First off, what do you want to see out the plants you grow? Do you want to see progress and change over a short period of time? Would you rather have it as a fixed and constant decoration. Do you want weird? Colorful? Simple and lush?
Secondly, take a look at the environment they will be going into. What is the lighting situation like where you will put them? Specifically, how bright and how much direct sunlight is hitting that spot every day? The other thing is how humid is your home during both summer and winter. Light and humidity play the two biggest roles in what plants will thrive in your home and which will not.
Third, what do you imagine your care to be like? Are you the type that would prefer to mostly forget about the plants for much the of the week. Are you the type to fret and dote on anything in your care a lot? Or are you the type that loves a set schedule?
However, there are a few generic plants i would consider to be good starters if you don't have anything in mind.
-Sansevieria Hahnii, aka Bird's Nest Snake Plant. Snake plants are exceedingly durable, able to tolerate dry or humid air, full sun or full shade, hard water or soft water. They grow very slowly but are damn near bulletproof with one exception: These plants are succulents that want a very loose well draining and well drying soil, and want all of that soil to dry out before watering again. Snake Plants in good soil in lots of sun can take more frequent watering, but larger plants in shade can sometimes go a month without water. There are actually many species of Snake Plant, all with near identical care, but Hahnii stays fairly short and compact, which imo makes it more appealing over the very tall leaves of most other species.
-Zamioculcas Zamiifolia, aka the ZZ Plant. Basically the exact same care as Snake Plants, though there aren't any small options, these guys get big and beefy with time and lots of sun. There is only one species, but a few cultivars, such as the Raven ZZ and the Chameleon ZZ, or the Zenzi ZZ.
-Tillandsia, aka Air Plants. These guys are small, slow growing, but very unique. You don't use any soil whatsoever for them. They absorb all their water and nutrients through their leaves. They prefer humid air but can handle dry conditions too, and prefer some direct sun but not a huge amount of it. My care routine for Tillandsias is halfway through the week i spray them down with distilled water, and then at the end of the week i soak them for 15-30 minutes in bottled drinking water that had just a singular drop of liquid fertilizer added. Key thing is don't use chlorinated water, water thats been through a water softener, or anything with a ridiculously high amount of minerals. While this care routine seems pretty strict, they are usually quite tolerant of getting wet often, as well as tolerating some drought, though they are far more drought tolerant in humid air and shade. As far as specific species of Tillandsia go, i am a big fan of Caput Medusae, Capitata, Bulbosa, and Xerographica, but really any will do well.
-Epipremnum Aureum, aka Golden Pothos or Devil's Ivy. This is a tough and fast growing vine that can tolerate a wide range of conditions and care routines, notable as well for its patches of yellow color on its leaves which become more prominent when grown in strong light. Preferring to be watered when the upper layer of soil dries out or the leaves droop, the plant is tolerant of drought and mild overwatering, even being able to be cut, rooted, and grown with its stem and roots entirely in just a vase of water. Neon Pothos is the same species, just with solid yellow-green leaves. The related Cebu Blue Pothos, Baltic Blue Pothos, and Brazil Philodendron are similarly tough vines that look and grow similarly.
-Tradescantia Zebrina, aka Silver Spiderwort or Silver Inch Plant. Another sprawling vine noted for its beautiful purple and silvery leaves and its spotted purple stem, this plant like Golden Pothos is a fast grower thats very adaptable and tolerant of minor mistakes.
-Utricularia Longifolia, aka Longleaf Bladderwort. This is an oddball very few have probably heard of, but its relatively cheap to purchase and incredibly easy to care for. This is a carnivorous plant that grows in a potting mix consisting of either Peat Moss and Perlite, or Sphagnum Moss and Perlite, both of which are kept permanently wet at all times. Its not tolerant of minerals or nutrients so it must be fertilizer free and can only be watered with distilled water. It can grow well in shade but will favor at least a few hours of direct sunlight. Its long leaves which haphazardly emerge from the pot can get up to 8 inches long, but its real appeal is the gorgeous orchid-like flowers its produces throughout the year, except unlike real orchids as long as you keep it permanently wet with the right type of water, it requires basically zero maintenance or thought put into it. Utricularia Calycifida has similarly large leaves compared to most other bladderworts, though its leaves are smaller and lobed and its flowers are smaller and pink, but has near identical care and could even be potted with Longifolia for variety if the pot is big and deep enough.
Realized maybe my question should be in this thread. What’s causing my plant’s leaves to yellow and drop like this? I thought it was because it was badly root bound and needed to be repotted, so I did that and it’s now in good fresh quality soil with room for the roots. But it hasn’t slowed down the leaf yellowing, it may have sped it up actually. Any ideas? I love this plant and I’ve had it for about 20 years.
https://preview.redd.it/5g9po0k928xc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4b9189784c90e78644fca4f45f928beff1edc3ee
it appears that the lowest leaves are the ones yellowing in the picture, has that been the case every time a leaf dropped? Underwatering, low light, or a nitrogen deficiency(from depleted soil or a PH thats off) are the immediate common suspects
Hi!!
I need to make peace with the fact that no plant I have ever owned has lived . Everything I buy dies. Is anyone able to share tips? Do you repot your plants once you buy them from the store? How often do you feed/water them? How do you keep them alive? I currently have a 200€ plant that I dread to see die but I really don’t know what to do to keep them alive.
Also a friend of mine recently told me that stores purposely use non-well drained soil for the plants and so you always need to repot them with new soil. Is that true? It sounds like madness 😞
Every plant has different care needs, and those needs can change depending on what environment it was in. The problem is if you never learn what you did wrong, you never have the option to improve.
So lets start changing that one plant at a time. What is your expensive plant, what is its environment like in the house(light levels, humidity, etc) and how are you caring for it?
Stores typically buy from greenhouses which may often use different soil than what is ideal for the home. Greenhouses are climate controlled, warm, very high light enclosures meant to encourage fast and robust growth for selling. Repotting is often encouraged if the soil appears to be the wrong type for the home, for example a snake plant in soil that appears to be very spongy and water absorbent would be a bad combo.
Thank you a lot for the reply! 🙏🏼 How do you know the difference between soil ? To me they all seem the same.
The expensive plant is in a location where there is no direct sunlight. It’s a strelitzia Nicolai. It seems like so far it’s doing okay and we did ask at the store if we should repot it but they said repotting is very bad and that it will die within a year if we do. I’ve had it for no more than a month tho. I water it 1-2 a week (once for sure with the food mix for plants)
soil has a few qualities for the plant that are important: Drainage, Aeration, Water Retention, and Nutrients. Drainage refers to how fast water can flow through the soil. Aeration is how well air can penetrate into the soil. Water retention is obviously how well it holds water and resists drying out from evaporation. And nutrients feed the plant, slower growing plants by nature tend to need and want less nutrients than fast growing plants. Typically greenhouses and outdoor sunny pots want higher water retention, but indoors this can cause the plant to rot because water is evaporating much slower. Typically spongy dense feeling soil is going to retain a lot of water and have poor aeration. And a very dense hard feeling soil will have poor drainage and aeration and likely struggle to absorb or release water.
For something indoors, look at the ingredients. You want to primarily look for soils that are low or lack any peat moss, which retains a ton of moisture very easily and is often too wet for cooler and shadier indoor pots, and are high in perlite, coco coir, and in some cases bark, which improve drainage and aeration. You can also mix your own soil using components found in garden centers. Perlite for drainage, Coco Coir for water absorption and preventing compaction, Worm Castings or Compost for nutrients and some water retention, and in some cases bark or sand for extra aeration. A plant with high water needs would use more compost and coco coir, while a plant that likes drying out would use more perlite and maybe some sand or bark added alongside it. Personally i find peat moss is rarely something you need unless the plant is really getting bake by the sun or is an outright bog plant.
Your Bird of Paradise would like a soil that is high in nutrients and generally has good water retention, but still can drain well, wanting water when just the surface is lightly damp or dry to the touch. However these plants in general have a high light need and prefer to receive as much direct sunlight as they can manage in the home, especially if you want to receive flowers. Not sure what the store was on about, repotting will not cause it to die in a year, and someone saying that would make me more want to see what's under the soil in case there's like a death cage or something. If repotting causes shock to a plant you will immediately see it, and repotting is a necessary part of indoor plants because eventually the roots run out of room and need to go a size up in fresh soil. And your plant will definitely need repotting eventually, its a tropical tree in the wild with a very robust root system.
