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What type of plants are you interested in growing? This poll is closed. |
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| Perennials! |
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142 | 20.91% |
| Annuals! |
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30 | 4.42% |
| Woody plants! |
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62 | 9.13% |
| Succulent plants! |
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171 | 25.18% |
| Tropical plants! |
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60 | 8.84% |
| Non-vascular plants are the best! |
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31 | 4.57% |
| Screw you, I'd rather eat them! |
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183 | 26.95% |
| Total: | 679 votes | ||
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Fitzy Fitz posted:My nepenthes are never happy indoors, but that one looks great. I don't know what it is, but the leaves and stems just get soft and weak while they're overwintering indoors. Maybe just not enough light, but they're right in front of some big south-facing windows. I mean they definitely appreciate as much indirect light as you can give em. And humidity. I think these ones are hybrids from South American species. The one I posted was the runt of the batch, we had four more that were just so full of pitchers but they have all since sold. Did you put some distilled water in the pitchers?
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Mar 24, 2018 20:23
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Plant MONSTER. posted:I mean they definitely appreciate as much indirect light as you can give em. And humidity. I think these ones are hybrids from South American species. The one I posted was the runt of the batch, we had four more that were just so full of pitchers but they have all since sold. So I think what you have is a ventrata hybrid like mine. Nepenthes are strictly Asian (maybe there are some from Australia though idk). Mine get fairly bright light most of the day, and while it's not humid in our house it's not dry either. My other tropical plants do fine (and the nepenthes I have under fluorescents in another room are happy). They don't pitcher while I have them indoors either. Our tap water is like 40ppm, so I'm lazy and use that instead of my RO water most of the time. It just needs to go in the soil though -- they make their own pitcher fluid. They'd probably appreciate more heat, light, and humidity, but....I haven't worried about it too much because by the time they're looking really sad it's warm enough to put them back outside.
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Mar 24, 2018 20:37
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Why did I think they were South American? That’s two mistakes in two pages (first the corms!) People keep telling me to put distilled water in the pitchers to prevent the traps from drying out, as well as helping the plant create its digestive soup. I used tap water once but I can’t say they enjoyed it too much. The nepenthes here seems happy enough with his situation and treatment at the moment! You honestly sound like you have a much more informed handle then I do on those plants, though. E: we got these cut roses in but my boss didn’t like them, told me to take em. Over 120$ worth of roses for free? Yes please.  Plant MONSTER. fucked around with this message at 22:53 on Mar 24, 2018 |
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Mar 24, 2018 21:21
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My fluorescent fixtures keep dying, and I have no idea why. They aren't even outlasting their bulbs. This is super annoying.
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Mar 25, 2018 21:16
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Fitzy Fitz posted:My fluorescent fixtures keep dying, and I have no idea why. They aren't even outlasting their bulbs. This is super annoying. Heat? Humidity? Is it the ballasts that are dying?
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Mar 25, 2018 21:26
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Yeah, it's the ballasts. I doubt it's heat, but it might be humidity. It doesn't seem like it's that humid in there though...
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Mar 25, 2018 21:33
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Fitzy Fitz posted:Yeah, it's the ballasts. I doubt it's heat, but it might be humidity. It doesn't seem like it's that humid in there though... Might be worth posting in the DIY wiring thread (phone posting so linking is annoying, sorry). They might have more insight into what would cause ballasts to wear out like that.
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Mar 25, 2018 23:30
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Fitzy Fitz posted:Yeah, it's the ballasts. I doubt it's heat, but it might be humidity. It doesn't seem like it's that humid in there though... Ballasts can be replaced in most fixtures. For the really cheap and super compact fixtures though, it's built into the frame. Swapping a ballast is pretty easy. Just make sure that it can support your bulbs' T size, wattage and number of bulbs. Oh, and forget swapping wires at the sockets. Just cut them where you can reach them, attach each wire to a matching color one from the ballast, then cap it with a wire nut. Don't worry about leaving tons of slack, the max length between ballast and socket is like 30 feet. Just wind them up and stuff them back under the cover. Also, if they're dying that quickly, I'd check the socket that they're plugged into. Make sure that holds plugs tightly and that the wires and screws in the box are all tight. kid sinister fucked around with this message at 00:19 on Mar 26, 2018 |
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Mar 26, 2018 00:12
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Cool, thanks. I'll get around to doing all of that at some point. I don't really want to buy new ones.
