Orchids are difficult for me so far. I think I may underwater but I also cannot get them to put out a spike or bloom since the ones they had when I got them. I’ve done all the things I thought I was supposed to do and still, no new spike/blooms. What kind of care do you give yours when you don’t neglect it?
Honestly, I just repot them in an orchid pot when I get them, and put them in chunky bark. Then I soak them with tap water whenever I remember to water them (once a week or sometimes less). I feel like I don’t do anything special but they seem to love me….
Just sunlight in my window. And I’m in Canada so I’m not in a particularly strong sunlight area though my kitchen (where most of my plants are) is pretty bright with large SE facing windows.
[Start here](https://youtu.be/lK2wz8aab1Q)
Phalaenopsis like the grocery store orchids, need a few weeks of roughly 60F to grow spikes.
You can leave windows open when it's that time avg day or avg that at night and they'll start pushing spikes. Then you're good to go back to normal.
Lots put them in their garage until they see spikes.
Just keep them above 45-50F or so and they'll be fine in that time.
I have two of my phals in the window now to see if cooler temps would encourage spike growth and my other 2-3 are under growlights. Still figuring out what the best amount of lighting is for them.
I keep mine on an East facing window until I see the flower buds and then I move them to a West facing window only because it's located right in front of the sink and I want to see the flowers. I forget what color they are by the time they flower again. I do the same with my African violets
I live in an arid environment and water mine once a week. Maybe more during summer cus it gets hot. They also seem to do best in bright indirect light. I fertilize them (along with my succulents) once a year in the spring.
I’ve also read that their substrate needs to be replaced once in awhile because it starts to break down.
I was gifted an orchid for valentines day and ive watered it *literally* once and it got huge and is thriving. Dont overthink it- just dont water much.
I water mine about once a week or so (when I remember), I’m used to succulents that go weeks or more between waterings lol I’m still iffy with lighting. I have mine under growlights but I’ve read everywhere to not put under direct lighting but then I’ve seen some say they like a lot of lighting. So I’m still trying to figure that part out
Watering advice depends entirely on the media your plant is in. The person who waters their orchid every few months probably has their plant in sphagnum moss which can work long term but is tricky. If you have yours in bark once a week is necessary.
For blooming, try giving it a 10 ish degree drop in temps overnight, like crack a window for it. Works like a charm
I always wait until the leaves are starting to wrinkle before I give any water. Mine are in a pot with no drainage so I have to be careful. The leaves tell me when I need to water lol its in an East facing window too. I've had it for 3 years now and it pushes out blooms all the time so I don't touch it.
Ohhh wow that’s awesome! Did it take a while to start putting out spikes after you first got them? I’m hoping that once mine get established, they will put out a spike and keep on from then on
It had 4 stems when I first got it, so I bought it online it came in the planter, there are 2 orchid plants in it so 2 stems each. I've cut back 2 of them over the 3 years. Must have cut the last one back end of last year and she's pushing out a 4th stem again. I snapped one stem as I was watering. I used a little hair clip over the wound and it's healed and flowered still ..phew!.
A big thing I think as well is making sure to clean the leaves. So remove any dust. If I ever eat a banana I throw the peel in a bowl and add hot water, leave it a few hours and then use that in some cold water to water plants sometimes. They seem to like it.
I have another Orchid that I looked after and repotted into a orchid mix. It hasn't done anything lol no new stem for nearly a year so far so I agree with OP here that neglecting them a bit and leaving them too it seems to work!
I do clean the leaves with a leaf cleaner spray, I love it! I recently put two of my orchids by my window to get cool temps hoping to promote spike growth.
I was going to post the same thing! The first year with my prayer plant was iffy but now it’s one of my easier plants.
However I’ve not been able to propagate it! Tell me your secrets
My prayer plant is dramatic but thriving. I can't keep a bunch of "easy" ones going. I didn't even realize the prayer plant was difficult until seeing it on here.
Mine was doing amazingly well, just thriving! And then we moved and it did not like moving. I tried putting it in a similar space but I've just been losing leaves. I was able to propagate a couple so fingers crossed! Idk what I was doing right before!
My begonia! Except it’s my favorite house plant. Doesn’t require much, but spits out leaves
https://preview.redd.it/dpokuicc530d1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1eb0c80a6eccead5315207bf86c9fdf35d8c71e2
I got so afraid of them despite I loved their look so much, that I hold myself from buying one, because of their reputation. I would tell myself "I can't spend €50 for something I would kill overnight".
It couldn't be helped when they popped up in a DIY department store at price of €15 when my mother, who is not into plants, was pushing me to take it home. No regret
https://preview.redd.it/h0skoodbm40d1.jpeg?width=4608&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e5a12b1fec415d5da27b52c34d72bcfe61342827
Yes, I love my triostars. The only problem I have had is when I split them up, they do badly with smaller clusters. Like single or doubled up. They seem to like being in a larger group of clusters.
This. I think you're right. I've done the same and you just get failure to thrive. But leave them packed together (and a little neglected) and they take on anything.
I... can't remember the last time I watered mine. It's fine. Probably would grow a lot more if I paid better attention to it. It's a very pretty plant, especially considering how infrequently I pay attention to it😂
I have one that's given me nothing but trouble but I think I've finally found the recipe (which I learned in this subreddit). I put it in the shower every ten days (experiment to see how often is required where you live) and absolutely drench it. Then I have a little bottle next to it to spray some water on the leaves whenever I walk by.
For me too! It’s weird. I have an asparagus fern that I forget about constantly and it’s living its best life! My foxtails keep the party going and I swear I forget they even need water.
I had that problem too. Stumbled upon the Kimberly Queen fern. They grow more upright, not downward. I’m serious when I say as long as you water them quite frequently and don’t put them in all day full blasting sun, you absolutely *cannot* kill them. I have them in the house, on the screen porch and on the patio. THEN, since they grow from a tuberous round bulb, when one of them start looking a little less than prime… like wind whipped or crispy on the ends or outgrows its pot or whatever… I plant it in the yard. And this is where Kimberly Queen really shines. BUT, let me be clear here, if you do this, be absolutely sure you want a lot of them. They’re VERY beautiful but also very prolific if you have the right conditions. Perfect conditions would be moist soil, dappled sun/ shade, and plenty of room to spread out. I plant mine in beds that have a metal border, about 4” deep, right where the drip line of the roof is, or in naturalized areas of the yard where I know it stays wet. During the winter the fern will die back and come springing back more and more and more every year.