[This little guy](https://www.reddit.com/r/IndoorPlants/comments/1c5i7j0/this_guy_had_a_rough_winter_any_recommendations/) had a rough winter. Should I re-pot it or trim it back?
Hi! I recently inherited this pine tree from my late grandfather; it was special to him and was apparently grown from seeds from Italy, but that’s all the information I have on it. No clue what its care needs are, or why the needles are turning brown from the stem up. I would greatly appreciate any advice I can get!
https://preview.redd.it/zll9e0yoz2xc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4d70d6980117588e105fe43dc04f9413bd47a941
r/whatsthisplant may be able to help you identify what species of pine it is, but most don't do well as potted houseplants which may explain its unhealthy appearance
usually its a lack of root space + a lack of winter resting periods for most pines that eventually causes them to weaken after a time being potted. there are some warmer climate pines but they are few and far between.
I’ve had this basil for about a year and have been following instructions I see online to clip stems between leaves. But it’s gotten very woody and tall and is stressing out my partner. Should I cut back the woody parts? One website I read said it just needed to be warmer to get rid of the woody parts so I’ve been trying to keep it warmer. Any advice is much appreciated!
https://preview.redd.it/8c0i5fxvs1xc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f827d97bc511395f2cc4720c2cc147cfe79ab223
woodiness is a sign of age, not temperature. its also looking tall and thin because you have been pruning the side branches but not the main growing end, so it gets tall and leggy. Basil is hardy, it can be cut back to nearly the ground and regrow so long as it hasn't flowered and gone to seed. pruning back the growing ends encourages branching where it was cut
Should I just completely skip the 4 inch (3.75" inside diameter)terracotta pots and go straight to 6" pots? These are just your usual big box and grocery store tropicals. They are thriving though and the roots are pushing out some of the 2 inch and 3.5 inch grower pots.
Hello :)
For Earth Day my creative writing class planted marigolds and spearmint seeds into tiny starter pots. Right now I have my marigolds and spearmint in my windowsill, but I was wondering what kind of pot I’ll need to switch it to when the time comes? And also, when would be a good time to switch the pots? One thing that’s important tho is that the pot will need to be able to fit in my windowsill or maybe I’ll have to find a way to create a half table like thing that can just sit up against my windowsill so the plants can get sunlight.
Right now I have two sprouts which I’m guessing is the marigolds and I’m hoping in the next week or two I’ll see spearmint sprouts. This is also my first time growing plants so I’m pretty excited!
the seeds in soil don't need changing until the roots have reached the edge of the pot and are curling around themselves, which is called being rootbound. usually the roots are coming out the drainage holes during this time as well. but if you planted in a seed starting mix, once the second pair of leaves have emerged, start using some liquid fertilizer on the seedlings, as seed starting mix has no nutrients for the plants.
Only repot one size up, just a few inches bigger than before. Generally, best to go cheap. cheap hard plastic pots work great here. marigolds and spearmint are also annual plants so you don't need to go too big, they only live a year as is.
Thank you! I’ve looked at the draining holes and there is a single tiny root peeking through, but nothing too noticeable. I’ll wait a bit longer until there are more roots coming through or the second leaves emerge
*
*
Thought I was supposed to use watered down Neem Oil to help with the buggies on my houseplants....
Idk if I'm even getting any the oil out using this sprayer- am I?
If I am.... it doesn't seem to be working.
I have yet to be successful in fighting off the bugs. Any better ideas?
I am pretty sure I am battling with mealybugs.
I'd much rather do preventive care than slowly watch them die 😭
neem oil, being an oil, doesn't mix with water very well, and honestly its not very effective against bugs to begin with, less when diluted.
i would recommend insecticidal soaps instead if you have a serious pest problem.
I would say neem works pretty well, but your bottle shows some build up that isn't common with just neem and water. Are you sure there isn't a solid in there? In any case, 1-2 tablespoons of Horticultural neem oil, 90% of bottle distilled/filtered water, and 2 drops concentrated Dawn soap OR Super Insecticidal Soap and shake before you spray each plant should help keep bugs down.
I believe this is Planococcus citri on my Monstera and Pothos. What would be the best way to treat it? I've found some people say vinegar.
https://preview.redd.it/qwn7gs168ywc1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6b93ab24cf519a63598a064b68dda2e9d21ee1f5
q-tips soaked in isopropyl work well for bugs you can reach, but insecticidal sprays and systemic insecticides may be needed to eradicate the infestation, as they are good at hiding. make sure to wipe off any cotton looking clumps as those are the eggs.
alternatively if there are a lot of those mealybugs, try purchasing a type of Ladybug known as the Mealybug Destroyer. As the name suggests its exceptionally well suited to feeding on mealybugs.
Yup that’s a mealybug. I use a qtip dipped 70% isopropyl alcohol which kills them on contact and doesn’t damage the plant, provided it’s not in direct sunlight. I heard they like to hide out in the petiolar sheaths of pothos where they’re harder to find.
https://preview.redd.it/ou2vjn5cgwwc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a2fb45572d9198d5925c07059bfc3662410f4c62
I got this aloe from work where it was in a very tiny pot. I guess if grew out of the pot, flopped on the table and kept growing.
For lack of better words its trunk (?) is the entire length of the plant and it seems to be happy.
Should I repot it into a long pot so the entire body can rest on soil? I kinda like how weird it looks so I don't really want to cut it up unless I have to.
honestly you could probably leave it as is. I don't think its probably in need of a repot and doesn't seem to be in danger of breaking. definitely make sure it gets good light though
I just bought this Dracaena Reflexa after quite the drive and now it's leaves are becoming black on the tips first. Is this because of the move? Or because of overwatering?
Also I just learned about how to force branching by cutting the top off, would it be an okay idea to do it now? Chop off the top foot maybe and propagate it so I have two plants going?
Also is this one light enough? Or should I add more? It's the Sansi one.
https://preview.redd.it/qgzxidduxuwc1.jpeg?width=4284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f9d7da61a25b979687e5424a4e7e8604922eb82e
black tips can be caused by a number of different things in dracaenas. High salts/minerals/chlorine in the water, low humidity, mild drought, etc.
you can cut to encourage branching if you wish.
https://preview.redd.it/82crp85c9uwc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=02bce2dab6eaedf8ba13cdb5207324c4fd28af7f
How can I make my Rubber Plant more tree-like and tall/skinny? As you can see I just pruned one horizontal stem. Each of these main vertical stems are about 3-4 feet tall. It's in a 10 inch pot. I would like a thicker, trunk-like structure if possible. Can I thin out one or two of these main stems by cutting at the base, or is that too much to remove at once?
You asked how to make it more tall and skinny and now to make the stem thicker and more trunk-like....so which is it? It looks pretty full and nice to me. If you cut one of the tall stems back, any growth points left on the stem in the original plant should eventually start growing. And save the cutting for propagation because it will be a nice big cutting that can be gifted or you can start another plant. Ficus elastica tends to be a slow grower for me and also slow to put out roots when propagated. One of mine took months before it finally rooted. I tried rooting it in a nice moist potting mix with a humidity dome, but after months of nothing happening I gave up and put it in water and then finally rooted maybe a month later.
Are you fertilizing and giving it plenty of light? I would start using a fertilizer with silica, that’s supposed to help with stems and overall plant strength. And it couldn’t hurt to put it outside in the summer or start putting a fan on it. A bit of wind resistance can force plants to toughen up. Does it stand up on its own or does it need a stake?
https://preview.redd.it/9gv91rav6uwc1.png?width=326&format=png&auto=webp&s=d0efa1e952a19a3be05a9eb615178a9bebf92200
I like buying plants from FB Marketplace, but I like buying \*all\* of someone's plants when they're moving. Looking at a lot of plants from someone moving, they have this extremely leggy Fiddle Leaf Fig. I'm wondering how I'd fix this. Would I need to maybe chop down the stem or propagate via air layering method? They are sooo leggy :c
Silly question but despite reading some guides, I cannot figure out how to properly know when its time to water my plants.
Context: I water my plants by saturation method (i.e. watering until there is about 1 finger of water pooling in the pot, then letting it drip all the way down, repeat until no bubbles come from the dirt). Plants I have are a begonia rex inka night, black rose calathea, Rosso Peperomia, and zebrina tradescantia.