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Mar 26, 2018 01:59
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The flowers on my calathea medallion keep dying but the plant itself is otherwise fine. Why do the flowers keep dying?  . When I got it it had two, but then one just shriveled up and died so I snipped it off. The second original one died at some point too but I’m not sure when. The new ones that grew (there are three now…) are really low to the ground and don’t stand out height wise. I started noticing last weekend the tallest/oldest of those three was shriveling up too and this morning it looks completely dead.
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Mar 26, 2018 13:45
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Well I went out and picked up a Ghost Plant based on the wonderful praise it got on the first page of this thread, and I've got a few extreme-beginner questions about it. I'm an Arizonan native who's only experience with potted plants is watching them die, so I want to make sure I learn a thing or two with this one. Here he is! He's still in the planter I bought him in at the nursery, and they advised that it should be a suitable home for now. Is this true, or is re-homing something I should be planning as a next best step? I purchased a bag of perlite and a bag of cactus potting mix for an eventual upgrade, but I'm not sure where in my plants life I need to worry about giving him more space/fresh ground.  This morning, I noticed a small bit of rot. Is this something I should just keep an eye on, or should I snip it off entirely? Could even this rotted piece be used to grow another ghost plant, or is it too gross?  Sorry for how blurry these pics are, but you can see the lowest "petal" there is a bit wilted, and folded up on itself. It's not rotted like the picture above, it's just kinda limp and dry. Is this a sign that it needs more water, or could this be a symptom of a different issue?  Speaking of water, here's the soil. I dug my finger in to the second knuckle and it feels pretty dry. There's a visible gap between the soil and the pot, which I'm not sure is a big deal or not. I'm sure it's because of how dry the soil is, and based on the wilting of the "petal" above, I'm assuming it means it's ready for watering. My gut instincts when looking at my plant would be to snip off that rotted bit, give the plant a big gulp of water, and let it chill. Does this sound about right? Ibexaz fucked around with this message at 19:41 on Mar 26, 2018 |
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Mar 26, 2018 19:36
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Leave him in the plastic pot for now - don’t worry about repotting , especially since you just brought him home. Moving locations can be stressful enough and repotting him will just be more stress on his tiny rootlets. Don’t worry about a few of the outer leavers going pruney and gross. Just remove them for now. Succulents will get pruney when want something shed. The gap in the soil is probably because your medium is very dry. It might be safe to give him a drink of room temp water. I recommend placing the plastic pot in a shallow bin of water so the soil can suck it all up evenly. E:  So our shop has had this Gardenia for a few months. It’s not looking too great but I suspect that’s because it keeps getting moved around. I know Gardenia are one of the most finicky options for indoors but I miss those delicious blooms. I’m trying to keep it humid, I can eventually get the plant to remain green but just say I’m off for a weekend, by the time I get back it’s in a different spot with lots of yellowing leaves and then it’ll abort the flowers. Grumble. E 2: I’ve been told that it is now my Gardenia. How fast will it die in my home? Plant MONSTER. fucked around with this message at 22:12 on Mar 26, 2018 |
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Mar 26, 2018 20:19
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Gardenias are almost unheard of for indoor plants here, so I can't really speak to that, but that one looks starved of nitrogen. They are heavy feeders, and in a tiny pot like that it will want regular fertilising. Get a balanced water-soluble fertiliser and give it a hit once every week or two - that should help with the flowering as well. You could combine that with a little slow release on the surface of the potting mix as well, just remember to follow the recommended dosage. Make sure the potting mix is draining freely, and as an indoor plant I would let it get just on the dry side before watering again. It could even stand to be repotted if it's as big as it looks in that photo, they grow pretty quickly. Do you work in a nursery or a florist? Ibexaz posted:Well I went out and picked up a Ghost Plant Pick the rotted leaf off - you don't want it to spread, and a cut leaf is more vulnerable than the leaf-stem junction. As Plant Monster said, give it some water. The potting mix looks pretty shrunken so I'd actually soak it - submerge the