Plant mail is becoming more and more common. Some plants ship incredibly well, some do not. Every time you order a plant through the mail you are taking a gamble and it's not always the fault of the seller for the condition your plant arrives in, especially if you are ordering during extremely high or low temperatures. How you handle a plant received through the mail can affect how well it acclimates to your home, and ultimately, how happy it will be with you!
Be sure to read the Acclimating indoor plants blog first, if you haven't already.
Plant mail checklist
Every time you receive plant mail I recommend checking the roots and the foliage right away, even if it looks absolutely perfect upon arrival.
No. 1 Check the roots
Unless you bought a cutting or an unrooted node, the very first thing you should do is check the roots of the plant you just received, whether it came bare-root wrapped in sphagnum moss or potted in soil/coir.
The roots should be white, firm, and laterally branching (like branches on a tree)
If more than 50% of roots are limp/ yellow/ rotten or if the plant has a very small root system the plant will have an uphill battle to get healthy again
Some sellers are disguising root problems or nonexistent roots by sending in soil or coir. If the roots look unhealthy, you may want to document and reach out for a refund right away.
Roots look good? Continue the checklist!
Roots don't look good? Skip to "if the plant mail doesn't look good" section.
No. 2 Check the stems and foliage
Stems should be the proper color (not yellow), firm, and not rotten smelling
Leaves should be somewhat perky and the proper color, but it is common for one or two leaves to become yellow with stress during transit (this is why I recommend always buying a minimum of a two-leaf, two-node plant)
Foliage looks okay? Continue the checklist!
Foliage doesn't look okay? Skip to "if the plant mail doesn't look good" section.
If the plant mail looks good
Congratulations! Your plant arrived in good-ish condition! The leaves are their proper color, the foliage is perky, no rotten stems, no rotten smells... You won the jackpot! Even if a plant appears to be in pristine condition, that plant just went through a lot and will likely begin to show signs of stress or decline within a few days if it isn't slowly acclimated to it's new home.
Cuttings
You may want to soak cuttings in room temperature water for a few hours before beginning your typical rooting process. I do this every time for hoya cuttings.
Bare root plants
If the roots were wrapped in sphagnum moss, give the moss a very light misting to moisten and re-wrap. Keep the roots wrapped and place the plant upright for 24-48 hours with indirect light in moderate temperatures (60-75F). Let the plant settle before disrupting it.
Pot the plant into an appropriate potting mix and proper size pot and water deeply to ensure the entire root system is moistened.
Follow my general acclimating indoor plants guidelines of quarantine: pest treatment, indirect light, limited watering for another 3-7 days. For humidity-loving plants, provide greater than normal humidity (more than 80%) for 5-28 days to help the plant adjust.
Potted plants- putting them back in a pot
The roots may look good, but did the plant arrive in the appropriate size pot? Some sellers put plants in larger pots because customers will think they are getting more value. See my Repotting indoor plants blog for more information.
The roots look good, but is the plant in the appropriate potting medium? See my Potting mixes and amendments blog for more information.
After getting your plant back in a pot, water thoroughly if the potting medium is completely dry. Then, follow my general acclimating indoor plants guidelines of quarantine, pest treatment, indirect light, limited watering for another 3-7 days. For humidity-loving plants, provide greater than normal humidity (more than 80%) for 5-28 days to help the plant adjust.
Boost humidity
Aim for 80%+ relative humidity to help those humidity-loving plants adjust from the stress of mailing. This applies to a wide range of plants including most hoya, philodendron, monstera, anthurium, etc.
Keep plants in this higher humidity for 5-28 days, until you see the plant beginning to grow or looking fresh and perky. Slowly reduce humidity over a week or two (80% > 65% > 50%) before placing the plant in the right spot in your home.
To boost humidity you can use a plastic bag, a cloche, a humidity box, a jar, or place the plant next to a continuous-run electronic humidifier. Misting the leaves does not increase ambient humidity consistently and is not a great humidifying method.
If the plant mail doesn't look good
Some plants are going to require more effort than most plant owners are willing to give if they receive a plant in poor condition. You may want to reach out to a seller for a refund (always be prepared to send the plant back!). It is possible to rehabilitate a plant back to health ("rehab"), especially if you have salvageable nodes, but it takes patience.
