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Cleveland Plant Doctor simple plant care for homes and small businesses

10/13/2026

You never really know what’s happening below the soil with new plants.

Fernwood Mikado Sansevieria often have foam holding the foliage together while they’re being propagated and taking root.

The problem is that this foam can hold moisture in the soil and cause root rot over time. It might not cause a problem right away, but it certainly can down the road.

I always think it’s important to pull new plants out of their pots and see what’s going on below the surface. Getting ahead of potential problems before they become actual problems is a big part of good houseplant care, and foam in your pot is one of those things worth checking for!

Snake plants need their soil to dry completely between waterings, so removing anything that could interfere with that is one way to set your Sansevieria up for the healthiest life possible.

A little extra attention when you bring a new plant home can save you a whole lot of trouble later!

10/13/2026

My opinion on watering plants is a hill I’m willing to die a thousand deaths on.

When your plants are properly set up, meaning you’ve potted your plant into the correct size pot, using the correct soil, and you have LOTS of drainage… saturating the soil is the ONLY way you should be watering.

That’s it. It’s that simple.

10/11/2026

These chop & prop results are exactly what I expected!

A lot of people told me I should have staked this Dieffenbachia instead of pruning it, but that’s just not my style.

Growing a strong, healthy plant is a priority for me, and sometimes that means making a cut instead of trying to support growth that isn’t working.

Luckily, Dieffenbachia are relatively easy to prune, propagate, and grow, which makes them great plants to experiment with. You can take cuttings, root them in water or soil, and turn one overgrown plant into several new plants.

And that’s one of my favorite things about houseplant care… learning what works, trying something different, and seeing what happens.

You don’t have to follow every piece of plant care advice you hear. Understand what your plant needs, make an informed decision, and give yourself permission to experiment.

I hope these Dieffenbachia pruning and propagation results give you a little more confidence to do what’s best for your plants, even when it looks a little unconventional.

The forks didn’t keep the squirrels out of my potted plants… but I got loads of suggestions - this is nowhere near all o...
10/09/2026

The forks didn’t keep the squirrels out of my potted plants… but I got loads of suggestions - this is nowhere near all of them. You all are the best 🙌 hope something here works!

10/08/2026

Caption in comments for easy reading!

It’s time to start bringing your houseplants inside for winter!

If you summer your houseplants outdoors, keep an eye on nighttime temperatures. Once temperatures are consistently dropping below 50°F at night, it’s time to start bringing your tropical houseplants back inside.

Before you bring them back into your home, they need a good inspection!!

Start by removing any yellow, damaged, or dying leaves. Then wipe down the leaves really well and check the undersides, stems, and every little nook where pests like to hide.

And don’t forget to check between the nursery pot and the cover pot. You may find someone has built a little nest or laid some eggs in there!

If you’re worried about insects living in the soil, you can dunk the entire pot in water with a tiny drop of gentle soap to help dislodge unwanted hitchhikers.

The thing about me is, I don’t automatically treat plants just because they spent the summer outside.

Your plants being outside is GOOD for them. They get better light, natural airflow, rain, and an entire ecosystem of beneficial organisms doing their thing.

You might find millipedes, potato bugs, or other soil loving creatures in your pots. They aren’t necessarily pests, and some can actually be beneficial to the soil!!!

I DO NOT RECOMMEND USING PESTICIDES!!!

Chances are good you don’t even have any pests… and you don’t want to kill off the good guys because you’re worried about a pest that may not even be there.

My goal when bringing plants indoors for winter is super simple - inspect. Clean. Remove what needs to go. Then bring them inside.

Chemical free pest prevention is always my first choice.

Summer outside is one of the best things you can do for your houseplants. Just make sure you give them a proper check before they come back inside.

10/06/2026

Spring is the best time to prune houseplants if your goal is strong regrowth but that doesn’t mean you should wait until spring to prune a plant that needs it.

Spring and summer give indoor plants more natural light during the active growth season, which can help them produce new growth faster. But your plant doesn’t know it’s supposed to wait until spring when it’s taking over your living space, dropping dead or damaged leaves, growing weak or leggy, or becoming difficult to manage.

If your houseplant needs to be pruned, prune it!!!!

You can always add grow lights to support new growth when natural light is limited. There are so many fun ways to use grow lights - just make sure you’re getting a high quality one… you do get what you pay for!

Pruning isn’t the calendar, it’s about paying attention to what your plant actually needs.

