Do not, I repeat DO NOT tell my husband that my plants are not an air filter. Every time I get a new plant I remind him how much I am saving our family from air toxins 😂😂😂😂
Props are a good thing. I limit the number of them but they always find homes. One of the hurricanes that went up the Gulf coast this year (I live on the west coast of Florida) flooded soooo many neighborhoods! Lots of people lost everything in their homes.... including their houseplants. 😢 Don't underestimate how much happiness a little green plant can bring to some folks. Glad I had them available to gift to others. Stay safe and be happy!
Yes I couldn't agree more, nothing relaxes me more than living in a jungle and being one with nature 😂 plant parenthood is so chilled... until something just doesn't want to live anymore
The first subject i could not stress enough about, June last year i had to stay in hospital after having my baby for a week as he had an infection, my husband was so stressed out and still working and then coming straight to see me and baby casper after work that he didnt get a chance to care for my plants, i came back to so many dying plants, i have like 70+, i got so burnt out after coming home, caring for a baby as a new parent, 6 cats and then all the plant care i needed to do I had prepped for a day or so of them being ignored, but not a week, they suffered. Luckily nothing other than one pitcher plant dyed as he fully dried out and i wasnt experienced enough with carnivorous plants to bring it back
This is great advice. Really hits home. It is not that I have bought so many plants my plants just got so much bigger . Also plant trades where you are expecting maybe 5 cuttings and you get 20 of other unexpected plants and then feel bad if you do not really even like some of them but since they were a gift feeling obligated to keep them. I have about overpopulated the plant people in my tiny community, of 200 people, with plants. Getting to the point now I just chop and toss. And now here it is winter and I need to pull my plants away from the windows as I am already starting to see some cold damage. This means I need to try and rearrange my living room. Hopefully I can figure that out today. And YES I do have thick curtains. Even so the cold gets through them. Many of my plants I have had for over 40 years and I REALLY do not want to lose those. Some I do not want to lose that I have only had for 4 or 5 years. But I really need to be picky on what new plants I now bring into my home.
I have downsized and actively limit my plants to about 30. This ensures I can give each the attention it deserves. I am now dedicating me time to find ways of making them grow better. Now I am more into finding pots to put them in and that occupied my shopping itch. I know RU-vidrs buy plants to create content, and I am thankful for that. But it irks me whenever I hear people laugh about how they neglect a plant-once or twice understandable, but if this happens every video then it is a bit annoying. Then they will next upload “massive plant haul videos!” (You know the ones that have thumbnails wo this pose ✋🏻😲🤚🏻) and it’s like come on!
Downsizing to focus on quality care is a great approach. Finding the right balance is key. It's important to give plants the attention they deserve. Thanks for sharing your thoughts! 🌱👍
Yep, those are the ones that have to have that plant in the worst way and then 2 weeks later they JUST forget to water it and it dies......very sad! I've unsubscribed from many of those plantubers. It's torture for me to bear and swallow.......it's sick!
@@Houseplantygoodness thanks Memo. Just want to add that for the casual growers like me, 20-30 plants is the sweet spot where you can wake up in the morning and spot some new growth on one or more of the plants. I think this is why most plant enthusiasts get into this this hobby--it’s nice starting a new day seeing new growth.
I just love this video. You had me giggle several times because I recognized myself in alot of what you said. I discovered I have too many plants and I have started to downsize my collection. I will keep and grow those who gives me less headache.I am definately off the hype train and want to grow the plants I have now big and to enjoy them.
So glad the video resonated with you! Downsizing and focusing on the plants that bring you joy is a wise move. Here's to growing our collections in a way that brings us the most happiness. 🌿😊
Best video of the year! Just hilarious, because the truth is the truth. As for things the new plant parent should be prepared for, I'd add that: plants die. They just do. And often times our obsessive attention to an ailing plant simply makes it worse (by which I mean, we kill it with kindness). Just for fun, I'd add in that a well-grown common plant is far more impressive looking, and more satisfying to live with, than some straggly, half-alive "rare" plant that resents you, your care, and your growing environment 🤣🤣🤣 Lots of laughs this morning, Memo. Cheers from Iowa.
