Plant BuddhaBeginner basics
You just bought a plant: what to do in the first two weeks
Bringing a new plant home is exciting, and also a big change for the plant. It has moved from a nursery or store with steady conditions to your home. A calm first couple of weeks helps it settle.
Day one: pick the spot
Choose a place that suits the plant's light needs and set it there. Avoid cold drafts, radiators and the hottest part of a sunny window. Resist moving it around, since constant changes are stressful.
Check for hitchhikers
Look at the tops and undersides of leaves, along stems and at the soil surface for webbing, small bugs, sticky residue or cottony white spots. If you see any, treat the plant before it joins your collection. It's wise to keep new plants a few feet away from your other plants for the first two weeks.
Don't repot right away
Most plants are happy in their nursery pot for a few weeks or months. Repotting adds stress at a moment when the plant is already adjusting. Wait until you see a clear sign it needs more room, and repot in the growing season.
Water thoughtfully
Check the soil before watering rather than watering on arrival by default. Nursery soil can be very different from your home's conditions.
Skip the fertilizer
New plants are usually well fed already. Wait a month or two before feeding.
It's normal to see some drama
A few dropped or yellowed leaves in the first weeks are common as the plant adapts to new light and humidity. Watch the new growth. If that comes in healthy, your plant has settled in.
Write the date down. Noting when you got the plant and when you last watered it makes it much easier to spot a pattern if something goes wrong.