Great video, Kaylee. The best advice I can give is don't buy so many plants that taking care of them becomes a second job for you. Taking care of plants should be enjoyable, although some days it can feel like more of a chore, it should be something that makes you relaxed and takes your mind off things.
And remember, as I’m pretty sure Kaylee has said in a video before. These are plants y’all; they live out in the Wild in brutal conditions. Don’t stress if you can’t keep a plant in 90%+ humidity and super tropical temperatures!
This is why ive always loved Kaylee she brings up mental health being an issue with plant care ❤️❤️❤️ she really speaks the truth like she's more relatable than a lot of other youtubers.
I remember back when I first started mixing my own substrate mixes I was watching your aroid mix video and you said something along the lines of “if you’re an overwaterer like me add some extra perlite”. That was an eye-opener for me to really think about the stuff I was mixing and their purpose. Most international plantcare videos are useless to me, seeing as I’m in the Netherlands and our weather is as shit as the UK. The realisation of changing stuff to match me was a plant saviour! I never struggled with alocasia’s or other tropicals but I managed to almost murder my ZZ raven and many succulents because i listened to “the rules” that the internet told me. Some of these succulents now live in pon eith continuous wet feet and have been thriving since 😂. No more serial-succulent murder here 🥳
@@lavvy2585 perlite deffinitely is not my first choice either. But i still have a bag that im trying to finish from when i first started, haha. Works very well for alocasia corms! Nowadays i usually just chuck some pon/seramis (lavarock i think?) or leca in my mixes. Whichever is closest to me 😂. If i pull a plant out of pon etc i will boil that and set it aside to chuck in mixes aswell 😊.
@@enyacorn I purchased a few bags for Amazon and could not get them canceled. Please be careful when ordering anything from Miracle Gro, they do not play the cancelation game. If my daughter in law wants them I will give them to her.
This was a plant care video I needed when I started collecting plants. The key point is that everyone's environment is different. Way back 2020 there were no videos about plant care from people in Asia. So I followed the tips from people in the US or UK. I killed plants left and right from making the substrate dry out then watering. Anyway, where I live, we have rainy seasons. My plants are outdoors and get rained on daily, sometimes the whole day for weeks. They don't get root rot. Maybe the plants have just adapted to survive. But in my case, it debunks the plant care rule of letting the substrate dry in between waterings.
I find that any of the “traditional” plant care advice given on plant labels or overly simplified care sheets is far too vague. Letting plants dry all the way out and then watering has always caused rot for me and so I learned a long time ago that self-watering pots w/ wicks keep my plants consistently moist and healthy. I moved to the other side of my country recently and am getting ready to switch all my plants into a much chunkier, more airy blend in preparation for winter here.
This was the big mindset change for me moving from keeping a garden outdoors to looking after housplants. Outdoor plants generally have higher airflow, higher light, and other factors that cause faster transpiration and reduce the risk of root rot. On a hot, bright summer day in the uk you can water heavily on the daily and it still not be enough. If you water your houseplant daily its a completely different story!
40% or less humidity and underwaterer with occasional depression here (I can abandon plants for up to a month) - coir based custom mix was a life savior. Worm casting for some feed, and vermiculite based cat litter box filling as something to make things more airy. Maybe some bark and cole when I'm feeling fancy.
Yeah, good contextual info. I will say, 5 years ago there was nearly no specialized care information about most of the “rare plants” we have available now. People put a lot of the rare plants in a category of “can’t grow in a home”, and blogs and “influencers” gave growers confidence-that’s how I started with aroids, because of you, Kayley (prior, I was growing exclusively orchids). So, this build and layering of knowledge is in part, about the maturity/growth of a collaborative community (which is fantastic!!!). For everyone saying “weekly watering isn’t a good approach”, I really don’t agree. It’s that “you factor”; as a guy with ADHD, I’m super forgetful, I’m good with a schedule, but bad with randomly checking each pot across hundreds of plants. I killed many plants trying to avoid overwatering by watering “when a plant needs it”. Instead, by customizing the potting media to the plant (to regulate the dryout rate), I’m able to water every plant once a week, even though my humidity averages 35%. This includes cacti, orchids, aroids, and nepenthes. Watering on a schedule (for some people) is about maintaining consistency of care-it’s a strategy-and plants in nature don’t get watered based on their needs, they live where conditions are consistent. But yes, watering hundreds of plants takes time-for me it is the cost of having…hundreds of plants. Anyways, blah blah blah to me. Good video-the more info we all have as a lens to pass our perspectives through, the better.
