Hey, planters! If I've learned anything from taking care of plants, it's that sometimes you just gotta troubleshoot and learn from your mistakes – kinda like a little research experiment! Long post incoming, but here's what I learned from my dying Corn Plant. TL;DR at the end :) After months of problems with Elvis, turns out he just HATED the sun he was getting. I kinda figured this out after an entire stalk, facing the sun, gave up on life. Interesting too, because all my other "bright indirect light" plants thrive exactly where Elvis was, despite having the same light requirements. Some theories I've come up with: a) The "vague quantity" theory: There are four GENERAL categories for light requirements – Direct, Bright Indirect, Medium, and Low. "Bright indirect light" can mean different things to different plants. Two species with the same light requirements may not equally react to the same spot in your home. b) The "nature" theory: Plants, like people, are made up of genes, which can affect individual care requirements despite two plants being a part of the same species. Kind-of like how I, a redhead, will burn under any kind of sunlight, but my brunette brother is fine going out without any sunscreen. Perhaps Elvis just prefers more shade than the average Corn Plant. c) The "nurture" theory: I have no idea what growth conditions Elvis was in before I got him. Perhaps he grew up and got used to a shadier environment, and prefers those conditions now. If nurseries are growing these plants in bulk, Elvis could've been one of their Corn Plants that sat in the shady corner of the greenhouse. All in all, please don't beat yourself up if you don't know what's wrong with your plant, or even if a plant dies under your care. Like babies, plants can't talk and tell you exactly what they need! But we can observe and make educated guesses and become familiar with how each of our plants reacts and responds to the environment we provide it. Plus, it's REALLY hard to quantify anything in terms of care. Maybe you have a south-facing window (aka "bright direct light") but it's blocked by a large tree. Or maybe you need to water once a week, but you don't know if that means 1 cup or 1/3 a cup, especially since that cute terracotta pot you bought on Amazon is glazed on one half and unglazed on the other. Anyways, thanks for reading, and good luck with your experiments! TL;DR: As frustrating as it can be, recommended growth conditions for plants, either thru Planta or via the the internet, are just general suggestions. In reality, each plant has its own individual care needs. So don't feel bad if you're struggling to learn what those specific needs are!