whole pot in water until the air bubbles stop rising to the surface, then let it all drain out. Don't sit it in a saucer - better to wet the mix thoroughly and let it drain. Then let it dry out again before the next watering, but try not to let it sit dry for days, especially over the growing season. A good method is to lift the pot and learn how it feels with and without water in it - it may look dry but have water below the surface. It's hard to tell from the photo but the mix looks very high in organics, like peat moss or coir. These materials will shrink when dry, but they also become very hard to rewet, so you might find that it dries out very quickly after you water it. The cactus mix you bought should be much better suited - everyone will have their own preferred ratios, but ideally you want something with a more balanced amount of organic material and coarse sand, or perlite, so that the mix wets easily but also drains excess water quickly. I would repot it after a couple of waterings just to get it out of that mix, but it's not urgent. In general they need just a little fertiliser - something like a half-strength dose of a liquid fertiliser every couple of weeks through the growing season would be help. It will get even leggier in time, I personally find they look better without the long stem (and it's a bit fragile) but that's your call. You can cut the heads off and strike them to make new plants, and the stems should reshoot from below the cut after that as well. And any whole leaf will strike from the stem end. You could have dozens! Discomedusae fucked around with this message at 12:34 on Mar 28, 2018 |
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Mar 28, 2018 11:33
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Discomedusae posted:Gardenias are almost unheard of for indoor plants here, so I can't really speak to that, but that one looks starved of nitrogen. They are heavy feeders at the best of times, and in a tiny pot like that it will want regular fertilising. Get a balanced water-soluble fertiliser and give it a hit once every week or two - that should help with the flowering as well. You could combine that with a little slow release on the surface of the potting mix as well, just remember to follow the recommended dosage. Make sure the potting mix is draining freely, and as an indoor plant I would let it get just on the dry side before watering again. It could even stand to be repotted if it's as big as it looks in that photo, they grow pretty quickly. A florist. I have studied horticulture in college (landscaping and production). Gardenias aren't really a thing in Canada (BC doesn't count lol) so we only ever see them as indoor plants, infamous for their propensity for death. We don't fertilize our plants at the store for some reason or other, despite my suggestions (which sucks for the plant because while growing in the greenhouse, they are used to a feeding with just about every watering). My reasoning for not utilizing rocks for "drainage" was similarly ignored. I don't mind doing things incorrectly if that's how a boss wants things done - I just don't like giving out misinformation to our visitors. Oh well - not my shop, maybe in the future I'll have my own and do things my way. I was thinking of starting a fertilizing regimen on him soon. Gardenias like their medium to be acidic too, right? I figure that will help with iron absorption. Since I just brought him home two days ago, I just want him to settle for a bit. I mean the perk of working here is I get to take home many many hundreds of dollars worth of plants and cut flowers. I have a couple of Anthuriums, two Clivias, a croton, a Phalaeonopsis orchid and more also headed my way. Now if only that Nepenthes (checked the invoice from the grower, they say it's N. alata but there's no way it's not a hybrid) goes unpurchased for too long... Plant MONSTER. fucked around with this message at 17:03 on Mar 28, 2018 |
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Mar 28, 2018 12:51
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Anyone with Lupine growing experience? I'm starting from seed.
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Mar 28, 2018 23:07
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I'd plant the seeds out in the fall, do you get a decently chilly Winter? They need a bout of cold to get going if you live somewhere really warm or you wanted to plant them out soon then scarify the seeds gently (nail filer/nutmeg grinder/sand paper) just enough to let moisture easily penetrate the seed coats. You can simulate the cold period in the fridge, keep the seeds in a paper towel and keep it moist, change the towel every few days. Indigo/purple blooming plants honestly always seem like they are the hardiest and if you plant a large mix of color purples: A) have a higher germination rate, B) Colonize the area before the other colors and C) Live on to become perennial. We had a problem with aggressive lupines in my old town. Always threatening me on my way home.
