SPACE PLANT CARE:

When you first get the cutting it does not require extra care. It will come pre-watered. Simply leave it alone and let it grow. Don't remove the humidity dome. These unique lifeforms prefer a bright windowsill with only a little direct sun per day, and thrive in lower light conditions, making them ideal houseplants.

If cutting gets knocked over or disturbed, open dome and replant. Not deep, about 1/4 inch. A small amount of soil may be gently pushed against rear of cutting to stand it up again. Contact us if you'd like help with this.

Tiny plantlets will begin to appear in 3-5 weeks. When plantlets are about 0.5-1 inch tall, use the drip dish included with the space plant as a watering tray to achieve a bottom watering method. Leave pot in drip dish, fill with water up to the level of 75% of the height of the dirt. Let it soak for one minute, remove the pot, dump excess water from the drip tray, then replace the Space Plant. Leave the dome on the pot.

After this watering, no extra care is required. Leave the Space Plant alone until it is it outgrowing the dome. Typically at about 2 months. If soil looks very dry, a second bottom watering of 75% may be needed. Dome removal is unnecessary.

When plant out grows and gets cramped in the dome, plant can be conditioned to live in ambient humidity. Remove the dome for a few hours. It's okay if you see the plant begin to droop. If/when that happens, carefully replace the dome. When the plant is fully standing up again, in a day or two, repeat that step.

After a few exposures of ambient humidity, the plant will adapt itself and the dome can be permanently removed. Plant will no longer experience drooping.

Space Plants require some ambient humidity, and enjoy temperatures above 50°F. 60°-80° is ideal. If ambient humidity is too low, it may droop, and/or edges of leaves will begin to get crispy and dry out. If that happens, do not directly spray leaves. Increase ambient humidity to a minimum of 15-20%. Methods to do this include: adding rock and water to a platform tray and placing pot and drip tray on the rocks, using a humidifier, or placing into a larger dome, enclosure, or terrarium.

After conditioning and dome removal, begin bottom watering schedule when the soil is quite dry to the touch just below top soil, even to the point the plant starts drooping a little. Fill the drip tray with water up to 75%-100% of the dirt, soak it until soil looks very wet on top (1-5 minutes), remove the pot, dump the excess water, and place the pot back in the empty drip tray.

Allowing 3-7 days between waterings is typical, depending on Space Plant size. Watering too often can cause root rot.

Space Plants breathe through their roots and enjoy mostly drying out between waterings!

Do not get the leaves of the plant wet. If you do, dry them gently with a paper towel. That will help prevent mildews from forming. When leaves get wet it increases the likelihood of mildew, which is one reason we use this bottom watering method.

Once the Space Plant needs water every 2-3 days, when the roots reach the bottom of the pot, transplant it into a 6" pot. Typically needed about 3-5 months after sprouting.

Before repotting, for best results, trim older or damaged leaves and petioles (stem of leaf) at the base of the petiole with a sterile tool. We do have a custom soil, trimming scissors, larger watering dishes, and pots customized for easier care and better results available for purchase!

Soil is customized to provide up to 1 year of nutrients. After 1 year, plant foods may be used for better plant health.

PREVENTATIVE CARE:

Remove dead or dropped leaves and dispose of them. Don't leave them in the pot. If ignored, these will cause pathogens like rots, harmful molds, and/or mildews.

Not required but may help long term: Mix a solution of 1 rounded tablespoon of potassium bicarbonate, a few drops of a non-detergent liquid soap, and 1 gallon of water. Spray plant once or twice a year. Avoid hemisphere wetness on leaves by gently drying with paper towel.