To water your hanging plant, first remove it from your hanger and take it to the sink.  Use water that is tepid in temperature.

Use filtered, bottled, or tap water sitting 24 hours to release the chemicals and water enough to discharge out of the drainage holes (flush watering).  Once the water is fully drained from the grower or internal pot, place it into the cache or decorative hanging pot.

Sometimes losing its leaves on the bottom is a natural occurrence as it cycles through its life, and then other leaves sprout and take over the photosynthesis. If it's not getting enough bright, indirect light, it may drop off, too.

Other times, a sudden drop of a majority of the leaves can mean that the plant has undergone an environmental change, perhaps due to repotting or a being placed in a new position in your home.  Some plants don't like to be moved and protest by dropping their leaves. Wait several weeks, and during the growing season, water as needed and keep it on a regular fertilization routine. New leaves will sprout.

To better understand whether your plants need water, purchase a moisture meter to insert into the soil down to the root area. The reading will tell you if it's on the wet, semi-moist, or dry side. Water, when your plant, requires moisture according to your plant care card.

If you smell a rotten odor around your plant, lift the plant out of the container and examine the root ball. If the roots are wet, dark brown, or black, it's due to overwatering. Remove the plant and throw it away.

If your plant was packed with coconut coir covering the soil, please remove it with the packing so your plant's roots can breathe and water can penetrate to the soil. There is a decorative layer of Spanish moss on the top of the soil as a mulch. You may leave that or remove it as you desire.

When you first receive your plant, let it rest and get acclimated to its new environment for a season. Wait until the following spring to transplant it into a new container after travel stress is over. When the roots are escaping out of the drainage holes or seeing it needing water more often is a good sign it's time to transplant your plant into a wider container.

Each plant has its own set of requirements for light needs. If your plant requires bright indirect lighting, the best place would be a southern exposure window for 6-8 hours per day of sunlight close to the window. Medium-light would require the same amount of light but not as intense. It would sit back further from the window in a southern exposure or up closer in an eastern or western window for 4-6 hours per day. Low light plants can thrive in the back or sides of a room with no direct sun and limited sunlight. They can also be supplemented with artificial grow lights too.

The black paste on the ends of stumps is a healing paste often used for a branch's cut. There is no need to remove it.

The numbers on your fertilizer indicate what and how much nutrients it has in the formula. The first number is for Nitrogen (N). It will promote strong, healthy foliage and good overall growth. The second or middle number is for Phosphorus (P). It will encourage good rooting and will enable strong, healthy growth. The last number is Potassium (K) is essential for fruit and flowering development. To remember this set of numbers easiest, memorize the mnemonic, "Up, Down, All Around!"

The lighter green leaves are new leaflets that have recently sprouted. The chlorophyll pigments are still in development and tend to be a lighter color. You'll notice the leaves aren't as thick either. As they mature, this will change, and the leaf will get thicker and darker.

Lively Root plants will come in a grower pot. If you order a decorative container, you can slip the grower pot into the decorative pot without replanting it for at least a year. It is not necessary to replant it as soon as you get it. We don't recommend replanting for at least six months to a year to let it acclimate to its new environment.

Oops, your plant has brown tips? No worries. There could be five possible reasons why your plant babies are suffering. Trim the leaves of the brown ends and investigate these four suggestions on what might be the problem. Then get out the magnifying glass and do some sleuthing!

1. Underwatering. First, check the soil moisture level. Have you skipped a beat in watering your 'precious?' Our 3 in 1 plant meter is a handy tool to check and see what the soil at the root level is reading. That old-fashion method of 'sticking-your-finger' in the soil isn't smart enough for our Lively Root plants. (And who has a long enough finger to dig down in those gallon+ size pots?) This clever gadget is 'high-tech' to keep those roots moist but not too soggy. Your plant care card you received with your plant baby will give you instructions on what moisture level to keep your plant happy. If a lack of moisture is an issue, get yourself on a schedule and tell them you're sorry they got thirsty. Staying consistent with your water schedule will prevent further browning, and your plants will love you for it.
2. Dry Air. Some plants like a humid environment. They are being raised in a very humid greenhouse, so the air moisture is essential to their state of happiness. Use a hygrometer to check the humidity level in your home. If it's not enough, take these steps to add humidity around your plant. Or take them with you to the shower to give them extra humidity but put some sunglasses on them while you bathe.
3. High Temperatures. High temperatures in a dry environment can cook the roots of a plant since they're not in the ground but a container planting. And we don't want them to suffer from scrambled roots. If direct sunlight hits the leaves, the combination of the two can dry out the plant and sunburn the leaves. Ouch! In the early growth stage, Lively Root nurtures our plants in a greenhouse with indirect light. Many of our indoor plants can't tolerate the sun's intense rays, which can scorch the leaf or dry out the soil too fast. So give them some TLC and move them away from hot drafts, hot sunlight, and to their favorite spot.
4. Overfeeding. Too much of a good thing can make us sick, including our plants. Over-fertilizing can produce drying from the salts. If you are fertilizing with full strength, back it down to half-strength and less frequently.
5. Softened water. If you have a water softener and use salt, switch to watering your plant with distilled or filtered water. The salts will accumulate in the potting mix, and it dries out the plant faster, causing the browning tips.

