You’ve got Plant Mail!

Did you just get your first box marked ‘plant Mail’? Nice! And congrats: ordering plants online is a great way to collect unique varieties rarely available at the stores, ensure your plants come healthy and pest free and support local growers and small businesses (such as Parkside Plants 😉). You will learn how to properly acclimate your plant after receiving it in mail.

Read this post if you are looking for more information on how to shop for plants online.

1. Carefully unpack your brown paper bundle to avoid damaging leaves. Your plant will be covered with poly-fil which you can carefully discard. Remove the plastic wrap from the pot and clear the poly-fil from top of the soil. The bamboo stake is for your plant protection during shipping and can be carefully removed.

2. The plant might appear limp and have a few yellowing leaves upon arrival, this is normal as plants go through stress of sitting in a dark box for a number of days. Check the soil for moisture: if it is dry to the touch, stick your finger inside and make sure the top inch is dry as well. If the soil is completely dry, place your pot on top of a saucer and water throughly until water fills the saucer. Let the plant sit for 30 minutes and remove excess water. If the soil is already wet all the way through - do not water the plant.

3. Pick a medium light spot for your plant to acclimate for several days. Avoid bright windowsills: transition from dark to bright conditions might shock even most light loving the plant.

4. In a couple of days when the plant perks up carefully remove all the dead and yellow leaves.

5. Monitor condition of your plant for up to a week: an acclimated plant will look perky and start turning leaves towards the light source. New growth is a sure sign of your plant being well acclimated and ready to be placed in its permanent spot.

 

Troubleshooting:

- If the plants arrives dead or severely damaged, contact us immediately. Make sure to take photos of damaged packaging. Please not: leaf yellowing is normal when plants are transported via mail.

- Do not place your plant in direct light: abrupt transition from dark to bright conditions might severely shock the plant.

- Please wait for up to two weeks to repot the plant to ensure the stress is minimal. When repotting, please check the roots first: not all of our plants immediately require a bigger planter. Opt for same size planter or insert plastic pot into cachepot for plants like Hoya and Peperomia Prostata which have shallow and slow developing root systems.

- When repotting, opt for a pot that's only an inch bigger: choosing a pot that is too large might cause water stagnation and lead to root root and foliage loss.

- Contact us if you have questions! We are happy to help.

Parkside Plants are releasing new blog posts every week! Check our Care Tips section for advice on how to care for your new leafy friend. 

Happy Planting! 🌵