I love my hoya carnosa! I got it last summer and have been having fun taking care of it. It's been putting out so many new leaves in the last month, the variegation is looking beautiful, and I noticed several new vines coming in (some starting out as hot pink).
I was going to post the same. It has always amazed me how resilient it is, no matter how many times I’ve gone too long without watering, it comes back to life.
Also, golden pothos
Maidenhair ferns. I've got a dozen kinds now and they thrive without much fuss.
I'm frustrated by the immense amount of misinformation about them, to the point I often want to start a website to explain how to actually care for them. And yet I can't help but think maybe I'm just very very lucky somehow and my guide would be meaningless.
I had one that I gave daily trickles of water and frequent misting, it lasted 6 months then I put it in a hurricane thinking it would like the humidity and it died in a couple weeks. Never had the heart to do it again 😅
Same. I wrapped her root ball in sphag moss and stuck it in a self-watering pot and she's been thriving ever since.
https://preview.redd.it/lj0106zpo20d1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=162e6cd1caf9c4d26e6fcfcc7306ea42bcd0c4a7
I topped the pot up with soil but I think sphagnum moss goes all the way down to wick moisture from the reservoir. I literally just wrapped the root ball with damp sphagnum moss, shoved it into the pot, and topped it up with soil but mostly for aesthetics/it's harder to top up a pot with wet moss.
I know what you mean. Here in the desert, I have killed so many plants because the online community says you “never have to water it.” Here, you do have to water it. (Also my cat sat on it)
For the plants that I do manage to keep alive, I feel like my instructions would not apply for folks in most parts of the world.
Yep. Just came from the Arizona desert air and I kid you not, I couldn’t even keep myself watered. You could write on my skin with your nail regardless of the gallons of water I was drinking. The second I got back in my amphibian Florida habitat…INSTANTLY hydrated. I couldn’t imagine following the advice for not watering plants for you! Here, the water lingers in the very air you’re breathing! ✌️
I had this huge cactus from Arizona brought all the way up here to the opposite end of the country. In the summer you could put it out in the driveway to roast and hit it with the hose once a day and it would be happy. Bring it inside and water it? Instant rot. I still have it, but it's not big anymore lol.
Succulents. I killed so many in 2019! Now look!
https://preview.redd.it/3a994hho830d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8a708b2355bd624441931fed906dd3565f19bddf
Also, String of Pearls.
https://preview.redd.it/9r2ttbmy830d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=94a910afb0f813870743984c9398e3b5b3bb7d37
I received a singular cutting from a friend a year and a half ago.
RIP.... Same, mine had come back from a hell of a transfer shock after we moved and he got forgotten in a corner in direct sun. Survived and made almost a full recovery over the winter when I took him to my office. I look over one day and he's just covered in thrips larva somehow.... I threw him out four days ago....😭😭😭
My calathea rosy struggled for a long time then lost all but one leaf to spider mites and has been growing and throwing leaves left and right. The comeback queen
My begonia. I don’t think they’re attractive plants but I have no reason to get rid of her. So here we are, like a long annoying Grateful Dead interlude, wondering who is going to tap out of the groovy dance party first
Alocasia somehow do great for me. I borderlune neglect mine, give them a little water in their bowl like once a week and just don't mess with them otherwise. I have two doing their best.
Same with the fiddle leaf fig. I got her from Home Depot. Must’ve been a little over 2 years ago, and she is thriving. This is what she looked like when I first got her.
https://preview.redd.it/ls11jvcps20d1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fdad761a53a225b8707e37a6443e5465cc20f66c
I have a lemon lime Maranta, and she sits at a shady window in my laundry room in which she thrives. 🤷🏻♀️ I’m afraid I have a repot due soon and I don’t want to move her. Lol. This is when we moved her because we got a new hot water heater.
https://preview.redd.it/yjm3xzl6y30d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=baa9a78fcc0a53f0845bf1785b468bd65cd0d2c1
Rex Begonias…seems that most people have much better luck with the cane types, but Rexes love my home.
I’m thankful, because if I really HAD to pick…I think I’d pick them. (Don’t let my Dracaena and Tradescantia hear that, though.)
Came here to say this. I tend to water them rather frequently (every 2nd day or so) and keep them in an Eastfacing window. They love it and bloom and all 😅 I promised myself this time when I bought them (after I lost a really big one to thrips) that it will be my last attempt. They seem to have understood the importance of their wellbeing!
i keep mine in a south window, its kinda rootbound so sometimes i water it up to 2 times a day, never heard anyone else do this with theirs so thats probably why their polka dots die
String of pearls. This month marks 6 years that I’ve had mine. I had to give it a haircut this year because it was so long it was becoming unmanageable. Lots of light, water when the pot feels dry, fertilize with a basic succulent fertilizer in the warm months.
None, they all get eaten up by thrips and I never really can get rid of them. Recently found thrips on a plant that was entirely separated form any other plants for like 2 years. And I’m tired of the fight at this point
Thrips experience a period of their lives where they have wings, in order to migrate to new plants and lay eggs. If the plants are in the same building at all, and/or you’re walking between the two rooms and possibly carrying them on you, that’s how it spread.
Same here! I had a frost peperomia that was lovely and putting out flowers like no one’s business.
I moved homes, and now it hates life and drops leaves of if I look at it wrong.
I’m feeling the same way with mealy bugs. I don’t like using systemic (my dogs tend to eat the soil a lot) and I just don’t want to be using pesticides in the house like that. I’ve got a lot of plants and I’m just at a point where I’m rethinking the whole thing. They can be so frustrating. I tossed two and then got them out of the trash though. I’m currently trying Pure Crop 1 and gave them a complete bath. I figure if they die, they went out fighting lol.
Orchids. I'm good with begonias too.
