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name: houseplant-care description: "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."

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

1. Read old vs new growth. Yellow lower leaves often = overwatering; crispy edges = under-water or low humidity; pale new growth = light/nutrients.
2. Suspect overwatering first. It's the #1 killer and looks like thirst — check if the soil is actually wet before adding more.
3. Light is non-negotiable. Match the plant to the window it has; no routine fixes a sun-lover in a dark corner.
4. Fix drainage and roots. No drainage hole = slow drowning; check for root rot if the base is mushy.
5. 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

• Diagnosis distinguishes over- vs under-watering rather than defaulting to "water it"
• Reads old vs new growth for the symptom
• Care routine is keyed to the actual light and pot drainage
• Toxicity flagged when pets/kids are mentioned
• Gives an honest recover-or-not verdict

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?"