THANK YOU for mentioning the air purification. It's really a pet peeve of mine. I read the original study years ago and from what I can remember it was pretty underwhelming. I think they couldn't even determine if the 'purifying effect' was due to the plant itself or due to the soil
I had about 50 orchids in my bedroom growing in water and clay balls, the air did smell clean and freah in there but cant scientifically say it was cleaner.
I fill my watering can with water and let it stand overnight, but not to remove additives, but simply to allow it to achieve 'room temperature' so the water doesn't shock the plants.
@@SheffieldMadePlants I will say I have evidence that one wasn't a myth, being into aquatics as much as I am, I can tell you it's a fact that Chlorine and Chloramine will for sure gas off the surface of the water if you leave it for 24-48 hours. That's what we all do for fish in the industry if we don't have enough money for stress coat in big setups (Ponds, 300+ gallons, etc.). Even in the pool industry they warn that if there's not enough fresh air in an indoor setup then you can get adverse effects from the process of Chlorine and Chloramine gassing off.
I have a zz plant in my windowless basement, and I have to trim it constantly because it just grows SO fast. It's not even under a grow light like most of my plants are. It's just in a corner of my kitchen. I think zz plants might be my soulmates (soulplants?)
I'm very new to planting, like 1 month, so all these myths were unknown, but i'm glad to learn the right way to avoid these mistakes. I did collect a gallon of rain water last week, so i think i'm on the right track 😊😊
my snake plant that I've had for a few years blessed me with flowers this Fall! :) I read that snake plants flowering is fairly uncommon, so I was pretty proud of it, especially since I left the poor thing outside for a few days on its first winter and it got some pretty bad frost damage. also, I recently turned my extra bathroom into a plant room. I've got a heater in the bedroom next to it so the bathroom will be warm without being heated directly and making the air too dry or hitting any particular plant with direct heat, four full spectrum grow lights on the ceiling, a humidifier, and one of those reptile heat/ humidity moniters. Lights are on for about 8 hours a day (reccomended general time for the types of plants in there) The room has finally been at a stable 60% humidity and 71-75 degrees for several days in a row. I'm growing some acorn squash in there right now (I don't have a yard)
People keep saying getting snakes to flower is really hard, but other than my fernwoods, all of mine do it at least once every couple summers. As long as the plant hasn't been repotted recently and is getting plenty of light, all it seems to take to trigger them is hotter temps and stretching out the time between waterings. It doesn't even seem to matter whether they are kept indoors or outdoors.
It would be really great if you could do an experiment to demonstrate that adding a layer of gravil or clay balls at the bottom of the pot doesn't help draining ! This one is really difficult to debunk I find 😅 This video is really helpful btw, thank you !
@@SheffieldMadePlants Hahah, emmm let's see... 3 transparents nursing pots with same soil, one with gravel, one with clay and one with nothing,, and measuring with moist meter every couple of hours ? 🤔🤓(Btw, I just removed the clay balls from my sansevieria pots 😅)
@@SheffieldMadePlants I fail to understand why gravel is "bad" though I agree often totally unnecessary. Does something insect or disease grow in the spaces at the bottom? If you overwater it allows excess water to drain out which is the original purpose. Depends on the pot. Avoid bad pots. I see that you add water to the bottom of pots, that leaves the bottom of the soil soggy also.
@@Nobodyreallyatall the problem is that water only transfers from soil to rocks when the soil is fully saturated. It doesn't pool until the soil is soaked through so it defeats the purpose. You're much better just having a pot with drainage holes
You can disagree all you want but it is literally science. Like showering or boiling a pot of water on the stove it may give a very minor boost to humidity in an extremely small area for a short period of time, but it does nothing for the humidity levels of your home.
@@AttackGoose I should have been more specific. I grow in cabinets and tents and I, along with a lot of others I know, use humidity trays instead of having humidifiers. It takes a bit of tweaking but all of my growing areas are at a steady`ish 70%. So trays will work in a controlled environment. But like you said, useless to get humidity up in large areas like your house.