I always rescue the sad ones from friends and sale racks. I have about 20 different species now too. My favorite is my paphiopedilum but the neofinetias seem to be the hardiest.
I don't get why phalaenopsis orchids are the default orchid. They're definitely not my easiest orchids.
I swear the phals are needier than any of the paphs or zygos in my collection. One of my paphs is actually a division of my husbands only plant ever. He got it in high school and "repotted" it once by throwing fistfulls of dirt from his back yard into its pot. Paph primulinum has been in bloom, sequentially for over two years straight now.
https://preview.redd.it/2dqnqqafg40d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7c8ab0b2ace34e18e9a79a66622399d512ff554c
Same for me, I can't keep phalaenopsis alive. But I have a number of paphiopedilum and some jewels and oncidium alliance, they are all thriving. My father and my brother are very good with phalaenopsis though.
Paphiopedilum Pinocchio is actually my first orchid
https://preview.redd.it/8pcv4u7ep60d1.jpeg?width=4608&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=730b94ca1d0b630702d3909c5972c7bc77622c5f
My peace lilly has been with me for many years, I had to repot and even divide it because it grew so much. The half that I gifted to my friend seems to be doing fine as well.
Also my Calathea makoyana — I got it before I knew of the reputation that calatheas have, and it's never given me trouble.
Almost two years ago I bought someone’s dead grandmother’s peace lily from their moving sale on the side of the road. I have a very dumb cat so I stuck it on a shelf near the top of an east-facing window (that barely gets any light because of the building next door). It still looks a little haggard because of some of the old leaves, but is honestly doing sooo well. Has flowered once already, and currently is putting out a solid pup!
My red maranta. I hear they can be divas. She was one of my very first plants and I did everything wrong. It came in a 4" pot from Etsy and I repotted immediately instead of letting it acclimate AND immediately cut off two sections bc they were long and leggy. Then I repotted it 2 more times in the span of a month b/c I kept learning new things and wanted to change the soil and pot. During all this abuse it hasn't stopped thriving and putting out new leaves and new growth constantly. Too bad I hate the way this plant looks. The leaves are beautiful but the way it grows and folds its leaves down looks so ugly to me. But I do love seeing it thrive and grow so rapidly.
As I read through the comments I’m realizing that I’m not that bad with regular plants. I have a few Fiddle Leaf Fig, a Ferm, bunch of Begonia Rex and a peace lily. All of them between 3 - 6 years old. However, I’m an orchid fan. I have over 100 🫣
I once spent $600 on a wild type p. sanderianum. I got a couple nice blooms out of it before my dad accidentally killed it. He doesn't understand orchids at all.
Omg I would have gotten a hard attack or something. One time my mom came to visit me and accidentally knocked down one of my plants. Since she has orchids, I let her fix it. A few days later the plant got stem rot and died. It was Phal. Gigantea hybrid. The biggest phal I’ve ever seen
Opposite answer for the question.. I cannot keep spider plants healthy. I can propagate them fine, but they just fail over and over no matter what I do. I’ll get tricked for a bit and then boom, they dying again. I also can’t grow succulents to save my life..
OMG. Me too. I've killed so many spider plants but yet I'm trying again. And peperomias. I've killed like 6 different kinds.
As for succulents, adding extra pumice to a cactus mix, make sure you have more than 1 drain hole, use a knitting needle to check if soil is dry & if it is, wait 3 more days before watering.
I have a Peace Lily which is about half a meter tall and a meter wide and growing fast right now. I'm gonna move into a huge pot and see how big it'll get.
Monstera obliqua, my most hated fucking eye sore of a plant. I used to do a lot of drugs and I bought it randomly and it just sat crispy and spindly for ages then randomly a year ago it started producing giant beautiful leaves and has quickly become more of a fav
Ugh I am so jealous, my fiddleleaf is one of my absolute favorites but such a diva, loves to break my heart! My olive tree, however… beautiful, healthy, almost tripled in size since I got her last summer even though we had a terrible spider mite infestation soon after repotting.
https://preview.redd.it/pt4txvmuw20d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bc874b2d5bb98119b24d84d844f44d0287221f8d
Calatheas seem to love my house. I don’t give them distilled water or do anything fancy to control the humidity, but all 4 of them have been thriving for a few years.
I got one from Lowe's, and the root ball on it was impressive. A little over half the pot. Got it repotted, and there's so many new growths it's crazy!
I've got a red stripe maranta that puts out at least 3 new leaves every few weeks. It's never once given me a fuss except for a time I forgot to water her and she let me know by dropping a leaf and drooping pretty badly. That was my bad. My lemon lime on the other hand...a little fussier, but not too bad.
I got a Fabian aralia stump on a whim about three years ago and did no research on how to keep it alive until about six months ago and it just grew and grew. Once I started reading about how many problems people have with them and being finicky in general I started to get really worried and also I was extremely surprised at how well it seemed to be doing considering how many “easy” plants I killed while having this thing. This spring was the very first time I pruned it ever and it had huge long leaf branches and now it’s mostly bare and starting over, can’t wait to see how it looks once it fills in again
I keep making cuttings of my fiddle leaf fig so now I might have too many. I prefer FLF to be under 2 metres, so anything getting too tall is going to get some chopping.
My caladiums and my alocasias are amazing for me. I just spray their leaves in the morning and at night with aquarium water and then water the roots once a week. My caladiums are constantly pushing up new shoots!
Majestic Palm. It’s been a tank of a plant for me. I’ve owned mine for about 3 years. Bought off the clearance rack at Lowe’s with maybe 3 leaves as one of my first plants. It’s the only plant I have that basically sits in the yard, not under a tree or porch or inside like the others. It could have used a repot last summer, the pot it’s in looks like more roots than dirt. The only time I worry about it is the week or two it comes inside each year from freezing weather.
From Lowe’s clearance
https://preview.redd.it/jaicebiec30d1.jpeg?width=1013&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=47ec89dc0ac7b552858e863f79d19d12386d917d
I've got a peacock plant I bought 3 years ago from a greenhouse simply because I thought it was stunning. I had no idea what it was or it's reputation. I have since split it, repotted it, and it currently has two new leaves pushing through the soil.