Plants most susceptible to brown tips: Peace lily, Spider lily, Prayer Plant, Dracaena, Palms, Ti plants.

Does your plant look like it's bleeding? Yikes! Red-spotted leaves are an indication of edema. This symptom is when the plant absorbs too much water, and the transpiration process doesn't keep up with the intake. It can also show up as bumps or blisters on the leaf surface. This symptom is water pressure that eventually bursts the cells leaving this visible scar on the leaf. Now, blow into a paper bag to calm down. We're going to tell you how to fix it. Breathe, breathe now. Repeat.

Try these remedies to see if your plant heals.

• Use well-draining growing media if you have transplanted recently. Make sure you are using an appropriate soil mix for your plant. Some plants are picky about the soil they live in, so check our website under your specific plant for transplanting instructions.
• Let the sun shine indirectly. Move your plant to a place where it can get higher intensity light but not direct sunlight. This method will help the soil dry faster, and the leaves transpire quicker to keep up with the soil's moisture levels.
• Don't be tempted to overfertilize your plants to get them to grow faster. That will backfire on you and overstress them. Lay off fertilizing in the dormant period of the year from October-March.
• Avoid letting your plant sit in a saucer full of water. Ensure their cute little roots are not suffocating by being soaked too long in the water.
• Use a container that is a clay or terracotta plant or breathable to help the roots acclimate to the moisture levels and humidity. This good air circulation around the roots will reduce the humidity and moisture levels and eliminate these symptoms.
• Plants that have low potassium or calcium can also be showing these symptoms. Correct this by adjusting the soil pH or repotting your plant with new, rich soil mixed, especially for your plant variety.

Plants that can suffer from edema include Fiddle Leaf Figs, Dracaena, Peperomia, Jade plants, Ficus, Schefflera.

Maybe. Have you fertilized it in the last month during the growing season? Is the soil old and needs to be repotted, or the soil may have accumulated salts from the fertilizer and needa reboot. But most of the time, moisture stress is the culprit to yellowing leaves. Too much water or not enough can turn the leaves yellow with distress. So hurry and find your 3 in 1 plant meter and stick the prongs down deep to see what's going on beneath the surface. You can't tell what's going on beneath the surface, and a good manicure won't allow you to check at their roots with your finger.

Plants will protest if the temps around them get too cold. We turn blue when we're cold; they turn yellow!

Plants may not 'walk on sunshine,' but they want enough to keep the photosynthesis going. Low light conditions can make them feel bad and lose their leaves, especially if their soil is too moist in combination with the low light.

One more thing. Leaves age and say to themselves, "The rest of you guys have it here; I've done my job photosynthesizing and fed this plant well. I'm checking out." That is a regular occurrence. While new leaves grow, old ones go low (drop off.)

You think giving your plant an extra drink of water is like giving it a kiss and a hug, right? Wrong. If the soil is soggy and doesn't dry out fast enough, switch pots. Porous pots like clay or terracotta will help the roots dry faster.

Sometimes if it is in a low light spot and given lots of water, it can hold that water too long. Other times, we get busy and don't lift the grower pot out of the container (don't let Mom know) and think their little toes will like the extra moisture instead of allowing it to drain in the sink. Wrong again.

If you find the soil soggy, lift it out of the container and wrap it in old newspaper to soak up the moisture as much as possible. Remove any rotting roots with sterilized pruners (wipe often). This method may take several hours to remove the moisture, so keep replacing the newspaper to soak up all the water. Afterward, repot in the sterilized pot, and the next time you water, add 3% hydrogen peroxide at a rate of 1:10 parts water. This additive will help prevent any bacteria or fungus issues in the future.

Plants that may be susceptible to yellowing leaves: Fiddle Leaf Figs, Sago Palm, Snake Plants, Ponytail Palm, and Spider Plants.

Check Lighting

Some plants are like little, ole' cranky men that don't like moving around. If it traveled a long way from our greenhouse to your crib, it might be dropping its leaves in protest. This phenomenon is because it's gone from the lovely cozy, humid greenhouse to a dark box on a truck. On its truck ride, it has not seen the light of day for a while. Although plants are resilient, and we carefully pack them for the ride, some can get unhappy due to the lack of light or temperatures they go through in travel.

