My Plant Essentials

While I've only recently discovered a hobby for building out a more complex plant ecosystem in my home, especially with the addition of my new indoor greenhouse cabinet, I was a pretty good (in my opinion) plant mom even without all the fancy gadgets and toys. But, there were certain things I could not go without when I first got into the hobby that I still use until this day.

1. CONTINUOUS FINE MIST SPRAY BOTTLE

There is no way I'd be able to make my rounds misting the plant family without this specific spray bottle. The continuous mist makes such a difference. You can basically get all of your misting done in a fraction of the time, save your poor hand the arthritis, and spend the saved time actually enjoying your plants. The fine mist is also an important aspect. I don't like having large droplets of water sitting on my foliage, so this is the perfect type of spray to almost mimic what a humidifier would do (I do recommend getting a humidifier but it's not absolutely necessary for common houseplants).

2. FERTILIZER

I'm going to say it. "Good" fertilizer is subjective. I have grabbed a bowl of popcorn many a times to sit back and watch some juicy bickering unfold in plant groups over this. You can pull out all the facts out from your plant hat, but at the end of the day, it's subjective. It's your opinion based on your own experience. I've probably gone through 10 different types of fertilizers before I found the one that worked for me. This is my one. I have noticed pretty tremendous and obvious growth since I started using it, and now it's something that I refuse to let my plant babies go without. You can read more about the company and the product here.

3. PEST PREVENTATIVE AND CONTROL

I honestly cannot stress this enough. BE PROACTIVE INSTEAD OF REACTIVE. I lost track of the amount of amazing plants I have laid to rest in my early plant parenthood days because I was not proactive. Whether you're getting a brand new plant from the nursery or inheriting an older plant from someone else-- TREAT IT. Protect your home and the rest of your plant family before those pests get to them first. I use Bonide Diatomaceous Earth for the foliage and Bonide Systemic Insect Control for the soil.

4. PRUNING SHEARS

While you can get away with just using a pair of regular scissors to prune back and maintain smaller plants, you'll definitely want to buy a good pair of shears if you intend to get larger plants. When you prune back plants, you immediately send them into fight or flight mode, and they begin working in overdrive. This does promote growth, but it is also stressful, and you'll want to make their "surgery" as quick, clean and easy as possible so they can start the regeneration process.

5. PLANT TWIST TIES AND VELCRO STRIPS

For the most part, any kind of string will usually work to attach your plants to a pole or stake to keep it standing upright, but to keep them looking as neat in their pot as possible, I like to use these. They blend in nicely and minimize the amount of potential damage to the plants since they are easily adjustable and reusable. I use the twist ties for small plants, and the velcro strips for larger plants.

My current "essentials" have now turned into a full fledged novel, but if you're just getting started and are literally just trying to keep your babies alive and well, these would be my top 5 recommendations to start with.

You can find all of these products through Amazon Canada and Amazon USA, but I also recommend checking your local nursery/hardware store, too!

Disclaimer: My Amazon storefront is an affiliate page, which is helpful in maintaining this blog. Your support is appreciated! ♡