Things I wish I knew before getting plants 

Your "hey guys" instantly calms me, whatever mood I'm in. Thank you so much for that!

Okay. That turned out adorable. Also. I laughed way TOO hard at the thought of us all hobbling around watering our plants. 😂

I like to do my plant chores while watching plant videos. 😄

Best tip is lighting. Make sure you research the plant before you buy and learn it’s care. What kind of lighting it needs. Lighting is the most important thing when it comes to plant care 🪴🌱 Thanks for the video Harli! ❤

Buying clearance rehab plants helped me learn soooooo much about the care for plants and if they died I wasn’t out a bunch of money. I bought a huge calathea that was costly and killed it within two months but got a clearance calathea and was able to learn how to bring it back to life. It was cheaper and I learned a lot about the plant!

My tip would be to stick to what grows the best in your care. I can’t grow calethea or anthuriums for the life of me, I know not to keep trying. It kills the plant and wastes my money! I can grow Hoya and pothos no problem, so I enjoy buying these varieties 😊 Also learn what to look for like leaf damage and the different plant pests. Do a good pest check while you are at the store shopping. Check out more than a few plants there to get a better idea.

Harli- You are by far my favorite plant person on RU-vid- you are so relatable and don’t make me feel like a failed plant mom when my plants aren’t perfect (or 💀). I only have the plants I got before my son was born because my mom would water them when she came to help! Thank you for your content

The tip I have is don’t go overboard thinking you need every plant you see on a plant video. I did and over the past year I have downsized my collection by at least half. Down to only 45 plants now and that is a comfortable amount for me. I am in a small one br apartment. I’m enjoying the ones I have now instead of rushing around to keep up with all the needs I used to have to meet. Don’t overwater is a major good tip also. I use to do that as well. Thanks for the video Harli. 🌱💚🌱

Clear plastic containers! It’s so much easier to tell if something is wrong with your plant’s roots if you can see them!

Definitely was easy in the beginning to hoard every cool plant i saw. So thats a good one. Also to know how to check for and treat pests. I used to just think a plant was a goner once i would see signs of spider mites or fungus gnats which can actually have an easy fix. Also its easier to prevent pests than to treat a plant once you’ve got pests. 💚💚💚

Hey Harli, not sure you've done this before but I'd like you to start a trend on normalising plant scars. Our houseplants are not as perfect looking as they are when they come from the nursery. Sometimes I found it tricky to accept they have lived their lives and they show it. It's easier now, but at the beginning I really obsessed about keeping them look spotless. Xx

You are just too cute! I have been a plant nut for DECADES. It has been fun watching you kids become plant nuts too. Now as I am hobbling around watering, I will think of you hobbling around also.🌻😉 🌻

ice coffee and hobbling around to water my plants is one of my happy places thank you so much for your videos

loooove you so much. i watched your channel a bunch in 2020 when i first got into plants during quarantine and had the catch them all mindset. i got really depressed end of 2020 and lost majority of my collection and i had spent SO much money on those plants. when i moved to my new apartment early 2021 i stopped that mindset out of fear of how much money i’d wasted and then just recently (in 2023) got back into collecting outside of the few i’d kept and am trying hard to not fall back into that same mindset i had in 2020. the growth of your channel is so grounding to me. because when i watched for the first time in so long i was thinking how your collection had gotten smaller and i’ve kept up and knew you had kids but even for someone like myself who easily falls into that addiction of trying to have a big collection, this is such a well needed reminder. sometimes i feel myself doing these things that i KNOW are not beneficial to myself or my plants so thank you for validating and spreading this reminder

They are good tips,I also was an over watterer at the start,live and learn,👍 💚🌱🌵☘️💚

I started watching to learn more about plants, but.... I just adore your personality.

