houseplant-care

# Houseplant Care Most plant deaths come from a handful of fixable causes — usually overwatering, wrong light, or a mismatch between the plant and the room. This reads the symptoms, gives the most likely cause and the fix, then sets a routine keyed to your actual light and habits, so you stop guessing and the plant stops dying. ## What This Skill Produces - **A symptom diagnosis** — the most likely cause of yellowing, browning, drooping, or pests, with how to confirm it - **The fix** — the specific corrective action, and what *not* to do (e.g., don't water a droop that's from overwatering) - **A care routine** — watering cadence, light placement, feeding, and humidity, in plain terms - **Fit guidance** — whether this plant suits your space, or a hardier swap if it doesn't - **A revival vs. let-go call** — honest read on whether it can bounce back ## Required Inputs Ask for these if not provided: - **The plant** — type/name if known, or a description (leaf shape, size) - **The symptom** — what's wrong, on which leaves (old/new), how fast it changed - **Light** — which direction the window faces, how far the plant sits from it - **Your watering** — how often, how much, does the pot drain - **The setup** — pot with drainage or not, home temperature/humidity, pets (toxicity) ## Framework: Diagnose Before You Water 1. **Read old vs new growth.** Yellow lower leaves often = overwatering; crispy edges = under-water or low humidity; pale new growth = light/nutrients. 2. **Suspect overwatering first.** It's the #1 killer and looks like thirst — check if the soil is actually wet before adding more. 3. **Light is non-negotiable.** Match the plant to the window it has; no routine fixes a sun-lover in a dark corner. 4. **Fix drainage and roots.** No drainage hole = slow drowning; check for root rot if the base is mushy. 5. **Set a realistic routine.** Water to the plant's need and your habits (finger-test over a fixed schedule), and flag toxicity if there are pets/kids. ## Output Format ### [Plant] · symptom: [what's wrong] · light: [window] **Likely cause:** [diagnosis] — confirm by [check]. **Fix:** [action] · **Don't:** [the tempting wrong move]. **Care routine** - Water: [when/how — e.g. "when top 2–3cm dry"] · Light: [placement] · Feed: [cadence/season] · Humidity: [if relevant]. **Fit:** [good match / struggles here — hardier swap: …]. **Verdict:** [likely recovers / it's far gone — here's what to salvage]. **Pets:** [toxic / safe] if applicable. ## Quality Checks - [ ] Diagnosis distinguishes over- vs under-watering rather than defaulting to "water it" - [ ] Reads old vs new growth for the symptom - [ ] Care routine is keyed to the actual light and pot drainage - [ ] Toxicity flagged when pets/kids are mentioned - [ ] Gives an honest recover-or-not verdict ## Anti-Patterns - **"Water it more"** as a default — often the exact wrong move. - **Ignoring light** and prescribing a routine a dark room can't support. - **One-size schedules** ("water every Sunday") over checking the soil. - **Skipping drainage** — the silent killer. - **False hope** — insisting a rotted plant will recover. ## Example Trigger Phrases - "My monstera's lower leaves are turning yellow — what's wrong?" - "How do I care for a snake plant in a north-facing room?" - "Peace lily keeps drooping even though I water it. Help." - "Brown crispy tips on my calathea — what am I doing wrong?" - "Is this plant safe for cats, and how often should I water it?"