10 Rules You Should Break For The BEST Plants 

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Can’t agree more about not labeling plants correctly! “Foliage plant” is so maddening for anyone trying to collect and provide plants with what they need.

I gave my mom a tiny cutting of my monstera. She left it on her porch that receives full sun almost all day. While mine had some fenestrations, hers grew ENORMOUS with beautiful huge fenestrations and perforations in just a few short months over the summer

I use an app on my phone and I scan plants when I go to the store. The app also tells me how to care for the plant so it is more than practical and I love it. Otherwise I'd just look at labels saying "calathea" or "monstera" without telling me which type is it exactly.

Speaking of shops not putting labels on plants... In 2019 I bought a small plant labelled "tropical plant" and had no idea what it was for the longest time. It's awfully hard to get results image searching a "tropical plant" with generic looking green leaves 😂 To my enthusiastic surprise, almost a year later, I realized it was a young monstera deliciosa. We had a very touch and go relationship during that time (my beginner plant mom days), but luckily it prevailed and now I have several monstera's thanks to that little mystery tropical plant.

100% all of this... totally spot on. I've been a planty nerd for almost 30 years, and many well-meaning planty folks advocating all this totally unnecessary steps to plant ownership irks me. You touched on many of my pet peeves, particularly potting as soon as you get it home, fancy mixes, disturbing the roots when you repot, overzealous repotting, and cutting down watering/fertilizer in winter.

I also use soil and perlite. The plants grow like crazy! I use about 30-50% perlite, and I've never had plants grow this fast before. XD The only issue with too much perlite is that it's very lightweight and bigger/heavier plants can topple.

I have one jade that is absolutely thriving in my west-facing window and one that was completely sun-stressed and almost died there 🫠 always be attuned to the needs of your plant!

I 100% agree with your first point about light. Many houseplants can tolerate morning direct sunlight 🌞

From the Middle South in the US….I enjoy your sense of humor, English, even store shopping videos with observations and prices.You are informative and good company at a pace I can handle. Keep it up. You just need to know you are appreciated! Oh, I think what you sometimes call a Golden pothos is actually a Neon pothos. Atleast….over here. Thank you. I like you, Mrs. Sheffield and children.

I agree with the not breaking apart roots, I do the same and the plant spreads it's roots out by itself. Haven't lost any since doing this! I can almost hear the plant's sigh of relief ! 😘

I'm in the middle of waking up plants that lived through my horrible overwintering skills and getting them ready to go back outside. A moisture meter saved 75% more plants this year! Our last frost date is April 15th so just a little longer till Mother Nature takes over! Over wintering is the worst! Your tips are spot on and priceless! Thank you!

I've also come into conclusion that there is no "too sunny conditions" for houseplants in my country. If the plant has shown signs of too much light it's mostly because of insufficient watering, wrong soil or too small pot. I live in Finland. They are much more likely to suffer from the lack of UV here than too much direct sun light🤷‍♀

Whenever I have a problem with my plants, I always seek your advice 🌱🤩🌱

Oh my gosh I absolutely love all your videos. You educate us so well. I watch so many over and over. You would actually charge me. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU ❤❤❤

😍 Funny, I never broke up the roots when transplanting... then I heard that you should, was second guessing myself, and now you just reassured me!

That moisture meter SAVED my plants 😂💚🪴

Congratulations on 100,000 subscribers! You'll be there any minute now. 👏👏👏

I bought a plant in a Walgreens drug store 20 some odd years ago. It was a stick with leaves on top. I was in love and it was on clearance after Mother’s Day. In a couple of months it lost all its leaves and my husband said get rid of it it’s dead. I didn’t. 20 years later it’s now survived 2 cross country moves and is 6 feet tall. My plumeria has bloomed 6 or so times and the flowers and scent are amazing. I’ve never fertilized it repotted a couple of times but now it’s just too big. I just give it a lot of love,found a place where it loves the light,water once a week and it’s there for me every day. It bloomed last September until about a week ago there are more buds but some are turning black. I’m hoping some will bloom but even when it’s just giant leaves on a stick it still brings me joy. You never know what you are buying when buying a plant in a drugstore!

II am so glad you made this video. I learned many of these lessons the hard way. Repotting and especially fretting over “low light” conditions. And of course, the potting soil mix. Thanks so much for sharing!!!!

I placed five 2' tall monstera deliciosa directly in front of a huge South facing bay window with no window treatment whatsoever. They have been sitting there for the past 2 years and are all over 5 feet tall now and all the leaves are gorgeous. No yellowing, no blemishes whatsoever.