The one about the pebble tray humidification is true, but the tray is still beneficial. If you use an empty tray, it will take more water to overflow it, thus allowing you to overwater it more. A tray of pebbles is also more aesthetically pleasing, and certain types of rock can leech beneficial nutrients into the water for your plants to consume.
@@SheffieldMadePlants it also depends on the plant... I use it for all my begos, so that their soil doesn't dry out that fast and they definitely like it better then being watered more often Great video anyway!:)
Re electric humidifiers: An ultrasonic humidifier will drop "dust" on everything, including the leaves. It wipes off easily, but is still another task to add to your already full day. (Does anybody know if the sound of ultrasonic humidifiers bothers pets?) An evaporative humidifier will not drop dust on your plants, but it is not nearly as effective at humidifying. It depends on the temperature and humidity level in the ambient air. Really old humidifiers used heating elements to create steam. They add a lot of humidity-but they use a lot of electricity.
I totally used to put stones in the bottom of my pots, and in trays underneath! Luckily I have stopped doing this, and am going to work towards using the nursery pots with drainage holes so I can water from the bottom. Thanks for your tips!
I just recently started bottom watering and my plants seem happier. I usually set a timer for 10-15 minutes (tip from a planty peep) because I have accidentally killed plants by leaving them to bottom water for hours while I go out LOL.
I like ceramic pots with holes in the bottom because they're a little nicer looking, and for desert plants terracotta can really help the roots breathe
I began indoor gardening in the 70's and regularly heard about using crocking in the bottom of pots. Also, never heard of watering in the saucer. Have always had an abundance of plants and they've adapted and flourished. Although, I must admit, if a new arrival doesn't appreciate its care, I re-home it. I guess I have a different system but all the parts seem to work out together. I have several Calatheas, one with lots of brown and I'll have to ponder whether to buy it distilled water. I really appreciate your site. Lots to think about.
I just want to say that, having seen what happens to a fish tank that is exposed to chlorine, letting tap water sit to off-gas DOES work. I lost half my fish stock when I mis-judged the amount of dechlorinator and under-dosed, but now I do top-ups using plain old tap water that has just been sitting in an open jug to off-gas for a few days and have ZERO problems. And I'm not talking about top-ups of such small volume that it probably wouldn't matter anyway. I have a large aquarium and do top-ups of several inches of water. 3 or 4 8-liter jugs at a time. If the water didn't off-gas that chlorine, I would ABSOLUTELY have problems.
I thought that was interesting too, considering I was setting tap water out for drinking for me and the plants. After some research, I found my water provider is now using chloramine which doesn't evaporate. Maybe your provider still uses chlorine.
The succulent advice isn’t quite right…although it’s definitely a step up on the advice to barely water! Succulents need watering deeply, as in literally soaked in a bucket of water until all the soil is soaked through, then not watered again until the soil is bone dry and the plant starts to look a bit wrinkly and the leaves feel slightly soft. Bit of fertiliser half strength every other watering and they’ll do great. During winter they shouldn’t really be watered at all unless they’re desperate, or unless they are under powerful grow lights that replicate their summer conditions. If you want them to flower, you need to let them go dormant over winter by stopping watering, and they’ll flower really well in the spring. I haven’t watered most of mine since late September. If you water during winter the plants will stretch, and instead of a nice compact plant you’ll end up with a leggy one. Some will do this even under grow lights. The main thing with succulents are ensuring they have a really gritty soil mix - 1/3 each compost, horticultural grit, and perlite - so they can dry out quickly after watering. Commercial cactus soil is never good enough, it’s too organic and that leads to rot. The other thing people get wrong is light - they need much more light than they get in the average home. Even a bright window ledge is going to be pushing it. Ideally the plants need to be outdoors, at least the the spring and summer. They can come in during the autumn and winter, but will need grow lights unless they’re in a south facing window. Some hardier varieties can stay out in all but the coldest temperatures, but need to be kept bone dry or they will rot. I still lose the odd plants - out of hundreds - in winter, but learning to just let them be has resulted in much healthier plants, better flowering, and faster growth in the spring.