Best video of the year, wow, thanks Dave! 🌿 Your insights on plant care and the reality of plant death are spot on. And I totally agree, a well-grown common plant can be more satisfying than a struggling rare one. Cheers from the UK! 🤣🌱
Moving plants is real. My Monstera d lives in the spot the Christmas tree goes. Usually move it to the solarium for December. This year, problem…it’s outgrown the ceiling there. 😂 Next year, it might become the Christmas plant tree.
I hear you Memo. Let's not forget the mess they make or every available window is now a forest of green. Having said that, who's trying to organise holiday delivery of a few more? Yep. Lucky my husband reigns me in or I'd go nuts living in my own Congo.
Brilliant video, Memo 😊 Very true & relatable. My biggest fear is thrips/spidermites, and second biggest - who will water them (without killing them) when we go on holiday... Still I'm very grateful to have this wonderful hobby and an understanding patient partner, who got used to me keeping high humidity in the kitchen (aka humid plant room), regulating ventilation, chasing pests around with a magnifying glass, bring home thousands of beneficial insects, and the list would go on. For all those supportive tolerant people in this plant-love-madness, I'm thankful 🍀
Thank you! 😊 It's true, the biggest fear is often pests and vacation plant care. Having a supportive partner in our plant madness is definitely something to be thankful for. 🍀💚
I used to say that I love/like all animals, except parasites. Now I have to add house plant pest. But then, they are also parasites in their own way, just not human ones, sigh. Fortunately I enjoy watering and caring for my plants a lot and I am not a busy person. I am not retired, but I am a 69 years wise woman who lives alone with my cats. I do not see it as a chore. When I prune plants, I rarely propagate. Unless it is to put the propagation back in the mother plant's pot to make it look fuller, or a friend/daughter wants a cutting. I had 250+ plants during the pandemic. I now have 125 plants (I have been keeping plants for decades) and that is my limit. If I want a new plant. I must rehome one. Fortunately I don't often come across a plant that I want to buy so much that I am willing to give up an existing plant for it. Actually I have switched focus to their pots, lol
Ah.. Moving with plants 😅 I moved house last year with 30 plants. I had to ask my friends to do a couple of trips to move them before moving in my furniture 2 weeks later. As im planning to move next year, ive downside and put myself on a plant ban. Due to my plants, i wont go on long holidays in the summer, due to the temperamental British weather. However, its worked out for me as i do prefer going on holiday in the autumn/winter.
Great video lots of LOLs. I always laugh when people say you can't have plants in the bedroom because they produce carbon dioxide at Night and will poison you. I have pointed out if that were true all the animals in the rainforest would die at night. The response was that the earth is not a closed environment like a bedroom, actually yest is is it is called an atmosphere. But yes I've had houseplants for nearly 25 years and have no room but still want more. It's an addiction.😂
Hello Memo as always great video your laugh is great for my soul when l'm feeling a bit down thanks for all your time and energy as always hugs from Belgium ❤❤❤❤
Memo, I have another one to add to the list! As a planty person for many years there has always been the dreaded biannual plant migration from their overwintered indoor spaces into their spring/summer/fall vacations on our patios, decks, breeseways and porches..... i am on several local plant forums and for some us it takes days/weeks to get it all done...especially when bringing everything back indooors with prevenative pest treatments....🪴🌱🌵
Buying 125 plants all at once is quite the haul! 😂 And pests, they're just part of the package. As for the crying Pothos... maybe, but also maybe it's just being dramatic? 😉
My grandmother gave me the love 4 plants. I'm a nurturer by nature & when my children were young, they took up all my time so my collection didn't get very big. My boys r now grown with lives of their own & since I'm no longer necessary, I rediscovered plants. In the last 3 years I have gone from 10 plants 2 around 100 plants. They r good 4 my mental state but tho my husband & children love them, they hate the messes the plants create ( pots, substraits needed, water jugs, etc...), the lights that I set up 2 make sure my plants get enuff light 2 live & thrive & the general space that the plants need 2 grow & live. The plants give me pleasure, lower blood pressure & give me the feeling of being useful & needed again. Plant sitters? I lost 15 plants last year while I was in & out of the hospital & recouporating after because, tho they tried very hard 2 keep up, my husband & son were unable 2 understand the complexities of watering different plants in different locations of the house. This year we r moving, in Dec, & winter is not plant friendly 2 tropical house plants. Would I give up any of the plants I have? No, not really. But I didn't hear a single untruth 2 anything u said in this video. Thank u 4 trying 2 get these truths out 2 the plant parents just starting out, they need 2 understand these things! 🤎 UR CHANNEL❣
It's wonderful how plants can fill that nurturing need. Sorry to hear about the challenges with plant sitting and moving. It's a journey with ups and downs, but the love for plants always shines through. Thank you for sharing your story! 🌿💚
This was such a good vid Memo; you covered things that I wished I knew before buying a room full of plants. I put all my plants outside last growing season; don’t think I’ll take more than a dozen plants outside next spring/summer. The watering was too much, esp the moss poles. Thanks so much for sharing this info Memo!
