I have been shipping live plants since around 2018, and I've definitely learned a thing or two and killed a plant or two! Your new plant has made quite a journey in a dark box for at least a day or 2 so here are some tips to ensure a smooth transition from my shop to your home.
When your plant is delivered, bring it inside as soon as possible. You don’t want to let it sit outside any longer than it has to. Be sure to track your package and if you won’t be home for a while, or if the weather is very cold/hot, have someone pick up your box to bring indoors in order to avoid more shock, or even death, to your plants.
Unwrap your plant carefully. Sometimes I suggest opening it with a plant mat underneath or outside for easy clean up. When you get your plant unwrapped, you may notice some bent leaves or small rips. This is completely normal, and after some time, folded leaves may straighten themselves out. If you're unhappy about any of the damaged leaves, please remove them from the plant.
TEMPERATURE AND SUNLIGHT
At my plant shop, I keep the store anywhere from 73-75°F and between 55-65% humidity. It will help your plant acclimate quicker if you can match these conditions as closely as possible.
WATER
I typically do not water plants before shipments. I do this because without any sunlight, the soil does not dry out properly and could rot your plant if inside the box for a long time. So since they are not watered prior to shipping, your new plant is most likely very thirsty. I strongly recommend bottom watering your plant so it gets a thorough drink but top watering is effective as well. If you want to know what bottom watering looks like, click here to watch a video.
DO NOT
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Please do not repot your plant upon arrival. This is a big mistake that I see many people make. They rush to go repot their plant as soon as they receive it. When you receive a houseplant in the mail, you should just give your plant a break and just let it chill in its new home and not stressing it out more. If you wish to replant into a different potting medium/size pot, it is best to wait 4 weeks to prevent any stress to your plant. After that time, if your plant is acclimated and showing no signs of stress, feel free to replant into a medium of your choice.
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Do not immediately expose your plant to high light conditions. After being in a box for a while, this could stress your plant out. Instead, start out with medium or indirect light conditions and slowly increase the light as your plant becomes acclimated to its environment.
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Please refrain from using any fertilizers or plant food on the plant for a while as well. Like stated above, just let it chill for a few weeks before doing anything drastic.
- When you bring any new plant into your home, it is typically a good rule of thumb to quarantine it from other plants for a few weeks so you can monitor for pests. That last thing you want to do is to bring home pests and then have them spread to the rest of your plant collection. While in quarantine, keep your eye out for common pests such as spider mites, scale, thrips, fungus gnats, mealy bugs, etc. and treat accordingly if you do find them. Learn more about plant pests here. I do my absolute best to keep those buggers at bay but anything is possible.