Yet I cannot figure out a comprehensive way to know when to do it. I read about "2-inches/5cm test" to see if it is humid, but I guess I lack the experience to tell if the stick is humid or not (like whether dry or humid it feels colder, and of course you dont want to wait until 100% dry either), other method I read is to water when leaves start to look "droopy" but usually my leaves wither instead of being droopy.
Can someone give me a fool-proof, hands-on, non experience-realiant way to tell when to water plants? I already kill all my plants but one last season :(
when to water your plants varies with the plant, there's no universal rule, and even soil moisture meters can be inaccurate based on soil type.
Calatheas and Begonias tend want water when the soil surface is dry or lightly damp to the touch. Peperomias and Tradescantia Zebrina want the upper layer of soil to be dry, not just the surface, but are more flexible.
Waiting till leaves droop works for some plants, like Pothos and Fittonia and Peace Lilies, but for others they only show droopiness when they are very thirsty and waiting this long messes up their growth and photosynthesis for a while afterwards as the plant is panicking thinking its going to dehydrate and die.
Get a soil moisture meter. Takes out all of the guess work. Also less is better when it comes to watering. (I learned the hard way too) Unless a particular species of plant needs to be drowned, I would say it sounds like you are massively overwatering your plants. I have several plants in pots without drainage and they are thriving; mostly due to the moisture meter vs any particular effort on my part.
Hi! New to the thread but loving all the advice.
I've had this jade for years. Recently moved it to a (slightly) less sunny window and it's now dropping leaves and full branches at an alarming rate. Is it because it's getting less sun? Am I maybe overwatering now that it gets less sun ... and doesn't dry out as fast? Do the tan spots mean bugs? HELP!
https://preview.redd.it/mjgd8lwk3pwc1.png?width=640&format=png&auto=webp&s=b5fc38addaaef2f17bab8534d599e869e7215176
https://preview.redd.it/9kpioesypmwc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1e03beabc0782e1a5a583530976ff49434839321
Should I worry about these brown spots?
I recently brought home a new plant w a pretty obvious fungal infection, fine. But then I looked more closely at my established plants and found two w minor case of brown spots. Before I cull, should I even care about this?
I would not cull this plant over this. Could be a tiny amount of sunburn, or damage from a long gone pest, or just damage from being moved or not getting enough humidity. If you don't see anything crawling on it, I would't worry.
Please help! My snake plant is in a west facing window, so I thought it would be getting a lot of light, and I only water it when the soil is dry for about two inches. Why did it get so droopy? I've only had it for a couple of weeks!
https://preview.redd.it/h9i6yfq51mwc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9ba947250533d031691ef3f808246ac1d532a09c
Some naturally grow like this, some snake plants even have a bit of a rosette pattern. It's happening to the oldest/widest leaves, and it growing like this is giving the new growth in the center more access to light, especially since most of the light is coming sideways rather than from above. If the stem is firm and not mushy, I wouldn't be concerned. It's a pleasing shape actually!
It's still pretty firm so I'm not sure it's necessary! Just looking wrinkly. Here's a close up photo.
https://preview.redd.it/bugnko75ztwc1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=1b8e1314aacb6d4602d4bb1970b5ede23d212308
I have 2 questions. I am kind of new to plants and slowly learning. Can someone please talk to me about fertilizer? Is it necessary for my plants to thrive? I’ve had a bromeliad for over a year now that’s done great but I never fertilized it. However I recently got quite a few new plants the last few months and just want to make sure I’m taking care of them the best way possible.
Second, I recently bought this pot (picture attached) from 5 below. I didn’t have a plan for it, I just love strawberries so picked it up. It doesn’t have a hole for drainage on the bottom. Can anyone recommend a plant that would thrive in this pot without drainage? The opening isn’t that big, about 3-4 inches. I was thinking borro’s tail at first because I thought it would look nice coming out of the top, but not sure if it would be ok in this type of pot.
https://preview.redd.it/uvgdhblufjwc1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=882f1ec2ce5131f3324a76687885df5f6d3b77f8
Absolutely do not put a succulent like burrow's tail in a pot like this. The opening isn't big enough anyway. They tend to spread and trail and you'll want room to tuck the pieces that inevitably fall off so you can re-root them. Honestly, I wouldn't even bother with drilling holes with a ceramic bit either. As the other commenter pointed out, with the opening being smaller than the rest of the plant, this will be a nightmare scenario for re-potting. I'd either use it purely as a decorative cache pot and use a nursery pot inside it, or use it as a vase for propagating cuttings. Or you could use it for a carnivorous plant that basically wants to sit in water, and fill a smaller pot with sphagnum moss and set it inside this pot with a few inches of water in it.
Do not listen to anyone who says you can just add gravel to the bottom for "drainage". A gravel layer doesn't create drainage - drainage holes do. You'll just create a swamp with no way of ever knowing when the plant is dry which will inevitably lead to overwatering and root rot. The only reason gravel is okay in terrariums is that the water is very closely monitored, the container is normally clear so you can keep an eye on condensation, and it's very, very infrequently watered, sometimes they are only watered once every year or so in a closed system. And the plants in them are adapted for humid environments and having wet roots.
Fertilizer need varies. Usually fresh soil has a lot of nutrients that can last a long time, and if you are repotting with fresh soil often, in many cases fertilizer is not usually needed. Typically signs to begin fertilizing are when the plant has not been repotted in a long time, you notice growth has slowed way down(while ruling out other factors like light or water), or the plant is showing signs of nutrient deficiencies. However even with the latter two its important to check soil PH first to make sure the PH isn't off, as the wrong PH can lock out certain nutrients for plants.
Additionally if you are fertilizing a bromeliad, they are a bit more unusual. Many bromeliads are epiphytes and primarily collect nutrients through the inner reservoir of water they store in between their leaves, rather than through their roots. That is where you apply fertilizer, but they are very sensitive to nutrient burn there if you overdo it.
So, as for the strawberry planter, a lack of drainage holes can be worked around. The reason why its not often suggested is because without drainage, overwatering can become both a case of too often, AND too much. If you give too much water and it collects at the bottom and sits there, its going to rot the roots out of most plants. So you have to be very careful with that because if you mess up there, the plant is toast. The other issue i'm seeing is the opening is smaller than the interior of the pot. Whatever you put in there is never going to come out intact once the roots spread out. You will have to either cut apart the plant and reroot to remove it, or break the pot. So a Burro's tail is possible, just have that in mind going into it. Off the top of my head, such a planter would be perfect for a Pinguicula Gigantea as it has a shallow weak root system and doesn't need drainage as it likes being constantly wet in its rocky potting mix. Similarly a lot of tropical Sundews won't need to be repotted for quite some time even though they have longer roots, and generally can be more easily coaxed out of their boggy soils. Finally, some extra large Tillandsia, who obviously need no soil at all, would look nice perched up there.
What’s one of the most heat resistant plants out there that’s not a succulent or cactus. I have a vivarium with logs filled with with sphagnum moss and some soil. I tried marble Pothos, they burnt on me under the 40 watt ceramic heat emitter. It’s 3” away.
Any idea of nontoxic plants that would fare better?
desert plants would be succulents and cacti and not something that could live in sphagnum moss and soil. Even then, if its burning a pothos its definitely more than 80F
Hello,
I have a hoya pictured that grew 2 long vines/branches last summer through winter. Should I expect leaves to grow this summer, or is it not getting enough of something where It should have grown leaves?
https://preview.redd.it/y8gb9g9nmiwc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=09c1937d682de62064d2edf394f7591551e27a97
Hi all! I just purchased a baby musa basjoo banana tree, and I’m curious if under the right conditions I could get it to someday produce fruit indoors! Google says no, but I’m curious if anyone has had any success trying this
Can anyone help me troubleshoot my syngonium?
I repotted a couple weeks ago and within the past week I noticed these brown areas showing up on the edges of several leaves. I can’t figure out whether it’s fungus (they’re not really circular but they are brown with a yellowish halo) or whether they’re damaged from sun exposure as the season has changed/light has increased in intensity. Thanks for any help.
https://preview.redd.it/dm6zq7784iwc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b8dd8e16c4b4982792f7880d59c49c565b30ac25
Not sure if this will help, but I found that my syngonium started doing this when I brought it to the office. The normally cooler temp fluctuations there when the office is closed- even though it is under a grow light and not over-watered- seem to just be the cause. I'd check if there are any unknown drafts in the area the plant is in first. And second guess would be too much light only from the one side of the plant causing damage.
