23 DAYS AGO • 4 MIN READ

🪴 I stopped loving my houseplants (here’s what happens next)

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Houseplant Digest Newsletter

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

I stopped loving my houseplants (here's what happens next)

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

In this week’s issue:

  • When the plant spark fades (and how to get it back)
  • The Valentine's gift your plants actually want
  • Why mastery matters more than collection size
  • A special announcement (finally!)
  • 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: Would you explain the best way to move a plant from its regular medium to Leca? I have purchased it but I have no clue how to proceed. Dianne

My Answer: Moving a plant into LECA is much simpler than it sounds, so don’t worry. Start by washing all the old soil off the roots under lukewarm water. Don’t fret too much if the roots aren’t sparkling. Once the roots are clean, put the plant in a pot with your LECA and fill around the roots so he sits securely. Add some water to the bottom of the pot so it reaches about a third of the way up. Over the next few weeks the plant will grow new “water roots” that are adapted to this setup. This video shows you in more detail.

🪴HOW TO & TIPS

There's a moment that happens to a lot of plant parents.

It's quiet and a little deflating if I'm being honest.

You look around your collection and instead of feeling joy, you… stop feeling that excitement. Maybe even a bit guilty.

Because plants you were so excited about six months ago now just blend into the background. Another thing to water. Another leaf to dust.

And if you've felt that, you're not alone.

I've been there myself. Standing in my plant room, surrounded by dozens of beautiful specimens, and feeling… unsatisfied. Just the weight of responsibility without the spark that got me started.

It usually happens gradually. One day you're geeking out over a new leaf unfurling on your Monstera. The next, you're speed-watering on a Sunday afternoon, barely glancing at each pot, just trying to tick it off your mental checklist.

So what changed?

I think it happens when we lose sight of why we started growing plants in the first place.

Not because they looked nice on Instagram or because everyone else had a Monstera, but because something about caring for a living thing made us feel present and connected.

Somewhere along the way, houseplants went from being a hobby we loved to just another task on the never-ending to-do list.

🪴 REDISCOVERING THE JOY

This week, as Valentine's Day rolls around, I've been thinking about what it means to fall back in love with houseplants.

Not in a grand, dramatic way. Just in small, honest moments.

Like noticing new growth you hadn't spotted before. Or finally understanding why your Calathea kept curling its leaves (spoiler: it wasn't you, it was the air). Or realising that the peace you feel when you're repotting isn't just "a nice bonus"... it's the whole point.

Here's what I've learned: The antidote to plant fatigue isn't buying more plants (shocking, I know). It's understanding the ones you already have on a deeper level.

When you know why a plant behaves the way it does, why the leaves yellow, why growth slows in winter, why that one corner of the room just doesn't work, EVERYTHING shifts. You stop guessing and googling "why is my plant dying" at 11 PM.

You start actually enjoying the process again.

Because here's the thing: Most plant advice out there treats symptoms, not causes.

  • “Leaves turning yellow? Water less."
  • "Plant looking droopy? Water more.”
  • "Not growing? Get a grow light."

But what if the real issue is that you don't understand what's actually happening beneath the surface? The light requirements. The soil structure. The dormancy cycles. The relationship between humidity and transpiration.

Once you understand the why, the what to do becomes obvious

🎓 RE-INTRODUCING HOUSEPLANT MASTERY!

Alright, confession time.

Last year, I quietly released a brand new course that I spent months perfecting. Chef's kiss.

It's called Houseplant Mastery, and as I was writing this email I couldn't help but think that's what the entire program is really about.

Truly MASTERING houseplants.

Not just keeping them alive (though yes, that too). But understanding them so well that you can walk into any room, glance at a plant, and know exactly what it needs. No more guesswork. No more "I think it needs water?" No more panic when a leaf turns brown.

The course covers everything from light science (yes, there's actual science behind "bright indirect light") to soil chemistry, watering rhythms, pest prevention, and even how to diagnose problems before they become disasters.

It's the course I wish existed when I started out. The one that goes beyond "water when the top inch is dry" and actually explains why that matters, when it doesn't apply, and how to adjust for your specific environment. These are things that aren’t covered in Houseplant SOS, which is the program that I recommend to people who are new-er to houseplants.

Whether you've got 10 plants or 100, this is your chance to rediscover what made you love them in the first place.

And here's the special bit...

In the spirit of Valentine's Day (and rekindling that plant love), I'm discounting Houseplant Mastery for the first time ever.

👉 Click here to join Houseplant Mastery for 54% off (Valentine's Week special 💌)

This discount expires the day after Valentine’s Day, so if you've been thinking about leveling up your “plant game”, now's the time.

💭 A QUESTION FOR YOU

I'm curious: Have you ever felt that spark fade with your plants? What brought it back for you?

Hit reply and let me know. I read every response (yes, really), and I'd love to hear your story.

Did you know?

Some houseplants can grow in water, like lucky bamboo and certain types of pothos. Seriously, look it up!

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Houseplant Digest Newsletter

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