Relieve some stress by becoming a plant parent
By: Halle Brazda
Tags: Plants, Texas, Succulents

By Halle Brazda

Adding a plant to your home can make such a difference during isolation. Not only do plants bring life to any room, but they can help improve physical and mental health. Buying the perfect house plant will allow you to show off your personality while relieving stress and anxiety.

Like we learned in middle school science, plants detoxify the air by sucking in carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen. One study shows scented plants can lower anxiety and stress. A scent like lavender can help boost mood, physiology and behavior.

Another study indicates that the physical act of tending to plants can also lower blood pressure and anxiety levels in addition to promoting comfortable, soothing feelings.

“I really enjoyed the symbiosis of plants, cleaning air, providing oxygen and taking in carbon dioxide,” said Shelby Crysler, co-owner of Revival Plants, an online retailer of plants and personalized plant and succulent arrangements. “It’s a really wholesome process, and for me it’s helped a lot for my anxiety.”

Revival Plants’ Instagram profile

Crysler started Revival Plants in 2019 with her co-worker. The duo loved creating living arrangements, but were frustrated with high prices at similar business in the Austin area. So, they decided to start their own.

“Every plant has different needs like people,” said Crysler. “That is another aspect of our business that we try and highlight so that our customers can have successful plant parent lives.”

The steps.

The first step in finding the perfect house plant is understanding the type of light in your space. Is your room flooded with sunlight? Or do you only have one small window? It’s important to keep this in mind as you purchase plants so they flourish in your home environment.

“Our top recommendation when selecting a plant is analyzing the lighting in the room and how much time you want to take caring for the plant,” said Crysler. “Most people just see cute plants or plants they think will do well without fully examining the plant’s needs.”

Then, take a moment for self-reflection. Ask yourself how committed you can be to the upkeep of a plant. Would you prefer a low maintenance plant, or can you give the plant constant attention? For new plant owners, Crysler suggests cacti, pothos ivy and peace lilies. In her experience, she has found these plants to be pretty forgiving. Plus, cacti aren’t scared to be over-watered.

Now it’s time to select a pot for the plant. Buy a new one to match your style, or maybe even repaint an old one that has been sitting unused in your garage for years. Amazon has endless pot options in countless colors, shapes, sizes and schemes.

When you have gathered all of your materials, it’s time to pot your plant (if you didn’t already buy it in a pot you liked). Make sure that the pot is large enough for the roots to not be squeezed in there.

Caring for your plant

The most time-consuming part of caring for a plant is watering it. But, overwatering a plant can also be detrimental to its growth. Make sure to understand how much water your specific plant needs. For most house plants, water it when the soil is dry.

Fertilizing the soil can also ensure the plant continues to grow big and healthy. Once a plant has sucked up all of the nutrients from original soil, those nutrients need to be replenished.

If you start to run into any troubles while caring for your plant like noticing some brown spots, check out the app “PictureThis — Plant Identifier.” Take a picture of your plant and the app will suggest a solution to aid the plant back to health.

Now go get a plant of your own.

East Austin Succulents, Succulent Native and The Great Outdoors are among Austin plant stores offering pickup options that abide by COVID-19 statutes. Another option is the Walmart gardening center.

Any time is a good time to start caring for a house plant. It’s scientifically proven that they can improve your life, so what are you waiting for?