I know I'm late but that was a great comment. I also have a schedule but I always check the soil first before I water. So I basically check on schedule rather than water on schedule (if that makes sense).
If you use terracotta because you like how it looks but are an underwaterer you can get a pottery sealant! I glaze the inside of my terracotta pots and saucers myself and they can go much longer without watering. I don’t think it matters for this tip but do have 60% ambient humidity. No matter your humidity, if you do this it will increase the times between watering
My poor nephew (not a plant guy) was gifted an aloe vera in a pot with no drainage and told "water it once a week, a little more if it's looking "sad"" The poor thing was drowning because of course it was looking sad! It's recovering slowly but steadily in my care and he's relieved to not be actively killing a plant he really hadn't actually wanted in the first place.
New plant parent: will you give me advice on my new plants? Me: sure... proceed to give detailed care tips for location and watering based on their situation... New plant parent: but the shopkeeper said: bright indirect light and water once a week... All of us: groan...
I worked at a plant shop and people would get legit mad when they asked “how often do I water it?” And my response was “well it depends…” so glad I’m not dealing with that anymore
Same! If someone wanted a beginner plant I would suggest a Spathiphyllum since they can teach you about watering, since it shows you if you underwater it and it can handle being overwatered.
I'm so done answering that question. This or does it need repotting while 3 meters of roots growing outside the draining holes...like what do you think ?!
I really really loved this video and I wish I had seen something like this when I first started with plants because NONE of the info out there was useful at all for a beginner and it took me a few years (and several plants 😢😂) to realize the “me” factor in all this😂 Once again great content 💚💚 and this fits perfectly for the beginning fall season and because it perfectly summarizes all the main info needed for plant care and is pretty basic and universal info package!
Awesome video -- this solidified a lot of my own thinking on houseplant care, and everything you said makes total sense. I hope many people find this video early in their journey before dealing with the frustration of seeing all the super generic and contradictory "care tips" out there. Love your work!
This is so true! I love that term. The 11th factor. I realized all this videos wanted me to have a well draining mix with no peat not knowing that I live in arid and dry Alaska! All my plants were drying and I was watering like crazy. I started using less draining materials and a bit more soil, peat or moss and I see a big difference for MY environment. This is just so so true.
You are so right about change too. I moved from a house that only had east facing windows to a house that has south facing windows. I have more weather temperatures and different sun conditions. I lost a couple and learned.
Yes yes yes, oh yes!!! This is by far the best plant care video I've ever watched. Thank you 🙏 The "How often should I water this plant?" question is one of the most common ones in plant care groups. But the most frustrating thing are all the "I water mine once a week" replies... I keep telling people that how often they should water a certain plant depends of many different factors like light, substrate and so on. But many people do expect simpler answers. So, once again, thank you so much for this video 🙏☺
I think that the most helpful thing is to think "why my plants died last time" was it because of your holiday trips (the plants dried out), was it because you didn't have enough light in your house, was it because you just felt like the plants took too much time to take care of? You don't need to by the trendiest plants. Choose what fits your lifestyle, choose what you want. Because if you choose a plant you don't like, it makes taking care of it more harder. For example, I have just bought certain plants again and again even they always die. I thought that I just don't know how to take care of it. Well the truth was that, that that plant wasn't just the right for me. Don't try to change your lifestyle for plants. You should try to get plants that support your lifestyle and fit in it.