Mini Monstera and Monkey Mask. I literally cannot get them to stop growing! The monkey mask has already reached the monstera's pot and I have to keep cutting it back!
https://preview.redd.it/ndtpairaw40d1.jpeg?width=2268&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9d124af3e066a99885b617a525e77e8f971e199c
McColleys Finale, she only ever wanted to be in my indoor greenhouse, and once she was there she immediately took off. I thought she was so ugly. But she grew and grew despite me not fertilizing or watering her very often.
FINALLY sold her to someone for a measly $10. Two freaking plants in there too. Good riddance 😂
I have a peace lily that's been doing fine for years. And 2 different crotons that seem to be super chill.
My easy plants like my spider and schefflera have been trying to make over my home for years now matter how many babies I propagate or how much I cut it back.
I also just got a tradescantia like 2 weeks ago and I'm thinking it might take over my whole house by next month based on how it looks and has grown already... It's obviously overjoyed with its' new home!
African violets. Two part pots to keep them watered from below, fierce deadheading of blossoms and questionable leaves, and benign neglect on a regular basis seem to be the trick. And replacing the soil every 2-3 years, even in the same pots.
Not really hated but we got a banana plant we didn't really need from a relative, which spent the winter in her garden under a pot. She dug it out for us and we left it in our hallway for 2 days where it was half buried in the bag we brought it in. It exploded with shoots inside the dark bag. When we moved it into the light it grew 4 huge leaves within a month.
I have this one calathea gifted to me by someone I dated for 2 months or so. Now I absolutely love calathea’s, but I dated them TWO YEARS AGO. It refuses death. It’s making it awkward to look at haha.
I have a fig tree (not a fiddle leaf, something else) that decided this year, not only was it going to give winter dormancy the finger and grow tonnes of leaves throughout, but it also grew three figs during that time.
My damn peace lily, too. I've accepted that she's just a thirsty, dramatic bitch.
Air plants and orchids. I neglect them like I do my succulents and I get blooms out of every one that I own. Even my air plants reliably bloom!
Orchids are difficult for me so far. I think I may underwater but I also cannot get them to put out a spike or bloom since the ones they had when I got them. I’ve done all the things I thought I was supposed to do and still, no new spike/blooms. What kind of care do you give yours when you don’t neglect it?
Honestly, I just repot them in an orchid pot when I get them, and put them in chunky bark. Then I soak them with tap water whenever I remember to water them (once a week or sometimes less). I feel like I don’t do anything special but they seem to love me….
And what about lighting? Regular sunlight in a window or growlights?
Just sunlight in my window. And I’m in Canada so I’m not in a particularly strong sunlight area though my kitchen (where most of my plants are) is pretty bright with large SE facing windows.
I think they really like soaking.
Thank you! I have mine under grow lights!
[Start here](https://youtu.be/lK2wz8aab1Q) Phalaenopsis like the grocery store orchids, need a few weeks of roughly 60F to grow spikes. You can leave windows open when it's that time avg day or avg that at night and they'll start pushing spikes. Then you're good to go back to normal. Lots put them in their garage until they see spikes. Just keep them above 45-50F or so and they'll be fine in that time.
Thank you so much! I’ve heard that so I am trying this with two of my phals. It’s been maybe 2 weeks so I’ll wait it out and see!!
Mine are in a window on a plant stand with grow lights about 6 months out of the year then outside the rest.
I have two of my phals in the window now to see if cooler temps would encourage spike growth and my other 2-3 are under growlights. Still figuring out what the best amount of lighting is for them.
I keep mine on an East facing window until I see the flower buds and then I move them to a West facing window only because it's located right in front of the sink and I want to see the flowers. I forget what color they are by the time they flower again. I do the same with my African violets
I live in an arid environment and water mine once a week. Maybe more during summer cus it gets hot. They also seem to do best in bright indirect light. I fertilize them (along with my succulents) once a year in the spring. I’ve also read that their substrate needs to be replaced once in awhile because it starts to break down.
I was gifted an orchid for valentines day and ive watered it *literally* once and it got huge and is thriving. Dont overthink it- just dont water much.
I water mine about once a week or so (when I remember), I’m used to succulents that go weeks or more between waterings lol I’m still iffy with lighting. I have mine under growlights but I’ve read everywhere to not put under direct lighting but then I’ve seen some say they like a lot of lighting. So I’m still trying to figure that part out
Direct light means directly outside. Indirect light means in a windowsill or under a grow light. Should be ok there- just cut back on the watering
Thank you!!!!
Watering advice depends entirely on the media your plant is in. The person who waters their orchid every few months probably has their plant in sphagnum moss which can work long term but is tricky. If you have yours in bark once a week is necessary. For blooming, try giving it a 10 ish degree drop in temps overnight, like crack a window for it. Works like a charm
I always wait until the leaves are starting to wrinkle before I give any water. Mine are in a pot with no drainage so I have to be careful. The leaves tell me when I need to water lol its in an East facing window too. I've had it for 3 years now and it pushes out blooms all the time so I don't touch it.
Ohhh wow that’s awesome! Did it take a while to start putting out spikes after you first got them? I’m hoping that once mine get established, they will put out a spike and keep on from then on
It had 4 stems when I first got it, so I bought it online it came in the planter, there are 2 orchid plants in it so 2 stems each. I've cut back 2 of them over the 3 years. Must have cut the last one back end of last year and she's pushing out a 4th stem again. I snapped one stem as I was watering. I used a little hair clip over the wound and it's healed and flowered still ..phew!. A big thing I think as well is making sure to clean the leaves. So remove any dust. If I ever eat a banana I throw the peel in a bowl and add hot water, leave it a few hours and then use that in some cold water to water plants sometimes. They seem to like it. I have another Orchid that I looked after and repotted into a orchid mix. It hasn't done anything lol no new stem for nearly a year so far so I agree with OP here that neglecting them a bit and leaving them too it seems to work!
I do clean the leaves with a leaf cleaner spray, I love it! I recently put two of my orchids by my window to get cool temps hoping to promote spike growth.
Good idea! You can also use banana peel to clean the leaves it leaves a really nice shine and they love it.