These instructions do not apply to succulents and cacti.
Some plants are in the Rehab Phase for months and months- I have some plants live for six months in this phase, but I love the plants and they ended up being worth it!
Root Rehab
So, your plant mail's roots don't look so hot. Your goal is to remove unhealthy roots, support healthy sections of roots, and grow new roots. If there is root rot, rinse roots well so they are free from dirt or debris, then with a sanitized knife or scissors cut out root rot at least ½ inch above the rotten section into healthy root. Use an anti-bacterial of your choice (Physan20, pure cinnamon, etc.) on the roots and any exposed areas of stem as an anti-bacterial. Never scrub roots as this disrupts fine root hairs.
If your plant doesn't have rotten roots, but they are limp or inadequate for your plant's health, you will still want to continue with one of the methods below to help it grow fresh, healthy roots.
Moss method This is my preference 95% of the time. Place plant roots in damp sphagnum moss and immediately put the plant in a high humidity environment (important, 90% relative humidity or greater). To get the right dampness of moss, soak the moss in a bowl of water then squeeze it out like a sponge. Mist or water as needed to keep this dampness. Do not pack the moss tightly or it may absorb and hold too much water.
L.E.C.A. method You can use LECA (lightweight expandable clay aggregate) in a clear glass jar to grow new plant roots. Keep the water level to the longest root rather than keeping all roots submerged (see photo). Keep the top layers of LECA misted. Keep in LECA until fresh white roots are actively growing and established. Adjust water level with the growth of the roots. This method may be more successful in a high humidity environment.
In potting mix method You can certainly keep a plant with poor roots in the potting mix it came in. I prefer not to do this because my moss and LECA methods above are far easier to check on roots for growth and development versus under soil.
Supporting the foliage: Humidity boxes 101
Plants expend energy trying to reduce water loss through transpiration, so providing a high-humidity environment will allow a plant to direct it's energy elsewhere- specifically to root and foliage growth. Our aim in this step is to provide as close to 100% relative humidity as possible in a closed-air chamber, just like a terrarium. Your aim is to prevent the moist, trapped air from escaping into the environment. Plants stay in these conditions indefinitely- it depends on the individual plant. See more in my Humidity rehab boxes blog.
Humidity boxes checklist and considerations:
A transparent, sealing container: plastic tote, sealing jar, aquarium with lid, terrarium, plastic bag, etc.
Light source: T5 or LED equivalent artificial light, sunlight
Container temperature: between 60 and 85 degrees (F); any cooler and plants are not likely to grow; any warmer and plants are at risk of overheating and may die
Optional heat mat: you can also use a seedling hat mat underneath the container to stimulate root growth and to keep the box warm
Plants should stay in a humidity box until you see substantial healthy roots and new growth. I've made the mistake of taking plants out too soon, eager to get them up on the living room shelf, and the plant quickly suffers when it is removed from the humidity box. So now I practice patience and allow the plant to regain it's strength and begin to grow before I decide to begin to slowly reduce the humidity and get it ready for my regularly home environment.
Humidity reduction:
Lid on (100% relative humidity)
Lid ajar (90-95% relative humidity)
Lid off but sides intact and regular misting (70%)- if a plant doesn't do well in this stage I go back to high humidity
Plant out of the box but closely watched and placed in the stream of a cool mist humidifier (50-70% humidity)
Regular home humidity with ambient humid zones for specific plants (40-70% humidity)
Other plant mail considerations
Some plants just may not make it
Just because a plant can be purchased doesn't mean it can or should live indoors
Extreme heat can kill a plant in hours in the mail. I generally do not purchase sensitive plants through the mail July through August in Washington State (aroids especially). Do not let the plant mail sit outside on your porch to cook in the heat!
Ask for photos of the plant the minute before the plant is placed in a shipping box to verify the plant looks healthy enough to ship
Purchase from reputable sellers, as some sellers will "flip" a plant- meaning they receive an imported plant that was in the mail for 1-4 weeks and immediately sell and ship to you, drastically reducing the plant's health
Recycle your packing materials and try to shop local as much as possible to reduce waste and the general carbon footprint from plant mail.
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