For plants in soil, to prevent/stop fungus gnats, water with a Mosquito Bits solution every couple of weeks. It is a game changer! I buy a bag of Mosquito Bits and then make 1 tablespoon bags in cheap nylon knee-highs. I use these little bags for my small watering can that I keep in my kitchen. I also make 1/4 cup bags as well for my 1 gallon watering can. The bags need to steep in the water for at least 20-30 minutes before you water. Mosquito Bits kill the larva in the soil and is safe to use around pets. I also use those super sticky shapes to put in various pots to catch the pesky adult flies until the solution stops the cycle.
I really enjoy your plant videos & your sense of humor. My plant journey is very similar to yours, since transitioning my collection over to leca I’m now gravitating toward certain genres that do well. Currently I have over 130 plants but am downsizing and keeping only philodendron, hoya, Aglaneoma (my favorites!), some dracaena & a few cactus. Aglaneoma do exceptionally well in leca & have beautiful rights that are very easy to clean. No need to water root, straight from soil & they thrive. I have 16 varieties & highly recommend you try one. Silver Bay is my favorite 💚 Succulents & cactus 🌵 also do well. I didn’t think they would but mine all grew water roots quickly. I’d like to get back down to about 75 plants to only include these said genres with a few trailing pots that I’ll keep in soil. Trailing plants are a real hassle to switch over in my opinion
My Dear, Dear Hallease, I absolutely adore you and, following your instructions, I’ve switched about 75% of my plants over to semi-hydroponics. You speak so well, I feel like you’re talking to me! Have you tried a ponytail plant? I’ve a nice big one for years and don’t want to risk him so I bought one from Lowe’s that has a dozen off-shoots and I’m going to give it a whirl. Oh, and my Dremel drills holes in glass vases in seconds. Thanks for all the ideas! -Dobie in Ohio
I’ve never had a palm that didn’t get spider mites. Some plants are just more susceptible to certain pests no matter what you do. Only time I’ve ever had spider mites was when I had palms and crotons in my house. I’m in IL btw.
Have you guys noticed scale or mealies on palms at all? At first I thought it was an actual part of the leaves as they open up and develop like a white powdery substance… But I sprayed it and they turned purple from the juice...which btw, is cochineal or carmine. Old school red dye baby. The Spanish had a monopoly on them centuries ago😭🤔… So yeah mealy bugs!🫤👍🏽✌🏽 I live in San Diego & have various trees around the house and pool. Three Pygmy date palms (individuals in large pots) are in too much SHADE, the whole thing will be covered in mealybugs. My fourth one had died. Like the lack of photosynthesis stresses the plant enough, to where the pests know it's an easy target?? I have no clue but they don't touch the juicy succulents everywhere. Shocker lol
Princess, never let anything or anyone tell you you aren't naturally beautiful. More importantly, you must know this for yourself. I enjoy your plant videos. God Bless! Memba dis Princess, our ancestors say it. if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Leave da plants dat be happy, be, in whaterver you've got them in.
Hi, just stopped by on your deo review...Like your content...Not super on having plants lately, but learned some things...I learn that Epsom salt (magnesium) & peroxide do wonders...I saved a dying pear tree a few yrs back, I mean dying...lol...Saw it the other day it's super green now...I thought it was dying again...This was a tree on a campus, I grew up around...My Granny made a many pear preserves...This tree is taller than a 3 story house it grew beside...Saw your other plant vid, that's why I left this...Thanks for the insect info...Nice plant btw...Will tell my sister about the LECA too...
And my money tree loves leca!! Mine is the fat trunk /bonsai version that I saved from Lowe’s. He hasn’t stopped pushing out new leaves. In find the trick with all new transitions is light & humidity, even for plants that like low light. At least until they establish water roots
@@hallease you should! My ZZ took off since it started growing in LECA. It’s really cool being able to look at the zz potatoes under the LECA in a clear vessel too!
@@Reefspidey I suppose you do wanna get a somewhat shatterproof container for a ZZ then, considering the way they have a tendency to bust out of their pots with time... Or at least bump them up more regularly than when kept in soil, right?
@@gudrunorca I haven’t had that issue yet! But I’ve only had my ZZs in LECA for about a year. Most of my containers are up-cycled glass or plastic, so I won’t be too sad if a growth spurt breaks a container.
I'm just as baffled by my own money tree. I've thought it was dying so many times, but eventually it always seems fine again so idk. I've never tried it in LECA, so I'll be curious to see how yours does!