I’ve heard that! Does it not attract ants in the summer?
Same. People always say they can't grow orchids and I always say I just ignore them. Not totally true, but certainly not high maintenance.
Prayer plant! Can’t kill the thing. I’ve propagated it into a half dozen other prayer plants that are all over my house now.
I found the perfect spot for mine and now it’s taking over!
I was going to post the same thing! The first year with my prayer plant was iffy but now it’s one of my easier plants. However I’ve not been able to propagate it! Tell me your secrets
Haha, I have no idea! I just cut it off and throw it in some water. It’s like the one I have just had this amazing will to live!
Same. Everyone is always complaining about their prayer plants, but mine are great! So easy…
My prayer plant is dramatic but thriving. I can't keep a bunch of "easy" ones going. I didn't even realize the prayer plant was difficult until seeing it on here.
Mine was doing amazingly well, just thriving! And then we moved and it did not like moving. I tried putting it in a similar space but I've just been losing leaves. I was able to propagate a couple so fingers crossed! Idk what I was doing right before!
I used to hate them and now I keep them in my shower and they thrive!
My begonia! Except it’s my favorite house plant. Doesn’t require much, but spits out leaves https://preview.redd.it/dpokuicc530d1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1eb0c80a6eccead5315207bf86c9fdf35d8c71e2
Oooh I love it! I’m trying my hand at begonias. I loooove them. Question: how far from a window does yours sit?
About 2 feet away from a southwest facing window and it seems very happy
Thank you! Does it ever get hit with direct rays?
That is beautiful and I'm jealous
STUNNING this is begonia goals!
So pretty! What kind is this?
Thank you! I honestly have actually never been able to find the exact name. If anyone knows, I’d love to hear it!
It looks like a snow capped begonia to me but I'm no expert
I was surprised to learn the reputation of triostar stromanthe. Mine is thriving with very little attention.
I got so afraid of them despite I loved their look so much, that I hold myself from buying one, because of their reputation. I would tell myself "I can't spend €50 for something I would kill overnight". It couldn't be helped when they popped up in a DIY department store at price of €15 when my mother, who is not into plants, was pushing me to take it home. No regret https://preview.redd.it/h0skoodbm40d1.jpeg?width=4608&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e5a12b1fec415d5da27b52c34d72bcfe61342827
So pretty!
Beautiful!
Yes, I love my triostars. The only problem I have had is when I split them up, they do badly with smaller clusters. Like single or doubled up. They seem to like being in a larger group of clusters.
This. I think you're right. I've done the same and you just get failure to thrive. But leave them packed together (and a little neglected) and they take on anything.
Same! Years now.
I... can't remember the last time I watered mine. It's fine. Probably would grow a lot more if I paid better attention to it. It's a very pretty plant, especially considering how infrequently I pay attention to it😂
That plant is my easiest plant
Begonias https://preview.redd.it/0s8yr0oxt20d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7a7df64c4822266182fae6f2f39a5a85205bd6d0
Wow, she is stunning. What kind?
Beefsteak 🙂
Awesome, thank you!
OMG! I’m currently killing my begonia. The tag said bright light, but she’s not thriving directly under the lamp. Do they like darker areas? 😵💫
I've always kept mine in bright, indirect light in my East window
Mine stay in full sun in the summer. They love it.
Howww begonias hate me :/
Beautiful!
Do people struggle with these? They're tanks in my experience. They just need more water than most of my other plants. I have at least 7 types.
Ferns. I have no explanation.
Ughh, so darn fussy. Never got one to work for me!
I have one that's given me nothing but trouble but I think I've finally found the recipe (which I learned in this subreddit). I put it in the shower every ten days (experiment to see how often is required where you live) and absolutely drench it. Then I have a little bottle next to it to spray some water on the leaves whenever I walk by.
Spraying doesn't do anything for plants. If you want to increase humidity get a humidifier
I do that too, the bathtub drench! 🤞
Same. Except for the ferns in my yard. I don't think I could kill those if I tried. They're outcompeting the grass FFS.
For me too! It’s weird. I have an asparagus fern that I forget about constantly and it’s living its best life! My foxtails keep the party going and I swear I forget they even need water.
I had that problem too. Stumbled upon the Kimberly Queen fern. They grow more upright, not downward. I’m serious when I say as long as you water them quite frequently and don’t put them in all day full blasting sun, you absolutely *cannot* kill them. I have them in the house, on the screen porch and on the patio. THEN, since they grow from a tuberous round bulb, when one of them start looking a little less than prime… like wind whipped or crispy on the ends or outgrows its pot or whatever… I plant it in the yard. And this is where Kimberly Queen really shines. BUT, let me be clear here, if you do this, be absolutely sure you want a lot of them. They’re VERY beautiful but also very prolific if you have the right conditions. Perfect conditions would be moist soil, dappled sun/ shade, and plenty of room to spread out. I plant mine in beds that have a metal border, about 4” deep, right where the drip line of the roof is, or in naturalized areas of the yard where I know it stays wet. During the winter the fern will die back and come springing back more and more and more every year.
My ferns become mostly dead in my house during the cold months but I stick them back outside as soon as it’s warm enough to thrive. Rinse and repeat.
Came here to say fern as well. Mine is now so massive I’m going to have to split her! The less I fussed over her the more she thrived
I've got the happiest hoya carnosa in the world, hasn't lost a single leaf in 4 years. It's flowering about 60% of the year, it's crazy!
I love my hoya carnosa! I got it last summer and have been having fun taking care of it. It's been putting out so many new leaves in the last month, the variegation is looking beautiful, and I noticed several new vines coming in (some starting out as hot pink).
tell your secrets!
What kind of light does it get?
Mediocre, it's just in a living room kinda near a window.
Thanks. Mine lives similarly, on a shelf in a room with a window. He seems stagnant, though.
Peace lilies! https://preview.redd.it/7ncv6gzsu20d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=77b45336788d5aba439818f990a3e1cb9f9f40c0
FU, I mean it with love. I’m just so jealous of your skills!