If you've had your plant a while and all of a sudden, it's dropping leaves, ask yourself has anything changed recently. Is it nearby a forced-air vent, or has the lighting changed?

You can move them in the spring out to a covered porch with virtually the same amount of light but make sure it's getting enough water and the nutrients it needs during the growing season.

In each case, find the optimum place for its lighting and temperature needs, let it settle in to recover. Use our 3 in 1 plant meter to check the light and water around the plant and give it adequate amounts.

Plants that my protest when moved: Fiddle Leaf Fig, Crotons, and Schefflera.

Checking for those nasty pests is another option if your leaves are dropping suddenly. Pests can play hide-n-seek underneath the leaf, soil, and plant stems, so look in all hiding places. Remove the pests initially with a squirt of water and apply insecticidal soap or Neem oil to the top and underside of the leaves. You may need to reapply weekly until the infestation is gone. Sometimes, if fungus gnats are present, you may need to repot the plant to start fresh.

Watering Issues

The spots on a cheetah may look handsome but not on your prized plant! The type of spot fits the diagnosis rather quickly. Is the area blackish, dried and brown, or pale and lightened? Each means something different. The blackish spots mean it's getting overwatered. (Invest in a 3 in 1 plant meter...you'll be glad you did!) The dried and brown indicates not enough water or very thirsty! Please give it a drink! The pale spots suggest that the water you're using to mist with is drying and leaving hard watermarks.

Pests Leave Prints

Pest can be the culprit too. Grrrrr! Check under the leaves to see if any are present. If you find where they're hiding, wash them off and apply the insecticidal soap or Neem oil. Reapply as the directions indicate and watch closely. In the meantime, quarantine your plant to keep it from spreading to your other plant babies.

Have those tiny nano flies come to visit? Do they seem to multiply? Are you finding yourself swatting, smacking the air, and filling the air with bleeped-out words? Uh-huh. We understand. You have fungus, gnats. So find the culprit. There will be a plant in your midst that's hiding them. Get a stick or pencil and dig around the top of the soil in each of your pots. You'll soon find a fly or two emerging from the disruption in the soil. And don't make the mistake of assuming it's in just one of your plants. They like to bury themselves in wet or soggy soil so keep fishing until you find them all. Then quarantine them in a safe place while you treat them.

First, check to see if the soil is too moist for what your plant likes. If so, use the method of drying the soil as fast as possible. Take the plant out of the pot and wrap it in an old newspaper to soak up the moisture. Keep repeating this until the paper isn't soaking up any more water.

Afterward, sprinkle mosquito bits over the soil's surface, and when watering, it will disperse the nontoxic substance that contains bacillus thuringiensis. It sounds toxic, but BT is a species of bacteria that is naturally found in the soil. This bacteria is harmful to some pests like fungus gnats who lay their eggs in the soil. It will take about 2 1/2 weeks for the eggs to turn into adult gnats, so as you water, the BT will continue to disperse to the eggs. Yay! For an extra layer and complementary treatment, add a yellow sticky trap to catch them in their tracks! You can stick it down into the soil with a little left on top so the fly will land on it. It's like "quicksand" for those nasty gnats.

If you're rather impatient and want to remove them immediately, you can repot the plant in new sterile soil. At the next watering, add a concentrated solution of BT to the water when watering to safeguard against any lingering gnats in the house. Each gnat lays up to 150 eggs so they can multiply fast!

If the leaves of the plant are curling, first check the soil moisture. Leaves can curl to slow down the transpiration process. Curling leaves may mean it needs more water or has dried out too much. Check the roots for viability. Remove any dried leaves in this case and trim back the stem to live growth to stimulate new leaf formation.

Another guilty culprit is spider mites. Sap-cucking insects like spider mites and aphids hide on the underside of the leaf. They can cause distortion or curled leaves. Treat with Neem Oil or insecticidal soap to remove these from your plant. But hurry, they will destroy a plant fast!

So you have to hold your nose around your plants, huh?! Oh noooo! First, check the roots. Remove the plant from its pot and pull away the soil to reveal the bare roots. Is there mushy, brown, or black slimy roots, and is this where the smell originates? If so, you have that dreaded root rot. To help the plant recover, remove all the rot with sterilized pruners (making sure to clean them between cuts). Replace the plant if the roots are still intact into a new sterilized potting mix and a sterilized pot with good drainage. Cut back the upper stems and leaves to match the root size to service the plant while it recovers adequately. Be careful not to reinfect your new pot or plant mix with the root rot. Keep your plant in medium light and stop fertilizing. Resume a light watering schedule.

To prevent this disease, stay on a consistent watering schedule. Use our 3 in 1 plant meter to check the moisture before watering, as we tend to love our plants too much sometimes and can drown them with love (water).