Shadowing Practice: HOUSEPLANT CARE TIPS FOR BEGINNERS » + printable guide - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
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Today I want to cover a topic
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Today I want to cover a topic
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that a lot of you have asked about and it happens to be a topic I'm incredibly passionate about.
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There's something about plants that make me so happy.
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I feel like it's like you brought a little piece of nature outside into your house or into your workspace.
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It just livens the space up, gives it some more color, and when you see a plant thrive that you've given tender love and care, it's just such a rewarding feeling.
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I remember when we first got the studio space, the first thing I told Robin was that I wanted to turn it into a bit of a jungle.
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So we went to the nursery and we loaded up on lots and lots and lots of plants.
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So today's video is kind of like a beginner's guide on how to take care of houseplants.
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For anybody who feels like you just keep killing them
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and you don't know why
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or maybe you're just looking for some new pointers A lot of what I'm actually sharing today are things
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that my mom shared with me as I was growing up
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But everyone has a different way of doing things So
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if you have any recommendations of your own I welcome you to share
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that in the comments below
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and I also want to take a brief moment to thank
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Wix for partnering with us on Today's video Wix is the amazing platform
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that we use to create and host the Pick Up Limes website I'll speak more about them at the end, but for now let's dive in Before you go to the plant store,
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it's important to know exactly where in your house or in your workspace you want that plant to go.
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Is there a lot of sun?
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Is there shade?
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What is the temperature situation like?
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That way when you're at the plant store, you can check the tag to see if it's going to be an appropriate match.
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And while you're at the plant store anyway, there's also another couple things you might want to consider.
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So when you found a really beautiful healthy plant that you know is the one that you want to take home, one of the things I recommend doing is very gently
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take the plant out of the pot just to see what the root situation is like.
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Here you can see that there's a whole bunch of roots along the outside and on the bottom, so it might be a good idea to just buy a larger inner pot that you can then transfer it to.
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You can also look for a nice outer pot that will fit the repotted plant while you're still at the nursery.
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It's incredibly important that the pot that your plant is in has holes
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because we need the water to be able to drain.
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But not all pots with holes are created equal.
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Like this one for example also has holes, but there's a valley beneath the holes
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and this is a place where water can collect
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and the problem with water collecting is it can Cause the roots to rot which might mean the plant could eventually die.
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So the point here We want to make sure we get
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a pot with holes at the bottom most point of the container
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So when we were at the nursery we talked about the importance of repotting plants
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that have outgrown their current home
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But a lot of plants don't take well to a change in their environment
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And I'm going to share with you a technique
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that my mom taught me
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and it works really really well Essentially all you do is first wet the soil before adding it to the new pot.
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So you want it to be moist enough that it sticks together, but you don't want it to be dripping wet either.
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And the reason that this works is it encourages the roots to go out and explore this new wet territory, and it helps it to settle into its new environment a little bit better.
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Then we'll transfer the soil along the bottom and the sides of the new pot.
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We'll gently remove the plant from its nursery container and transfer it to its new home, and add some extra soil around the sides and along the top.
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You can gently press down on it as well, but not too much because we want to give the roots some room to branch out.
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And then at the very end, we're gonna water it just a little bit so that the old soil gets a bit of moisture as well.
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Overwatering and underwatering plants is probably the single most common reason why a lot of houseplants die.
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But every plant is very specific when it comes to its watering requirements
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but there are a few important rules of thumb that might help.
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For one, you want the soil to get pretty dry between waterings.
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So just use your finger to see what the soil situation is like a couple centimeters into its depth.
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If it's still moist, you can skip watering. But
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if it's dry, I like to water it until I see just a bit of water coming out onto the base plate.
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If a pool collects, I just drain it off because a lot of plants don't like to have wet feet.
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And now a lot of people know
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that plants need more frequent watering in the spring and summer months and less frequent watering in the winter months.
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But one thing a lot of people miss is they also have a preference when it comes to water temperature.
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In the summer, they like it when the water is a cooler temperature
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and in the winter they like it when the water is at room temperature.
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So we all know that house plants need soil and good light
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and some water in order to thrive but one thing
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that can commonly be missed is the fertilizer which is the plants food
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and every plant is different but in the spring
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and summer usually they need to be fed every two to four weeks I usually do it every two weeks
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but in the winter it's in its rest period
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so usually they don't need any feeding at all during
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that time I just use this universal liquid variety that works on all of our house plants
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Some plants work well in the sun, some work well in the shade, but regardless, all of them need some source of natural light.
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Now in the darker winter months, you might need to move your plants towards a light source, but generally speaking, plants don't like to be moved.
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They get accustomed to the environment that they're in.
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So move your plants if you have to, but otherwise, just let them be.
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The other consideration with plants is the temperature.
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You want to make sure you keep it within a range that it's comfortable at comfortable at.