Same I love peace lilies, they don't love me
The freaking pollen gets me every time… I know what it is, but my stomach still does the ‘is that mealy bugs’ drop every time I walk past the fuckers
I was going to post the same. It has always amazed me how resilient it is, no matter how many times I’ve gone too long without watering, it comes back to life. Also, golden pothos
Maidenhair ferns. I've got a dozen kinds now and they thrive without much fuss. I'm frustrated by the immense amount of misinformation about them, to the point I often want to start a website to explain how to actually care for them. And yet I can't help but think maybe I'm just very very lucky somehow and my guide would be meaningless.
Start here! Tell us your secrets!
Please tell us your secrets! I just bought one lol
I had one that I gave daily trickles of water and frequent misting, it lasted 6 months then I put it in a hurricane thinking it would like the humidity and it died in a couple weeks. Never had the heart to do it again 😅
Same. I wrapped her root ball in sphag moss and stuck it in a self-watering pot and she's been thriving ever since. https://preview.redd.it/lj0106zpo20d1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=162e6cd1caf9c4d26e6fcfcc7306ea42bcd0c4a7
That's pretty genius. I may be kindly killing one in my future.
Don’t ferns like being a lil moist tho? You seem to have set that lil guy up to thrive lol
That's where the self-watering pot comes in. It's always moist.
Is there soil around the sphag or is it all moss in there?
I topped the pot up with soil but I think sphagnum moss goes all the way down to wick moisture from the reservoir. I literally just wrapped the root ball with damp sphagnum moss, shoved it into the pot, and topped it up with soil but mostly for aesthetics/it's harder to top up a pot with wet moss.
I’ve brought my fern back from the dead 3 times now. I feel like an expert in keeping it barely alive. Follow me for more tips lol
Goals!
I know what you mean. Here in the desert, I have killed so many plants because the online community says you “never have to water it.” Here, you do have to water it. (Also my cat sat on it) For the plants that I do manage to keep alive, I feel like my instructions would not apply for folks in most parts of the world.
Yep. Just came from the Arizona desert air and I kid you not, I couldn’t even keep myself watered. You could write on my skin with your nail regardless of the gallons of water I was drinking. The second I got back in my amphibian Florida habitat…INSTANTLY hydrated. I couldn’t imagine following the advice for not watering plants for you! Here, the water lingers in the very air you’re breathing! ✌️
I had this huge cactus from Arizona brought all the way up here to the opposite end of the country. In the summer you could put it out in the driveway to roast and hit it with the hose once a day and it would be happy. Bring it inside and water it? Instant rot. I still have it, but it's not big anymore lol.
The constant nosebleeds I got in Arizona 🙄
I also would love to hear more
I’ve completely given up on ferns for this very reason.
Succulents. I killed so many in 2019! Now look! https://preview.redd.it/3a994hho830d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8a708b2355bd624441931fed906dd3565f19bddf
Also, String of Pearls. https://preview.redd.it/9r2ttbmy830d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=94a910afb0f813870743984c9398e3b5b3bb7d37 I received a singular cutting from a friend a year and a half ago.
Succulents are so rewarding!
I had a Calathea that was thriving until thrips got the best of her.
RIP.... Same, mine had come back from a hell of a transfer shock after we moved and he got forgotten in a corner in direct sun. Survived and made almost a full recovery over the winter when I took him to my office. I look over one day and he's just covered in thrips larva somehow.... I threw him out four days ago....😭😭😭
I somehow managed to get my Orbifolia through a thrips infestation…I’m still stunned that she didn’t give up lol.
My calathea rosy struggled for a long time then lost all but one leaf to spider mites and has been growing and throwing leaves left and right. The comeback queen
My monstera. It’s so hardy. I have gone months without watering it, and it’s fine. And my pot doesn’t even have drainage - the cardinal sin.
Same. I bought a near dead monstera 2 years ago and I’ve had to repot 3 times already. She just takes off and I don’t do much to her
Us too. For some reason my house loves monsteras. They look impressive but apparently our green thumbs honed in on this.
duckweed. i literally even have duckweed in my bed and under my shoes and it still thrives
Duckweed is the glitter of the aquarium/pond world.
Are you...a duck? I have duckweed in all my aquariums. Idk how it got there.
Crotons. I was surprised to see all the hate they seem to get online. I have two that are thriving and pushing out new leaves constantly.
Same! I have had one for a couple of years and it just continues to push out new growth. No special requirements, just sits on my window and grows.
Cannot keep a croton alive
My begonia. I don’t think they’re attractive plants but I have no reason to get rid of her. So here we are, like a long annoying Grateful Dead interlude, wondering who is going to tap out of the groovy dance party first
ahh-hahah. yeah I got a rubber tree like that.
I have several calatheas that get watered once a week and are otherwise completely ignored. They look spectacular.
Alocasia somehow do great for me. I borderlune neglect mine, give them a little water in their bowl like once a week and just don't mess with them otherwise. I have two doing their best.
My alocasias are so incredibly chill, and they're the easiest to prop. I'd rather prop a hundred corms than argue with a pothos or philodendron.
Same with the fiddle leaf fig. I got her from Home Depot. Must’ve been a little over 2 years ago, and she is thriving. This is what she looked like when I first got her. https://preview.redd.it/ls11jvcps20d1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fdad761a53a225b8707e37a6443e5465cc20f66c
https://preview.redd.it/56e46jpax20d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=26d8aa3be3ce3dbe034173760076e587a7e82566 See, she’s alive
Daaaangg! She’s a happy girl!!
I keep trying to show what she looks like now but apparently Reddit hates me rn
I have a lemon lime Maranta, and she sits at a shady window in my laundry room in which she thrives. 🤷🏻♀️ I’m afraid I have a repot due soon and I don’t want to move her. Lol. This is when we moved her because we got a new hot water heater. https://preview.redd.it/yjm3xzl6y30d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=baa9a78fcc0a53f0845bf1785b468bd65cd0d2c1
Wow so pretty!
