rule of thumb is to wait a little bit, bearing in mind that overwatering is always much harder to deal with than underwatering.