Leaf Ledger

A houseplant notebook

Keeping plants alive is mostly
about doing less, on purpose

This is a running record of what worked in an ordinary flat with ordinary windows — and what quietly killed things while we were being attentive. Written after losing enough plants to notice the pattern.

My plant looks wrong Browse plant notes →
1

Light is the variable that matters

Almost every "difficult" plant is a plant in the wrong light. A north-facing room is not low light — it is no light for most species. Move it before changing anything else.

2

Overwatering kills more plants than drought

Roots need air as much as water. A pot that never dries out is a pot slowly suffocating. Weight is a better guide than a schedule.

3

Repotting is rarely urgent

Most plants are content slightly root-bound. Repot when water runs straight through or roots circle the base — not because it has been a year.

A rhythm instead of a schedule

Fixed watering days are how plants drown. These are checks, not chores — most weeks half of them end in "not yet".

Once a week

  • Lift each pot — light means thirsty, heavy means wait
  • Turn plants a quarter turn so growth stays even
  • Pull off yellowing lower leaves; they are not coming back

Once a month

  • Wipe dust from broad leaves so they can actually photosynthesise
  • Check undersides for pests while you are there
  • Flush soil of anything fed recently to prevent salt build-up

Twice a year

  • Feed during active growth only — spring and summer
  • Cut back leggy growth to encourage branching
  • Check roots on anything that has stopped growing
The plant that thrived on neglect in the hallway was not tougher than the one we fussed over in the bedroom. It simply happened to be standing in the right light, and we happened to forget about it.