Lots of great knowledge here i used to work at a gardencenter(in france) and i 100% agree with everything you said , the watering , the repotting and sunlight exposure are all thing you can experience with yourself. do not be affraid and try things make sure to check on the web first about the plant and then try out what you thought , the care required for a plant doesn't just depend on it's needs written on a spreadsheet it also depends on what happened to it in your care/home or even just what state it is in right now. The more you test the more you'll know and follow some basic steps given on the web or through reliable books and you'll be golden.

This video was like sweet music to my ears ! Thank you for such sound advice. Everything you advocate I have been doing for years now and my garden looks lush and beautiful. I often grow plants in pots then transplant them into the ground and I, like in this video, make a mould of the pot in the ground then simply slip the plant into the hole. It works a treat, does not disturb the roots and tightly secures the roots into the soil. I have never lost a plant either when planting this way.

Delightful as ever. My jade plant 'ET's fingers' hasn't died yet lol

Thank you. These are good tips . Your videos are always informative. Keep up the good work.

Love that tip at the end, I'll go watch that video next. Just got 2 new variegated baby rubber plants and I don't think they need much more than the next pot size up. Sooner than I normally would, so I would rather not stress their roots by breaking them up. Thanks for the great tips!

Oh Sheffield, great info as usual, now I gotta stop wanting to re-pot. Thats my favourite part, ahhh...I just wanna play with them all day like a puppy, but ive been trying to leave them alone. I got close to them earlier today and I heard them whisper, " gooooo away". OK OK just saying hi, im gone, lol

Having tried the complicated soil mixes that're on trend, I found them inferior and completely agree with you. My plants thrive best in a simple mix of compost and perlite, too 👏🏻

Thanks for this video and making things SIMPLE. So true about all the unnecessary and often expensive mixes, tools and what not. Most helpful was to break the rule of no direct sunlight, I'm off to getting my babies (slowly) closer to the sun again

I totally hear you on not overly heeding the labels on plants. Yesterday, I bought a Neon Pothos (been wanting one for a while, so YAY!!!). The label recommends "low light". As I recall from seeing videos on that particular pothos, it requires way more than "low light" to maintain the bright coloring. Needless to say, I won't be heeding the "low light" recommendation. Oh, and I haven't repotted it. I put it with a few other latest additions to my houseplants in an isolate spot for quarantine. Will give it a few weeks to adjust to our home then see if it even needs repotting. So far, the new plants I've checked recently haven't needed repotting.

You have helped so much! Even if experience shows I should flout the rules, looking at this as a cooperative endeavor paying attention to what the plant says rules. You've given me the confidence to do that and also bottom water, a big success. Not repotting so much is good too. Thanks!!🌺🌱🌼😁

I wonder if this might be a European thing. 🤔 In the US and Canada, most plants sold in big box stores are in nearly pure peat. At the very least, it's potting soil with next to no drainage. If you don't repot them, you'll either end up with a hydrophobic chunk in few months, or it will retain a ton of water and you get rot. And you can't escape this by going to a local nursery, because a lot small nurseries get their plants from similar suppliers to the big box stores. I bought a Silvery Ann Scindapsus from a local nursery the other day. It had been shipped in from Florida and the potting soil was way too dense.

In super sunny inland San Diego, my house plants live under a pergola outdoors, all year long. 🥰

Breaking up the roots before repot was something I did as a beginner plant mom. Nowadays I legit just put it in the bigger pot as is. The plant will be just fine.

I've bought some lovely plants from my local grocery chain but ugh i agree it's frustrating when they label it "bushy plant" or something stupid. Thankfully Google lens helps out. I also wish more places would label things toxic or non toxic for pets and small children. It's not that hard to add a quick warning on those plant care & watering cards they tend to tie to plants.

7:48 I take it Nigella Christmas is the cookbook you get the most use out of lol

You blew my mind with the last tip. Since I saw you do that on a past video, it has changed my re-potting life haha!

I find most “general purpose” potting mixes, and the mix plants are grown in, drain too slowly, particularly for dry-loving plants like pothos. And on the moisture-meter thing, one hint I’ve found helpful is to not just read the meter, but read WHEN it registers moisture. There’s a difference between it reading “dry” near the bottom of the pot and reading the dry in the top third but moist below that. Some plants (like pothos) should be watered only when the bottom is dry, others when the top third is dry.