As a proud plantowner since about 7 days 🙋🏻♀️ thank you so much. I have to be honest: I still feel overwhelmed by alot of the info, but. I'm just going to try and figure it out, and your tips are so helpful. Though it not gives the exact answers, it definitely maps out the questions I can ask to understand the situation. And, if I do have questions about my plants, I'll definitely have a photoshoot with the starring plant in question, and make sure I fully understand the situation (location, airflow, humidity etc etc) before I go out and ask for help 😬
The overwhelm can be so real! There’s so much to learn and it feels like you have to know it all right away. But plant parenting is a constant and never ending learning process, and the best thing is usually to jump in and get your hands in some soil and just try some things! Some of most valuable plant knowledge I have has come from trial/error and experimentation (and yes, dead plants 😂). With a little practice you’ll start to be able to work out what to do on your own in most situations 😊 I hope this hobby brings you joy! 🌿💚
@@HippieHC thank you! It's weird maybe, but I'm currently in a bad state (I have a chronic condition combined with a burn out, so yay) and have been at a loss with myself. So about 10 days ago I randomly decided to take care of a plant, to keep me connected to my surroundings. Cheers to trail and error in life haha🤞🌱
@@ffs1936 not weird at all, it’s a wonderful idea! The Bloom and Grow Radio podcast has some great episodes on plants and mental health, maybe worth checking out :)
I really hoped you'd say "get moisture meter and you'll know when to water your plants" :) Also I have to mention, that this saying "water less in winter" is not always right. I have to water my plants a lot when the heating season starts and cut it when it's off. Especially if it's not really hot summer, because humidity stays quite high up and plants which are not close to windows don't dry so often.
Living in an old house with either very thin brick or very thick sandstone walls and a tower. most of my bed room walls are thin outside walls of the house. they get very cool in winter and very warm in summer. Pro: sunlight from morning to evening due to the round nature of the room. con: very big changes in temperature during summer and winter and during night and day time. in winter it gets very cold. Heating against it with old radiators is a losing battle. Heating an old house doesn't work the same way as a modern house with controlled central heating. You can minimise temperature loss with curtains and window shutters, but then there's no light. even with heat, plants have to live with the temperature changes. which means choosing plants that can do that. The humidity changes from room to room a lot due to the different walls. My P. Verrucosum was always sad in my room and in the garden but in the unheated basement directly at a norther widows it's happy. I just stuck it there because I was suspecting it to have some form of pest. but the basement not only has naturally high humidity due to the sandstone but also a lot more even temperatures...they're roughly around 12-18°C in summer and winter. she loves it... plus there are so much spiders that she didn't get any pests since I placed her on that particular window sill. I feel like anything that might want to munch on that plant get just eaten by the spiders. XD my tip would be to look at your home not a one solid area where the conditions are all the same. it changes from room to room and a plant can thrive or die depending where you place it. It not only depends on the light level and how much you heat the rooms in winter, but also how dry or wet your walls/floors are depending on their material. Sure you can influence stuff like humidity and temperature, but you can make it easier and harder for you depending where to place your pots. Another tip: know yourself. If there's areas in the house that you frequent a lot, like right at the kitchen sink for example: place the needy plants there so you can check on them more often. In contrary, plants that really thrive on neglect in your conditions might be happy to be sitting somewhere on the attic in the sun and being checked on once a week. Of course it's not good to religiously water plants on a schedule once a week without care for the conditions, but having a plant check date once a week can help with consistency and recognising problems like pests earlier. especially if you're like me and get easily overwhelmed. I usually check my plants every Saturday and see if they need watering or other tlc.
Thank you so much for this video. And specially thanks for discussing the type of roots. I tell people all the time, if your plant have very thin hairy roots, then its a thirsty bish (exemption to cacti and succulents)
thank god i don’t need a heater because it’s just a little chilly in brazil in the winter. to compensate though, in the summer i can’t have plants in my room because the ac makes it really dry. whenever summer comes round (it’s winter here rn), i’ll probably buy a humidifier (not only for the plants, but for my poor nose being fucked by the ac).
I relate to this. Listening to people from Scandinavia or Canada discuss their low humidity in winter, in my Mediterranean climate, I always think about air conditioning in summer instead. Winters are easy. Also, the sun isn't the same. Direct sunlight down here is not the same as direct sunlight in the far north.
Hey there Kaylee! Thank you for another awesome video. I didn’t catch if you still have some of your hoyas, but I’d love an update on Wilbur Graves! Also, there’s a newer carnosa cultivar that just started popping on USA pages called “Argentea Princess”, and two leaf cuttings go for something fierce like $300-$600. I’m not understanding the hype of it, because there seems to be little information. It is a beautiful ghostly silvery splash carnosa though, AND it seems to go pink on occasion too! Maybe that could be of interest.