My money tree looks just like yours! Yay! I'm not the only one with a sad looking money tree lol. I went to look at the roots and they all fell off. Cleaned it up with H3O and repotted. It's alive, but not growing !
Love this! I know I'm a year late lol. But the first green succulent you showed after the fiddle leaf fig is a Gasteria cultivar called "Little warty" ha ha. I think it was originally bred from "Green Gecko" and "Green ice". Gasterias are some of the best succulents for inside, where they can handle sunny windows bc light levels are lower overall; I live in San Diego, and outside full shade! Depends how much red and stressing color you like I guess. Other types can handle. Usually the bigger ones. So they make really good indoor plants either way. Along the same vein are Haworthia and certain miniature aloe.
Only a few gasteria (and even fewer haworthia) can handle full sun, namely H. attenuata and h. fasciata but even that shouldn't be all day. If you look up those two that I just mentioned the attenuata Haworthia is sometimes called a zebra plant, or zebra succulent. It's prilly the most widespread, bc it's one of the best, you should try it.
My Money Tree grows pretty fast, and I am in Texas too. It needs bright indirect light. Mine is about 1 ft away from a north window and is growing well.
Your energy is so similar to mine when it comes to all of this! :D A wee bit chaotic, very aware that you COULD be doing more pernickety things to take care of your plants, etc, but not willing to let that compromise your own rhythm. Subscribed a week or two ago after seeing your first LECA video and am now in the process of moving a whole bunch of my plants onto LECA! I've been considering putting a cutting from my Gooseberry bush to LECA, so I can let you know how that goes! :D
Damn girl, you got the skills and the knowledge. One of the realest plant represents out there. Respect. I do a modified kratky hydro/soiled technique if you ever wanna rap plants.
Love the tour, your plants are beautiful! I’ve never tried leca more than to help drainage in the bottom of terracotta pots but it looks so interesting... might try it!
If bugs aren’t a huge problem for you then stick to soil. Texas is crazy so LECA has been a God send for me. Also, less plant maintenance overall so I can leave for a week or two and it’s not a huge deal. Just leave a window open for sunlight
Thank you for saying what no one else will admit: money tree plants are high key difficult af to keep alive. Would love a video about the corn plants selfishly b/c half of mine is dead but the other half isn’t 🤷🏽♀️ and how to repot larger plants since there’s not many helpful videos about that on here. Thanks!
If it’s in soil or LECA, fertilize regularly just to help it get a boost if it’s transitioning. Also, Corn Plants like good sun. So that’s why mine are always near my patio window.
Love your.fiddle plant. I want one for the new place. How much pebbles do you use on your soil plants?? I'm debating on half soil and half leca for my plants and see who does better in what?? Your so funny. Love ya
I'm wondering alot about my Belladonna to try the LECA. She adores the moisture and depth so she may well love this. Same with my Brugmansia with her being such a thirsty baby. Thank you for being a great intro and channel!
Money trees like soil. I thought I had killed mine because I left it out in the cold and ALL the green leaves fell off 2019. Repotted, brought it in and talked to it and it's now as tall as me 2 years later.
I used leca for the first time this weekend but I mixed it into the soil on a few plants any used LECA for two small plants on its own. I ike how light it made my soil.
I have a lot of plants like 130 of them but they have to be hardy enough to live with me or out they go. I struggle with pothos my go to are common syngonium its like little butterflies everywhere in my house
HI HALLEASE , DO YOU LOVE VEGETABLES , WHY NOT TRY TO PLAN THEM , YOU WOULD FEEL SO MUCH MORE SATISFIED ABOUT IT. OR CAN YOU USE THE MUDBALLS FOR VEGETABLES. LOVE YOU ✌🏾
Loved your.video. how do you clean your leca? When you first get it and when you are cleaning them and how often? I just purchased a small bag and want to start using it. I have pothos and snake plants, elephant bush, begonia angel wing and spider plant. Any advice??
I was wondering if your monstera plant in Leca always has water in it? I noticed my water never evaporates in the glass pot. It was a propaganda plant so there are only 3leaves. I have one new leaf coming about but one turning yellow 😩 & I don’t know if I’m doing something wrong. (no root rot)
I switched everything to LECA but gnats like rotting things. Pick your veggies and store them right when they’re ripe or a little before. Cover your soil with something so they can’t lay their eggs in it. There’s also sticky gnat squares you can buy so they land on that and get stuck and die. You have options if you’re not trying to switch to LECA