I like pebble trays underneath plants, because it can catch and overflow water and it's helpful for people who are forgetful so that plant isn't sitting in excess water, or for really large plants where it's hard to maneuver to drain the excess water in the drainage dish. I know the humidity effects are miniscule though, but I do recommend it for beginners when I'm working at the garden center, and explain it like above. And the only plants I mist daily (especially in winter) are air plants- since they dont have soil (though I also soak them every couple weeks). I even learned in my horticulture studies that misting doesn't do much for terrestrial and most epiphytic plants. If someone really wants to increase humidity, adding a humidifier or using a terrarium or cloche are the best ways.
@@CeliaG9999 I can't either. Not sure why though I'm in Southern California. Maybe it's too dry? I do love succulents and luckily I'm in the perfect climate for them.
I let tap water stand overnight, but this is done to bring the water up to room temperature. Sadly, living in a high rise flat, I don't have access to rainwater
12 times yes! Great video. When I tell people about the gravel usually they stare at me in disbelieve. It is even true for clay granuals. You can better mix them through the soil if you want to use them. And when your plant needs repotting you don't always have to go for a bigger pot. You can prune the roots and put it back in the same pot. Always prune the plant too when you do a root pruning.
I keep forgetting to mist my plants, but now I know, it's better to forget about misting plants. Appreciate all these 'busting the myths 'about how to care for houseplants.
For the plants that love the humidity, I've had really good results using the tiny little ultrasonic humidifiers you see all over online marketed as 'essential oil diffusers' to create localized humid zones for them. They are pretty inexpensive at ~$20US and are small enough to tuck in among a group of plants pretty unobtrusively. The only real downsides I've found is that they do have to be refilled more or less daily and require cleaning every week or two, so they do add a bit of work. Also, being cheap, they can be prone to poor quality control, so make sure you can easily return/exchange it if you get a dud. That said, the ones I have are still chugging along 4 years later and the nerve and prayer plants have never been happier.
I have my water sit out overnight before using it because I want it room temp before pouring onto my plants, even though I try to regulate the temp while I'm pouring, it's always either too hot or too cold so I leave it out. Actually I fill up a large jug and leave it by the plants to refill the watering container.
I live next to water. My succulents can survive from November to April without any watering. I am running a chance to give them root rot if I water them so unless I see them shrivel I don't water. Rarely they even shrivel unless they are directly next to the window. When they are in shade they don't shrivel. They just sit there and do nothing until I take them out in spring.
leaving water sit a day does let clorine evap. but cloriamine and the ph buffer do not evap. you need a rv/in line hose filter at least.its a old pro trick from the legacy growers
I have to water my plants more often in the winter. The way the heat works in my house it makes the house very dry, and the areas where several of my plants are get pretty warm and extremely dry.
A good humidifier in that room should help - I use one in my plant room even though I have a whole house humidifier to give a boost to that specific room.
This video was perfectly timed: I was wondering how I should set up a barrel of water to sit and declorinate for a day, and then get channeled into a hosepipe. Nope, I'm just going to let the plants figure out how they'd prefer to deal with it the way they've figured stuff out since the dawn of time.
since i follow you my plants are doing so much better, and this one helps me a lot, i strugle with my succulents so much BTW my mostera is growing a new leaf!!!
After seeing one of your videos i bought a 'water-measurer ' and oh my god !! I had a real kick in my waterbucket - so to speak! 💦💦 I water TOO much!! The soil seams dry on top but below the surface it is wet'n wild 😆 I think i have saved at least 5-6 of my green plants by using the soil-measurer in the space of a short periode! So, thank you for that tip/advice!! I am happy and so are my precious plants 🌿🌿🤩
I've always said. Water + warm = humidity. Water + cold = mold. Here in the UK where it's relatively cold these "humidity" tricks that come out of the US just don't work for us. For California they might be fine, but not here!
