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🪴 An important week for houseplant lovers

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Houseplant Digest Newsletter

One weekly email with tips, tricks, guides and discussions around our favourite thing – houseplants!

An important week for houseplant lovers

Rich here, and welcome back to Houseplant Digest, sponsored by Houseplant SOS.

In this week’s issue:

  • A holiday for your houseplants?
  • It’s okay to buy that new leafy friend
  • 3 good books to make you a better plant parent
  • The joy of swapping cuttings with friends
  • Plant of the week
  • The world's oldest indoor houseplant
  • And more…

🇬🇧 Sheffield Answers

Every week, I get tons of questions about growing houseplants. In “Sheffield Answers”, I’m going to pick one out each week and answer it. Want to submit your own and get it featured next week? Click here to ask me a question!

Question: "​​I have had a Ficus Elastica Tineke in semi-hydro for about 4 months that has growing roots, yet it has not grown a bit on top. How can I get the top to grow?" Melinda

My Answer: Two things spring to mind. Either the light isn’t right or the plant isn’t getting enough nutrients. My first bet would be light. Ficus plants need lots of light to push out leaves. They tend to be slow growers at the best of times. Mine lives in full sun (temperate weather here in Sheffield). Also, bear in mind that they tend to stop growing in the winter. For nutrients just make sure you’re using a hydroponic fertiliser.

🪴HOW TO & TIPS

It’s National Indoor Plant Week!

One of only two times per year we get an official excuse to fuss over our green companions even more than usual.

It all started in 2007, when award-winning plant expert Mark Martin planted the idea (pun very much intended). The holiday quickly bloomed, and today plant lovers across the world take this third week of September to celebrate the joy of indoor greenery.

Now, do we really need a national holiday to remind us how great houseplants are? Of course not. But if it nudges us to give our collections a little extra care, or maybe even add another “accidental” plant to the mix.

I’ll happily take it.

Here are three not-too-crazy ways to mark the occasion and show your plants a little love:

1. Buy That Plant You’ve Been Eyeing

You’ve been staring at it online. Maybe you’ve even added it to your basket once or twice, then talked yourself out of it.

Well, this week (and this newsletter) is your sign.

National Indoor Plant Week is the perfect excuse to add a new leafy friend to your collection. It doesn’t have to be huge or expensive, just something that makes you smile every time you walk past it. Think of it as a birthday present for your plant collection.

2. Treat Yourself to a Houseplant Book

Plant care is much more than just watering schedules and repotting. Really, it’s about deepening your understanding and appreciation of our green friends.

Curling up with a houseplant book gives you insights that endless scrolling simply can’t.

Here are a few I recommend:

Wild at Home by Hilton Carter — for styling inspiration that’ll have your living room looking like a magazine spread.
The House Plant Expert by Dr. D.G. Hessayon — a timeless classic packed with practical advice.
How to Raise a Plant and Make it Love You Back by Morgan Doane & Erin Harding — a fun, beginner-friendly guide with heart.

If you’d prefer your education in digital form, my Houseplant SOS course is a fantastic resource to binge as well. It’s like a masterclass on keeping plants happy, so it’s a great time to dive in.

👉 [Check out Houseplant SOS here]

3. Host a Plant Swap

Here’s one of the easiest (and most fun) ways to celebrate: gather a few friends, bring some cuttings or spare plants, and swap.


You walk in with one plant, you leave with something new (plus a story to go with it). It’s social, it’s affordable, and it spreads the joy of houseplants around your community. You might even discover a new favourite plant you’d never have bought for yourself.

(I’ll have a future newsletter dedicated solely to plant swaps soon! Stay tuned.)

Whether you’re treating yourself, learning something new, or sharing with friends, the point is the same: this week is a reminder of how much joy our houseplants bring us. So give yourself permission to celebrate! Or at the very least take an extra moment to think of your houseplants before you leave the house.

Plant Of The Week

Platycerium bifurcatum

This guy is a striking epiphytic plant from Australia and New Caledonia, prized for its antler-like fronds and shield-shaped basal leaves that make it a dramatic statement piece indoors. Despite its exotic look, it’s relatively easy to grow if given bright, indirect light, regular soaking, high humidity, and protection from cold.

▸ You can order it here (UK only) 👉 https://collabs.shop/tuwdf7

Use code SHEFFIELDMADEPLANTS for a 10% discount.

Products I use to keep my plants strong and healthy

Amazon UK 👈

Amazon USA 👈

📹 Watch & Grow: This Week On YouTube

👉 What Gardening Taught Me About Houseplants

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Did you know?

The world’s oldest known indoor plant is a giant cycad (Encephalartos altensteinii) that’s been growing inside London’s Kew Gardens since 1775. It’s older than the USA, and still thriving today.

Houseplant Digest is brought to you by Houseplant SOS.

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Houseplant Digest Newsletter

One weekly email with tips, tricks, guides and discussions around our favourite thing – houseplants!