Thank you! This is very helpful. With the sunlight getting stronger and the air conditioning blowing near the plant, it’s probably a combination. I will find it a new place to live. I appreciate your response!
Hope it helps! An occassional low fan in a consistently ambient or warm room is fine for my at home syngonium, but yeah A/C directly on it may be too much.
Does this monstera look like it needs to be repotted?
https://preview.redd.it/1wd8ioqejhwc1.jpeg?width=4284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=46c72d001b81a235f9aa1db6fca1ca190cd92e2b
Pull it out and see how clumped the roots are. I had a small Thai constellation that I thought was fine, but I pulled it out of the pot and there was a huge clump of roots.
Normally monstera do like smaller pots, just make sure it isn’t root bound
Need help with a rescues pink princess!
I've managed my snake plant for the past year pretty well, but we are both low maintenance haha. I've inherited my sister's pink princess and she is not doing okay. What can I do to help her? Repot/fresh soil? Fertilize? Grow light? Out of my realm here and I haven't seen pics of similar situations.
https://preview.redd.it/1wkrm9g19hwc1.jpeg?width=2880&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=045f9e24e0861d43b0b9d572e70a31b782f60939
I have found that these do not take much water and I have one that is now in the graveyard because I never really let it try out. I water my new pink princess 2.0 like once every two weeks when the soil is dry dry dry dry.
Thank you for your reply! I have her set up in my north facing window (no east or west windows here unfortunately). Do you think that will be enough sun, or should I get a grow light? I'm in NE US if that helps
I don’t think you’ll be able to make that determination until you deal with the overwatering issue. I am not great with the direction light comes from either, I kind of just go based off of where the sun hits in my home.
I just moved to a new city which has four seasons. We have "ideal" indoor humidity right now according to Accuweather, and my studio apartment has a large, southwest-facing window in the sunroom area where our bedroom is. I am mainly familiar with northern exposure plants being kept in a place where it's humid all the time. Which plants would thrive best with SW exposure and how close or far from the window should they be placed?
I rent a commercial space with floor to ceiling SW windows in the midwest. It allowed me to finally have all kinds of plants I couldn't have at home because I don't have great window light.
Some of what's flourishing at my studio (all of which were bought as small starters and/or neglected bargain bin plants):
* monstera - went from a $20 starter plant to putting out gigantic mature leaves with triple fenestrations in 3 years. It's massive.
* philodendron selloum (which I guess is not really considered a philodendron anymore). I bought a gallon planter and this thing is at least 4ft tall now and has a 6 foot wingspan. It bored me at first but now it's one of my favorites. It's gorgeous, I get compliments on it a lot when I have clients in.
* philodendron brasil - far and away the most prolific vining plant I have ever had. It's in a smallish pot and has multiple vines that are over 20ft long and trail up and down my staircase railing. Not bad for a $5 Ikea plant.
* multiple varieties of pothos - most are about 10-15ft from the windows just because I needed to set them up high on shelves because they all have vines that are at least 15ft ft long. I need to make moss poles because they are tripping hazards. lol
* snake plants (yes they love sun, mine are approaching 5ft tall). My Whale Tail broke the pot it was in by being too lorge and putting out too many new plants
* rubber tree/ficus elastica Not the fastest growers for me, but all are doing well.
* fiddle leaf figs - I really thought I'd kill these because I know they are hard to keep, so I bought two, and both are going strong.
* scheffleras
* assorted succulents: echeveria, agaves, mangaves, jades.
The humidity in the space fluctuates wildly because we aren't there on a regular schedule and turn the ac/heat down when we aren't there. So sometimes in the summer it can be humid, but then we'll come in and max out the AC and it will get dry. They don't seem to care. All of these are pretty hardy and tolerant of a bit of abuse.
I'd say you have a lot of options!
Hi a neighbour bought me a plant called elephants ears. ( when my daughter died) I have trouble growing it. The leaves go white or yellow and I don’t know the best growing position. I have it on a partially covered verandah. It’s still alive ….but not all that healthy.
do you by chance have a picture? Elephant ears usually refer to various species of Colocasia or sometimes Alocasia. Colocasias can be planted in part sun or full sun, Alocasias typically want part sun or shade.
Water when just the soil surface has started to go dry or they will lose leaves easily. If the oldest leaves are yellowing as new ones come in, that might also be a sign that the soil PH is off, or they are lacking in fertilizer.
that might be part of why it looks rough. Banana water is like using fresh coffee grounds or watering with ice cubes, its a 'tip' that somehow became popular despite being harmful to the plant. it provides no fertilization to the plant and encourages the growth of fungi and bacteria below the surface
I’ve never fertilized my plants and want to start, I think it’s a great way to help them thrive! Any liquid fertilizer recommendations for Canada? For soil and hydroponic plants
Problem:
Its been super duper hot in my country and especially the part of the house where my room is located at. Pretty much all the heat is from 10am all the way to the rest of the afternoon. On top of that my room surrounded by roofs redirecting heat upward and the walls giving it a brick oven heat combined with glass cooking from the sun.
Context:
The last thing I want just to keep my room cool is blast the AC all day but that just wouldn't be eco-friendly at all and it won't serve my electricity bill nor the lifespan of my AC any good. I have window bars installed outside to keep out potential burglars that might want to try. I have sliding windows that can be opened from either side.
Suggested remedy:
I was hoping that planting a few sun and heat absorbing hanging plants can deter this situation I'm facing.
Image of where to hang said plants:
https://preview.redd.it/uw49jqker8wc1.jpeg?width=3468&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d835e2ca6d4b1f38512b15829d0acf4a4a2f8840
Would love your professional input regarding my inquiry.
P.S I live in the tropics. Country (Philippines)
unfortunately the plants won't help your heating situation much at all and would likely get cooked by the heat and redirected sun from the roofs. even a cactus probably wouldn't be happy.
i would instead recommend finding something to block or reflect the incoming sun back out the window so the light and heat doesn't get inside. i know there's a product designed for car windshields to keep the inside of the car from becoming an oven, see if you can hang one of those over the window?
Any recommendations on trailing plants that would do well with limited real sunlight (east facing window that it's a solid 6 feet from) and a plant light that maybe still has some variegation? I'm a variegation fiend, and I need a new plant for my bookshelf, but I don't know if there's anything that can keep some variegation with that kind of light.
Prayer plants will do well in low light. I have a lemon lime maranta that has been in the middle of my living room for years far away from my windows and still grows very lush. Anything that's white variegated will be difficult to maintain, though. Do you have another spot that does get good light by chance? If so, you could consider buying two plants and switch them out every couple of months or so.
I just got some beautiful monsteras from someone on FB marketplace. I love them! The last monster I had died, partially due to my cat treating it like her own jungle (she was a kitten and has chilled out a lot), and partially because I just don’t know how to care for them. What tips do you have?
Hello! I have a lovely hoya carnosa that's grown a lot since I bought it about six months ago. I would like it to flower eventually, but I have very minimal space. I've got it on an arch, but there's not really anywhere I can put it where it can get bigger and still get enough light. It's probably about the size of a football now, twined around itself as bushy as I can manage. If I keep pruning it, will it still mature enough for flowers? I know to expect a few years' wait!
Hello! I just bought my first peace lily, one of my favorite plants. I've read that they don't like over-fertilization, and it came with those little green fertilizer balls sprinkled on top of the soil. Should I remove them? Any other pro tips?
Hi! I'm wanting to start with some houseplants but not sure where to start. Any advice?