Pebble trays work for my plants. Why can't people just say that's their Preference? ; instead of a blanket statement that it doesn't work . Advice is good; however, use your own judgement at the end of the day.
The part about tap water is bullshit (pardon my language) My mother grew everything you could think from spider plants, eggplants, cucumbers, tomatoes, sage, rosemary, sunflowers, strawberries, blueberries and the list goes on. She's one of the biggest reasons I gave a "green thumb" It is literally a waste of time to let it sit overnight. We'd just fill a baggie with small holes poked in the corner or a hemp bag with wax paper lining the inside (canteen substitutes) and just water the friggin plants with it. There's literally no difference and it is completely pointless
@@SheffieldMadePlants At the time we lived in Spokane WA, then moved to Vancouver WA, and I'm currently in AR If people are really that worried about it, they can always filter the water. It's pretty easy to make a water filter using yer typical water bottle from the store - just full it with sand and grass and maybe a mesh strainer if you really wanted. Boil it afterwards for about five or so minutes and let it cool to lukewarm (we personally found it's alot better for your plants if the water is lukewarm or slightly warmer in temperature)
I disagree about letting the water sit overnight. In Europe, most drinking water production companies use chlorine not chloramine) which is more volatile so it will evaporate in 1-5 days. So letting the water sit will actually be beneficial for plants. Also the water directly from the tap is to cold for plants so that is also a good reason to let it sit overnight.
Misting is absolutely beneficial to plants for cleaning the leaves there used to this in nature through dew and rain, this is a pretty obvious fact, you cannot brand something as wrong just because you have poor air circulation. All indoor plants benefit from having a fan on them and frankly if you dont have good air circulation your going to encounter more problems than not
I don't usually let it stand overnight but often use room temperature water so I let it stand for a little while often because I've heard it's supposed to be better. Is that also a myth?
While many pointers are true, viewers must know this advice comes from someone based in Sheffield like he does point out. I on the other hand living in saudi arabia hv very different environment, my plant sprits, ,evaporation rate is much higher so though he dismesses it as myths, if is helpful for my plants here. Also the gravel at the bottom is something thats done so that the soil does not leach out through the bottom holes with constant watering
The tip about letting your plants sit snug in the pot or only up-pot 1-2 sizes is such a good tip and would’ve saved me so many plants in the past 😅. Hope beginners see your videos too! ❤
I have enjoyed you videos tremendously. Finally the truth has come out about misting, does more harm to your plants with no benefits but reducing some dust of the leaves if you over mist and it drips of the leaves and on to your floor. Better to give them a shower instead. No wet carpet. I have a house full of indoor plants and my husband gets hayfever and as soon as he goes out side his nose just runs and runs but when he's inside it stops and I put it down to the cleaner air. So I'm sorry but I do disagree with you there . Plus the plants help eliminate the smell of my husband smoking as I don't smoke and my visitors are shocked that they carn't smell the dirty cigarettes or my cats kitty litter smell. Also One very important note is that the plants have a marvellous charming effect on children. I found this out when we moved and for the first time we moved all my plants first and my kids just would not settle and drove me crazy till we moved into the new house and back to the plants. Also for the first time I need air fresheners to help my house smell better and I never have had to use air fresheners before or after as my plants do a better job. Just to give you a tip that house plants grow better if they are a little pot bound. Especially the Syngoniums and Philodendrons as I only repot mine once every 3 to 5 years and they grow summer and winter and they don't seem to stagnant like the plants I repot yearly. Plus I use tomato stands to wrap the runners around as that way light gets through to the back of the plant you just have to make sure the runner gets rooted every so often as there is no middle poll for roots to attach to. I would post you a photo of one of my plants so you could see what I mean but RU-vid does not give me that opportunity... Anyway sorry for the super long message but I thought you might be interested as I have managed Nursery's or Garden Centres for many years and my thumbs are definitely green. Anyway keep posting as I love your posts.....