Perfect info! I’m a new collector of special varieties, although I’ve had a few plants in my lifetime, I have absolutely learned this to be true! Target is ME and my details. It’s always interesting to see how everyone works it out but YES! Great Job!! And you are BEAUTIFUL!
Thank you for the great video! Can you please advice, or make a video on how you can aclimate a plant grown in soil (with large roots) to pon without having to take cuttings and start ot over? Thank you!
Thanks for the video. I completely agree with what you said! I love looking at my plants for hours! It’s like my meditation. I stick my finger into every pot (I have about 20 pots) EVERY DAY! The way I helicopter my plants, you would think that I have extra chunky substrate in small terra cotta pot for all of my plants. However, I have started to convert all my plants to self-watering pot with PON. I’m doing this for two reasons: 1. I am starting to have serious fungus gnat problem. It is driving me crazy. They are everywhere all the time. Switching to inorganic substrate like PON should take care of this. 2. Now that COVID close-down is over, I am going to start traveling again. I got a trip coming up next month for 2.5 weeks, and then another in January 2023 for a month. I don’t want to burden my friends to watch over my plants like I do. Switching to self-watering pots will make it much easier for my friends to help taking care of my plants when I’m away, and I can have a true vacation without wondering which plants are going to be dead when I get home. But in all honesty, I used to be so scared of my plants not happy. Now, I’m just like… “If you’re not happy with the way I’m taking care of you, then maybe you’re not the right plants for me.”
Environmental factors play a huge aspect in your plant care and each individual plant can be different 👍 Also don’t be scared to try out different types of pots or different types of substrates Different types of pots and substrates also do play a factor as well After my discovery with clear pots spaghnum moss perlite mix All of my plants have been thriving as I can see if there are any problems or if it needs water so they have been a game changer for me
I got a humidity meter based on one of your early videos and I haven't looked back. I don't understand how someone with plants can live without one - watering is just guesswork at that point IMHO. I've also learned to adapt the plants I get and I stick to tropicals with big leaves - living in a north facing flat in Scotland I just know that anything that needs lots of sunlight like succulents will just die a slow but inevitable death. Thinking about switching to more self-catering pots and/or leca/Pon atm.
Fantastic video! Working in the houseplant section of a greenhouse/nursery we are constantly being asked for specific care tips and this gives me a lot of good insight on how to field these questions in a way that should make the plant buyer more successful. The You factor is essential. Thanks again.
I agree with absolutely everything in this video. The general lack of comprehension regarding plants care shows how much it's needed to rethink in depth the way we present plants to people. That's a difficult task to summerize what to take in consideration for a plant to be happy, and I think you did it great ! To me it is a VERY helpful plant care video, that can benefit the largest number
Omg, my life is finally complete! I found an actually good care tip video!!!! I have a huge one way beef with plant influencers because of the generic care bs they spread all over social media. So much missinformation and so many things that will help one plant owner, but will kill another ones plant in no time. This is the one and only video I will ever share in houseplant forums 😂
This is pretty interesting. Where I live ambient humidity in the home is roughly 20%. With 2 humidifiers running I can bump it to 50 max. This new plant craze is all about high humidity loving plants like philodendrons which up until the last few years were not available here. Go figure. Now, if you have a cabinet you can accommodate a few, but this is not in everybody’s wheelhouse. Running these external humidifiers is also something not everyone is willing or able to do. Maybe we need a humidity zone map for houseplants, so people aren’t laying out crazy amounts of money on beautiful, rare plants which will fail to thrive. Just a thought. Not saying people shouldn’t give it a try if they want to, but maybe it would be kinder to temper peoples expectations. I’ve been doing plants for 40 plus years, and over time you figure things out and are left with those plants that can handle your environment. Loving how all this info is now available on RU-vid. Thanks for this common sense video.
I love all of this advice. I used to live in 3 bedroom home, moved locations and downsized my home environment. Some plants died because of changes. I have a lot of pothos because they are easy. I live in Pacific Northwest, so my care varies from someone in Florida or Georgia. So knowing your space, knowing where a plant you tuber lives does give some changes for me in my home. Thank you Kaylee Ellen, you’ve helped me in more ways than I can ever thank you for.
Kaylee... I have watched many of your videos, but never to the end, and have not joined your channel. This video is the best one so far, and spoke volumes. Thank you for this one. Liked and now subscribed.
