Houseplants for the Holidays

By Maddy Hogan

We have officially entered the season of giving, and what better gift to give (or receive) than a new plant! Whether you kept your plant to be gifted in its nursery pot, aka grow pot, or decided to replant it at the shop from our assortment of pottery offerings, we have a few main tips & tricks for keeping it alive and healthy looking until you are ready to hand it off to its new home.

The acclimation for plants when they are brought into a new home or space or repotted is typically two weeks. Take this into consideration after bringing home any fresh plant and introducing it to your environment. Plants travel from greenhouses with optimal growing conditions, to our shop which is filled with many other plants & knowledgeable staff to maintain their beauty, and finally to your home where it will need to adjust to the light, environmental factors such as humidity, drafts, or excessive heat, and a new watering routine. The acclimation period and shock process is minimal if placed in the proper light and environmental conditions, allowing the plants to acclimate faster.

Do

• Follow the instructions on the care card given to you at Riza. These light and watering requirements will help you find a schedule that is optimal for the plant and you.
• Take a business card from the shop with your purchase. The Riza team is available in-person, on social media, or via email for questions or concerns about your new plant. Pictures are always helpful in diagnosing if things are going according to plan.
• Inspect your new plant for pests before placing it with other plants in your home. All of our plants are treated with an organic pest control prior to purchase.

Don’t

• Leave your plant wrapped in the bag from the store. This will limit the sunlight the plant receives and can cause damage.
• Continuously move the plant around your home as  you wait to give it to the recipient. Remember that plants have acclimation periods that average two weeks and this resets every time you move it. Frequent rearranging for the “best elements” daily can cause your plant to go into shock.
• Freak out if leaves begin to yellow/brown or drop. This is a normal part of the acclimation, and plant life cycle, period. Leaves continuously die off to make room for new growth to prosper.

These are just the basics that apply to all house plant purchases during the holiday season that may have a few weeks before they make it to their final home! Each plant has different requirements and needs that should be taken into consideration, just as each home environment is different and brings its own set of challenges. 

As a special offer during the holiday season, we allow up to a two week hold for plants that are purchased as gifts. This allows the Riza team to ensure your plant is well cared for up to two weeks from purchase date prior to gifting.

If you ever have questions or concerns about how to keep your purchase thriving as a gift for someone special, or ever just yourself, the Riza team is happy to answer your questions in-person, via email, or on social media.

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