Don't buy plants you don't have room for RIGHT NOW. Unless you have a brand new shelf already set up and waiting for you at home, I promise you will be stressing trying to find a spot for those plants you bought on impulse. And the plant will suffer and you'll have wasted your money.😭

Your plants need more light than you think!!!! 💚 I thought low light meant no light 🙃

I have come to realize I have best fit plants for my care abilities and that I love to look at. Most of my plants are succulents and Pothos/scindapsus/philodendron. My most favorite thing in the world is watching my Pothos climb and vine

I realize I was putting my plants in pots that were too big. For some reason I thought I had to repot every year.

Yes I am the little old lady dragging the garden hose or sprinkler can around!

I've also learned that along with light, water & nutrients, AIRFLOW ALL YEAR ROUND (YES EVEN IN WINTER) IS CRUCIAL for plant health. My inexperienced me didn't know that! 🤦🏻‍♀ Thanks for all your tips Harli 👍🏼

Hi Harli 💫 The midweek pick me up I soooo needed. Girl, you are so right ~ I’m a new plant mom and already I’ve learned helicopter mom is not good lol. My Oxalis Triangularis got a bad case of fungus gnats (I no longer use Miracle Gro 😡) but I put a sliced potato in it and put it outside and left her alone, and by golly with her mainly only getting water from the good lord above she has thrived and flowered, and her pot is so full. She’s a happy girl so with my Hoyas and Rhipsalis that are left inside I’m just literally leaving them be (besides watering) no more oohing and ahhing because my plants don’t like that lol. Great advice, lovely video as always. Stay happy and Blessed 💫

Also, if you don't want to spend lots of money on fertilizers you can use things in the house like cinnamon, oats, black tea, coffee grounds, rice water and banana water to give your plants the added boost. Use a cup of oats and cut open a tea bag, pour boiling water on it and let it sit for a day. Then water your plants with it! Coffee grounds just put it right in the soil. If you're cooking rice one night save the water. For banana water after you're done eating, take the peel and pour boiling water over it. Let it sit for a day. Sprinkle cinnamon on top of the soil. All of these remedies have helped my plants grow tremendously! And you don't have to worry about accidentally putting too much fertilizer in the soil which might burn the roots of your plant, or if you want to grow organically. I have also used these methods on my outdoor plants and they have been growing non stop! Coffee grounds also helps control fungus gnats as it is a natural insect repellent. It's also good if you need acidic soil for a plant.

I’d say find ways to care for your plants without actually handling/watering them. I make lists of when I need to add worm castings to which ones, when to apply systemics, make lists with them lol it sounds silly but it helps resist the urge to over care

Harli, OMGosh you are the most FUN and funniest plant person I watch on RU-vid! I laughed so hard right out loud (at 6:52) about what you said you think about with all of us!!! You’re SO right and that absolutely cracks me up!!! If I’m ever feeling down, I will run-not walk- over to watch your videos!! 😂❤

Tip: House plants that you put outside for the summer will need to come back inside eventually. First year I did this I made the mistake of filling all those indoor spots with new ones, then of course it became way too crowded inside come fall 😂

I'm learning to hold myself back as I have a one-bedroom apartment to and all I have now is pretty happy I have probably about 35 plants I'm going to spend a couple weeks getting those taken care of and enjoy them I've been growing plants a long time but every thing you mentioned like the yellow leave when I first started out I did I overwatered underwater freaked out when I saw a yellow leaves I still love them know thank you for sharing

Thank you for this video ; you're right it's so cute to think of all of us taking care of our plants, watering, repoting etc.. 🙂💗💗

Tip: Don’t be afraid to remove the pot and look at what’s going on below the soil surface. Especially those plastic growers pots. They pop right off the root ball and you can pop it back on.

I enjoy Plant Hobbling around watering my plant as well 😂🤣🙌 Tip 5 is one that I can say really is useful during the beginning stages of being a plant parent. Always great to take your time and move slow with buying more plants. It takes a lot of research and experiments with new plants to know how to care for them 🍃🙏🙌🤩 Love this video ❤️

Hello Harli. I’ve really cut down to a whopping three plants. Two different snake plants and a succulent. I LOVE ♥️ LOVE ♥️ LOVE your plant videos! (The most plants I had was 26 plants years ago). thank you from Canada

I definitely jumped to too many. Some were gifted which I didn’t expect but appreciated.

so helpful 🥹 the one about moving slow omg I cant seem to get it 😅 I want them all 😭🤣

You an also put humidity loving plants in the bathroom. I put two of my orchids In there, and along with my husband and I taking showers, they have been thriving!