Thank you for your tips ♥️ I admit to repotting the plants I buy almost immediately. But I have learned over time and only do that if they are very root bound (happens often with baby plants) or if the soil is very soggy or does not drain well. But I have learned that especially plants with delicate roots such as peperomia would like to be kept alone as long as possible. Also your tip on lighting is so good. I have a feeling that everyone defines bright indirect light differently. I once held a hoya in my hand and the little tag said "medium light". Do they want you to fail?

Hello, I am from India & i watch all your videos and found your tips very helpful for my plants. I have seen many youtuber advised not to keep the rubber plant in direct sunlight as it caused burn leaves. I followed their advice and got my rubber plant with drooping leaves despite of indirect bright light. First I thought It was due to underwatering but I visited the local store when the drooping of leaves persist even after watering thoroughly. The Shopkeeper told me... he always kept the rubber plant outdoor in direct sunlight from the beginning 😅😅😅 that's why my plant is not happy with indirect sunlight. Went back home I replaced the plant at balcony with 6 hours of direct sunlight and now the plant is growing and happy, no more drooping of leaves. 😃

Since i am fairly new plant mum (having plants since about a year now), i stumbled over your videos a few times now, they were allways so helpful and wonderful explained! Time to hit the subscribe button, thanks for your awesome videos! *Edit, grammar

I do all the things you do. I make sure my house is bright during the day with all windows open, even my doors open and grow lights. I found out my front window is south facing but we have trees that block the light. And my plants get repotted so I can check the roots when first bought most of the time they are falling over from such small pots not supporting the plant but I do not disturb the roots, I just add around the plant so they are still in original soil as well as new. I do need more perlite to add. But I still get new leaves with slits. I've just started my first composting bin so it's going to take a bit to get good soil from it. But I'll get there. I really enjoy your videos. Some of it I know, but some is new to me. So thank you for the tips.

After I over-loved 5 BoPs, I've definitely learned to keep them in their soil mix and not break the roots. I just switch pots and tuck it in with new surrounding soil or keep them on their pots, cut more holes for drainage and get a cover pot.

Love the winter tip! I live in Berlin (very cold) so I have the heating on in winter, which dries out my plants quickly so I find I am still watering them pretty often! I only realised this this past winter (rip last winters plants that I left to dry out since I didn’t think they needed water 😢) P.s could you do a spring preparation video? I never know the best tips for how to prepare my plants for the growing season, and can’t find many vids on RU-vid about it. Wishing you a lovely day 🥰

As someone that has broken all the rules in your list I agree with 100% I followed all what people suggested to do and it would kill all my plants. I nearly gave up trying to grow plants until one day I just did the oppisete I stopped messing with the roots after repotting them and guess what?! They didn't die! I stopped watering it so much and guess what?! It didn't die! I didn't repot it right away and guess....yeah you get the picture. All the advice you have given on this video I recommend but don't go changing anything if your plants are happy the way you have been taking care of them. This is only for those that have been struggling. Great video!

Just ordered the meter!!! Tysm!

I am forever strapped for a good potting mix, lacking any good gardening store around (perlite being a rare delicacy for some resonXD), and discovered that mixing the cheapest houseplant mix with the cheapest orchid mix seems to go the job perfectly.

8:24 This part made me laugh a lot 🤣🤣

I just subscribed to your channel. You're very informative. Glad I came across one of your videos!

You bought Orchids!!!! I just noticed, I'm happy you decided to try it since the last time you talked about them and didn't like them too much! I use miracle grow mixt for cactus and suculent for my cactus and I mix with some bark. It's super cheap here in Canada! It works for me, but I want to try perlite also!

Thank you for this video Great tips as always and I hope you get to 100k!

I’m glad someone addressed the elephant in the room. I strongly believe that “low light” and “indirect light” requirements for plants are lies. Lol. Every “low light” plant I have, has suffered in low or indirect light. And thrive in my south window where it gets hours of direct sun!

You are so lucky that your nurserys have their plants in great soil upon buying. Because that's not the case in Australia. I have seen soil better described as chocolate brownies from buying them. I don't repot straight away but I generally repot within two weeks.

Very informative video! Thank you for confirming some of my hypothesis. I always said what do I know, I'm just a newbie plant parent , I should listen to the labels. In my casein, I need to water my plants regularly in the winter since our climate is cold and the heat is on ( very dry air) ....the soil dries quickly.

I like to check on native habitat as a guide to where to place plants.

