Have you ever noticed that your plant leans “TO THE WINDOWWWWWW TO THE WALLL!” 

Anytime a plant is indoors, it's going to lean towards the best light source. This is a natural process that occurs in the wild. This helps the plant find sunlight, even if they have sprouted in a shady area.   

Indoors, this can make for some weird looking plants! Just like people, houseplants have good and bad sides. If you’ve ever seen a plant that was leaning like the Tower of Pisa, you can believe that it was due to not having been rotated. Keep reading for more information and how you can best take care of your green boos. 

WHAT IS THIS PLANT SORCERY?

When plants are outside or in the wild, the sun moves across the sky during the day giving them optimal conditions. Windows and artificial light limits the amount of exposure houseplants are getting, and where they are getting it. Rotating them makes sure that our plants are getting an even amount of light. It also reduces how much they lean, and makes sure that new growth happens in areas that may not be getting much sun. 

The process that causes plants to grow or lean toward the light is called phototropism. (Stay with me, we are going to get a little bit science-y) The growth of a plant toward any stimulus is called tropism, and the growth of a plant toward a light stimulus is called phototropism - photo means light. 

Phototropism is one way a plant can maximize its exposure to sunlight, and because plants need sunlight to make food, this is an important survival tactic.

WHEN SHOULD I ROTATE?

There is a lot of info out there on when you should rotate your plants. Some say once, every two to three months. As a general rule of thumb, I tend to rotate mine on the days that I water. I have a system where I water different plants in parts of the house on different days. I’ll usually give them a quarter turn every week to two weeks. This way I’ll know FOR SURE when they've been rotated.

 If you need help on how to keep track of your green boos. Snag our Weekly Watering Schedule. 

SOME THINGS TO LOOK FOR

When rotating your green boos, aside from looking lopsided, you may notice some dead foliage. Oftentimes the side that is getting the least amount of light will have the most dead leaves.  Just like a problematic ex, feel free to trim that off to promote new growth. 

Sis, we don’t like dusty friends or plants! You may notice that the side that was getting the least light, has accumulated some dust. You can wipe it off with a damp cloth with some mild soap. 

In Summary

Rotating your houseplants  will have you enjoying a nice symmetrical, instagram worthy plant for a long time. All kidding aside, rotating your plants will help keep your green boo well suited to the space where it has been placed, and it will look its best. 

If you need further assistance on your botanical journey, book a virtual consultation Here.