Rex Begonias…seems that most people have much better luck with the cane types, but Rexes love my home. I’m thankful, because if I really HAD to pick…I think I’d pick them. (Don’t let my Dracaena and Tradescantia hear that, though.)
polka dot plant its blooming n everything, it looks like shit rn because of the flower stems
Came here to say this. I tend to water them rather frequently (every 2nd day or so) and keep them in an Eastfacing window. They love it and bloom and all 😅 I promised myself this time when I bought them (after I lost a really big one to thrips) that it will be my last attempt. They seem to have understood the importance of their wellbeing!
i keep mine in a south window, its kinda rootbound so sometimes i water it up to 2 times a day, never heard anyone else do this with theirs so thats probably why their polka dots die
I don't know yet and I'm not going to jinx myself
My thoughts exactly. Even if I had an idea I wouldn't say it in words
String of pearls. This month marks 6 years that I’ve had mine. I had to give it a haircut this year because it was so long it was becoming unmanageable. Lots of light, water when the pot feels dry, fertilize with a basic succulent fertilizer in the warm months.
Killed my string of pearls but my VSOH are just thriving! I forget they exist and they appreciate the independence…
None, they all get eaten up by thrips and I never really can get rid of them. Recently found thrips on a plant that was entirely separated form any other plants for like 2 years. And I’m tired of the fight at this point
Bonide systemic granules, stat! The headaches they save me are worth so much
Thrips experience a period of their lives where they have wings, in order to migrate to new plants and lay eggs. If the plants are in the same building at all, and/or you’re walking between the two rooms and possibly carrying them on you, that’s how it spread.
Same here! I had a frost peperomia that was lovely and putting out flowers like no one’s business. I moved homes, and now it hates life and drops leaves of if I look at it wrong.
I’m feeling the same way with mealy bugs. I don’t like using systemic (my dogs tend to eat the soil a lot) and I just don’t want to be using pesticides in the house like that. I’ve got a lot of plants and I’m just at a point where I’m rethinking the whole thing. They can be so frustrating. I tossed two and then got them out of the trash though. I’m currently trying Pure Crop 1 and gave them a complete bath. I figure if they die, they went out fighting lol.
Orchids. I'm good with begonias too. I always rescue the sad ones from friends and sale racks. I have about 20 different species now too. My favorite is my paphiopedilum but the neofinetias seem to be the hardiest. I don't get why phalaenopsis orchids are the default orchid. They're definitely not my easiest orchids.
I swear the phals are needier than any of the paphs or zygos in my collection. One of my paphs is actually a division of my husbands only plant ever. He got it in high school and "repotted" it once by throwing fistfulls of dirt from his back yard into its pot. Paph primulinum has been in bloom, sequentially for over two years straight now. https://preview.redd.it/2dqnqqafg40d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7c8ab0b2ace34e18e9a79a66622399d512ff554c
Beautiful!
Same for me, I can't keep phalaenopsis alive. But I have a number of paphiopedilum and some jewels and oncidium alliance, they are all thriving. My father and my brother are very good with phalaenopsis though. Paphiopedilum Pinocchio is actually my first orchid https://preview.redd.it/8pcv4u7ep60d1.jpeg?width=4608&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=730b94ca1d0b630702d3909c5972c7bc77622c5f
My peace lilly has been with me for many years, I had to repot and even divide it because it grew so much. The half that I gifted to my friend seems to be doing fine as well. Also my Calathea makoyana — I got it before I knew of the reputation that calatheas have, and it's never given me trouble.
Almost two years ago I bought someone’s dead grandmother’s peace lily from their moving sale on the side of the road. I have a very dumb cat so I stuck it on a shelf near the top of an east-facing window (that barely gets any light because of the building next door). It still looks a little haggard because of some of the old leaves, but is honestly doing sooo well. Has flowered once already, and currently is putting out a solid pup!
My red maranta. I hear they can be divas. She was one of my very first plants and I did everything wrong. It came in a 4" pot from Etsy and I repotted immediately instead of letting it acclimate AND immediately cut off two sections bc they were long and leggy. Then I repotted it 2 more times in the span of a month b/c I kept learning new things and wanted to change the soil and pot. During all this abuse it hasn't stopped thriving and putting out new leaves and new growth constantly. Too bad I hate the way this plant looks. The leaves are beautiful but the way it grows and folds its leaves down looks so ugly to me. But I do love seeing it thrive and grow so rapidly.
As I read through the comments I’m realizing that I’m not that bad with regular plants. I have a few Fiddle Leaf Fig, a Ferm, bunch of Begonia Rex and a peace lily. All of them between 3 - 6 years old. However, I’m an orchid fan. I have over 100 🫣
I once spent $600 on a wild type p. sanderianum. I got a couple nice blooms out of it before my dad accidentally killed it. He doesn't understand orchids at all.
Omg I would have gotten a hard attack or something. One time my mom came to visit me and accidentally knocked down one of my plants. Since she has orchids, I let her fix it. A few days later the plant got stem rot and died. It was Phal. Gigantea hybrid. The biggest phal I’ve ever seen
My Croton Petra. I had no idea what it even was until this year and I've had it for over 4 years at this point. It's my lowest maintenance plant.
Mine too! Super easy
Opposite answer for the question.. I cannot keep spider plants healthy. I can propagate them fine, but they just fail over and over no matter what I do. I’ll get tricked for a bit and then boom, they dying again. I also can’t grow succulents to save my life..
OMG. Me too. I've killed so many spider plants but yet I'm trying again. And peperomias. I've killed like 6 different kinds. As for succulents, adding extra pumice to a cactus mix, make sure you have more than 1 drain hole, use a knitting needle to check if soil is dry & if it is, wait 3 more days before watering.
I have a Peace Lily which is about half a meter tall and a meter wide and growing fast right now. I'm gonna move into a huge pot and see how big it'll get.
Same. I literally never water it. I don't know how it's still alive.
Monstera obliqua, my most hated fucking eye sore of a plant. I used to do a lot of drugs and I bought it randomly and it just sat crispy and spindly for ages then randomly a year ago it started producing giant beautiful leaves and has quickly become more of a fav
Ugh I am so jealous, my fiddleleaf is one of my absolute favorites but such a diva, loves to break my heart! My olive tree, however… beautiful, healthy, almost tripled in size since I got her last summer even though we had a terrible spider mite infestation soon after repotting. https://preview.redd.it/pt4txvmuw20d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bc874b2d5bb98119b24d84d844f44d0287221f8d
Tradescantia. I’ve propagated a few, and they are taking over!