I never realized moving my plants around was stressing out my plants! They’re constantly having to get reacclimated! 😬 Thanks Harli!

Have been there and it so fun to review it. 😂 we do learn mostly the hard way!😊😊

Great wisdom Harli!! 🤗🌿🌷

Just what I needed today ❤ thank you Harli!!!

Great tips. Thanks a lot!

thanks for the great tips!😃

Thanks again Harli, great to hear from you 👍 ❤

Thanks, Harli!! I’d also say research your plant care needs before you buy and figure out if you actually can provide the kind of environment a plant needs. One of my first plants was a Calathea zebrina because I thought it was cute. Somehow I kept it alive but definitely would not have bought it if I actually realized what it needed for care.

Appreciated this chat! Thank you! ❤️

6:48 oh my God, you totally get me. ❤I THINK THE SAME THING! 😍🤩🥰🥰🤓 It just makes me love my newfound plant hobby even more. It's the best healing.

Such a great video! Thank you for sharing your wisdom! I love it, and I love plants, and I love that there are other crazy plant ladies out there ❤❤

I'm having the same experience with being a helicopter plant mom hahahah so much better to just leave them alone! hahahha

I live in SF w/ very limited space. One of my variegated peperomias is getting too big for it's forever home so I simply propagate and sell. Easy way to make money for a broke grad student too!

I always just take the yellow leaves off and move on 😂

One concept you mentioned in a video that's always stuck with me is: don't get plants just because they're popular. If you want it, great! But don't feel like you HAVE to have it just because everyone else does. Get what makes you happy- popular or not

You are so adorable to watch. This video made a lot of sense. Thanks

thank YOU for the tips!

This helps me feel not so alone in my planty journey! I'm notorious for underwatering. Every time I water though, the water will have liquidirt in it. Thanks to watching you!! Most of the plants I own are really propagatable.... In case I neglect a plant for too long, I can try, try, try again. ❤Thanks for keeping it real and relatable. 😊

Tip 4 yellow 💛 ✨️ 💯🎯

My best tip is to buy a plant for a space rather then buy a plant and then look for the right spot. If you have a good spot for a certain plant then that plant will do better getting the atmosphere is needs.

I live in Florida, so humidity is abundant! My plants live in my sunroom. I'm totally bummed because fungus got my Thai Constellation and had to chop all the leaves, luckily it was very young. I hope it bounces back soon!

Same! To everything. Once I left them alone, they’re doing much better

The planter and the cactus looks like a jellyfish to me 😂 such a cool idea. I'd love to try that out.

Good advice, we all think we know a little bit more than someone who has already foraged the pass… we don’t!

oh good, I be freaking out with the yellow leaves. damn.

Great video! I wish I didn’t go all out and buy so many, you’re so right it gets to be too much to care for and my children are grown and out of the house!

Most of the plants will tell you if they need watering. That's one thing I've learned, which is very important.

I like your hair cut harli. Inspiring me to do the same

Where to start lol IMHO 1 research the plant type/species ✌🏼 2 make sure you have the space at home! ✌🏼

Thank you for sharing. You are bless! Amen 🙏🌈🙏🌈

Could you do a video on alocsia care?

Do you think it's inevitable for small plants like coriander and basil or catnip to die if they are overcrowded in a pot? I was trying to grow a bunch in small pots and it grew well for a while but then they died from dehydration (basil i topped) even though I watered every day it kept drying up.

Good video.