Amen on watering. I used to follow the "water x type of plant once a week" rule to a T and then get super confused and sad when my plants died in the winter. I thought it was a light issue, so I got some grow lights. Still had the issue. Only to find out watering varies depending on the time of year. Now I water most plants near daily in the summer and maybe twice through the entire winter. They have stopped dying off on me, lol!
This has been my downfall and something I’ve been trying to figure out myself. So, thank you! I’ve been adjust ingredients and watching my plants reactions to what substrate, my humidity, and how much I’m watering. When I get a new plant, I ask what medium they’re using. I finally got it. It really depends on you. So this is confirmation 🎉
Yeah, this is the best General care Video I've seen so far hahaha I would like to also add the type of roots a plant may have (maybe too specific for a casual plant parent, but it's something I found really helpful): I'm also a major overwaterer and so 2 things I did, besides only using semihydro, was to 1, put all my plants in clear glass containers, so I can visually tell if I need to water or not... and 2nd I basically always reroot any new plants in semihydro so their roots are more accustomed to more water, bc no one wants to deal with a 6 foot large bird of paradise that got root rot hahaha As always, thank you for the amazingly insightful Video! Tons of love from Germany :)
100% agree on the transparant containers/nursery pots! :) I use them for all my most precious plants and will usually also poke a few holes in their sides for some extra oxygen to the roots ☺️. It makes checking roots/soil so much easier!
@@Theater00jock how do you keep the dirt from falling out if the holes? Cover pots? I replanted a lot of plants in clear orchid pots - all small enough to carry to the sink...and I was dirt falling all over the floor. Just need a cheaper way to find cache pots-even plastic is expensive! Tips? Any?
Thank you so much for sharing this info! It explains why I’ve personally disagreed with half of the content in many plant care videos: almost all of my variables are different from what I see in those videos. 😮
Ohhhh my god ..... the advise, if it don't work change it ... and enjoy! Really good video ... But your tip about the "hydrometer" is the best tip ;-) As a over-waterer... The cheer luck I feel checking the humidity level of my soil.. instead of giving it water saves my plants 👏
I live in Florida and have a “Florida Room”. Think “greenhouse attached to house”. Humidity can be 95%+ without airflow…which promotes mold/mildew in no time. I put a big orange industrial fan out there and have it pointed toward the ceiling so that it doesn’t blow specifically on any plants. I have multiple Calathea that were dying inside (too cold, too much water due to poor evaporation). Now they sit out there in high humidity with high air flow so the soil dries faster and all my plants are happier. I just set up my Milsbo & Rudsta cabinets and will be transitioning my more sensitive plants to them for the winter. I figured out that my personal air-conditioning needs (I prefer 18-19 C 😬) were not in line with what most of my plants were happy with despite a pretty humid indoor environment (55-70%…because Florida).
Thank you so much for covering the aspect of individuality, especially for covering the topic of mental health deteriorating and downsizing. I had a huge 100+ plant collection that I built through covid. But once covid eased I was no longer able or willing to spend hours and hours every weekend checking them over for pests, cleaning them, watering them, repotting them, etc. Slowly they all died including some of my absolute favourites, if someone had told me at the time it was absolutely fine to downsize and sell or give some away I would’ve been able to keep some of my favourites. However, instead I felt like a failure and practically gave up on houseplants all together. Taken me a few years with some Hoyas that just would not let me kill them to realise I can take on some of my favourite philodendrons again.
I live in a tropical country (Philippines) and I do not really measure the humidity out here. I don't do indoor plant stuff, I only do outdoor gardening. I usually have bouts of feeling down and not wanting to do anything but rest and play after work, so I think I tailored my plant "types" to suit my lifestyle. Ones which I've found best suitable for me are dracaenas (formerly sansevierias), common philodendrons and scindapsus plants. I do have succulents, caladiums and alocasia - but I don't feel like they live well with me as much as they could with other plant parents. Particularly caladiums! They are freaking brothels to aphids and spidermites, which I find really, really tiring to deal with. Once you've taken care of them, you'd think they're gone, but NO! It is why I'm truly tired of caladiums, but I still have them in my garden. I guess I just probably have to live with them as a reminder that "Hey, you may be dysfunctional today and all, but I still need you!" It's the feeling of sometimes being needed that could give me some energy for them. I guess I shared too much!