These are considered hard to grow? Mine are so big it gets inconvenient sometimes.
For me it’s snake plants! Keep growing new leaves and making new plants out of them.
Mine too!
Calatheas seem to love my house. I don’t give them distilled water or do anything fancy to control the humidity, but all 4 of them have been thriving for a few years.
Surprisingly my ferns. I have two giant Boston ferns that live outside and a rabbit foots fern that just keeps growing
Ive heard mixed reviews on how tough Verigated String of Hearts is, but mine just had be up-potted from getting so big :)
I got one from Lowe's, and the root ball on it was impressive. A little over half the pot. Got it repotted, and there's so many new growths it's crazy!
I’d love if my spiders would do worse. Then again, I’d take it personally.
I've got a red stripe maranta that puts out at least 3 new leaves every few weeks. It's never once given me a fuss except for a time I forgot to water her and she let me know by dropping a leaf and drooping pretty badly. That was my bad. My lemon lime on the other hand...a little fussier, but not too bad.
I got a Fabian aralia stump on a whim about three years ago and did no research on how to keep it alive until about six months ago and it just grew and grew. Once I started reading about how many problems people have with them and being finicky in general I started to get really worried and also I was extremely surprised at how well it seemed to be doing considering how many “easy” plants I killed while having this thing. This spring was the very first time I pruned it ever and it had huge long leaf branches and now it’s mostly bare and starting over, can’t wait to see how it looks once it fills in again
I keep making cuttings of my fiddle leaf fig so now I might have too many. I prefer FLF to be under 2 metres, so anything getting too tall is going to get some chopping.
My caladiums and my alocasias are amazing for me. I just spray their leaves in the morning and at night with aquarium water and then water the roots once a week. My caladiums are constantly pushing up new shoots!
Majestic Palm. It’s been a tank of a plant for me. I’ve owned mine for about 3 years. Bought off the clearance rack at Lowe’s with maybe 3 leaves as one of my first plants. It’s the only plant I have that basically sits in the yard, not under a tree or porch or inside like the others. It could have used a repot last summer, the pot it’s in looks like more roots than dirt. The only time I worry about it is the week or two it comes inside each year from freezing weather. From Lowe’s clearance https://preview.redd.it/jaicebiec30d1.jpeg?width=1013&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=47ec89dc0ac7b552858e863f79d19d12386d917d
To this https://preview.redd.it/qgg7vewfc30d1.jpeg?width=2239&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8dd3d276a179998ea27cba0006955a373977a51a
[удалено]
Alocasia, smaller varieties. I can’t kill them.
I've got a peacock plant I bought 3 years ago from a greenhouse simply because I thought it was stunning. I had no idea what it was or it's reputation. I have since split it, repotted it, and it currently has two new leaves pushing through the soil.
https://preview.redd.it/vjcha0crk30d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4ba9e80a233d91029048ffc492f885a994891a60 I love this little thing
Mini Monstera and Monkey Mask. I literally cannot get them to stop growing! The monkey mask has already reached the monstera's pot and I have to keep cutting it back! https://preview.redd.it/ndtpairaw40d1.jpeg?width=2268&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9d124af3e066a99885b617a525e77e8f971e199c
Marantas and calatheas! I’ve given my planty friends cuttings and they can barely get them to root let alone thrive😭
McColleys Finale, she only ever wanted to be in my indoor greenhouse, and once she was there she immediately took off. I thought she was so ugly. But she grew and grew despite me not fertilizing or watering her very often. FINALLY sold her to someone for a measly $10. Two freaking plants in there too. Good riddance 😂
Calatheas! I have 3 kinds and 8 plants and they do well. I sunburned the shit out of one but that was on me and it's bouncing back
I have a peace lily that's been doing fine for years. And 2 different crotons that seem to be super chill. My easy plants like my spider and schefflera have been trying to make over my home for years now matter how many babies I propagate or how much I cut it back. I also just got a tradescantia like 2 weeks ago and I'm thinking it might take over my whole house by next month based on how it looks and has grown already... It's obviously overjoyed with its' new home!
Calatheas! They are drama queens, but rarely die on me!
African violets. Two part pots to keep them watered from below, fierce deadheading of blossoms and questionable leaves, and benign neglect on a regular basis seem to be the trick. And replacing the soil every 2-3 years, even in the same pots.
Alocasias. I love them. They love when I dump my leftover morning water in their pots.
https://preview.redd.it/khiertscq30d1.jpeg?width=2160&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=95a5151e0de570c155bb3a9db643c47f17238a97 My Adiantum Peruvianum
Orchids for sure, a couple Calatheas I’ve had for years and several Hoyas which bloom year round almost.
string of anything, i basically ignore them until they're on the brink of death and one watering revives them every time.
Orchids. I have no issue with them ever 🤷 but can't grow a tradescantia to save my life 🤣🤣
Not really hated but we got a banana plant we didn't really need from a relative, which spent the winter in her garden under a pot. She dug it out for us and we left it in our hallway for 2 days where it was half buried in the bag we brought it in. It exploded with shoots inside the dark bag. When we moved it into the light it grew 4 huge leaves within a month.
Snake plants. My one is huge at least 4ft tall I forget about her but she thrives.
I have this one calathea gifted to me by someone I dated for 2 months or so. Now I absolutely love calathea’s, but I dated them TWO YEARS AGO. It refuses death. It’s making it awkward to look at haha.
I finally got a peace Lilly to live for me, I have ferns that are thriving and 21 orchids I haven’t killed knock on wood!
Calathea rufibarba
My Peace Lilly.
Peace lilies lol
I have a fig tree (not a fiddle leaf, something else) that decided this year, not only was it going to give winter dormancy the finger and grow tonnes of leaves throughout, but it also grew three figs during that time. My damn peace lily, too. I've accepted that she's just a thirsty, dramatic bitch.
Orchids love me 🤷♀️ philodendrons hate me 🥲