New Plant Care Guide (What to Do When Your New Plant Arrives)

Let there be Light: Unboxing

When your plants are delivered, carefully unpack the box immediately.

• First, remove the plants with their cardboard enclosures that secure them to the shipping box.  Then, gently remove the potted plants from their cardboard enclosures.
• Reuse, recycle or compost your shipping box and packing materials! Learn more about our sustainable, plantable shipping supplies.
• Your plants have been on quite a journey in a dark box to get to your garden. Some stress or yellowing may occur in transit. However, the new growth will become the proper shade of green when the plant has recovered from shipping and acclimated to its new environment.
• Remember that a strong, healthy root system is what matters most. Minor temporary damage can sometimes occur in transit, but a healthy root system will quickly promote new leaf growth.

Watering

After unboxing, check each pot to see if it requires watering.  If the soil is visually dry, water the plant until the soil is thoroughly moist.

Transitioning

Give plants time to slowly transition to their new environment.

• After watering, place all new plants in a location of moderate temperature and light (but out of hot full sun) for a day or two until they adjust from shipping. Next, move plants to their permanent location and allow them to acclimate to their new home for about a week. Allow plants acclimate to their new home before fertilizing.
• If you plan to plant outdoors, slowly “harden off” your plants by gradually increasing their exposure to sunlight and outdoor conditions. 
• For indoor planting, make sure to provide lots of light and do your best to mimic the desired climate conditions.

Planting & Repotting

Once your plants have acclimated to their location, they will require planting.

• Gently remove the 100% biodegradable moisture-holding shipping bags from around the pots and compost them. Learn more about our compostable shipping bags and sustainable packing materials. 
• Plant your pot! Almost all of our plants ship in plantable pots made from coconut coir, peat, or burlap - depending on their size. You can plant these pots right in the soil!
• When replanting in the ground or a larger container, make sure to replant so that the soil level of the original pot lines up with the soil line of the new location. Don’t bury the trunk!
• We don’t recommend removing the plantable pots, as that could disturb the plants roots. Never pull on the stem of the plant, as that could also sever roots. Plantable pots help support strong, healthy root growth. So, do your plants a favor and plant them right in the ground.
• Due to USDA regulations, our citrus trees ship within Florida in specialized citra pots that are made from recycled plastic. Citra pots shouldn’t be planted, but they can be reused or recycled!
• For indoor planting or container gardening, increase pot sizes gradually over time. For example, plant a 4” Medium sized plant into a 6” or 8” container to start.  Give the root systems time to grow into each new pot before replanting. 

More Care Information

Every plant product page on sowexotic.com provides more information about individual care needs and growing environments. Check them out to learn more about them and share your reviews!