Our most frequently asked questions: all you need to know about our plants, pots and service

We get a lot of questions from our lovely customers either before or after they make a purchase from us. Given this, we thought it might be helpful to put them all down in a blog! Keep reading for answers to our most common questions and hey you might just learn something new! 

Our products

Does every plant come with a pot?

Every plant really does come with its own pot! This is included in the price and we do it this way so you get the perfect pot for your plant. Then you never have to worry about finding one that fits.

The plant I want is out of stock – will it be restocked?

Occasionally you lot love our plants so much we sell out! We get regular deliveries so it won’t be out of stock long, unless it’s seasonal like some of our flowering products like Hydrangeas. If you want to contact us, a member of our team can let you know more details, so you don’t have to keep checking in on the website!

The plant I want is no longer on the website – has it been discontinued?

It is possible that we may have previously stocked a plant that has been discontinued or it might be that it was seasonal. We often range particular plants for Mothers Day or Christmas and you won’t see them the rest of the year. Get in touch with our team and someone will get back to you.

Which plants are best for a dark room?

We would recommend our Sanseveria range and also our Zamioculcas or English Ivy for rooms with low light level. Just remember all plants need some natural light to photosynthesize and grow.

Which plants are pet-friendly?

Lots of our plants are suitable for a house with pets. As a nation of pet-lovers we get asked a lot if a plant is safe for your pet. To make it easy for you, we wrote a separate blog all about it! So go and check out our blog all about plants safe for your pets.

Can I buy just the pots as I want to re-pot my plant?

You deserve a pat on the back if your plant is growing so much it needs re-potted, so well done from us! To still keep the look and feel, check out our range of Little Botanical ceramic pots under Accessories and choose a pot a size up from the one you have.

Plant care

Should I be feeding my plants with plant feed?

We suggest after three or months you can add some plant feed during watering. This should enhance their growth and keep their leaves nice and green.

Why are my monstera leaves not split?

Younger monstera plants generally don’t always have the characteristic split leaves. Pop it in a light spot and ensure it is watered regularly and the split leaves should come through.

The lower leaves on my house plant are turning yellow, why is this? 

Lower leaves can turn yellow when the plant has been overwatered. Double-check the plant is not sitting in water and if it is, pour this away. Next, remove the yellow leaves and only give your plant some water every 3-4 weeks. Alternatively, check it to see if it feels light in weight or if the soil looks dry – those are signs that it now needs a water. Sometimes the top layer of the soil can appear dry but when you pick up the plant there is some weight to it, as the soil is moist underneath, so it is good to do both of these checks!

My Calathea leaves have dry tips, is this normal?

Tiny dry tips on a Calathea plant are perfectly normal and also seen in nature. It is also quite common for the odd lower leaf to turn brown and shrivel up, just remove these lower leaves. Calatheas enjoy light but not direct sunlight, as this can cause their leaves to scorch. Also, keep this plant away from draughts as they also don’t like to be too cold and this might cause some of the leaves to drop.  Generally, Calatheas like to be kept quite moist – don’t let them dry out for too long as their leaves curl up!

Why are some of my succulent leaves turning black?

It sounds like this plant has been overwatered.. easy to do with succulents so don’t feel too bad. Succulent plants do not like to sit in water and will rot if they have had too much. To check, push back the moss and check how moist the soil is. You could possibly remove the plant from its pot and let it dry out a little but it may be beyond help if it has started to rot.

I just received my trailing plant but a few leaves fell off in transit/as I was unpacking it, is this normal?

Most of our trailing plant range, including String of Hearts and Peperomia Rotundifolia have little leaves and they are quite delicate. Don’t worry, as they have lots of tiny leaves and are fairly fast-growing. More leaves will come through soon.

Orders

Can I add a gift message?

You can easily add a gift message to the gift box message section on ordering and we will hand-write your message on our Little Botanical postcards. They’re perfect for sending a living gift to someone.

I received my Sansevieria Snakey today but it looks different to the photo on the website, please advise?

We stock two different varieties of Sansevieria Snakey and these are picked and packed at random by our packing team. There is a note explaining this on the product information tab on our website. If you’re really not happy then get in touch with our team and we would be happy to discuss it.

I received my Calathea today but it looks different to the photo on the website, could you tell me why?

We stock four different varieties of Calathea and these are picked and packed at random by our packing team. There is a note explaining this on the product information tab on our website.

Delivery

My pot arrived broken, what should I do?

No problem, please send us a photo along with your order number and we will send out a replacement pot for you. This very occasionally happens during delivery. There is no need to return the pot!

Only half of my order arrived today, can you let me know where the other half is?

Sometimes consignments get split up so please allow another day and if the remainder of your order still hasn’t arrived, then email us at hello@thelittlebotanical.com with your order number and we can look into this for you. Don’t worry, we will make sure you get all of your order.

I received the wrong plant/pot, what should I do next?

We’re so sorry about this! Please send us a photo along with your order number and we will send out a replacement for you. There is no need to return the wrong order.