Once you have assessed that your plant is healthy (insert post on troubleshooting) gently pull your plant out of its pot and inspect the soil and roots. Depleted soil will have a lighter color and feel brittle to the touch, nutrient-rich soil will have a deep brown/black color and a richer smell when wet. Roots should not take up more than 25% of the soil-to-root ratio; if the roots are suffocated this will affect the life of the plant and its growing capacity. If the plant is ready to be repotted do so now, if not closely inspect for root rot, root mealy bugs, or any form of movement or discoloration.

Now that you’ve been reacquainted with your housemates, drown them. No, really, submerge your entire plant, you can keep it in the pot, in a bucket or sink with room temperature water and neem oil- and eighth of a cup to every gallon is sufficient but your measurements don’t need to be exact.

Set your plants to dry and keep them out of direct sunlight for at least one day.

While your plant may have been loving the winter light pressed against a south-facing widow, the spring and summer sun may be too intense for its leaves.

To avoid sunburn, dry soil, and brown leaves, move the plant further away from the window. This gives you more places to use your plants decoratively as the prolonged and intense spring sun is more powerful than the darkness of winter.

The plants use water based on the amount of light they receive. The more light, the more water.

In addition to the evaporating qualities of the sun, plants also take in more water as they use energy for leaf and flower growth. To avoid overwatering adjust the intake gradually and intuitively based on the dampness of the soil.

Here in New Orleans air conditioning is essential, the relief we feel from the cool blast is detrimental to your plants. An ideal temperature for tropical, really most, houseplants is 65-85 degrees. So though your house may be at a balmy 74, plants in front of A/C vents will be much colder. If you can feel the air stream, it will harm your plant over a period of time.

Cut. It. Back. Much like our own hair, we are reluctant to trim back months, or even years, of growth that our friends pushed out, but unlike the pixie cuts and bad dye jobs, change is good! Cut back any brown, yellow, or dried leaves, leggy stems, or long vines without leaves. **Pieces with viable nodes can be placed in water for propagation.

If you are repotting or planting your plant in fresh soil, skip this step. For housemates staying in their pot adding fertilizer can revive nutrient deficit soil. While plants make their own nutrients from photosynthesis, fertilizers act as vitamins that help your plant thrive.

Fertilizers aren’t necessary, but we add a capful of Superthrive liquid when we water once a month during the growing months.

Pro-tip: if you can smell the fertilizer in your water, it’s not diluted enough and you should add more water before watering your plants.