Acclimating Plants

Just like us, plants take time to adjust to change. 

The environment of your space will vary vastly from that of a nursery greenhouse, garden center, plant shop, or your friend’s home. Even the micro environments within your own space can vary dramatically: kitchen windowsill vs bathroom vanity vs office desk. Air quality, humidity, temperature, drafts, and light sources are the main variables that will affect your plants performance.

 Photo Credit: @leoeye

Some things to take into consideration to help acclimate your plants when purchasing or relocating one:

Relocating
Where was your plant before? Was it happy and thriving there, or struggling? How much light did it receive? Which direction was the light source? Most plants adapt to and are happy with eastern sunlight exposure. 

Purchasing:

What kind of environment was the plant in when you bought it? Humid greenhouse: try acclimating it to your bathroom. Outdoor garden center: try placing it in a warm bright room; sunroom or a space with south facing windows. 

Things to avoid:

Stagnant air: Plants enjoy proper air flow and quality air; just like us.
Drafts: Will the plant be exposed to drafts, perhaps from a nearby duct? Plants don't like to be exposed to dramatic temperature fluctuations.
Temperature: Will it be subject to chills from a nearby window or door?
Improper natural light: Offices are the worst culprit with fluorescent lighting and limited natural light. Be mindful of the light requirements of your plant. Low light plants usually survive in synthetic light, but they may grow more slowly. 

Have patience and experiment with different strategies when troubleshooting your plant. As plant fanatics, there is nothing more satisfying than seeing your green friend thrive under your care!

Photo Credit: @innayatsun