The Beet: A Podcast For Plant Lovers Grow Thriving Houseplants with Darryl Cheng | The Beet
Jan 19, 2026
Darryl Cheng, creator of Houseplant Journal and author of The New Plant Parent, shares his insights on thriving houseplants. He explains the importance of light measurement and rebuts common misconceptions about indoor plant care. You'll learn about his strategies for watering, why some people appear to have a green thumb, and how to prevent overwatering. With anecdotes and practical tips, Darryl encourages plant lovers to embrace natural leaf loss and understand the science behind a healthy indoor garden.
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Three-Part Philosophy For Houseplants
- Darryl Cheng reframes houseplant care: know your environment, do your best, then let nature take its course.
- This reduces panic over leaf loss and focuses on conditions, not constant interventions.
Human Eyes Lie About Useful Light
- Human vision normalizes brightness so we misjudge plant-usable light indoors versus outdoors.
- Plants need measurable light for photosynthesis, so 'I can see it' is a poor proxy.
Place Plants To See The Sky
- Place plants where they can see as much visible sky as possible and then check how many hours of direct sun they tolerate.
- Use window geometry and direct-sun hours to choose placement instead of vague terms like 'bright indirect.'