@@louisemiazek7055 thanks Louise. I wish my kids were calm with all the plants in my home! I agree about plants seemingly growing better when a little snug in their pot.
@@SheffieldMadePlants I bet if you removed all your plants from the house you would see what I mean as I didn't notice till they where not there. If someone had told me this I would have thought the way you do but it's also got to do with the natural color green as blue and green are both very calming colors...
i let my watering can sit out all night just so the water temp is room temp.... im never sure if giving them warm or cold water is good or bad for them so i just figured that room temp is fine
I have to question myth number 3. Although discerpating chemicals is not so backed allowing your water to come up to room temperature is beneficial for indoor plants as it reduces the chance of cold shock impacting your plant. I have recently acquired my first ficus and misting it, I have heard more people for than against for this species. I think we need to look at 'tropical' plants in the same way as tropical fish keepers. We are dealing with plants from across the world so you need to understand the climate that they come from. To flourish they need a space just like home which not all of us can provide. There are huge differences between Afica, South America, Asia and Australia yet if you follow the general 'rules' for 'houseplants' for everything you have very few plants will still be going in 12 months time. RU-vid and channels such as yours are amazing for sharing knowledge. Thanks for another great video.
That’s fine if you want to bring it to room temp. Lots of folks do it to cleanse the water though. Completely agree. Knowing their climate leads to success
When it comes to cacti (and most other 'chunky' succulents) the best watering regime is basically water when dry or every 2-3 weeks. Then, when it comes to winter, stop watering altogether, usually from mid October to end of March, leaving them dry for that entire period. Which minimises the chances of rot during the lower light levels during that time of the year. As when a cacti develops rot, it's not pleasant ! The epiphytic cacti are treated differently, as they tend to come from more humid, rainforest like environments.
I have a question about lighting... You said about plants needing sunlight... but what about artificial light? I mean is keeping plant in a room, when I often have light turned on (often also aftet it's already dark... especially when days are shorter) harmful or beneficial to the plant or it doesn't matter? How about other source of less natural artificial light like TV or computer screen - do their lights benefit or harm the plant (so having a potted plant or a sprouting plant on the desk beside my computer, when the light from it's monitor shines on the plant (not exaclty directly thought) whenever it is on do any good or any bad to a plant?). I meam if I would have to geuss I would say it is itself good, as it's still light but it is not as good as solar light. So maybe a bit beneficial, but not a big deal really... but that's just my guess.
Standard lights and lights from computers etc won’t really have any effect on the plant. You can get grow bulbs that have the right spectrum of light and are strong enough to have an effect on the plant.
Re: the chlorine myth: I often water my plants with the water I take out of my aquarium during a water change. I use a dechlorinator in my tanks, and both the aquatic plants and my terrestrial ones seem fine with it. Would it be worth using a dechlorinator specifically for fussier plants?
One should let tap water sit overnight because that makes water come up to room temperature. Often tap water is quite cold and by watering plant with cold water you can give plane a cold shock. If you leave that cold water sit overnight it will be room temperature and better for plants.
2:00 I cannot speak exactly on your type of plants, or "indoor plants," but I've noticed that when direct sowing in my outdoor grow bags, compared to using a small nursery cup, that the plants seem to grow bigger and faster. I use "Smartpots" The ones outside are 30 and 45 gallon. Also, There is a lot of literature about "Foliar feeding" plants and that being beneficial for plants, but your comments about lack of air circulation is important and probably the issue with many plants. I've been spraying my leaves lately and it has increased the humidity in my room for quite awhile and then it will drop down. I have fans and ventilation in my grow area so circulation isn't an issue for me. I started doing the spraying lately but I'm not sure if it's an issue or not.
