Houseplants are a beautiful addition to any home, and more often than not, are very easy to care for.
However, a few seemingly harmless errors could take your plant from thriving to yellowing and wilting in no time at all.
To avoid houseplant disaster, one gardening enthusiast shared the mistakes she made that had detrimental consequences – so you don't make them, too.
Taking to TikTok, Peyton Rosalia (@peytonrosalia) stated: "I didn't know you shouldn't plant directly into a decorative pot. There's supposed to be a nursery pot on the inside."
The content creator, who describes herself as a "plant mum", admitted that she used to place her houseplants directly into decorative pots.
While aesthetically pleasing, these often do not provide the conditions needed for a healthy, happy plant.
"Little to zero drainage will lead to root rot and even fungus gnats, since they love moist soil," she warned.
A nursery pot is what your plant has been growing in for most of its life. Gardening gurus at Patch Plants confirmed: "It's very happy in there."
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'I ruined my houseplants by skipping an essential step – don't make the same mistake I did'
|TIKTOK/@PEYTONROSALIA / GETTY
They added: "It has plenty of space for its roots, and the pot has holes in the bottom so water can drain freely. You don't need to do any repotting."
The experts advised gardening fans to leave their houseplant in a nursery pot, and then pop that into a second, prettier pot.
"Nursery pots are practical, but they're not very pretty. That's why you put it inside a decorative pot, which is much more attractive," they concluded.
Fungus gnats, also known as sciarid flies, are associated with damp composts, especially in house plants and seed trays.
Decorative pots should be used around nursery pots to provide aesthetic appeal
| GETTYTo manage fungus gnats, the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) recommends checking indoor plants frequently to ensure they are not over-watered.
Using potting mix formulated for houseplants is also an effective solution, as composts that are always wet are a breeding ground for these pests.
Finally, plants can be repotted into newly purchased compost rather than reusing it again and again.
Repotting is also essential to prevent root rot, which can occur when there isn't an effective drainage system for a growing plant.
Root rot can lead to yellowing, wilting leaves, stunted growth, and even a smelly odour. Eventually, the rot spreads and the plant dies – so you want to avoid this.
When it comes to repotting, TikTok gardener Peyton also emphasised the importance of choosing the right container.
"Another thing that contributed to the fungus gnat infestation was planting in [pots that were too big]."
She explained that she mistakenly selected pots based on the size of her plant's leaves without considering the roots.
The plant mum revealed that using needlessly large pots meant her plants could not effectively absorb all the water in them, resulting in pools of "old, nasty water just sitting there".
Speaking to fellow gardening enthusiasts in the TikTok comment section, she confirmed that decorative pots that have holes in them should be fine to use in place of nursery pots, emphasising that drainage is everything.