So if you’re wondering when to prune houseplants, my take…

Spring is the best time for regrowth.

AND

The best time to prune is when your plant needs pruning.

Because, waiting for spring often just means letting the problem get bigger.

10/05/2026

ZZ Plant care isn’t difficult, but just because this is one of the few plants I actually recommend watering on a schedule doesn’t mean you can set it and forget it.

Your ZZ Plant still needs to be potted properly and given the right growing conditions.

I strongly recommend keeping a ZZ Plant in a nursery pot for a few reasons.

First - drainage. ZZ Plants need their soil to dry out between waterings, so having a pot with plenty of drainage is essential.

Second - the roots. ZZ Plants have thick rhizomes that can swell significantly as they grow. Keeping your plant in a nursery pot makes repotting much easier and can save you from having to break a ceramic or clay pot when those rhizomes become thiccccc bois.

The soil is equally important for potting.

ZZ Plants are adapted to relatively dry conditions, so I recommend a well draining succulent/cactus soil rather than a heavy potting mix that stays wet for too long.

When it comes to ZZ Plant watering, I give the soil a thorough soak and make sure it is fully saturated, then let it dry out significantly before watering again.

But there’s still one thing you have to watch for - DRY ROT!!

If a ZZ Plant stays completely dry for too long, roots can die back. Then when you finally water it, those damaged roots often rot and the plant can decline quickly.

I know… it’s annoying. I told you there not exactly ”low maintenance”

This is why a monthly watering schedule can work really well for ZZ Plants in many indoor environments. It gives the soil plenty of time to dry while avoiding excessively long periods of drought.

Of course, your plant’s light, temperature, pot size, and soil all affect how quickly it dries, so always check the soil before watering.

If you’ve struggled with ZZ Plant care, start with the basics… good drainage, well draining soil, thorough watering, and plenty of time to dry.

10/03/2026

Pruning a money tree is important because these plants can get tall, leggy, and a little flimsy over time.

The good news?! Money tree cuttings are super easy to propagate, so you can turn one good pruning session into more plants!

I tried water propagation, soil propagation, and perlite propagation. Both water and soil worked like a charm. Perlite? Not so much. But I guess we can’t expect success from everything all the time!

Meanwhile, my original money tree is growing back beautifully, and I couldn’t be happier. It’s right back in its favorite spot: on the toilet in my guest bathroom. Living its best life.

If your money tree is getting too tall or leggy, I’m giving both water and soil chop and prop methods a 10/10 recommendation.

One tip: If you can, wait until spring to prune your money tree. The active growing season gives your plant a better opportunity to bounce back with fresh, bushier growth.

More money trees, less leggy growth!

I wanna get my hands in your plants!! Bring me any plant for help and advice or treatment plans! I’ll be able to repot a...
10/03/2026

I wanna get my hands in your plants!!

Bring me any plant for help and advice or treatment plans!

I’ll be able to repot any plant that’s currently in a 6 inch pot or smaller.

I’ll be potting into clear pots with general houseplant soil and succulent/cactus soil.

🚨do not bring any sick or infested plants into the shop! I’ll be outside in the back🚨

See you tomorrow 10/4 from 11a-2p first come first serve!

Can’t wait to see you and your plants🫶

10/02/2026

I had no idea what would happen when I chopped this Bird of Paradise down to just a few inches. It desperately needed pruning, and I was willing to take the risk to find out if it would grow back.

Six months later, look at it now. A ton of new growth, a much healthier-looking plant, and a whole lot more confidence in my approach to Bird of Paradise plant care.

Here’s what gave me the audacity to try this in the first place.

Bird of Paradise plants (Strelitzia) are hardy plants with a rhizome root system that helps them recover and produce new growth. I’d heard plenty of stories about these plants taking over landscaping, so I figured that if they could handle being cut back outdoors, there was a chance mine could bounce back in a pot, too.

I also knew I was starting with a healthy plant, which made me much more comfortable taking the risk. I’d read about landscapers cutting these plants back to the ground and allowing them to regrow, so I decided to put that idea to the test.

After pruning, I gave it a bigger pot, plenty of direct sunlight, proper watering, a little fertilizer, and, most importantly, time.

And it worked!

This was a pretty dramatic experiment in Bird of Paradise care, and I wouldn’t recommend chopping down every struggling plant without considering its health and growing conditions first. But sometimes a healthy plant has more resilience than we give it credit for.

Six months later, I’m calling this one a success.

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