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Mar 29, 2018 00:08
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The seeds I ordered said they didn't need stratification,so I just plopped them in. Will try that method if the first batch fails. I live in New England, so, it gets cold here. zaepg fucked around with this message at 01:26 on Mar 29, 2018 |
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Mar 29, 2018 00:19
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zaepg posted:Anyone with Lupine growing experience? I'm starting from seed. My advice is don't. If you ever decide that you don't want Lupines everywhere (you will), tough poo poo because they aren't going anywhere.
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Mar 29, 2018 11:35
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Plant MONSTER. posted:A florist. I have studied horticulture in college (landscaping and production). Gardenias aren't really a thing in Canada (BC doesn't count lol) so we only ever see them as indoor plants, infamous for their propensity for death. Yeah, I got a fair few plants for free when I worked at a garden centre, and I still get some from time to time as a gardener - I inherited some bromeliads (Neoregelia, I think) from a recent job, also a couple of anemone and even found an abandoned Dendrobium once. I'm in Sydney, and gardenias are everywhere here! Obviously they hate frost, even our winters are slightly too cold and they can yellow up a bit, but that clears once the soil starts to warm up. People just don't feed them or water them enough though - the best ones are usually in good morning sun on the richer clay soils away from the beaches. They do like a slightly acidic soil, maybe like a 6-6.5 pH, but not as much as for azaleas or camellias, and they'll cope with neutral if other conditions are good. You do see specialty fertilisers that group those plants together though (sometimes also with blueberries). I find pH is not something to worry about too much in a potting mix, a decent commercial mix won't be wildly acid or basic unless it's specifically composed for that or you've just mixed it up yourself and included a bunch of wood ash or peat moss something. It's more important to find a mix with a good balance of water holding capacity and drainage/aeration.
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Mar 29, 2018 12:33
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[img] Well, it’s day three in my care. About 4-5 leaves turn yellow and fall a day but it’s growing fast. I’m a bit apprehensive regarding repotting right away just because it’s been moved around a lot.  How do we feel about Rex Begonias? I have two at home and they have always been some of my favourites. I’m thinking of starting a collection.
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Mar 29, 2018 16:40
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Plant MONSTER. posted:How do we feel about Rex Begonias? I have two at home and they have always been some of my favourites. I’m thinking of starting a collection. I love Rex's! What kind do you have? I keep meaning to share photos of mine here. They're looking a little bit rough from the dry winter air but have lots of new spring growth.
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Mar 29, 2018 18:46
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Plant MONSTER. posted:How do we feel about Rex Begonias? I have two at home and they have always been some of my favourites. I’m thinking of starting a collection. I do not have them but want them in my life because of people posting them in this very thread.
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Mar 29, 2018 19:12
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 Here are my two Begonias. Pinky there is about 3.5 years old and Mr. Single Leafy there is 7.5 years old. He goes through bouts of looking pathetic and looking majestic, but yeah, he’s bounced back after looking worse than that, I just love him so much! I can’t find any photos of him in majesty mode, sadly. They both came from Home Depot’s garden center. Ps: Canadian basement apartment. Plant MONSTER. fucked around with this message at 01:29 on Mar 30, 2018 |
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Mar 30, 2018 01:27
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Plant MONSTER. posted:
Mr. Single Leaf is particularly spectacular! I've never seen one like that.
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Mar 30, 2018 01:39
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listrada posted:Mr. Single Leaf is particularly spectacular! I've never seen one like that. Yeah! I really wish I could find pictures of him in a larger state. He has a tiny tiny mini leaf forming that'll soon swell. I'll log his progress as it happens! Same with the gardenia. I also have a big love for Cissus. My Cissus rhombifolia is one of my oldest plants. My workplace has a lovely 'Ellen Danica', I really love it. I wish there were more cultivars available for these guys! As a basement liver, Begonias and Cissus have served me better than my Spathiphyllum or Zamioculcas. 
