How Did My Plants Grow This Big and Fast?

So how did my plants get so big? Honestly, I don't think I have any secret formulas or special methods. But I get asked this a lot. So today, I'm going to break things down. Here's everything I do from the moment a new plant enters my home. Before I bring any new plants home, I usually do a quick read-up about them. Just to see what kind of light it likes, how often it needs water, and whether I have the right spot for it. I also spend some time to observe how the light in my balcony moves throughout the day and throughout the year. Sometimes with a light meter app, to see which spot has the brightest light and which spot has the least, how long it lasts and how it shifts throughout the day. I've got two balconies, both facing 190 degrees south, but the light is really different. One gets stronger, more direct light depending on the month because of the high ceiling. So that's where all my sun-loving plants go. The other balcony is a little gentler, so it's better for plants that prefer indirect light. Sometimes it's a bit of trial and error, but matching the right plant to the right light makes all the difference. I almost always repot new plants, unless the plant is in their flowering season. I know many people recommend to let new plants acclimatize for a bit before repotting, but I usually just do it, sometimes even before I bring the plants home. I find the nursery soil that comes with my new plants is often not so ideal. So when I repot, I splurge on soil to use fresh, good quality soil, and I choose soil mix and substrates based on aeration and water-holding needs of the plant. I usually repot into a bigger pot because the plants are often already root-bound. But sometimes I'll go a few sizes bigger, mostly because I'm lazy to repot again in a few months. So I kind of break a few rules here, but so far my plants seem to settle in just fine. I choose my pots based on aesthetics mostly, to be very honest with you. I like to stick with a neutral palette, mostly cool tones like cement, grey and black. As for material, I use heavy ceramic pot to support bigger trees, fiber pots when I want to keep it light, cement for breathability, and some plastic pots as short-term pots. I quite like these transparent plastic pots because I get to observe root growth. So I repot all new plants with the intention to set up a good base for the roots to establish themselves, and it's like giving the plant a solid foundation to thrive. And speaking of base, I also use pot feet for small and medium pots. It helps with airflow under the pots, which is definitely good for the roots. And it's supposed to help reduce floor stains too. Well, it's supposed to. I still get a lot of stains on my floor anyway. I use an auto-irrigation system, specifically a drip system, with a timer to control when the water gets released. I've had it set up for about 2 years now, and it makes plant care so much easier. My plants stay on a consistent watering schedule without me needing to remember or make guesses. Because all my plants are on the outdoor balcony, the excess water just drains straight onto the floor and flow towards the drain. So I don't use saucers, and I don't worry about water pooling. I also use different drippers for different plants, like bigger flow rates for the thirstier ones, slower flow rates for the lighter drinkers. Each dripper further lets me fine-tune the amount by twisting this orange cap. That bit of customization gives me extra control over how much water each plant gets. While that's it, I still adjust the watering frequency depending on the weather. Right now, my plants are watered every morning at 7am, and it will drip for 5 minutes. Because my plants are all kept in a pot, they don't have unlimited nutrients in the soil. So I feed them regularly to keep the soil rich for the plants to grow. Currently, I am using 3 types of fertilizers. The first one is a balanced organic liquid fertilizer made from aloe vera extract, nothing fancy, and I feed my plants once every month or every 2 months when I am busy, or once a week when I am on top of things. The second type is a flowering liquid fertilizer with high phosphorus and potassium that I recently discovered from Red Note. So far, I have very good results using it on my bougainvillea, but not on the other flowering plants yet. The third type I use is a locally produced slow-release fertilizer, similar to Osmocote. I top it up every 3-4 months, or a bit more often for the nutrient-hungry ones. It's an easy way to make sure there's always steady supply of nutrients in the soil. But I find I haven't got much success with flowering plants so far. I think I might need to adjust the pH in the soil a little bit, but I am still exploring. Now this might be the real secret. Just look at your plants. Are the leaves perky and happy? Is the soil too dry or too soggy? Are there pests hiding under the leaves? These little signs tell you everything. At first, I had no idea how to tell if my plants were happy, but over time, we got to know each other. The more I paid attention, the more connected we became. I used to be really reluctant to cut anything off. Well, actually, up until last month. I was still putting it off. But I've come to accept that pruning encourages new growth, better shape, and stronger plants. So recently, I trimmed back stems that are sprawling too far, and cut down the ones that make the tree feel too crowded, and you know what? They bounce back, bigger and better. Or at least that's what I try to tell myself. But truly, they do need regular pruning. Some people wipe down each leaf gently by hand. I don't. I prefer to hose them down, sometimes with a strong stream. I give the leaves a good rinse once or twice a month, sometimes two months. Usually in the morning. Since my plants live outdoors, dust builds up fast. Especially when we have a construction site nearby. And I found that regular hosing really helps keep pests at bay. Take this umbrella tree for example. It used to be infested with scale. But ever since I started rinsing it off, it's been completely pest-free. But do my plants get any pests? Of course! I have some stubborn ones on a couple of plants like these. These. But honestly, I don't use pesticide often. Regularly washing down the leaves seem to work for me. But there are times when I do need to treat them, and I use a water-based pesticide. I don't really like to use oil-based pesticides. And apply it with an electric sprayer. And sometimes, for a more targeted approach, I dilute 70% alcohol and use a wet cloth to wipe the backs of the leaves directly. As the sun's angle changes, so does the light in my balconies. From September to March, I get strong direct sunlight. And during those months, some plants can get scorched if I'm not careful. So I move my plants around. Sometimes just a few feet. Sometimes to a completely different corner. I also adjust my watering and feeding schedule to adapt to the changing weather. So, how did my plants get so big? It wasn't magic. And there's no secret. It was just paying attention. And letting them grow at their own pace.