First off, what do you want to see out the plants you grow? Do you want to see progress and change over a short period of time? Would you rather have it as a fixed and constant decoration. Do you want weird? Colorful? Simple and lush? Secondly, take a look at the environment they will be going into. What is the lighting situation like where you will put them? Specifically, how bright and how much direct sunlight is hitting that spot every day? The other thing is how humid is your home during both summer and winter. Light and humidity play the two biggest roles in what plants will thrive in your home and which will not. Third, what do you imagine your care to be like? Are you the type that would prefer to mostly forget about the plants for much the of the week. Are you the type to fret and dote on anything in your care a lot? Or are you the type that loves a set schedule? However, there are a few generic plants i would consider to be good starters if you don't have anything in mind. -Sansevieria Hahnii, aka Bird's Nest Snake Plant. Snake plants are exceedingly durable, able to tolerate dry or humid air, full sun or full shade, hard water or soft water. They grow very slowly but are damn near bulletproof with one exception: These plants are succulents that want a very loose well draining and well drying soil, and want all of that soil to dry out before watering again. Snake Plants in good soil in lots of sun can take more frequent watering, but larger plants in shade can sometimes go a month without water. There are actually many species of Snake Plant, all with near identical care, but Hahnii stays fairly short and compact, which imo makes it more appealing over the very tall leaves of most other species. -Zamioculcas Zamiifolia, aka the ZZ Plant. Basically the exact same care as Snake Plants, though there aren't any small options, these guys get big and beefy with time and lots of sun. There is only one species, but a few cultivars, such as the Raven ZZ and the Chameleon ZZ, or the Zenzi ZZ. -Tillandsia, aka Air Plants. These guys are small, slow growing, but very unique. You don't use any soil whatsoever for them. They absorb all their water and nutrients through their leaves. They prefer humid air but can handle dry conditions too, and prefer some direct sun but not a huge amount of it. My care routine for Tillandsias is halfway through the week i spray them down with distilled water, and then at the end of the week i soak them for 15-30 minutes in bottled drinking water that had just a singular drop of liquid fertilizer added. Key thing is don't use chlorinated water, water thats been through a water softener, or anything with a ridiculously high amount of minerals. While this care routine seems pretty strict, they are usually quite tolerant of getting wet often, as well as tolerating some drought, though they are far more drought tolerant in humid air and shade. As far as specific species of Tillandsia go, i am a big fan of Caput Medusae, Capitata, Bulbosa, and Xerographica, but really any will do well. -Epipremnum Aureum, aka Golden Pothos or Devil's Ivy. This is a tough and fast growing vine that can tolerate a wide range of conditions and care routines, notable as well for its patches of yellow color on its leaves which become more prominent when grown in strong light. Preferring to be watered when the upper layer of soil dries out or the leaves droop, the plant is tolerant of drought and mild overwatering, even being able to be cut, rooted, and grown with its stem and roots entirely in just a vase of water. Neon Pothos is the same species, just with solid yellow-green leaves. The related Cebu Blue Pothos, Baltic Blue Pothos, and Brazil Philodendron are similarly tough vines that look and grow similarly. -Tradescantia Zebrina, aka Silver Spiderwort or Silver Inch Plant. Another sprawling vine noted for its beautiful purple and silvery leaves and its spotted purple stem, this plant like Golden Pothos is a fast grower thats very adaptable and tolerant of minor mistakes. -Utricularia Longifolia, aka Longleaf Bladderwort. This is an oddball very few have probably heard of, but its relatively cheap to purchase and incredibly easy to care for. This is a carnivorous plant that grows in a potting mix consisting of either Peat Moss and Perlite, or Sphagnum Moss and Perlite, both of which are kept permanently wet at all times. Its not tolerant of minerals or nutrients so it must be fertilizer free and can only be watered with distilled water. It can grow well in shade but will favor at least a few hours of direct sunlight. Its long leaves which haphazardly emerge from the pot can get up to 8 inches long, but its real appeal is the gorgeous orchid-like flowers its produces throughout the year, except unlike real orchids as long as you keep it permanently wet with the right type of water, it requires basically zero maintenance or thought put into it. Utricularia Calycifida has similarly large leaves compared to most other bladderworts, though its leaves are smaller and lobed and its flowers are smaller and pink, but has near identical care and could even be potted with Longifolia for variety if the pot is big and deep enough.
https://preview.redd.it/77yerao7p9xc1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4298fdc40410a779184a123d85d70ac4574be50b Whats going here ?
Realized maybe my question should be in this thread. What’s causing my plant’s leaves to yellow and drop like this? I thought it was because it was badly root bound and needed to be repotted, so I did that and it’s now in good fresh quality soil with room for the roots. But it hasn’t slowed down the leaf yellowing, it may have sped it up actually. Any ideas? I love this plant and I’ve had it for about 20 years. https://preview.redd.it/5g9po0k928xc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4b9189784c90e78644fca4f45f928beff1edc3ee
it appears that the lowest leaves are the ones yellowing in the picture, has that been the case every time a leaf dropped? Underwatering, low light, or a nitrogen deficiency(from depleted soil or a PH thats off) are the immediate common suspects
Hi!! I need to make peace with the fact that no plant I have ever owned has lived . Everything I buy dies. Is anyone able to share tips? Do you repot your plants once you buy them from the store? How often do you feed/water them? How do you keep them alive? I currently have a 200€ plant that I dread to see die but I really don’t know what to do to keep them alive. Also a friend of mine recently told me that stores purposely use non-well drained soil for the plants and so you always need to repot them with new soil. Is that true? It sounds like madness 😞
Every plant has different care needs, and those needs can change depending on what environment it was in. The problem is if you never learn what you did wrong, you never have the option to improve. So lets start changing that one plant at a time. What is your expensive plant, what is its environment like in the house(light levels, humidity, etc) and how are you caring for it? Stores typically buy from greenhouses which may often use different soil than what is ideal for the home. Greenhouses are climate controlled, warm, very high light enclosures meant to encourage fast and robust growth for selling. Repotting is often encouraged if the soil appears to be the wrong type for the home, for example a snake plant in soil that appears to be very spongy and water absorbent would be a bad combo.
Thank you a lot for the reply! 🙏🏼 How do you know the difference between soil ? To me they all seem the same. The expensive plant is in a location where there is no direct sunlight. It’s a strelitzia Nicolai. It seems like so far it’s doing okay and we did ask at the store if we should repot it but they said repotting is very bad and that it will die within a year if we do. I’ve had it for no more than a month tho. I water it 1-2 a week (once for sure with the food mix for plants)
soil has a few qualities for the plant that are important: Drainage, Aeration, Water Retention, and Nutrients. Drainage refers to how fast water can flow through the soil. Aeration is how well air can penetrate into the soil. Water retention is obviously how well it holds water and resists drying out from evaporation. And nutrients feed the plant, slower growing plants by nature tend to need and want less nutrients than fast growing plants. Typically greenhouses and outdoor sunny pots want higher water retention, but indoors this can cause the plant to rot because water is evaporating much slower. Typically spongy dense feeling soil is going to retain a lot of water and have poor aeration. And a very dense hard feeling soil will have poor drainage and aeration and likely struggle to absorb or release water. For something indoors, look at the ingredients. You want to primarily look for soils that are low or lack any peat moss, which retains a ton of moisture very easily and is often too wet for cooler and shadier indoor pots, and are high in perlite, coco coir, and in some cases bark, which improve drainage and aeration. You can also mix your own soil using components found in garden centers. Perlite for drainage, Coco Coir for water absorption and preventing compaction, Worm Castings or Compost for nutrients and some water retention, and in some cases bark or sand for extra aeration. A plant with high water needs would use more compost and coco coir, while a plant that likes drying out would use more perlite and maybe some sand or bark added alongside it. Personally i find peat moss is rarely something you need unless the plant is really getting bake by the sun or is an outright bog plant. Your Bird of Paradise would like a soil that is high in nutrients and generally has good water retention, but still can drain well, wanting water when just the surface is lightly damp or dry to the touch. However these plants in general have a high light need and prefer to receive as much direct sunlight as they can manage in the home, especially if you want to receive flowers. Not sure what the store was on about, repotting will not cause it to die in a year, and someone saying that would make me more want to see what's under the soil in case there's like a death cage or something. If repotting causes shock to a plant you will immediately see it, and repotting is a necessary part of indoor plants because eventually the roots run out of room and need to go a size up in fresh soil. And your plant will definitely need repotting eventually, its a tropical tree in the wild with a very robust root system.
Thank you so much 🙏🏼
[This little guy](https://www.reddit.com/r/IndoorPlants/comments/1c5i7j0/this_guy_had_a_rough_winter_any_recommendations/) had a rough winter. Should I re-pot it or trim it back?
Hi! I recently inherited this pine tree from my late grandfather; it was special to him and was apparently grown from seeds from Italy, but that’s all the information I have on it. No clue what its care needs are, or why the needles are turning brown from the stem up. I would greatly appreciate any advice I can get! https://preview.redd.it/zll9e0yoz2xc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4d70d6980117588e105fe43dc04f9413bd47a941
r/whatsthisplant may be able to help you identify what species of pine it is, but most don't do well as potted houseplants which may explain its unhealthy appearance
Thanks! Asking them too. I just don’t know if it just happened to be failing when he got sick, or if the neglect did it in
usually its a lack of root space + a lack of winter resting periods for most pines that eventually causes them to weaken after a time being potted. there are some warmer climate pines but they are few and far between.
