Have you ever panicked over a yellow foliage or beat yourself up over a plant pass ? It ’s time to follow@houseplantjournalon Instagram , stat ! Thispopular industrial plant accountis run by Darryl Cheng , who ’s beloved for his even - keeled glide slope towards plant maintenance . House Plant Journalhas been operating for a minute now : First on Tumblr , then on YouTube , and now on Instagram . Cheng ’s overture to flora care is a sensible and forgive one — he views plants as active living beingness that interact with their environs and originate or struggle consequently .

An engineer by trade wind , Cheng suggest that having a immature thumb is n’t so much about luck as it is about being observant with your plant and assume their limitation . Known for metre - oversight picture of his plant , he offers tip on firing , lacrimation , and other general plant tutelage gratuity base on detailed observations . So what are some of his best top ? We ’ve gather our favorite ones below !

1. Plant care in the long haul means that you’ll face problems from time to time.

Inone stake , Cheng contemplates the staghorn fern that he ’s had since 2015 . Though his image features a lush and healthy fern , Cheng explains that his works has n’t always look like this , as he ’s battle mealy bug and rationalize off dead leaves from sentence to time . Many frond on his staghorn have come and extend , but he reassure us that ’s this is no lawsuit for panic because aged foliage will light off .

2. Understand that leaves have a limited lifespan—plants change and grow all the time.

Speaking of older leaves falling , Cheng remind us that leave of absence have a limited lifespan . Yup , even go away on coveted houseplants such ashis ceriman Thai constellationwill die out . While you might cerebrate that you ’re doing something unseasonable when a leaf come out yellowing , it ’s really a matter of when , not if , a leaf will die . When it ’s gone , simply give thanks it for doing its occupation photosynthesizing !

3. Leaves don’t need to be perfect to function for your plant.

If crispy leave-taking are the bane of your macrocosm , just remember that they do n’t have to be perfect to be operable ! While there are few thing more satisfying than a flawless showy immature leaf , do n’t fray if not all of your foliage looks tonic and new . There could be a gamut of ground why your plant has rough sharpness — too much fertiliser , hard H2O , or dry melody could all be perpetrator . But a brownish edge here and there is nothing to occupy about . In apost featuring a calathea orbifolia , Cheng reminds us that though his leaves have imperfections , his plant is still flourish . Calathea plant owner will bed the struggle of crispy edges all too well , but it ’s very potential for a prayer works to be thriving even if it has brownish snatch .

4. When you view your plants as companions rather than decor pieces, you’ll be okay with their imperfections.

In oneHouse Plant Journal post , Cheng talk over the ABCs of take account houseplant : A brook for aesthetics , B for biology , and C for companionship . While there ’s nothing wrong with enjoying the aesthetic of a gorgeous Modern plant , we should remember the last two letters . So , what does Cheng mean by biology ? When we consider foliage transpiration , whatever is in our weewee “ will eventually wear out the leaf confidential information and they ’ll become crispy brown . ” Think of embrown leaves as natural biology instead of something that can be 100 % forestall . And with companionship , look at your plant a botanical ally that change over time rather of a decor firearm — this way , you could appreciate all that it ’s been through !

5. Plants don’t stay perfect, even when you follow care instructions.

Last but not least , proper care does n’t needfully insure perfect plants . You ’ll be most at peace if you understand the balance between environmental conditions and nature when care for your plants . Inan Instagram carousel , Cheng get over the progress of his elephant ear plant , which had steady been lose leaves over the drop and winter . After meticulously review how little light it had been get , he concluded that the plant would be good off waiting for more light in the give . Even with proper care , the seasons and your environment can touch on your plant ’s growth . Do n’t finger too uncollectible if your plant life is struggling even after you ’ve checked all the boxes for its needs .

If we had to sum up Cheng ’s advice about houseplant maintenance into a sententious one - lining , it ’d be something along the lines of “ keep unagitated and carry on . ” The next prison term you detect a dark-green friend wilt in despair , think about these tips from House Plant Journal to take the next step forward .

For content that offers a pragmatic and forgiving approach path towards flora care , follow@houseplantjournalon Instagram !