"Inheriting" plants

[Jessi]

My mom "inherited" a bunch of indoor plants from a neighbor who was moving. The neighbor said her new apartment didn't have enough room for them and she didn't think she'd have enough light anyway, so she was just going to throw them all away!

So my mom took them in instead, but now she has a variety of plants she doesn't necessarily recognize or know how to care for....and they're all in vases or pots that completely clash with her own style.

I told her she needs to start by trying to find out what kinds they are before she starts moving them into different containers since she could end up killing them accidentally. Do you have any other advice for her new-found predicament?

 

[Lacey]

I had the exact same thing happen. I got so many houseplants that I didn't know what to do with them. I figured out what they were and got them looking healthy and then I transplanted them into pots that matched my decor. They were quite a nuisance but they turned out to be a great addition to my home once I got them used to my house.

 

[claudine]

I'd love to "inherit" a bunch of indoor plants. It would be like Christmas
I think that most plants don't need anything very special, so I'm sure that transplanting them to prettier containers won't kill them. Jessi, if your mom has any questions, post pictures of her new plants here and we will try to identify them together

 

[gata montes]

One of the first things I would suggest - is to identify the plants and find out what their particular growing requirements are - in terms of light, water, fertilizer and growing medium - so that they can be given the right care and growing conditions for them to thrive in their new found home
Re-potting can sometimes - apart from the aesthetics of a more attractive pot - be beneficial to a plant and just to put your mind at rest - it is highly unlikely that re-potting would kill a plant if done correctly and would only be likely to do so - if the root ball is badly damaged.

 

[Jessi]

Okay, get this....

She was given a palm tree! I haven't seen it yet myself, but she said it's in a large flower pot and is taller than she is, so it fills the whole corner of a room.

You want to know what's even more strange than that? This isn't the first time she has inherited a palm tree!! She does NOT live in a place where palm trees are normal. She's in the middle of Illinois, which means completely landlocked and cold winters. She inherited one about 10 years ago that she got sick of and actually tried to let it die off, but it still lived for about 4 years after she gave up on it, haha. So now she has another one that is even bigger and she can't stand the idea of killing another one or letting it go in the trash.

 

[Trellum]

I did something similar with my plants, since I might be moving to the Netherlands next year, so there is no point in getting new ones or keep them at home. I gave most of my plants to a neighbor, she had given me several cuttings in the past, so I knew for sure she was really into pants and she knew how to take care of them.

 

[Trellum]

I'd love to "inherit" a bunch of indoor plants. It would be like Christmas
I think that most plants don't need anything very special, so I'm sure that transplanting them to prettier containers won't kill them. Jessi, if your mom has any questions, post pictures of her new plants here and we will try to identify them together

I would love to ''inherit'' my in laws plants if they ever decide to move to France one day. They have some of the most amazing succulents I have ever seen. So I would really love to take them in once I am in the Netherlands Receiving a bunch of assorted plants and pots must be great!