Plant MONSTER. fucked around with this message at 02:21 on Mar 30, 2018 |
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Mar 30, 2018 02:19
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I have a bit of an issue, or something that I'm not sure if its an issue or not: I'm growing some succulent and cactus seedings, and a some of them have germinated. One (species unknown, because it came in a pack of random seeds) grew to about an inch or so out of loving nowhere. As I was looking at them today and doing some misting, I found it fell over. Not sure if I bumped the bag its in or not. Should I do anything about it? used a tweezer to move it around a bit to see if it had just tipped over or something, and the thing has no solidity to it. Try and prop it up, and it flops the other way. I've read this might be due to light starvation, but it's been underneath the same ceiling lamp that everything else has been under. Sorry for the rear end-quality huge-resolution camera shot, didn't bother switching from whatever defaults: 
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Mar 30, 2018 04:07
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It’s gone leggy because of a lack of light. I wish I could give you a longer answer with a solution but that’s really far gone.
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Mar 30, 2018 09:26
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So I moved into a new office recently and wanted to decorate it with some plants to liven up the place. I couldn't decide which of mine from home to bring with me... so I bought a few more just for the office. I bought a peace lily cause I love how big the leaves are and the white flowers are really nice and pop. And I also got my first succulent (well I think it is but I'm not sure). That's my story and here's a picture. 
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Mar 30, 2018 10:02
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learnincurve posted:It’s gone leggy because of a lack of light. Yeah, that's what I figured. I'm considering giving up on this nascent hobby just because I don't know what I'm doing. The knowledge base is incredibly contradictory and nebulous, and the natural lack of feedback means I'm twisting in the wind. The most successful thing I've grown is the relatively cheap grow-your-own-succulents thing.
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Mar 30, 2018 18:16
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Growing things from seed is 100 times harder than buying a plant and keeping it alive. I kill seedlings constantly.
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Mar 30, 2018 18:32
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I got like £200 worth of propagator and lighting so my seedlings don’t die, but that’s only worth if if you are growing enough stuff that it would cost you more than £200 in the shops to buy.
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Mar 30, 2018 18:37
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Fitzy Fitz posted:Growing things from seed is 100 times harder than buying a plant and keeping it alive. I kill seedlings constantly. Related question, should you repot cactii/succulents you buy at a store immediately? I hear that they all use peat (which is Bad, except the places I've read where they say peat is Good).
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Mar 30, 2018 19:09
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Peat is the best thing for plants, what isn’t great is the Russians destroying the environment while they JCB it out of the ground. If it’s being sold in peat, which 99.9999 of plants are, then there isn’t a lot you can do. Only way you can avoid peat entirely is by growing from seed or cuttings in peat free composts.
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Mar 30, 2018 19:17
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I would say that peat isn't the ideal thing for succulents -- it holds quite a lot of water, and you want more drainage for a succulent mix. Also in North America, it's Canadians that dig up peat moss!   Also the environmental impact seems not so cut and dry. Like it sucks for the region harvested, but there's a whole hell of a lot more peat bog out there than gets harvested. Wikipedia posted:The U.S. gets up to 80% of sphagnum peat moss it uses from Canada. In Canada, it has been estimated that peat bog mass is harvested each year 60 times less than the mass that accumulates. Approximately .02 percent of the 270 million acres (422,000 square miles) of Canadian peat bog are used for peat moss mining.[28] There are some efforts made to restore peat bogs after peat mining. There is some debate as to whether the peat bogs can be restored to their pre-mining condition and how long the process takes. ″The North American Wetlands Conservation Council estimates that harvested peatlands can be restored to ′ecologically balanced systems′ within five to 20 years after peat harvesting.″ Some wetlands scientists assert that ″... a managed bog bears little resemblance to a natural one. Like tree farms, these peatlands tend toward monoculture, lacking the biodiversity of an un- harvested bog.″[29]
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Mar 30, 2018 19:41
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Plant MONSTER. posted:Yeah! I really wish I could find pictures of him in a larger state. He has a tiny tiny mini leaf forming that'll soon swell. I'll log his progress as it happens! Same with the gardenia. I got home before dark yesterday so I took some pictures! I'm apparently collecting begonias and calatheas now. Here's my dining room right now. I'm still redecorating and making my house less of a bachelorette pad, so don't judge my arty cat picture too harshly...  The calathea has gotten so big that it gets its own chair at the table. I've had it for two or three years now.  The plant on the table is a calathea mosaica that my friend just picked up for me! I haven't repotted it yet - still looking for something pretty to put it in. It has to be a nice pot because this was the most expensive houseplant I've ever even thought about getting, but I looked for one for over a year. Or at least that's how I justified it to myself!  Here's one of the fancy begonias - he had a rough winter but is rebounding:  Here's a close up of the escargot begonia that this thread inspired me to pick up:  The third fancy begonia always has some leaves with brown spots on it. Thread, what are your thoughts - - is this an environmental thing or a bacterial infection?  
