Plant Care Guide
The Red Stable sells a variety of live planters, succulents, cactus and airplants. Here are some general guidelines to care for your plants. We have a 10 day plant guarantee with proof of purchase, if your plant dies within 10 days of purchase we will replace it with the same plant or something similar, based on availability.
Succulents
LIGHT
Provide plenty of sunlight. These plants hail from hot, dry climates and love plenty of sunlight (not full sun though, as they may burn). Although they will go dormant in the winter and require less sunlight, most succulents like at least a half day to a full day of indirect bright sunlight depending on what type of plant you have chosen.
WATER
Generally accustomed to high temperatures and little moisture, succulents can actually rot, contract disease, or die if overwatered. Water heavily, but not often. Watering every day and leaving the plant with soaking soil will kill your succulent. However, simply misting them will also leave them wanting more. Supply your plant with a large amount of water about once a week if the pot has a drain and about every 2-3 weeks for a pot without a drain (also varies depending on the variety). Check the soil and be sure that it is dry between waterings. Potted succulents will thrive outdoors during the summer months. Apply the same rules as indoor care but water more frequently.
TEMPERATURE
Maintain a warm temperature: Succulents like about 70-80 degrees in Summer months and 50-60 in Winter months.
GROOMING & MAINTENANCE
Carefully snip dead flowers or pull off dead leaves from the bottom of your succulent. If a piece of your succulent breaks it can be placed in water until it roots and transplanted as a new plant.
Cactus
LIGHT
Provide plenty of sunlight. These plants hail from hot, dry climates and love bright to full sunlight. Although they will go dormant in the winter and require less sunlight, most cactus like at least a half day to a full day of bright sunlight depending on what type of plant you have chosen.
WATER
Generally accustomed to high temperatures and little moisture, cactus can actually rot, contract disease, or die if overwatered. Water heavily, but not often. Supply your plant with a large amount of water about once every few weeks if the pot has a drain and about every month for a pot without a drain (also varies depending on the variety). Check the soil and be sure that it is dry between waterings. Potted cactus will thrive outdoors during the summer months. Apply the same rules as indoor care but water more frequently.
TEMPERATURE
Maintain a warm temperature: Cactus like about 65-85 degrees in Summer months and 45-55 in Winter months.
House Plants
When you can’t get outside because the weather is dreary, or you’re stuck at home or in an office, bring a bit of nature indoors with houseplants. Many thrive even in low light, and they do more than brighten up a space. Because they change carbon dioxide into oxygen and help trap pollutants, they’re also good for your health, and they’ll lift your spirits when you can’t work in your garden
LIGHT
Tough survivors like cast iron plant (Aspidistra elatior) or snake plant (Sansevieria), don’t mind dim corners or interiors. Others, especially blooming plants, need bright windows or supplemental florescent or grow lights. Read about your plants and match their needs to the amount of light you’ll be able to give them.
WATER
Most plants need a container with drainage holes, so water doesn’t stand around their roots and cause rotting. If you keep a saucer underneath your plants to catch drips, empty it after watering. Read plant care tags to know how often and how much to water.
TEMPERATURE
The best temperature range for indoor plants is 70 degrees F – 80 degrees F day and 65 degrees F – 70 degrees F night.
GROOMING & MAINTENANCE
Like anything else in your home, plants get dusty—and dirt can block sunlight. If you see dust, pop your plant in the sink or shower and rinse it with a gentle spray of lukewarm water. If you have flowering houseplants, keep the spent blooms picked to encourage more flowers. Take off dead or yellow leaves, too, and cut stems that have lost their leaves to the soil line.
Air Plants
LIGHT
Air plants should be kept where they’ll receive bright, indirect sunlight or under fluorescent home/office lighting. Periods of direct sunlight are just fine, but more than a few hours of hot sun will deplete the plants of their moisture. If your plant will be in a spot with some pretty direct light, try misting them every couple of days to keep them hydrated.
WATER
As a main method of watering your plants, we recommend giving them a thorough rinsing under running water or letting them soak in a bath of water for 20-30 minutes. You can use a bowl or the sink. After their bath, gently shake the plants to remove any excess water from the base and the leaves, and set out to dry in an area with enough air circulation to dry them out in about 4 hours. If your plants need an in-between watering, misting them with a spray bottle is a great method. A plant in bloom should be rinsed rather than submerged in water, and take care when rinsing the delicate flowers.
HOW OFTEN TO WATER AIR PLANTS
Your plants should be watered once per week, and 2-3 times is recommended for optimal care. A longer, 2-hour soak is recommended every 2-3 weeks. If you are in a drier, hotter climate, more frequent watering or misting will be needed. You’ll begin to notice that after watering, your plant’s leaves will feel stiffer and full of water and they’ll be softer and lighter in color when they’re in need of water. Wrinkled or rolled leaves can be a sign of dehydration.
TEMPERATURE
Air plants will do best in generally warm conditions (a good range is 50-90 degrees Fahrenheit). In frost-free or nearly frost-free climates they can live outside for the entire year. Like most house plants, they can be taken outside on a porch or balcony for the warm season, just don’t expose them to temperature or sun extremes.
GROOMING & AESTHETIC MAINTENANCE
It is normal for some of the lower leaves of your air plants to dry out as the plant grows or acclimates to a new environment, and those leaves can be gently pulled right off of the plant. If the leaf tips have dried out, you can snip the dried tip off (try trimming at an angle to leave a natural-looking pointy tip), and the same can be done for the plant’s roots. Don’t worry about harming your plants during grooming–they’ll regrow.
BLOOMING
Air Plants are tropical plants that usually live for several years and will bloom and produce flowers only one time during their lifetime. The flowers are striking and brilliantly colored, and the bloom period will last several days to many months, depending on the species. Different species bloom at different times, also depending on their care and environment. A plant will most likely go into bloom sometime between mid-winter and mid-summer. After a flower blooms, snip it with scissors to remove the dead flower.
PUPS
Around a plant’s bloom time, they’ll produce offshoots, or “pups.” You’ll notice the pups have a separate and distinct center of their own, distinguishing them from the other leaves. Once the pup reaches at least one-third the size of the parent plant, the pup can be removed by gently pulling it apart from the parent. Hold both the parent and the pup at their bases and gently twist in a downward motion. You can also cut the plants apart using a clean razor blade, slicing as far down the pup stem as possible. Each pup will follow the life cycle by growing into a parent plant, blooming and producing pups of it’s own.