--- title: "as much as i wanna get more plants i literally just started this…" description: "as much as i wanna get more plants i literally just started this hobby of mine. i’m gonna keep my collection small for now. any care tips for beginner…" url: "https://getplanta.com/community/OlSeW7UYSUWAjHlcxGdIQw/UmWFURn9yGHb5IMG4Gzazi?language=nb" community: "Show your plants" author: "Bella Jean" published: "2025-05-29T00:38:44.646111Z" language: "en" image: "https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/x5y2CcfSno8jmCToFh0ZYLscD_jL_PpnLDyCBKw-TiQ/UVEtqd6JQyqF5vYFcTgE-A.webp?size=large" --- [Fellesskap](https://getplanta.com/community.md?language=nb) / [Show your plants](https://getplanta.com/community/OlSeW7UYSUWAjHlcxGdIQw.md?language=nb) # as much as i wanna get more plants i literally just started this… _Lagt ut av Bella Jean den 2025-05-29_ as much as i wanna get more plants i literally just started this hobby of mine. i’m gonna keep my collection small for now. any care tips for beginner planters? 😭 (forgot to take a pic of my chinese evergreen) ![Vedlegg 1 av 1](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/x5y2CcfSno8jmCToFh0ZYLscD_jL_PpnLDyCBKw-TiQ/UVEtqd6JQyqF5vYFcTgE-A.webp?size=large) ## 12 kommentarer ### Adrian kommenterte den 2025-05-29 Please avoid Miracle Grow’s soil 🙏 I’ve had to inform quite a few people on this app since I started here about how the poor drainage of their soil is often what’s causing the problems to their plants. Some might argue you can add a ton of amendments to try to help with the drainage, but I just don’t feel it’s worth the risk or money to pay for all the amendments on top of the soil. It’s especially poor at draining if you live in a hot or humid climate. I live in PA and every nursery I go to and have be interviewed by want it banned. They refuse to sell it. Ive had to help a lot of people rehab their plants from it and met a lot of nurseries that have spots where they rehab plants for customers and time and time again, they get customers come in where the Miracle Grow is what caused the plant’s rot cause it simply takes an eon to dry out, especially during our humid summers. I swear by Espoma’s soil and they’ve got pre-made mixes like Miracle Grow, but you don’t need to add the extra amendments to them. I use them for all my plants. #### Adrian svarte den 2025-05-29 In terms of some other tips: \- you don’t really need a moisture meter if you’re on a budget. I used bamboo/barbecue skewers and stick them at the bottom of the soil in my pots, and if the soil sticks to it, I wait 2 more days before checking it again to water it. If it comes out clean, it’s probably safe to water. \- some plants are sensitive to tap water, so I refill water bottles with water from my fridge and let it come to room temp overnight, then use it to water my plants. \- don’t mist your plants. It isn’t gonna make a change to your plant’s humidity and more likely to attract pests or damage the leaves. Anything that needs more humidity would do better in a greenhouse, a cabinet, placed with a bunch of plants together to create more humidity, or with a top-filling room humidifier. #### Adrian svarte den 2025-05-29 \- keep your nursery pots! Just clean them out and save them. It’s so much easier to keep them on hand then have to constantly buy new pots, especially when you need one of a specific size and would’ve had the perfect one to move it to had you not tossed a nursery pot out. \- do not put a plant in a pot without a drainage hole. Use any pot you’ve got without one as a cover pot. Ceramic glazed pots are good for plants that like extra moisture and humidity, but not good for succulents or cacti that need drainage and to dry out. terra cotta and plastic are great for most. Terra cotta’s typically cheaper and great for cacti/succulents, but tend to have less drainage holes than plastic pots. #### Adrian svarte den 2025-05-29 \- if you’ve got pets and worry about them getting to your plants, placing them in a room with a door you can close to keep them out of the room is a lot easier than trying to find a spot a cat or dog won’t try to go for, especially cats who like to climb and have a penchant for biting leaves or knocking things over. \- waiting until it’s closer to the watering day before repotting helps lower transplant shock, especially if you can water it right after repotting or the day after. Bonide’s rooting powder is also great to dust the roots with for plants that are more finicky or susceptible to shock from repots. \- last one. I’ve noticed a common glitch on this app where sometimes the app recommends much earlier watering dates than it should once a new month starts. Test the soil’s dryness and use the snooze button if necessary. I use the custom watering schedule setting and change it according to how often my plants dry out. Watering schedules can become more frequent in the summer, and some plants go dormant in the winter, or take much more time to dry out from the lack of sun. I’d recommend using the reminders on Planta more like a reminder to cheek if the plant is ready to be watered, not a surefire time to water it every time. Hope this helps, and welcome to Planta! 😊 #### Bella Jean svarte den 2025-05-30 good to know! honestly, my succulents have been using a special succulent potting mix from miracle grow, and they aren’t doing half bad. but i’ll definitely look into espoma! #### Bella Jean svarte den 2025-05-30 i’ve been using popsicle sticks, or my finger. i live in WA, the lovely pacific northwest where we get TONS of rain. i’ve been collecting rainwater, filtering it and using it for my plants. i started off misting, then i had one plant bring some pests and stopped as soon as i noticed. i also have most of my plants together to increase humidity levels, and i do use a humidifier from time to time:) _3 flere svar i appen_ ### Skimbutt kommenterte den 2025-05-29 You will become a scientist. you think, why are my leaves turning yellow? I’ve been watering it enough. Oh… ### Mads kommenterte den 2025-05-29 Provide more light than you’d think, and less water than you’d think, especially for succulents. ### Haley kommenterte den 2025-05-31 Pay attention to your plants, spend time looking at them every week to see what they're doing. Spend time learning about different types of soil and why they benefit different plants. Learn about light requirements for different plants. Watch videos by people who have had plants for a long time. Do experiments. And also, don't fall for the idea that plants hate soil and hate water! Somehow people keep getting these ideas in their heads --- _Planta-fellesskapet (https://getplanta.com). Lesing er åpen for alle. For å poste, kommentere og like, skaff deg Planta-appen: https://getplanta.com/download_