Thanks, Carol! It's all about learning and adjusting. Watering outside plants, especially moss poles, can indeed be overwhelming. Thanks for sharing your experience! 🌱💦
Thank you so much for this reality check! I am a new plant parent with about 30 plants now, but I can see how this could become 300!!! I love my plants but I don't want them to consume my life. So I will take it slow and definitely be more selective of new plants in the future!
Oh my that’s what I’m going through right now we’re remodeling the house so all my plants are in 2 bedrooms. Thank goodness I have 2 empty bedrooms since the kids are gone now. It’s still tight moving around in those rooms to water and make sure they all have plenty of light. Thank goodness for grow lights 😊
I don't feel that much like I'm judged by people around me. Arguably, they mostly see pictures online, because most of my friends are far away, family is in another country, ... My grandma always had a lot of plants, but I was surprised to see that she doesn't even know the name of some. It seems surreal to me, how can she learn how to take care of it if she doesn't even know the name? I guess back then, she bought them in shops where people told her how to properly take care of them and then trial and error only. I imagine. But weirdly, although I mess up a lot and have already quite a few deaths behind me, my friends seem to consider me as the ultimate plant expert and come with questions about their plants. Guys, I got into the hobby a bit more than one year ago, I try to manage my mental health beside that, I'm not the pro you need. Sometimes watering is the only thing I do during the weekend because that's all my energy managed. I have pests, I'm glad they aren't that big as I hate all what has an "exosqueleton" - insects, spiders, ... - (I see damage that I researched online and it seems like it is thrips, but I still have to see one... Anyway, I got predatory mites, let's hope it helps.) I already got spider mites, got a bit of a panic because it was on my frydek variegata. But I showered it for a few weeks (and the plants around it) and it seems to be gone. I don't mind a lonely hobby as being social is extremely draining for me. When I need some people to rejoice with me, I send you a picture on Insta, you respond with the enthusiasm of a plant lover and I'm happy because it feels a bit validating.
I lose plants all the time, usually after chopping or repotting them. I just won't remember where I put them. Currently, I cannot find my Philodendron Sodiroi. But I guess that's easy when you have as many as I do. 🤣
Hey Tanya 😁👋👋👋👋 Losing plants in the shuffle of a large collection is relatable, trust me it's happened to me too many times to count! 😂 Keep searching for that Philodendron Sodiroi. 🌿🔍
My boyfriend is one of these people that is not into plants at all but he takes care of them if I give him instructions. As for pests, it WILL happen it is only a matter of time. I just battled Thrips and was victorious💪 but I am fully aware that it was a battle and not a war that I won, however I am a bit more relaxed about it now. Find out what kind of pest it is and choose the weapon of your choice and you will succeed, but be prepared for casualties.
Kudos on winning the battle against Thrips! 💪 It's always good to be prepared for the ongoing war with pests. Sounds like you have a supportive boyfriend in your plant care journey. 🌿😊
I find similar sites on google searches and some posing as dutch but with terribly butchered translations. I agree with vacations, but depends on the time of year and species. I got into carnivores this year and am freading my vacations now. They survived a week during an unexpected heatwave so they should be fine for a day or 10, but still... I discovered that I need to water my moss poles and plants a lot more in winter than in summer. The humidifier never worked in summer and now I have to refill twice a week. That was unexpected and might have cost a nepenthes its life, it suddenly dried to a crisp after being fine for some months
Vacations and plant care, the eternal struggle! 😅 Carnivorous plants add an extra layer of fun (and worry). It's interesting how winter watering needs can surprise us. Sorry to hear about your Nepenthes, but it sounds like you're learning and adapting well. 🌿💧
What happens if you get sick? Everybody's talking about vacation,but nobody is talking about if you get ill that you'll be in the hospital or something.