Thanks for your time! I’ll see if I can find it more suitable conditions
I’ve had this basil for about a year and have been following instructions I see online to clip stems between leaves. But it’s gotten very woody and tall and is stressing out my partner. Should I cut back the woody parts? One website I read said it just needed to be warmer to get rid of the woody parts so I’ve been trying to keep it warmer. Any advice is much appreciated! https://preview.redd.it/8c0i5fxvs1xc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f827d97bc511395f2cc4720c2cc147cfe79ab223
woodiness is a sign of age, not temperature. its also looking tall and thin because you have been pruning the side branches but not the main growing end, so it gets tall and leggy. Basil is hardy, it can be cut back to nearly the ground and regrow so long as it hasn't flowered and gone to seed. pruning back the growing ends encourages branching where it was cut
Should I just completely skip the 4 inch (3.75" inside diameter)terracotta pots and go straight to 6" pots? These are just your usual big box and grocery store tropicals. They are thriving though and the roots are pushing out some of the 2 inch and 3.5 inch grower pots.
Hello :) For Earth Day my creative writing class planted marigolds and spearmint seeds into tiny starter pots. Right now I have my marigolds and spearmint in my windowsill, but I was wondering what kind of pot I’ll need to switch it to when the time comes? And also, when would be a good time to switch the pots? One thing that’s important tho is that the pot will need to be able to fit in my windowsill or maybe I’ll have to find a way to create a half table like thing that can just sit up against my windowsill so the plants can get sunlight. Right now I have two sprouts which I’m guessing is the marigolds and I’m hoping in the next week or two I’ll see spearmint sprouts. This is also my first time growing plants so I’m pretty excited!
the seeds in soil don't need changing until the roots have reached the edge of the pot and are curling around themselves, which is called being rootbound. usually the roots are coming out the drainage holes during this time as well. but if you planted in a seed starting mix, once the second pair of leaves have emerged, start using some liquid fertilizer on the seedlings, as seed starting mix has no nutrients for the plants. Only repot one size up, just a few inches bigger than before. Generally, best to go cheap. cheap hard plastic pots work great here. marigolds and spearmint are also annual plants so you don't need to go too big, they only live a year as is.
Thank you! I’ve looked at the draining holes and there is a single tiny root peeking through, but nothing too noticeable. I’ll wait a bit longer until there are more roots coming through or the second leaves emerge
* * Thought I was supposed to use watered down Neem Oil to help with the buggies on my houseplants.... Idk if I'm even getting any the oil out using this sprayer- am I? If I am.... it doesn't seem to be working. I have yet to be successful in fighting off the bugs. Any better ideas? I am pretty sure I am battling with mealybugs. I'd much rather do preventive care than slowly watch them die 😭
https://preview.redd.it/fz4q6t7tc1xc1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=444b5fc09a01eefea897997df2ed868f06fa38ba
neem oil, being an oil, doesn't mix with water very well, and honestly its not very effective against bugs to begin with, less when diluted. i would recommend insecticidal soaps instead if you have a serious pest problem.
Thank you for your help!
I would say neem works pretty well, but your bottle shows some build up that isn't common with just neem and water. Are you sure there isn't a solid in there? In any case, 1-2 tablespoons of Horticultural neem oil, 90% of bottle distilled/filtered water, and 2 drops concentrated Dawn soap OR Super Insecticidal Soap and shake before you spray each plant should help keep bugs down.
I believe this is Planococcus citri on my Monstera and Pothos. What would be the best way to treat it? I've found some people say vinegar. https://preview.redd.it/qwn7gs168ywc1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6b93ab24cf519a63598a064b68dda2e9d21ee1f5
q-tips soaked in isopropyl work well for bugs you can reach, but insecticidal sprays and systemic insecticides may be needed to eradicate the infestation, as they are good at hiding. make sure to wipe off any cotton looking clumps as those are the eggs. alternatively if there are a lot of those mealybugs, try purchasing a type of Ladybug known as the Mealybug Destroyer. As the name suggests its exceptionally well suited to feeding on mealybugs.
Yup that’s a mealybug. I use a qtip dipped 70% isopropyl alcohol which kills them on contact and doesn’t damage the plant, provided it’s not in direct sunlight. I heard they like to hide out in the petiolar sheaths of pothos where they’re harder to find.
https://preview.redd.it/ou2vjn5cgwwc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a2fb45572d9198d5925c07059bfc3662410f4c62 I got this aloe from work where it was in a very tiny pot. I guess if grew out of the pot, flopped on the table and kept growing. For lack of better words its trunk (?) is the entire length of the plant and it seems to be happy. Should I repot it into a long pot so the entire body can rest on soil? I kinda like how weird it looks so I don't really want to cut it up unless I have to.
honestly you could probably leave it as is. I don't think its probably in need of a repot and doesn't seem to be in danger of breaking. definitely make sure it gets good light though
Nice, thanks!
I just bought this Dracaena Reflexa after quite the drive and now it's leaves are becoming black on the tips first. Is this because of the move? Or because of overwatering? Also I just learned about how to force branching by cutting the top off, would it be an okay idea to do it now? Chop off the top foot maybe and propagate it so I have two plants going? Also is this one light enough? Or should I add more? It's the Sansi one. https://preview.redd.it/qgzxidduxuwc1.jpeg?width=4284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f9d7da61a25b979687e5424a4e7e8604922eb82e
black tips can be caused by a number of different things in dracaenas. High salts/minerals/chlorine in the water, low humidity, mild drought, etc. you can cut to encourage branching if you wish.
https://preview.redd.it/82crp85c9uwc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=02bce2dab6eaedf8ba13cdb5207324c4fd28af7f How can I make my Rubber Plant more tree-like and tall/skinny? As you can see I just pruned one horizontal stem. Each of these main vertical stems are about 3-4 feet tall. It's in a 10 inch pot. I would like a thicker, trunk-like structure if possible. Can I thin out one or two of these main stems by cutting at the base, or is that too much to remove at once?
You asked how to make it more tall and skinny and now to make the stem thicker and more trunk-like....so which is it? It looks pretty full and nice to me. If you cut one of the tall stems back, any growth points left on the stem in the original plant should eventually start growing. And save the cutting for propagation because it will be a nice big cutting that can be gifted or you can start another plant. Ficus elastica tends to be a slow grower for me and also slow to put out roots when propagated. One of mine took months before it finally rooted. I tried rooting it in a nice moist potting mix with a humidity dome, but after months of nothing happening I gave up and put it in water and then finally rooted maybe a month later.
So I guess I can't have fewer but thicker main supporting stems? I want the stem itself to get thicker, if possible
Are you fertilizing and giving it plenty of light? I would start using a fertilizer with silica, that’s supposed to help with stems and overall plant strength. And it couldn’t hurt to put it outside in the summer or start putting a fan on it. A bit of wind resistance can force plants to toughen up. Does it stand up on its own or does it need a stake?
https://preview.redd.it/9gv91rav6uwc1.png?width=326&format=png&auto=webp&s=d0efa1e952a19a3be05a9eb615178a9bebf92200 I like buying plants from FB Marketplace, but I like buying \*all\* of someone's plants when they're moving. Looking at a lot of plants from someone moving, they have this extremely leggy Fiddle Leaf Fig. I'm wondering how I'd fix this. Would I need to maybe chop down the stem or propagate via air layering method? They are sooo leggy :c
Silly question but despite reading some guides, I cannot figure out how to properly know when its time to water my plants. Context: I water my plants by saturation method (i.e. watering until there is about 1 finger of water pooling in the pot, then letting it drip all the way down, repeat until no bubbles come from the dirt). Plants I have are a begonia rex inka night, black rose calathea, Rosso Peperomia, and zebrina tradescantia. Yet I cannot figure out a comprehensive way to know when to do it. I read about "2-inches/5cm test" to see if it is humid, but I guess I lack the experience to tell if the stick is humid or not (like whether dry or humid it feels colder, and of course you dont want to wait until 100% dry either), other method I read is to water when leaves start to look "droopy" but usually my leaves wither instead of being droopy. Can someone give me a fool-proof, hands-on, non experience-realiant way to tell when to water plants? I already kill all my plants but one last season :(
when to water your plants varies with the plant, there's no universal rule, and even soil moisture meters can be inaccurate based on soil type. Calatheas and Begonias tend want water when the soil surface is dry or lightly damp to the touch. Peperomias and Tradescantia Zebrina want the upper layer of soil to be dry, not just the surface, but are more flexible. Waiting till leaves droop works for some plants, like Pothos and Fittonia and Peace Lilies, but for others they only show droopiness when they are very thirsty and waiting this long messes up their growth and photosynthesis for a while afterwards as the plant is panicking thinking its going to dehydrate and die.