Great video. One thing about leaving the the water overnight. I do it often but not for these reasons. It helps me to make sure the the water I use for the watering is same temperature as the soil and does not shock the roots of the plant
@@SheffieldMadePlants I do that sometimes too, but I also find if I have the can ready with water I am less likely to be too lazy to start to water the plants. 🤣
More of a tree/bonsai guy myself. I don't get why people choose these dime-a-dozen plants that usually just stay the same and never grow to greater size or value. They are just unimpressive and boring plants to collect IMO.
The one thing I disagree with is the pot size comment. Potting-up into a large container won't inhibit growth. I assume this comes from trying to prevent people from over watering, but it just reinforces the myth that houseplants _prefer_ to be root-bound or tight. If anything, using a large pot could indirectly give you a bigger plant faster. Letting a plant get root-bound then having to trim the roots and repot slows down the growth. Plants also show physiological changes when they are root-bound. It's how they make bonsai trees after all.
That section was about going too big a size up in the belief that the bigger the pot the bigger the plant. Repotting a very rootbound plant is a good idea
I have to laugh when people say snake plants are slow growers. Given good light, appropriate watering, the right soil, and keeping them a bit root-bound, mine grow and propagate shockingly fast. I have to split them up and repot them every couple years to keep them from overtaking the house.
I do not keep plants in the room where I sleep because of the potential for mold in the soil. I'm quite allergic to mold. Is my concern valid? Thank you. Donald
I do all that stuff except putting stones in the bottom of the pot and removing plants from my bedroom. It's a jungle in there. I guess I should fertilize in Winter then, huh?
I'm going to continue to believe that plants make us healthier. But, it's because they are healthy for our bodies, and because green space in our psyche.
thank you so much. I feel better now . Got a question for you. since I don't have any distilled water. what can i do. Can I use boiled cooled water??? help me. ps can I use clay pebbles? and how do I use them. thanks
Boiled water doesn’t really help. What about filtered water or can you collect rain water? You can use leca. I’ve not tried it myself so can’t really give much advice
What about pebbles in your decorative pot but under a nursery pot? I do this as some of my pots are hard to reach and it means some water can pool at the bottom. I also have found that roots start growing into the bottom and it just drinks as is needed - a bit like semi semi hydro. Is there any benefit to this or am I wasting my time like I have misting my plants all these years…?
I do let my water sit in the can before using it on my plants, but not because of chlorine which there isn't any in our tap water, but because of lime which I think settles onto the bottom of the can if you let it stand. Is that also a myth? Also what's the plant on minute 9:05 ?
The rock thing works but there is a specific caveat to it. If you doing one plant alone yea it's unlikely to be beneficial cause the water just evaporates into the air and its gone. In truth plants do not grow up alone they are surround by others in groups. I use a shoe tray or shallow pig trough and place one layer of rocks there with water and place several plants on the tray that tray is usually surrounded by other trays or larger plants. In the micro environment the water evaporates and the plants transpire. Creating a higher humidity micro environment than the surrounding air. This has made my ferns and other mositure needing plants better but will not work for those who are really sensitive.
Of all these, I am “guilty” of one: I do fill two four gallon and six one gallon watering cans, plus six one gallon water bottles and let them sit until it’s time to water. I’ve always let the water sit. This way I always have room temperature water and it won’t “shock” the roots by being too cold - apparently another myth I bought into 😊! Thank you for the post. I enjoy them.
I do this but there are two reasons. In the winter time, the water coming out of the tap can be extremely cold and even I find it too cold. So I just let it sit until it isn't as cold. The other reason is I will fill it up at night so that while I am waiting on my water for tea in the morning, I can check plants and water if needed as part of my morning routine before leaving for work.