Oh how we can laugh at our own folly 😅 and hindsight is 20/20 'but would I have listened?' ummmm. Nope. 😊 I have not. Maybe I'll regret it later on, maybe I won't. A bridge to be crossed later on. Insane/eccentric? According to my brother I don't have enough money to be eccentric! My sister's comment about my burgeoning collection "mmmmm, they look... Healthy" her way of disapproving how I spend my money lol. As an experienced outdoor gardener, pests are just a part of nature, I'm happy to bring out the pyrethrum spray when there's an infestation but for the most part, live and let live - they're food for birds, spiders beneficial insects etc. Except for harlequin bugs... They get napalmed! I'm not at the stage where propagation is an issue, lol. I instantly propagate any peperomia i get, they're shorter lived than most indoor plants and sometimes they just decide their time is over and I wake up to a beyond recovery plant lol. I do love propagating plants though. Planty math! 😂😂😂 Emma from good growing had a few hysterical shorts on planty math! Have a good week Memo, look forward to your next instalment! Oh I'm short on comments for some of your previous content only because spring had sprung here in the land down under so my outdoor garden requires lots of attention... Especially the trees I lost over winter... Cutting cutting, mulching mulching, soooo time consuming.
Something else about the friends n family issues-beyond looking insane as a plant hoarder and lover, there are those of us who happen to live with other gardeners! And even they will look at you like you’re nuts. And perhaps WE are, honestly, the more knowledgeable ones! No hate with that observation! I’ve offered assistance or help in an effort to save my OWN plants that are displayed around the property. Microclimates are another issue which turns into placement of containers. Certain exposures are limited but may be required by certain plants. But it just so happens there is a garden hose Right there, and if anyone in my family is, say, washing their car, they “take it upon themselves” to just go ahead and water the entire garden. Why!!!!!!! Why waste the time or water? I mean, it’s annoying, especially if I’ve just done it the day before! Does nobody use their eyes to check if the soil is still damp? Forget it. Someone will inevitably come through and water, out of the “goodness” of their heart, but it’s likely risking rot, drowning, etc. Like, I’m psychic. Lol. It’ll happen the day after it’s rained. Or, again for example, if I’ve just watered the day prior, why do it again!!!?? The very next day! 😡 😤 Most plants in general just don’t need or want that, succulents, cacti, drought tolerant perennials… even the tropicals; especially this time of year, in December. Even if it is 70° F during the day here, it’s still down to the 40s at night. And cool and wet = bad generally. Even if they don’t rot, they may develop a mold or mildew issue or have some unslightly splotching of bacteria. Then I have to bring it up, and they STILL don’t GET IT. Somehow-and this goes into friends and social life for me too-people seem to think that by repeating the obvious facts, everything is suddenly okay. “I was just washing my car.” Right. I know. I’m not talking about that… are you trying to avoid what I am saying?! It’s like, thanks for thinking of the garden but you need to double check. We have a large property. I say just leave it to me. Save yourself and me the stress hahaha
i have about 150 plants and moved from New jersey to South Carolina! very challenging to say the least . It helped me to get my head around the fact I may lose some , and sadly lost my “ queen anthurium” .. little bitch 😊
I remember the first time I found thrips I was in full panic mode .. years later it’s just like 🫤 get that big spray out.. you cant lay out an all you can’t eat insect buffet and not expect a few guests to show up 😆 I use 60L of water per week this time of year, in summer it’s 100L .. RO water too.. I’m the same with props, cant bring myself to throw nodes away, but then have no idea what to do with them 😂 Good for MH, but very easy to get overwhelmed, when all of a sudden you have to repot 10 at once or chop and extend 5 mosspoles.. or pest spray 50 in one room.. I’m at about 150 now I’ve had to start picking favourites as they’ve all got so much bigger, I will have to lose around another 50 I think next year, as I literally don’t have space anymore..(50sqm)
Thrips, the uninvited guests at the plant party! 🫤 And the watering schedule, oh my! 😆 Props are like our plant babies; can't just let them go. And yes, managing a large collection can be overwhelming but also so rewarding. Sounds like you've got quite the jungle! 🌿💚