Awesome video! My tip is buy plants that more match up with your own personal care style and not just buy plants that are trendy. My interest in plants ebbs and flows so succulents and cactus are more for me because they can handle that kind of neglect 💚💚

❤️❤️❤️ I’m glad so many people are uploading plant content today! There’s a wildfire where I live and they aren’t common here (more common in BC and AB). It’s been a rough few days for our province (NS) with so many losing their homes and pets 😭💔 RU-vid has been a huge distraction with plant content, & I’m so glad you uploaded just as I finished watching another video! Perfect timing 👌🏼 and with such a helpful video!!

🚿🌱💃 Don't buy new to the market plants, wait-prices will drop 🍀

I wish I knew more about pests and their prevention 😱

That thumbnail picture. ❤

I wish I had allowed myself to get the (typically more expensive) plant I really wanted instead of getting cheaper pretty impulse buys. It was good to wait for the prices to drop but I wasted a lot of money because small purchases add up! If I had gotten the plants I really wanted I probably would have spent less in the long run.

Be happy with the basics at first. Don't Go chasing after hard to care, or rare varieties right away. It's hard on your pocketbook when they die.

The humidity one 😭 I’ve been keeping it a little moist by spraying it down with a water bottle

What I learned: Do your research on a plant before buying it - even if you aren't a novice. "Bright indirect" light is a broad term. Don't assume any plant will thrive in the same lighting conditions just because one of the same species does well there. Some of our green friends burn quite easily even under supplemental light!

I have a lipstick plant Do I need a humidifier in the winter time ? Also should I get a grow light for the plant and if so what one?

Hi love your video how many plants do you have 😊

The cute thing was so cute lollll

Tip: Research the plant and care needs BEFORE you buy the plant. It'll save you $ and heartache if you don't actually have the environment to keep that particular plant.

My best tips. Hydrogen peroxide diluted and sprayed on the top dirt will banish pesky fungus gnats. I struggled hard at first trying to go all of the organic routes. Lighting is essential, plants will not live or grow well without it so get supplemental lighting.

I got my 2 year old daughter a little watering can in the shape of a unicorn so she can water with me too 😊

Harli, you are incredibly beautiful! ❤️ Every time I watch your videos, I can't help but wonder why you haven't already pursued a career as an actress in Hollywood or Netflix! 😊

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One thing I learned about plants is that water could be their best friend or the worst enemy

PLEASE! Watch the soil when watering! I didn’t for while and now I have a gnat problem

Very nice Like 👍 8:23

❤❤Nice❤❤

I wish I had known I have ADHD, lol. I probably have 250+ plants (succulents and non-succulents) because plants became a hyperfocus. So, now I have a bunch of living things relying on me even when my focus has shifted to a new hobby. Thankfully, my husband and children are understanding and my hyperfocus is cyclical. LOL In general though, I wish I had never bought plastic pots of any kind - *For me*, no matter how cute they are (or inexpensive), plastic pots tend to be unhealthy for my plants and care style. I've ended up switching almost all of my larger plants to terra cotta.

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Another tip - if the plant looks too exotic, it probably is. And that means you need amazing conditions to grow it. Second tip - plants sometimes die because they were meant to. Maybe the plant wasn’t doing well after all. Maybe it was a bad hybrid. It’s not always you, the room or the humidity. Some plants are meant to be bought and then die.

Probably the most useless thing I've ever bought is a soil moisture meter. They don't work all that well and It's easier to just check the soil with a finger and get to know what your plants like in terms of water usage and schedule. I don't even try that hard, I just water once a week at most, and if the top is still wet, I hold off watering that plant, and all of my plants are fine.

* As I currently hobble around to water my plants

Three tips: 1. Understand what kind of plant parent you are ie a helicopter parent or more relaxed. 2. Buy plants that fit with what kind of parent you are. 3. Treat the plant like what it is (I’m looking at you SOP). If it’s a succulent treat it that way, don’t make adjustments for you make them for the plant.

YepI would lose my mind if I saw a yellow leaf 😅

How many do you have may I ask?

Your glowing . Is there something you're not telling us 🤔

💕💓💞💚

I am def a helicopter plant parent lol, but trying to get better. 😅