Such wonderful advice. Thank you

I tend to just give them water over winter because our central heating dries them out so fast. And I've never repotted a plant as soon as I get home. I don't see the point. Great video as usual. Thanks

Another great video. Thanks!

So true! Sometimes less care is the best care.

I live in central Canada; we have cold winters and short days, but it's sooooo dry here in the winter that I often find myself needing to water my plants at about the same rate as summer. Spring and Fall are the times I need to water less.

living in Maryland USA my Jade plant is in direct sun all day long. it gets lots of water and the leaf's have that red tip. In Oct I bring it inside and it doesn't get watered till April....great plant

Great as always 👍👍

I put my begonia rexes in direct sunlight, my desert rose (of course), my ficus trees (when I have them), and my hibiscuses too. They really love it. I just have to be a bit careful in the beginning of summer before they're used to it.

Agreed, no need for a bunch of fancy expensive ingredients. I use 70% chicken grit for drainage, 20% potting soil for some nutrients and 10% pine bark for aeration. It's cheap and my cacti are very happy.

I didn't realise that monsteria likes to be root bound I recently repotted my monsteria, I hope for the best if it flourishes. I got it in a 12 inch wide mouth pot. It's new leaf is not turning hard it's been over a week. The leaf is still soft and fresh, looks like the repotting has slowed the growth. But it's a healthy plant I'm sure it' will bounce back in few weeks time

About repotting, I do put new plants in pots of my own but after that I rarely repot a plant. I have them in the same pot for years and years. They do great. In my garden I have a lot of plants and trees in pots and some of them in tiny ones. Some of them are in the same pot without refreshing soil for up to 10 years now. As long as the plant gets what it needs it's oke. I usually repot when there is something wrong with the plant or soil. Or I just want a new pot. This is just my experience, your experience may be differnt.

A "sunny" spot in your home, which by your account gets sun only 30% of the time, is WAY different than a sunny spot in my Southern California home located near the desert. The dry season here means NO rain between March and Nov. combined with temperatures that are usually in the high 80s to upper 90s with average humidity of less than 35%. It's not unusual for summer temperatures here to stay at over 100 degrees F (38C) for 1-3 weeks straight during summer months. I've killed lots of plants since moving to this area from northern California where, due to almost constant fog and overcast, my plants thrived on a "sunny" windowsill. A sunny spot in my location is a death sentence to any plant that isn't a succulent, therefore, most plants are happiest in bright indirect light. During the summer I have to constantly monitor my plants for water and frequently water twice a day. During the wet sometimes overcast winter months, I water only once every 5-7 days.

I only repot my plants when I bring them home if I suspect there’s a nursery plug tucked in around the base of the plant that was never removed, it’s usually only in big box plants from large nurseries, that and if it shows signs of rot and overwatering, this is why usually avoid “rescue” plants, they require so much rehabilitation to get them growing again

Keeping a Jade (crassula ovata) in full, south facing window sun will just likely turn the leaf edges a red tint (that actually looks good) and the leaves a darker green in general. That's what it does to mine anyway. And I grow all my succulents in either 100% pumice (or some other type of rock substrate) or any generic cactus mix with 50% perlite mixed in.

Common sense! Excellent 👌 thank you ❤️

I have bought 2 things that you suggested, a water meter and the conditioner for the fish tank. This way I can use my Terri Cota pots.

The Monsteras I bought at Ikea had a card in it that said the soil it was in would be good for a year.

Excellent!

I also break all the rules and have gorgeous plants 🪴

Your plants are so beautiful

A would like to insert a caveat to not re-potting when plants first arrive home. It depends on the plant supplier. I've had a few occasions where the plant supplier put plant-plugs with tiny root balls, but large foliage - inside a big pot to match the stems. Unfortunately, whatever material they placed around the plant plug was not biodegradable. I was watering these plants on the same schedule with other plants of a similar pot size. The soil had enough moisture, but the plant was always wilting like it hadn't been watered. When the plant finally died, I took apart the soil and found the plant-plug material had effectively trapped the roots. The soil inside the plant plug had become completely hydrophobic, and roots couldn't grow through to access the moisture. The plant pot fabric was even hydrophobic. So now I won't immediately re-pot, unless the plant starts to decline. This happens quickly, within 2 weeks of bringing them home. The leaves never perk up, like other plants on the same watering schedule. I've had this happen at least 4 times, in the first few years of keeping plants. Each time, the same situation was found, when I took apart the wet soil - a hydrophobic plant plug.