This was absolutely the best plant care video ever made. It clears up so much, honestly. Thank you so much for all of the info you share and for just being you. Love all of it!
Thank you Kaylee for giving me the explanation why my Syngoniums survived my vacation being totally underwatered. The thickness of the roots seriously never came into my considerations. My syngoniums are almost impossible to kill for that reason. This is an amazing video and will be my recommendation for plant newbies.
I agree. I downsized my collection to a minimum and I can maintain health of my plants better with ease now. When I had a larger collection, I had a hard time managing all of them and checking for pests for each and every one of my plant babies.
Thank you for taking time to talk about plant care when your mental health isn’t the best. It’s really kind of you to give people tools to keep their plants healthy while they work on their mental health. This was a very meaningful video!
Omg this was genius 🤯 I'm so happy you did this video and hope the whole world watches it because like YOU said everything about caring for any plant starts with YOU. Once again blind blowing.. THANK YOU 😊
I get it. A lot of plant RU-vidrs I’ve noticed have also just had to change their content from plant care to other stuff because really how many different care tips videos can you make? I like how you do it it’s more casual like hey this is my philodendron whatever and it’s a fast grower and usually likes to dry out more than most philodendron
The general internet seems to hate calathea, but I get along with them really well. I’m kind of a helicopter plant parent so I appreciate them needing me a bit more.
I 100% agree with your 11th factor and think it's possibly THE most important thing someone can learn in their plant care journey. I started off with a wishlist a mile long of high humidity loving house plants which everyone showcased in their "greenhouse cabernet", but I now don't have any intention to buy a single one of those plants. My collection is now largely made up of epipremnum, jungle cacti, Hoya and the easier philodendron, because I've learned what doesn't work for me and ive adapted to the plants that work for me and my underwatering, somewhat neglectful tendencies 😅 aswell as that; any plant that can't survive room humidity is shown the door cause I have no time for princess plants. 🤣 Since figuring out what works for me, plant care is less stressful and more enjoyable than ever! 💚🌿
And really, how are plants not a form of self-care? Also, I think that’s a great point you made: if it stresses you out or isn’t working, change something! I tell my 4 year old son that all the time when he’s trying to do something and it isn’t working. “If it isn’t working, change what you’re doing.” He eventually figures out a solution. Thanks for the videos, Kaylee! We appreciate you!
Chronic overwaterer here. Learning to make a chunky aeroid mix definitely helped because the store bought stuff is a nightmare for overwaterers. But. Getting a moisture probe I can stick in my pots to check their moisture levels before watering has stopped me murdering plants. So many times I thought a plant needed water and when I check the meter says WET.
As an aside what is the go with the postage from the rare plant shop to Australia. It says 1,000 pounds but FAQ says international Post is flat rate. I'm seriously confused.
In the past I have been a notorious plant killer and I think it all came down to following the watering guides. We live in a rather humid climate and I have found that when I check my plants based on when the guides say they should be watered that the soil is often still moist. Back in march I bought my first plant (a fiddle leaf) that I have been able to keep alive for more than a couple of months. Learning how to check the soil moisture has been the biggest game changer for me. I only have one plant that really gives me grief, and that is a tiny little maidenhair fern that my 3 year old insisted that we buy. It is the biggest drama queen and goes crispy dry over night.
The best plant care video I've seen in a long time! Great content! Like you mentioned in the beginning of the video, I feel like all new plant parents should either watch this first and try to figure out their own conditions.
