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
- Read old vs new growth. Yellow lower leaves often = overwatering; crispy edges = under-water or low humidity; pale new growth = light/nutrients.
- Suspect overwatering first. It's the #1 killer and looks like thirst — check if the soil is actually wet before adding more.
- Light is non-negotiable. Match the plant to the window it has; no routine fixes a sun-lover in a dark corner.
- Fix drainage and roots. No drainage hole = slow drowning; check for root rot if the base is mushy.
- 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
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?"
1---2name: houseplant-care3description: Diagnose why a houseplant is struggling and set a care routine it'll actually thrive on — matched to your light, home, and how much attention you'll realistically give. Use when asked why is my plant dying, how do I care for a [plant], my plant's leaves are [yellow/brown/drooping], or help me keep this plant alive. Produces a likely-cause diagnosis from the symptoms, the specific fix, a simple ongoing care routine (water/light/feed), and honest 'is this the right plant for your space' guidance.4---5
6# Houseplant Care
7
8Most 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.
9
10## What This Skill Produces
11
12- **A symptom diagnosis** — the most likely cause of yellowing, browning, drooping, or pests, with how to confirm it
13- **The fix** — the specific corrective action, and what *not* to do (e.g., don't water a droop that's from overwatering)
14- **A care routine** — watering cadence, light placement, feeding, and humidity, in plain terms
15- **Fit guidance** — whether this plant suits your space, or a hardier swap if it doesn't
16- **A revival vs. let-go call** — honest read on whether it can bounce back
17
18## Required Inputs
19
20Ask for these if not provided:
21- **The plant** — type/name if known, or a description (leaf shape, size)
22- **The symptom** — what's wrong, on which leaves (old/new), how fast it changed
23- **Light** — which direction the window faces, how far the plant sits from it
24- **Your watering** — how often, how much, does the pot drain
25- **The setup** — pot with drainage or not, home temperature/humidity, pets (toxicity)
26
27## Framework: Diagnose Before You Water
28
291. **Read old vs new growth.** Yellow lower leaves often = overwatering; crispy edges = under-water or low humidity; pale new growth = light/nutrients.
302. **Suspect overwatering first.** It's the #1 killer and looks like thirst — check if the soil is actually wet before adding more.
313. **Light is non-negotiable.** Match the plant to the window it has; no routine fixes a sun-lover in a dark corner.
324. **Fix drainage and roots.** No drainage hole = slow drowning; check for root rot if the base is mushy.
335. **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.
34
35## Output Format
36
37### [Plant] · symptom: [what's wrong] · light: [window]
38
39**Likely cause:** [diagnosis] — confirm by [check].
40**Fix:** [action] · **Don't:** [the tempting wrong move].
41
42**Care routine**
43- Water: [when/how — e.g. "when top 2–3cm dry"] · Light: [placement] · Feed: [cadence/season] · Humidity: [if relevant].
44
45**Fit:** [good match / struggles here — hardier swap: …].
46**Verdict:** [likely recovers / it's far gone — here's what to salvage].
47**Pets:** [toxic / safe] if applicable.
48
49## Quality Checks
50- [ ] Diagnosis distinguishes over- vs under-watering rather than defaulting to "water it"
51- [ ] Reads old vs new growth for the symptom
52- [ ] Care routine is keyed to the actual light and pot drainage
53- [ ] Toxicity flagged when pets/kids are mentioned
54- [ ] Gives an honest recover-or-not verdict
55
56## Anti-Patterns
57- **"Water it more"** as a default — often the exact wrong move.
58- **Ignoring light** and prescribing a routine a dark room can't support.
59- **One-size schedules** ("water every Sunday") over checking the soil.
60- **Skipping drainage** — the silent killer.
61- **False hope** — insisting a rotted plant will recover.
62
63## Example Trigger Phrases
64- "My monstera's lower leaves are turning yellow — what's wrong?"
65- "How do I care for a snake plant in a north-facing room?"
66- "Peace lily keeps drooping even though I water it. Help."
67- "Brown crispy tips on my calathea — what am I doing wrong?"
68- "Is this plant safe for cats, and how often should I water it?"
gabrielmoreira