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Keep in mind that plants in front of windows see pretty varying temperatures depending on the weather outside
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as well as plants that are by air conditioning units or radiators.
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Now if you find this all really overwhelming to keep track of we actually created a free PDF for you
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that might help out a little bit.
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In addition to some tips there's a page
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that you can use to document the needs of each of your plants
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that you can then later refer to in case you've forgotten and there's also a plant watering tracker.
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So to get your PDF check out the link in the description box below.
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Insects and bugs love dead and decaying foliage, so be sure to remove any rotting or dying leaves that are just sitting on top of the soil.
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And whenever I see leaves that are visibly about to die, I just prune the plant by cutting these off
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so they don't steal essential nutrients from the leaves that are continuing to thrive.
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While you're watering your plants, just take a quick second to inspect the leaves to see
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if there's any signs of any insects or bugs and if there are you want to deal with these right away.
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You might notice little webs or insects that look like fruit flies or these bugs that look like they're covered in cotton.
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And if you don't know what it is, you can take a picture into your local nursery for some help or search it up online.
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For a lot of the different kinds of pests I usually just spray the leaves with a bit of soap
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and water solution and then wipe it clean using a damp cloth.
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You might need to repeat this a couple of times, but it usually does the trick.
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Whenever you're dealing with plants Don't be discouraged if you try something new and it doesn't work.
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Some plants just die.
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It's the circle of life, but you're gonna get better at it each time
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and remember you can always also match your comfort and skill set level to the kind of plant that you're going for.
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For example, something like succulents and pothos.
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Those are a lot easier to take care of.
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They're less fussy than some of the other plants.
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Now if you learned something new in today's video, if you enjoyed it, I welcome you to give it a thumbs up but it always means a lot when you do.
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And remember to also get your free plant care guide PDF.
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The link is in the description box below.
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And I also again want to thank Wix for partnering with us on today's video.
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I've been getting lots of emails from you guys lately saying
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that you've created the website and blog that you've always wanted to create using their platform.
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That makes me really happy to hear
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because I remember those early stages feeling really overwhelmed
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when I wanted to create my own website and I didn't know where to begin.
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And with Wix, it's just as easy as drag and drop and you get a website that looks super professional.
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They're also always adding new templates and features, so if you've recently, for example, visited our recipe index page, you might notice we just added a new photo gallery to showcase our recipes.
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And everything is mobile-friendly too.
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So if you've ever been interested in creating your own website or blog or online store completely for free, I welcome you to check out Wix.
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The link is in the description box below.
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And I think that's it.
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If you feel so inclined to take a picture of your happy, thriving plants and tag us on Instagram, It would be awesome to see.
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I'll see you guys otherwise in the comments.
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Thanks a lot for watching.
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Pick up Limes, signing off.
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We'll see you in the next video.
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Why practice speaking with this video?
Practicing your spoken English with this engaging video about houseplant care can significantly enhance your language skills. Speaking about familiar topics, like the joy of nurturing plants, allows you to form a personal connection with the content, making it easier to absorb new vocabulary and expressions. Sharing your own experiences with plants during conversation can help you feel more confident when conversing in English. By using the shadowing technique, you can repeat phrases and sentences as the speaker does, which not only improves your pronunciation but also boosts your fluency. Engaging with this video allows you to mimic the speaker's enthusiasm, thereby making your practice more enjoyable and effective.
Grammar & Expressions in Context
As you watch the video, pay attention to these key grammatical structures and expressions:
- "I wanted to cover a topic that a lot of you have asked about": This sentence showcases the use of the past tense "wanted" combined with an infinitive, which is essential for expressing intentions.
- "It's important to know exactly where in your house or in your workspace you want that plant to go": Here, the modal verb "want" is used to indicate desire and intention. Understanding how to articulate your needs in specific contexts is vital for effective communication.
- "If you have any recommendations of your own, I welcome you to share that in the comments below": This phrase is an excellent example of inviting others to engage in conversation, a useful technique for encouraging dialogue in English.
Using these structures will help you sound more natural and fluent when discussing similar topics. Incorporating these expressions into your own speech can significantly improve English pronunciation and conversation skills.
Common Pronunciation Traps
While practicing shadowing with this video, there are some tricky words and expressions to watch for:
- "Moist" and "dripping": These words may require extra attention, as they contain vowel sounds that can be challenging for non-native speakers. Pay close attention to how the speaker enunciates them.
- "Repotting": This term might be difficult due to its multiple syllables and stress pattern. Practice it by breaking it down into smaller parts: "re-pot-ting."
- "Roots" and "rot": These two words can sometimes be confused due to their similar sounds. Make sure to clearly distinguish them in your speech.
By focusing on these tricky pronunciations and utilizing the shadow speak technique during your practice sessions, you can avoid common pitfalls and sound more fluent. Remember, consistent practice will lead to noticeable improvements in your overall speaking confidence.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.
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