A Post-Vacation Happy Plant Checklist
When summer travels come to a close and you make your way home, you may find yourself experiencing some anxiety in regard to your plants. How have they done in your absence? Did they get enough water? Are they dead?! Whether you had the help of a plant-sitter or simply left them to fend for themselves during your travels, you’ll likely find them exhibiting some new features, or perhaps signs of stress.
Don’t fret! Plants are flexible and forgiving, and all but the most dire cases of neglect can usually be turned around with a little T.L.C. Use this handy checklist as you reconnect with your plants and pick up your plant care routine.
Post-Vacation Plant Checkup Checklist
Clean Things Up
You may come home to yellow or brown foliage that wasn’t there before -- worry not, this is par for the course! You may have been out of town, but your plants were still doing their thing while you were away, which means growing, adapting, and yes, sometimes shedding or losing foliage. Foliage that has significantly yellowed or brown is simply ready to be trimmed.
Feel confident in trimming off severely yellow or browning foliage with clean, sharp scissors or shears. When possible, make your cut in the direction in which your plant is naturally growing. For a handy How-To on pruning, check here.
Beyond trimming away dead leaves, it also might be a good time for a routine dusting. Soak a soft cloth with plain water (or spray water directly on foliage, then wipe with a cloth) or, if you like the one-two convenience of natural soap and insecticide, you can use an organic black soap, like our L’Original.
BLACK SOAP & PREMIUM SHINING MITT
Gift your plants the ultimate pampering experience. Our premium shining mitt, specially crafted for indoor greenery, ensures a radiant and healthy glow, tested and approved by Léon & George plant stylists. Paired with L’Original, a tribute to the age-old tradition of olive-oil based black soaps from Southern France, it not only offers a natural leaf shine but also functions as an insecticide and fungicide. This indispensable combo, enriched with only four natural ingredients, promises unparalleled care for all living plants.
Check for Visitors
The last thing that anybody wants when they go on vacation is for unwelcome guests to move in. If you’re concerned about a possible insect infestation, visually check your plant thoroughly, inspecting both the tops and bottoms of every leaf. If you notice traces of bugs or cobwebs, it is time to treat your plant and nip the issue in the bud.
Follow the instructions on treating your plant for pests and you’ll have no issue getting your plant back to baseline. And don’t forget to protect your plant from a possible pest resurgence by cleaning your plant regularly, applying pesticides as needed, and never let its soil get soaking wet without aeration for any period of time (many common pests thrive in super-wet soil).
Gauge the Water Situation
Notice how we didn’t just say water your plants. Sure, it’s possible your plants didn’t get a single drink while you were gone. But it’s also possible they received an unusually large deluge, thanks to an overzealous plant sitter! Check what the situation is before blindly (and literally) showering them with love.
Gauge your plant’s moisture level by probing its soil or using a moisture meter. Push aside a bit of the decorative moss layer and insert a finger two inches down into your plant’s soil. If it is dry, your plant is ready to be watered. If it’s moist (or wet, or super-wet!) hold off on watering until it dries fully.
Has it been quite some time since your plant has been watered? It may be ripe for a bottom-watering, which entails removing it from its decorative container and soaking it in water for a few hours or up to one day. Head to our full post to read more about bottom-watering and its benefits!
If you’re concerned that your plant experienced a major instance of overwatering while you were gone, remove the plant, still within its plastic nursery pot, from its ceramic pot. Look into the ceramic pot- if water has collected inside of it, pour it out. If your plant’s soil is soaked through in its plastic pot, consider leaving it out of the ceramic pot for a few days to allow it to breathe and dry out. Once the excess moisture has dried, you can return it to its ceramic pot and begin your standard watering routine again.
And finally, don’t be shy to show them some love. Mist or even shower their foliage in water, they will appreciate the extra dose of humidity. You can mist it with plain water, with water that has been left to sit out overnight (this allows some of the chlorine to evaporate and softens the water) or mist your plant with a mixture of water and a gentle foliar feed like Potion Magique, for an additional boost and ultra-quick microdose of nutrients.
Rotate & Fluff
Though we can’t see it, plants are constantly moving and changing in their effort to reach towards the light. Now’s the perfect time to help them out in their mission by giving them a turn and letting their backsides get a little bit of vitamin D.
While you’re there, fluff the decorative moss to aerate the topsoil of your plant.
Be patient—wait and see!
It is not uncommon for plants to look a bit sad after coming home from traveling. Reduced airflow, changes in watering routines and more may cause them to droop, loose leaves, or just simply look abandoned and neglected.
Follow the checklist and be patient. Within a few weeks, you may be surprised to see your plants glowing as if they, too, just got back from a sun-soaked vacation on the beach!
a microdose of nutrients for sad or neglected plants
Is your plant a bit droopy after coming home from vacation? Mist it with a mixture of water and a gentle foliar feed like Potion Magique for a fast-absorbing microdose of nutrients.
Monstera deliciosa
A popular plant from the art deco era, the Monstera Deliciosa brings style and taste to any indoor space.