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Mar 30, 2018 20:03
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I really want an 'Escargot'. I think my single leaf one might be the same kind as the first begonia you posted, they look so similar when full. The buds on the gardenia are starting to get nice and fat with no signs of yellowing. Try to find a plastic grower's pot to repot it in and then just stick that into the nice decorative pot.
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Mar 30, 2018 20:39
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learnincurve posted:Only way you can avoid peat entirely is by growing from seed or cuttings in peat free composts. Yeah, that seems to be the catch-22 issue I'm having. Like, one thing I can't wrap my head around is the notion of 'strong indirect light'. I've got a bit of eastern-facing area where light pours in, but that'd be direct light.
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Mar 30, 2018 21:46
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What they mean is that you need to simulate dappled shade/the light you would get from a forest canopy. Net curtains, they want you to get net curtains if the window ledge is in direct sunlight. It’s not you, they (people on blog sites) really just can’t come out and say that because heaven forfend they accommodate beginners.
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Mar 30, 2018 23:01
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Fitzy Fitz posted:Growing things from seed is 100 times harder than buying a plant and keeping it alive. I kill seedlings constantly.  god I knowI did start some jalapenos and lavender from seed, hopefully they'll keep doing well. I've got some chives sprouted but who the gently caress knows how they'll turn out. my massive coleus was from seed and I saved the next batch of seeds after it flowered, left them in a baggie outside over the winter because I'm an idiot, and they all sprouted again this year when I planted them!! which is so exciting!! I can't wait to have several giant monsters on the balcony again. Boris Galerkin posted:So I moved into a new office recently and wanted to decorate it with some plants to liven up the place. I couldn't decide which of mine from home to bring with me... so I bought a few more just for the office. I bought a peace lily cause I love how big the leaves are and the white flowers are really nice and pop. And I also got my first succulent (well I think it is but I'm not sure).  I want to get a peace lily so badly. you got some beautiful plants!
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Mar 31, 2018 02:32
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 I never knew this thread existed! And it has people who know about carnivores! I picked up a fly trap on a whim about three years ago and since then I've been looking for as many weird bug-eating plants as I can find.(Sorry about the terrible phone pictures, click for enormous versions)  My first fly trap, still going strong despite some bastard grabbing it through my window and smashing it against a wall not long after I got it.  Another fly trap.  I actually forgot to put them into dormancy, but they seem to holding on and flowering regardless.  Sarracenia of some sort, I'm not certain of the exact species. I'd be grateful if anyone knows what it is.  I love the ridiculous flower stalks carnivorous plants put up to keep pollinators away from the hungry bits of the plant.  Probably S. purpurea. This one seems determined to grow one absurdly large pitcher every season.  It's kind of ridiculous.  Butterwort/Pinguicula! Again, not sure what the species is but it put up lovely purple flowers a few months ago.  Drosera capensis, I'm pretty certain. Also flowered and gave me a load of seeds to wrap up. One of them actually took root in the tray next to it and is determined to stay rooted there.  Beyond being a Nepenthes I have no idea what this is.  Same deal as above. Both very pretty, though. Again, I'd be grateful if anyone can identify the mystery species.
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Mar 31, 2018 13:42
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