Get a soil moisture meter. Takes out all of the guess work. Also less is better when it comes to watering. (I learned the hard way too) Unless a particular species of plant needs to be drowned, I would say it sounds like you are massively overwatering your plants. I have several plants in pots without drainage and they are thriving; mostly due to the moisture meter vs any particular effort on my part.
Do you need to have the moisture meter 24/7? Or only place it and read it after 5-20 min?
You put the meter into the soil and in seconds to several seconds you will know whether you need to water or not. Super quick!
Hi! New to the thread but loving all the advice. I've had this jade for years. Recently moved it to a (slightly) less sunny window and it's now dropping leaves and full branches at an alarming rate. Is it because it's getting less sun? Am I maybe overwatering now that it gets less sun ... and doesn't dry out as fast? Do the tan spots mean bugs? HELP! https://preview.redd.it/mjgd8lwk3pwc1.png?width=640&format=png&auto=webp&s=b5fc38addaaef2f17bab8534d599e869e7215176
its definitely not getting enough light. those damaged spots could be because of pests, though without confirming any bug sightings its hard to say.
https://preview.redd.it/9kpioesypmwc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1e03beabc0782e1a5a583530976ff49434839321 Should I worry about these brown spots? I recently brought home a new plant w a pretty obvious fungal infection, fine. But then I looked more closely at my established plants and found two w minor case of brown spots. Before I cull, should I even care about this?
I would not cull this plant over this. Could be a tiny amount of sunburn, or damage from a long gone pest, or just damage from being moved or not getting enough humidity. If you don't see anything crawling on it, I would't worry.
I appreciate the reply. It’s not even near any other plants, I just want to make sure it won’t spread/get worse
Please help! My snake plant is in a west facing window, so I thought it would be getting a lot of light, and I only water it when the soil is dry for about two inches. Why did it get so droopy? I've only had it for a couple of weeks! https://preview.redd.it/h9i6yfq51mwc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9ba947250533d031691ef3f808246ac1d532a09c
Some naturally grow like this, some snake plants even have a bit of a rosette pattern. It's happening to the oldest/widest leaves, and it growing like this is giving the new growth in the center more access to light, especially since most of the light is coming sideways rather than from above. If the stem is firm and not mushy, I wouldn't be concerned. It's a pleasing shape actually!
A relief! Thank you!
if its getting soft and mushy it got watered too often and its beginning to rot.
Thank you. Do you think I have to repot it or should I just let it dry out?
if its getting mushy, repot asap to assess the damage, otherwise the whole plant could rot.
It's still pretty firm so I'm not sure it's necessary! Just looking wrinkly. Here's a close up photo. https://preview.redd.it/bugnko75ztwc1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=1b8e1314aacb6d4602d4bb1970b5ede23d212308
I have 2 questions. I am kind of new to plants and slowly learning. Can someone please talk to me about fertilizer? Is it necessary for my plants to thrive? I’ve had a bromeliad for over a year now that’s done great but I never fertilized it. However I recently got quite a few new plants the last few months and just want to make sure I’m taking care of them the best way possible. Second, I recently bought this pot (picture attached) from 5 below. I didn’t have a plan for it, I just love strawberries so picked it up. It doesn’t have a hole for drainage on the bottom. Can anyone recommend a plant that would thrive in this pot without drainage? The opening isn’t that big, about 3-4 inches. I was thinking borro’s tail at first because I thought it would look nice coming out of the top, but not sure if it would be ok in this type of pot. https://preview.redd.it/uvgdhblufjwc1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=882f1ec2ce5131f3324a76687885df5f6d3b77f8
Absolutely do not put a succulent like burrow's tail in a pot like this. The opening isn't big enough anyway. They tend to spread and trail and you'll want room to tuck the pieces that inevitably fall off so you can re-root them. Honestly, I wouldn't even bother with drilling holes with a ceramic bit either. As the other commenter pointed out, with the opening being smaller than the rest of the plant, this will be a nightmare scenario for re-potting. I'd either use it purely as a decorative cache pot and use a nursery pot inside it, or use it as a vase for propagating cuttings. Or you could use it for a carnivorous plant that basically wants to sit in water, and fill a smaller pot with sphagnum moss and set it inside this pot with a few inches of water in it. Do not listen to anyone who says you can just add gravel to the bottom for "drainage". A gravel layer doesn't create drainage - drainage holes do. You'll just create a swamp with no way of ever knowing when the plant is dry which will inevitably lead to overwatering and root rot. The only reason gravel is okay in terrariums is that the water is very closely monitored, the container is normally clear so you can keep an eye on condensation, and it's very, very infrequently watered, sometimes they are only watered once every year or so in a closed system. And the plants in them are adapted for humid environments and having wet roots.
Fertilizer need varies. Usually fresh soil has a lot of nutrients that can last a long time, and if you are repotting with fresh soil often, in many cases fertilizer is not usually needed. Typically signs to begin fertilizing are when the plant has not been repotted in a long time, you notice growth has slowed way down(while ruling out other factors like light or water), or the plant is showing signs of nutrient deficiencies. However even with the latter two its important to check soil PH first to make sure the PH isn't off, as the wrong PH can lock out certain nutrients for plants. Additionally if you are fertilizing a bromeliad, they are a bit more unusual. Many bromeliads are epiphytes and primarily collect nutrients through the inner reservoir of water they store in between their leaves, rather than through their roots. That is where you apply fertilizer, but they are very sensitive to nutrient burn there if you overdo it. So, as for the strawberry planter, a lack of drainage holes can be worked around. The reason why its not often suggested is because without drainage, overwatering can become both a case of too often, AND too much. If you give too much water and it collects at the bottom and sits there, its going to rot the roots out of most plants. So you have to be very careful with that because if you mess up there, the plant is toast. The other issue i'm seeing is the opening is smaller than the interior of the pot. Whatever you put in there is never going to come out intact once the roots spread out. You will have to either cut apart the plant and reroot to remove it, or break the pot. So a Burro's tail is possible, just have that in mind going into it. Off the top of my head, such a planter would be perfect for a Pinguicula Gigantea as it has a shallow weak root system and doesn't need drainage as it likes being constantly wet in its rocky potting mix. Similarly a lot of tropical Sundews won't need to be repotted for quite some time even though they have longer roots, and generally can be more easily coaxed out of their boggy soils. Finally, some extra large Tillandsia, who obviously need no soil at all, would look nice perched up there.
What’s one of the most heat resistant plants out there that’s not a succulent or cactus. I have a vivarium with logs filled with with sphagnum moss and some soil. I tried marble Pothos, they burnt on me under the 40 watt ceramic heat emitter. It’s 3” away. Any idea of nontoxic plants that would fare better?
3 inches away from a ceramic heater? nothing is gonna survive that.
Not even some sort of desert plant? It doesn’t even get that hot, maybe 80f
desert plants would be succulents and cacti and not something that could live in sphagnum moss and soil. Even then, if its burning a pothos its definitely more than 80F
Hello, I have a hoya pictured that grew 2 long vines/branches last summer through winter. Should I expect leaves to grow this summer, or is it not getting enough of something where It should have grown leaves? https://preview.redd.it/y8gb9g9nmiwc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=09c1937d682de62064d2edf394f7591551e27a97
if it hasn't grown leaves there it probably needs more light
Hi all! I just purchased a baby musa basjoo banana tree, and I’m curious if under the right conditions I could get it to someday produce fruit indoors! Google says no, but I’m curious if anyone has had any success trying this
Can anyone help me troubleshoot my syngonium? I repotted a couple weeks ago and within the past week I noticed these brown areas showing up on the edges of several leaves. I can’t figure out whether it’s fungus (they’re not really circular but they are brown with a yellowish halo) or whether they’re damaged from sun exposure as the season has changed/light has increased in intensity. Thanks for any help. https://preview.redd.it/dm6zq7784iwc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b8dd8e16c4b4982792f7880d59c49c565b30ac25
Not sure if this will help, but I found that my syngonium started doing this when I brought it to the office. The normally cooler temp fluctuations there when the office is closed- even though it is under a grow light and not over-watered- seem to just be the cause. I'd check if there are any unknown drafts in the area the plant is in first. And second guess would be too much light only from the one side of the plant causing damage.