Such a good point about the grower themselves. I'm rebuilding my plant collection from high school (15 years ago, yikes) but I'm not collecting carnivorous plants anymore. My humidity goes from 20-40% which means succulents are generally a breeze. I like fast draining soils bc I fear root rot more than anything and it allows you to water more frequently while letting the roots breath
I so agree with everything you said Kaylee! It took me a while to get comfortable understanding all those dependencies but once I did everything was so much easier. My "me" moment was when I realised I'm likely to go for a 2-3 week long holiday every year in the summer and I was worried to leave all my plants in hot weather without watering for 2 weeks. Stumbled across self-watering pots (thanks to one of your videos!) and the rest is history. Never regretted the switch! 💚
I loved this actually, I knew there were so many factors but this one you gave insight into -how- they change things. I would have thought I needed to water plants more after repotting! It's really lining up with the gradual, begrudgingly acquired observations I've been making of my plants, finally experimenting. I would love a video like this covering something like how different ratios of potting mix affect the way water drains out of it, or more general, holistic observation tips (like, telling the difference between bleaching and yellowing and if there's a way to tell the difference between sun burns and chemical burns like how tap water was killing all my poor damn ferns! It drove me crazy! I overwatered and underwatered and perfect watered and they were just miserable until I noticed that they had none of those issues in the rain and I started leaving my watering can out overnight to off gas and they're all still alive, it's unreal)
i loved this video! i learned this lesson the hard way, i was taking generic advice and not taking my own habits into account, and most of my plants died!! but now i know myself as a plant parent better, and don't feel bad about growing my collection as long as it's a plant i know i can handle. thanks so much for this vid!
The pot thing is so true! Along with the substrate and humidity! I had a beautiful Adensonii that grew and grew and grew but kept yellowing its bottom leaves at an alarming rate. All I knew about them was that they liked water… so I watered it. And watered it. Not realizing it was living in a basic soil mix… in a plastic pot… with shaded light… and high humidity… Poor thing just couldn’t dry out! Lol I had a high death count last year, but since I’ve switched to terra cotta and discovered the joys of orchid bark (and the ability to tell when something is thirsty) i have murdered zero plants this year! Plus I moved most of my plants outside this summer where there’s better light so everything is thriving. There’s still things i need to learn, like nutrient deficiency and how to properly stake a plant, but I am so much better than I was last year! It’s definitely been a journey. I think it helps that I’ve come to terms with the plants I can’t take care of (cactus, succulents, peperomia, bamboo, trees) and become more appreciative of the ones I can (philodendrons, pothos, monstera, sansevieria, Hoya). We’re all much better for it!
I totally agree with you! I love this, it was helpful getting advice based on the type of plant carer you might be, gave me some things to think about… I’ve been realizing a lot of plant I love don’t fit into my life, but not feeling like I’m a failure because I can’t keep them alive… thanks for the tips! It was really helpful!! in a different chapter of my life I can reassess what plants to have in my collection
I absolutely LOVE your videos. Thank you so much for ALL your amazing advice especially the biggest tip to care for ourselves first. I'm studying vet nursing, working & in a unstable relationship & just couldn't keep up with all my plants, so I recently sold a bunch of the ones I no longer really loved & it has really helped me give better care to the ones I still have 😊
I started downsizing my collection because I feel like I don't have time for them and some of them don't thrive in my home environment. Now I feel more encouraged to do so because of this video. Plants are cool but they are there to make us feel good. If you don't feel like some plants is suitable for your life style, get rid of it, give it to someone else that wants it, sell it for cheaper price!
Love this video. I lost about 60 plants mostly smaller ones due to the air conditioner being on and my lack of physical and mental illnesses. I'm hoping that the Fall will be much better. I really needed to hear this video today it's helped me so much.
Even if all the rare plants collector i know says they use humidifiers, I WILL NOT USE ONE. I have one but only needed it for acclimating imported plants and I DO NOT WANT TO MAKE THAT A REGULAR part of my plant care so now that im not importing for the mean time, that smoke jug is kept away. I refuse to be a slave to the humidifier too 🤣 cheers KE
I know this has NOTHING to do with the content of the video, but ma’am… your beauty is distracting me from what you’re saying 😂 your hair and make up is just flawless!! - ok, back to watching!
I have a lot of success with “diy self watering pots/semi-hydro” 😂 basically a taller clear plastic “pot” with no holes, cup/glass/jar/container, and then leca in the bottom at least 1/3-1/2 the container then whatever substrate I find appropriate for the plant, even regular aroid mix, and then I can leave a reservoir of water in the bottom about 1/3-1/2 the leca.
super video 😍 "Change what no longer makes you happy" 👍👍👍 So I'll do it, get rid of some Red Anderson philodendron bushes, I'm just tired of them, so it's time to leave.
My plant care tip: buy a hygrometer BEFORE you buy a humidifier. You might just find (like I did) that your house is basically always above 60% and an expensive humidifier is really only necessary for about 10 days per year.
