While I love spring break, I hate the week before. It is probably one of the most stressful parts of the school year. Exams, and papers, and assignment are all smushed together. When I get stressed, I like to spend time with plants, usually my own, but sometimes the plants at the local florist, or the green house.
Today, I thought I would write about how I de-stress with my plants.
(I procrastinate when stressed, and avoid the tasks for as long as possible, which actually stresses me out even more. So, sometimes, taking care of my plants is a tool for procrastination, and that’s just something that I have to take a minute to think about and be conscious of to avoid doing)
One by one, I will take my plants down from their shelves. Each plant gets watered if its container is running low, or the soil seems dry. I also pull any leaves that have fallen into the water out of the glass jars.
These guys always look like a boy band to me, with their floppy “hair styles”
I carefully inspect the leaves, checking underneath them and in all their crevices for pests. Spider mites and mealy bugs are currently my biggest fears, so those are the guys I especially keep an eye out for.
If a plant has dead leaves that have fallen off, I’ll get ride of those, and make sure no critters are hiding out below them. However, I don’t remove unhealthy leaves from my plants if they are still attached.
If any of my plants seem to be growing a little slower than usual, I will move them to a spot that is a little warmer or brighter. I’ll also move plants that I am worried about to the ends of the lower shelves, so that they are easier to reach for watering and easier to keep an eye on. Being able to take down a plant, without worrying about knocking over the plants on either side of it, makes it much easier to give a little extra care to.
If there is a plant that is doing really well, or has a ton of pups, I might take a cutting to propagate.
To wrap up, I take my spray bottle to rubbing alcohol and give everyone a light spritz. This is my preventative pest control and has worked pretty well for me, knock on wood!
This little routine is a great break from studying, and a nice way to relax while still feeling like I am being productive. It definitely helped me get through the stress of the week before spring break (mostly) alive.
Let me know how you use your plants to destress in the comments below. Please like and follow too!
Aloe of the Plants 
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