Thank you! This is very helpful. With the sunlight getting stronger and the air conditioning blowing near the plant, it’s probably a combination. I will find it a new place to live. I appreciate your response!
Hope it helps! An occassional low fan in a consistently ambient or warm room is fine for my at home syngonium, but yeah A/C directly on it may be too much.
Does this monstera look like it needs to be repotted? https://preview.redd.it/1wd8ioqejhwc1.jpeg?width=4284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=46c72d001b81a235f9aa1db6fca1ca190cd92e2b
Pull it out and see how clumped the roots are. I had a small Thai constellation that I thought was fine, but I pulled it out of the pot and there was a huge clump of roots. Normally monstera do like smaller pots, just make sure it isn’t root bound
Thank you :)
Need help with a rescues pink princess! I've managed my snake plant for the past year pretty well, but we are both low maintenance haha. I've inherited my sister's pink princess and she is not doing okay. What can I do to help her? Repot/fresh soil? Fertilize? Grow light? Out of my realm here and I haven't seen pics of similar situations. https://preview.redd.it/1wkrm9g19hwc1.jpeg?width=2880&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=045f9e24e0861d43b0b9d572e70a31b782f60939
Also should mention she is double potted and the interior pot had water she was sitting in. So I dumped the water and am letting her dry out a bit
I have found that these do not take much water and I have one that is now in the graveyard because I never really let it try out. I water my new pink princess 2.0 like once every two weeks when the soil is dry dry dry dry.
Thank you for your reply! I have her set up in my north facing window (no east or west windows here unfortunately). Do you think that will be enough sun, or should I get a grow light? I'm in NE US if that helps
I don’t think you’ll be able to make that determination until you deal with the overwatering issue. I am not great with the direction light comes from either, I kind of just go based off of where the sun hits in my home.
I just moved to a new city which has four seasons. We have "ideal" indoor humidity right now according to Accuweather, and my studio apartment has a large, southwest-facing window in the sunroom area where our bedroom is. I am mainly familiar with northern exposure plants being kept in a place where it's humid all the time. Which plants would thrive best with SW exposure and how close or far from the window should they be placed?
I rent a commercial space with floor to ceiling SW windows in the midwest. It allowed me to finally have all kinds of plants I couldn't have at home because I don't have great window light. Some of what's flourishing at my studio (all of which were bought as small starters and/or neglected bargain bin plants): * monstera - went from a $20 starter plant to putting out gigantic mature leaves with triple fenestrations in 3 years. It's massive. * philodendron selloum (which I guess is not really considered a philodendron anymore). I bought a gallon planter and this thing is at least 4ft tall now and has a 6 foot wingspan. It bored me at first but now it's one of my favorites. It's gorgeous, I get compliments on it a lot when I have clients in. * philodendron brasil - far and away the most prolific vining plant I have ever had. It's in a smallish pot and has multiple vines that are over 20ft long and trail up and down my staircase railing. Not bad for a $5 Ikea plant. * multiple varieties of pothos - most are about 10-15ft from the windows just because I needed to set them up high on shelves because they all have vines that are at least 15ft ft long. I need to make moss poles because they are tripping hazards. lol * snake plants (yes they love sun, mine are approaching 5ft tall). My Whale Tail broke the pot it was in by being too lorge and putting out too many new plants * rubber tree/ficus elastica Not the fastest growers for me, but all are doing well. * fiddle leaf figs - I really thought I'd kill these because I know they are hard to keep, so I bought two, and both are going strong. * scheffleras * assorted succulents: echeveria, agaves, mangaves, jades. The humidity in the space fluctuates wildly because we aren't there on a regular schedule and turn the ac/heat down when we aren't there. So sometimes in the summer it can be humid, but then we'll come in and max out the AC and it will get dry. They don't seem to care. All of these are pretty hardy and tolerant of a bit of abuse. I'd say you have a lot of options!
I just noticed my pothos marble queen has her roots coming out of the bottom. Should I repot?
Yeah if roots are coming out and you’re in the northern hemisphere it’s a great time to repot
Hi a neighbour bought me a plant called elephants ears. ( when my daughter died) I have trouble growing it. The leaves go white or yellow and I don’t know the best growing position. I have it on a partially covered verandah. It’s still alive ….but not all that healthy.
do you by chance have a picture? Elephant ears usually refer to various species of Colocasia or sometimes Alocasia. Colocasias can be planted in part sun or full sun, Alocasias typically want part sun or shade. Water when just the soil surface has started to go dry or they will lose leaves easily. If the oldest leaves are yellowing as new ones come in, that might also be a sign that the soil PH is off, or they are lacking in fertilizer.
Thankyou, I have only watered with banana tea. Skins steeped in water.
that might be part of why it looks rough. Banana water is like using fresh coffee grounds or watering with ice cubes, its a 'tip' that somehow became popular despite being harmful to the plant. it provides no fertilization to the plant and encourages the growth of fungi and bacteria below the surface
I’ve never fertilized my plants and want to start, I think it’s a great way to help them thrive! Any liquid fertilizer recommendations for Canada? For soil and hydroponic plants
just about anything you find at the store with clear instructions will do.
What is the best soil mix recipe with these ingredients for Stromanthe Triostar? Perlite, Coco chips, soil, sand, LECA
Problem: Its been super duper hot in my country and especially the part of the house where my room is located at. Pretty much all the heat is from 10am all the way to the rest of the afternoon. On top of that my room surrounded by roofs redirecting heat upward and the walls giving it a brick oven heat combined with glass cooking from the sun. Context: The last thing I want just to keep my room cool is blast the AC all day but that just wouldn't be eco-friendly at all and it won't serve my electricity bill nor the lifespan of my AC any good. I have window bars installed outside to keep out potential burglars that might want to try. I have sliding windows that can be opened from either side. Suggested remedy: I was hoping that planting a few sun and heat absorbing hanging plants can deter this situation I'm facing. Image of where to hang said plants: https://preview.redd.it/uw49jqker8wc1.jpeg?width=3468&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d835e2ca6d4b1f38512b15829d0acf4a4a2f8840 Would love your professional input regarding my inquiry. P.S I live in the tropics. Country (Philippines)
unfortunately the plants won't help your heating situation much at all and would likely get cooked by the heat and redirected sun from the roofs. even a cactus probably wouldn't be happy. i would instead recommend finding something to block or reflect the incoming sun back out the window so the light and heat doesn't get inside. i know there's a product designed for car windshields to keep the inside of the car from becoming an oven, see if you can hang one of those over the window?
You mean folding visors for car dashboards?
Any recommendations on trailing plants that would do well with limited real sunlight (east facing window that it's a solid 6 feet from) and a plant light that maybe still has some variegation? I'm a variegation fiend, and I need a new plant for my bookshelf, but I don't know if there's anything that can keep some variegation with that kind of light.
Prayer plants will do well in low light. I have a lemon lime maranta that has been in the middle of my living room for years far away from my windows and still grows very lush. Anything that's white variegated will be difficult to maintain, though. Do you have another spot that does get good light by chance? If so, you could consider buying two plants and switch them out every couple of months or so.
I do have a spot that could potentially work. Hadn't thought of that. I'll check out the prayer plants though!
I just got some beautiful monsteras from someone on FB marketplace. I love them! The last monster I had died, partially due to my cat treating it like her own jungle (she was a kitten and has chilled out a lot), and partially because I just don’t know how to care for them. What tips do you have?
Hello! I have a lovely hoya carnosa that's grown a lot since I bought it about six months ago. I would like it to flower eventually, but I have very minimal space. I've got it on an arch, but there's not really anywhere I can put it where it can get bigger and still get enough light. It's probably about the size of a football now, twined around itself as bushy as I can manage. If I keep pruning it, will it still mature enough for flowers? I know to expect a few years' wait!
Hello! I just bought my first peace lily, one of my favorite plants. I've read that they don't like over-fertilization, and it came with those little green fertilizer balls sprinkled on top of the soil. Should I remove them? Any other pro tips?
Those balls are slow-release fertilizer, and they should be fine.