Sheila sounds pretty... can you take a picture of her & post it here? (Instructions for posting a photo can be found in the Member Benefits section.) The folks around here are very helpful, but if we know EXACTLY what plant you've got, we'll be better able to help you keep her going!

And, welcome to the Gardener's Forum! Glad you found us! I can guarantee, you're going to LOVE this place!

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I agree with Patty - a photo would aid identification which is the first step in learning how to care for your plant.

You're already part way there knowing about light and water requirements. More challenging is knowing how much of each plants need. Until Sheila is identified, it's wise to play it safe and place her in a location that receives bright indirect light. That means in a window that does not receive direct sunlight.

Watering is a little trickier, particularly if you don't know the type of plant, but there are some general guidelines. Plant roots need a balance of water and air (that's right - there is air in soil!) Watering Sheila every day might be giving her too much love and attention. Too much water will cause root rot. Alternatively, bottom roots might not be receiving water if you only provide tiny amounts of water each time. Neither are good for Sheila or any other plant. A better idea is to thoroughly water the soil from the top, making sure the entire surface is watered, until a little runs through the pot's drainage holes, then wait until the top 1/2-1" of soil is dry before watering thoroughly again. Don't be afraid to poke your finger in the soil to test it for moisture.

These are temporary instructions meant to tide you over until you can get a positive plant identification and we can give you specific instructions for Sheila. Until then, don't repot or fertilize. It can take several months for a plant to acclimate to a new environment during which it is best not to introduce unnecessary changes.

Before long you'll have a happy, healthy Sheila and a new addiction - PLANTS!

Cricket

P.S. In what size pot is Sheila planted?

After reading Cricket's post, I noticed that you DID say:

quote:

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I set my plant in the kitchen window sill and water it every day

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DON'T do that!

Cricket may be right... you're loving it to death! You didn't mention what happened to your first Gold fish, but adding water every day would have been a good thing in that instance... not so, with Sheila!

You should feel lucky to have a job where you can get paid to trouble shoot your houseplant issues! The rest of us just have to do this for fun!

See you later... I'm off to bed!

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