@@miav785 What a lovely way to start your day! Mine is somewhat similar; I go into my “plant room” - where the majority of my plants are and make sure all the lights are on. I tell them “Good morning, my beautiful beauties!” and do a quick look around. Then I’ll do the same in the other room, and then I’ll make my coffee. I love starting my day in this peaceful way; god knows, the workday can get hectic and stressful.
If you measure the PH of water when you take the water and in the day after "rest" you gonna understand why . But of course the chemical on water are diferent depedent where you live ... so its a part myth, a part of truth Good channel bro
Excellent video! I deal with some of these so frequently that I feel like a broken record. I try to do it diplomatically. 😅 The gravel in the bottom of the pot one was actually debunked over a century ago, but still persists, and some people actually get upset when you discourage it. I just tell folks that after two or three waterings, you'll just have wet dirt with rocks in it. Also funny to think that people might be afraid of a plant in their room, but have no trouble sleeping next to another human being, who used a LOT more oxygen than a peace lily. I do recommend however that people defer a more generous repotting till spring, when plants are growing more vigorously. And for the same reason that we water succulents much less in winter, most plants do transpire a lot faster in warm bright weather than during our gray Seattle winter gloom and very short days.
I got a Guzmania Francesca as a gift from Kew gardens 2 day ago and the first two myths in your video were the first two care instructions on the tag after light conditions. Big lols
Misting has other uses though, careful telling people not to. I have a couple succulents I most on the regular cuz based on my experience those plants love it.
OMG this video - what an eye opener! Thanks for the info! 😊 Do you know anything about salix integra? She's in a large wooden pot (to protect from frost - idk that's another myth I fell for ) and open to the rain - so I didn't water her much - BIG MISTAKE. I've since corrected the mistake - increasing water gradually. Is there anything else I can do to help her? It's ok if she doesn't bloom this year - I just want her to be happy and well 🥺
@@SheffieldMadePlants thanks for getting back to me! She's actually my first little tree/shrub - a pink flamingo; should be blooming rn but isn't. I did cut/snap off the grey looking dead branches and I'll switch out the top ⅓ layer of soil and give her some food and fingers crossed for next Spring 🌸. At least she's got tiny spider friends if not leaves! Lesson learned: Anything in a container outside needs additional watering, usually daily in growing season! 😁 Will watch your watering video next to get better at that 🩵💦
Thanks for another really helpful video, there's a few of these that I was doing. I did have one question, though, related to the "pebbles under the soil for drainage" myth. I have two irregularly-shaped planters (the Umbra Trigg wall models), and they absolutely will not fit any nursery pot. So I have killed a few plants due to soggy roots. What's my best bet with these? Sand/perlite in the bottom? One of those bottom-watering bulbs? Or just water more sparingly and use the moisture meter to be sure it's dried out properly before watering? Any help much appreciated!
I wouldn't put anything at the bottom. Only thing you can do is watch your watering and monitor with the moisture meter like you say. That's what i do for pots without drainage holes.
@@SheffieldMadePlants brill, will do, thanks! I’m hoping my heart leaf philodendron (which grew relatively well in one of them but is struggling at the moment) will survive until spring and then I can use your tips to propagate it and plant it in the other!
If you had a greenhouse with a “gravel water tray” or water feature maybe that sort of enclosed environment would see these methods effective ways to raise humidity?
I use a water filter system and yes I let it sit over night but to keep the water at room temp. I use the Cold water to fill it up. And with it being winter I let it at least not be cold so they don't go into shock from the cold. I do not mist them or keep pebble water near them. I do have a nice humidifier near the more tropical ones and grow lights everywhere. I am having trouble with my Persian shield but it seems nothing makes it happy. Idk what I'm doing wrong. Any tips? I'm about to give up on it's crispy leaves and no growth and lack of color.
Tap water, my spider plants seem to be doin great as they've gotten huge. The only time you can get the chlorine out I guess is dechlor or tap water conditioner... but that's for fish tanks and are seemingly only beneficial for fully aquatic plants.
