A few things: first of all, thank you for the first point about plant acceptance. After not buying any new plants for months and months, I finally brought home a cast-iron and spider plant from my local TJs, because they were *gorgeous* and such a steal. I hung up the spider plant and experienced a full day of plantgasm joy just looking at it. The cast-iron, which has beautiful silver and white stripes on its leaves, was looking quite dapper in its corner on the piano.
THEN, a few days later, I see some yellow-ish spotting on the cast-iron. The spider plant looks a bit wilted. Did I make a rookie mistake, *again* by putting these guys where I wanted them, instead of where they want to be?? Sometimes I really struggle with when to wait out the adjustment period versus trying 726372 solutions.
Also, I’m struggling with pests after a recent re-potting session brought in thrips and fungus gnats from my Happy Frog potting mix.
Anyway, your posts helps me remember that plants are fun. They are FUN. *promises to remember*
PS: I tried in vain to get my Boston ferns to grow in my bathroom, my room, the kitchen. Finally I plopped them outside on my shady porch, and they are thriving. Whoever manages to grow them indoors is a sorceress.
I’m new to indoor gardening and the reassurance that my plants will never look the same as when I bring them home is exactly what I needed to hear. I’ve been stressing out over every dropped leaf and brown tip.
I feel you on the ferns. I have acquired many, and killed most of them on sight. Indoors, that is. I have a Boston fern on a dark shelf that is technically still alive, but its former fullness and vigour is a distant memory. I also have an asparagus fern that is doing very, very well, but that’s just because it isn’t actually a fern!
This is so helpful! I’ve been wondering if a few plants currently living on my very shady screen porch need more light and the symptoms you describe — smaller leaves, stretching stems, dropping leaves - make me think yes. (I have three alocasia and a diffenbachia back there and while they do push new growth, they seem to lose old leaves just as fast… now to ponder a better location!)
A few things: first of all, thank you for the first point about plant acceptance. After not buying any new plants for months and months, I finally brought home a cast-iron and spider plant from my local TJs, because they were *gorgeous* and such a steal. I hung up the spider plant and experienced a full day of plantgasm joy just looking at it. The cast-iron, which has beautiful silver and white stripes on its leaves, was looking quite dapper in its corner on the piano.
THEN, a few days later, I see some yellow-ish spotting on the cast-iron. The spider plant looks a bit wilted. Did I make a rookie mistake, *again* by putting these guys where I wanted them, instead of where they want to be?? Sometimes I really struggle with when to wait out the adjustment period versus trying 726372 solutions.
Also, I’m struggling with pests after a recent re-potting session brought in thrips and fungus gnats from my Happy Frog potting mix.
Anyway, your posts helps me remember that plants are fun. They are FUN. *promises to remember*
PS: I tried in vain to get my Boston ferns to grow in my bathroom, my room, the kitchen. Finally I plopped them outside on my shady porch, and they are thriving. Whoever manages to grow them indoors is a sorceress.
I’m new to indoor gardening and the reassurance that my plants will never look the same as when I bring them home is exactly what I needed to hear. I’ve been stressing out over every dropped leaf and brown tip.
I feel you on the ferns. I have acquired many, and killed most of them on sight. Indoors, that is. I have a Boston fern on a dark shelf that is technically still alive, but its former fullness and vigour is a distant memory. I also have an asparagus fern that is doing very, very well, but that’s just because it isn’t actually a fern!
This is so helpful! I’ve been wondering if a few plants currently living on my very shady screen porch need more light and the symptoms you describe — smaller leaves, stretching stems, dropping leaves - make me think yes. (I have three alocasia and a diffenbachia back there and while they do push new growth, they seem to lose old leaves just as fast… now to ponder a better location!)