Plants, books, and dog toys… These are the three things that I find clients my age have the most trouble decluttering.
House plants are fantastic things to cultivate and collect. They purify the air, raise spirits, and sometimes serve practical functions, like plants that are medicinal or edible.
Plants just feel like something you can never have too many of! But…you can definitely have too many of them.
How to know when you have too many house plants.
Here are signs that you may have reached your plant limit.
1. You hate taking care of them.
If watering day is a slog for you, you might have too many houseplants. Try to be mindful during chores (plant-related and otherwise), because how you feel during the upkeep process of owning things will clue you into how much you truly want to keep those things around.
2. They don’t make you happy to look at.
If you feel bitter, burdened, or negative when looking at your plants or thinking about caring for them, it might be time to downsize.
Don’t feel obligated to have plants around because of their health benefits, or because everyone else seems to love them. If they don’t make you happy, pass them along to someone who can enjoy them!
3. They refuse to thrive.
Every plant person has at least one stubborn plant that refuses to grow, bloom, or express any kind of gratitude for the backbreaking work you’ve put into their care.
Maybe your house isn’t humid enough, or the temperature is wrong, or they’re not getting enough sunshine because south-facing windows are in short supply–whatever the case, if you have a plant causing you strife and making you feel like a bad parent, your life will probably be improved by rehoming that one.
4. You feel like you have too many plants.
Follow your gut! If you think you have more plants than you want, that means you have more plants than you want. Whittle ’em down.
5. It was an unwanted gift.
When we talk about the guilt of keeping gifts we don’t want, plants might fly under the radar as an offending party. But unwanted plants are even MORE of a burden than other gifts, because they’re alive, and we feel pressured to keep them that way!
How To Get Rid of Clutter Without Feeling Guilty
How to declutter your plant collection.
Maybe you feel like it’s time for fewer plants. I am a BIG plant guy, so I know that sometimes it can be emotionally devastating to part with them. Here are some ways you can downsize your plant collection without feeling like you’re selling your actual children.
1. Consolidate.
I love to consolidate smaller plants into a bigger pot together. I had around 15 tiny little succulents that stopped thriving, and it felt silly taking the time and effort to water a lonely little leaf clinging to life, so I grouped them all together, and what do you know–they’re adorable.
They’re healthier, and I genuinely enjoy caring for them now. I went from 15 plants I didn’t like to one little jungle that I love!
Sometimes, we just need a few friends!
I also had an elephant ear-type plant that wouldn’t die, but also wouldn’t grow. Some disaster would strike, and he’d be back down to a wrinkled little green stick. Right when I’d be ready to give up on him, he’d throw another leaf.
I got close to tossing him, since he was in a big pot, and it felt silly to let him have all that space for his dramatics, so I moved in some other leafy plants with similar care needs, and what do you know–he’s thriving and so are his potmates.
2. Identify your favs.
I have a tiny jade plant that I love so much, and she will come with me to the grave. I also have a few plants that were propagated from those of my late grandmother’s. These are plants I’ll keep!
If I became overwhelmed with plant care, I have many that I would give away, but I have those few that I know I will want to hold onto.
Try to identify the plants that bring you joy, grow well, or have sentimental value. Identifying your favorites will make it easier to choose ones to pass on.
Noting your favorites is one effortless step to begin decluttering plants, if you’re someone who finds it very difficult to part with any.
3. Give as gifts.
To lessen the pain of passing on plants, you can give them mindfully as gifts to loved ones. I like to propagate and pot baby plants to include in gift baskets or give as housewarming presents, but it’s even easier to pass on a full-grown plant that you no longer want to keep!
4. Pull the plug.
I think all plant people have at least ONE plant that has been hanging on by a thread forever. Sometimes we need to tap out. If it’s too limpy and gross to give away without it coming off as an insult, you can try to plant it outside and wish it luck, or just toss it right in the compost heap. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, crusty rabbit foot fern to garden soil. As they say.
Questions to ask before you buy new plants.
Before we bring home a new plant, it’s important to evaluate that we truly want to add to the collection. Here are a few considerations.
1. Do I love it?
Make your plant collection an exclusive place to be. Only buy plants that you feel great affinity for. If it’s a “meh” or a “maybe,” say no!
2. Will it live well in the conditions of my house?
Know what type of plants will do well in your house and life. Consider light, air quality, and care requirements for each plant.
If you know you only want to care for low-effort plants, only buy low-effort plants!
If you know your house doesn’t have the humidity required for tropical plants, either don’t buy them, or be prepared get a home humidifier and seal up some windows.
3. Do I have a system in place for when I am away from home?
Who will care for the plant if you’re not home? A husband, neighbor, girlfriend, sibling, auto-waterer, Junimos? If you have willing roommates who don’t mind swapping favors (and who don’t usually travel with you), fabulous! If you’re a bit of a loner who likes to travel for weeks at a time, not all plants will work with that lifestyle.
4. Is it safe for my pets/kids?
If you have little critters around the house, human or otherwise, ensure that the plants you bring in are agreeable. Particularly cats and puppies love to chew on leaves, so check for toxicity before a new purchase.
Do you have too many plants?
To summarize, if you hate taking care of a plant, it refuses to thrive, you’re keeping it out of guilt, or if you just feel like you have too many–it might be time to downsize!
Downsizing options include consolidating them into fewer pots, planting them outside, composting the guys barely hanging on, giving them away as gifts, and only keeping your favorites!
Got lots of plants? You might have fungus gnats, too! Read all about dealing with them here: How To Get Rid of Gnats.