Between heat run and grow lights I'm watering as much as in summer.

"Old soil is useless and probably full of fungus and other issues" was perhaps my favourite comment. Second favourite was "you have to let the roots breathe before you change the soil". Both are very strong statements with zero arguments or reasoning behind them. It's basically just closing your eyes and giving an in-depth analysis of a person you've never seen before, assuming things with no basis.

I never broke up roots when reporting completely. I just loosen the soil around the bottom and that's it especially with jade plants. The roots find their own way. Zz plant types though just seem to fall apart on their own. I have been breaking some up since i started watching u-tube. Rules are made to be broken eh? !!!Sarah. DEVON.

Thanks! I have some outdoor plants too, a fig and a bay tree that are just a stick with leaves. The nursery said to just repot in a pot slightly bigger not much bigger. I’m wondering if that is true. It may be, but will see. I made my own compost outdoors over the past couple years. I am unsure how to know when it is ready to use though, and I add new stuff on top all the time. I do have some perlite in it, due to having older plants soils I dumped in the mix. I have no idea if there is enough and likely not. I wonder if in WA state USA the garden stores carry just perlite? I do not recall seeing it separately sold.

I think regarding lighting each situation is different. My entire apartment is south facing but I have a lot of trees and my bedroom has a balcony. The plants in my living room are happy except for the calatheas, had to pull those back. Plants in my bedroom don't get enough sun. They're living but not flourishing.

I've heard bright indirect light described as a south-facing window with a sheer curtain across it. I think African violets are an exception to not repotting it quickly. They prefer light, well-draining soil and, in the U.S. at least, are invariably shipped in nearly solid peat. Being susceptible to root rot they'll quickly die if you're not very careful with your watering. Better to repot.

Dear lord…..in Southern California, there are thousands of Jade plants that are enormous and are outside up against houses in full on bright sun, let alone a lot of heat!!!!!! people really irk me when it comes to the do’s and don’t about plants. I That being said, I love your videos and your advice, along with watching Planterina . She cracks me up but she is a wonder for the most part when it comes to her plants and the do’s and don’t♥️♥️

Ikea usually gives some Swedish name to its plants, but they mention the botanic name under that as well. I am not sure if they do it all the time at all places though.

Still surprised to see people who haven't peppers and tomatoes on every available inch bright window-spot (surrounded by 15 tomatoes, 90 peppers, some 200 carrots, 80 potatoes and some 6 surviving salads).

Totally agree with you! 👌🏻

I repot everything! VINE WEEVIL! An endemic pest in lots of nursery grown plants! If you don’t want to repot then dose with vine weevil remedies!

About direct sunlight. One factor is the baking of the soil in the pot. I wonder if some plants can take direct light as long as the pot is not being directly heated by the sun. The jade is fine with the pot baking but I try to take care not to leave the pots of non-succulent plants exposed. I put a barrier between the pot and the window. Just experimenting. I know nothing.

Sadly our local growers dont have the turn over they need so most of the plants we get is very pot bound. It would be less of a problem if more people went to support small bussineses rather than the big chains. I am forever recommending the three best around us for their quality and price yet time and again people around us go to Lowes and Homedepot because they are along the highwaynso more "convient." 😢

Plantify is amazing for identifying plants

I wish labels would have a Texas Full Sun.

If you don't mind answering a question. I got a lovely plant arrangement from my mom's funeral. It contains a Dieffenbachia, a Heartleaf Philodendron, and an Arrowhead plant. I'm going to have to repot it because the container it is in is not a long term option, would it be better to try to separate the plants into separate pots, or just leave them all together. I have no idea how long they've been growing together, so I don't know how hard it will be to separate them.

... please make a video of indoor plant care for people of Middle East climate. Suggest me a pesticide for small white bugs on my pomegranate baby plants. TIA.

My Dracaenas that I got like... 7-8 years ago have never been replanted. XD They still seem to be fine. I give them fertilizer, of course. And I don't know why I haven't bothered replanting them really, but they do grow well and everything so... *shrugs*

Excellent information as always. Plant stores will hate you for saving customers money.

Anything I buy from Walmart I repot because waters always running out of bottom

I got a moisture meter. Practically all my plants had wet feet. I think I killed my coleus with too much water. I have to start all over from seed

When I hard reset my monstera 'swiss cheese' I also down sized the pot so it can recover faster and it has

Great video. You mentioned compost but what compost would you recommend?

All advice appreciated thank you,nanouk I have looks beautiful…