WEBVTT 1 00:00:02.560 --> 00:00:06.719 And we're live. This is Point Daddy Podcast. I'm Matthew and I'm Stephen. 2 00:00:20.760 --> 00:00:23.280 For this month's Chill and Chat, we thought we'd revisit some of the 3 00:00:23.320 --> 00:00:27.800 goals we bravely shared earlier in the year. Have we made actual changes, 4 00:00:28.120 --> 00:00:31.280 How are we thinking about these and how are they really going now that the 5 00:00:31.280 --> 00:00:34.439 warmer weather is upon us. Yeah, and by the way, happy summer 6 00:00:34.560 --> 00:00:38.159 Solstice if you're listening on the day this comes out, and I guess just 7 00:00:38.359 --> 00:00:42.560 happy summer in general. Otherwise, So, a couple of months ago and 8 00:00:42.640 --> 00:00:46.880 our spring strategies grab Bag Chill and Chat, which is episode one thirty five 9 00:00:46.960 --> 00:00:50.880 in case you haven't listened, we specifically announced some of our intentions for this 10 00:00:51.000 --> 00:00:54.799 year, if for no other reason than to acknowledge them to ourselves and to 11 00:00:54.880 --> 00:00:59.200 each other, for some internal accountability and friendly support in order to help us 12 00:00:59.200 --> 00:01:02.399 stick to those goals. So, of course, in the spirit of best 13 00:01:02.399 --> 00:01:04.120 plant friend love, Stephen has been pointing out to me every time that I 14 00:01:04.200 --> 00:01:07.760 bought new plants, after saying that I was going to be a lot more 15 00:01:07.760 --> 00:01:11.599 deliberate about that in twenty twenty two. Yeah, accountability, that's maybe going 16 00:01:11.640 --> 00:01:15.200 a bit far from me. But you know, I'm always happy to keep 17 00:01:15.280 --> 00:01:19.239 you accountable. Okay, so let's see how we did. But first it's 18 00:01:19.239 --> 00:01:22.840 our June chill and Chat, so you know what that means. It's time 19 00:01:22.840 --> 00:01:25.359 for us to give shout outs to our newest patrons. As you know, 20 00:01:25.400 --> 00:01:29.920 official patrons get access to our catalog ad free with periodic after shows with more 21 00:01:30.000 --> 00:01:33.480 questions, thoughts, and fun bits that didn't make it into the episode itself. 22 00:01:33.640 --> 00:01:38.439 So here we go. Special thanks to Lisa, Liz Bell, Emily, 23 00:01:38.760 --> 00:01:42.120 GK, Tang, Angelica, Jason and AJ. As always, we 24 00:01:42.159 --> 00:01:46.840 truly appreciate your support however you choose to provide it, whether it's telling a 25 00:01:46.879 --> 00:01:49.239 friend or leaving a positive review on your favorite podcast app. But if you're 26 00:01:49.280 --> 00:01:53.640 interested in becoming a patron, just head to patreon dot com slash Plant Debtye 27 00:01:53.640 --> 00:01:57.000 Podcast to sign up. Also, as we near the end of season three, 28 00:01:57.040 --> 00:02:00.680 we want to mention that we will be taking a high as in July 29 00:02:00.840 --> 00:02:05.319 again this year to recoup and think about our upcoming season. For Patreon supporters, 30 00:02:05.319 --> 00:02:07.520 will pause any charges in July while we're away, and most of all, 31 00:02:07.560 --> 00:02:10.840 thank you for listening and supporting Plant Daddy podcast in any way that works 32 00:02:10.879 --> 00:02:15.000 for you. The world is starting to open up again, and are you 33 00:02:15.159 --> 00:02:20.199 traveling soon? If so, your choices are leaving your plants to fend for 34 00:02:20.240 --> 00:02:23.800 themselves or find a trusted plant setter. But what if you don't have any 35 00:02:23.879 --> 00:02:29.199 seasoned plant parent friends who can lovingly tend to your hurban jungle while you're away. 36 00:02:29.400 --> 00:02:30.800 Well, we have a new houseplant app to tell you about, and 37 00:02:30.840 --> 00:02:35.639 it's totally different from any other houseplant apps out there. Watering Can is a 38 00:02:35.680 --> 00:02:38.840 new app think rover, but for plants. When you're out of town. 39 00:02:38.960 --> 00:02:42.520 You can sign up for a qualified plant parent to come tend your collection as 40 00:02:42.599 --> 00:02:45.960 needed while you're gone. You don't have to worry about extensive preparations to keep 41 00:02:46.000 --> 00:02:49.759 your plants happy in your absence or if you're the casualties you might come home 42 00:02:49.800 --> 00:02:53.199 to with watering Can currently active in San Diego and Las Vegas, watering Can 43 00:02:53.360 --> 00:02:58.520 is expanding to new cities as plant parents sign up. Download the iOS app 44 00:02:58.520 --> 00:03:00.599 and sign up for the watering Can news letter to get started and learn when 45 00:03:00.599 --> 00:03:04.960 it's coming to your city and even better, tell your local planting friends. 46 00:03:05.199 --> 00:03:08.039 That's right. New cities are being added as demand increases, so don't wait 47 00:03:08.159 --> 00:03:10.960 to travel as starting to be a thing again, So get the watering can 48 00:03:10.960 --> 00:03:15.479 app and travel with peace of mind knowing your plants are in good hands. 49 00:03:15.960 --> 00:03:20.879 So back in episode one thirty five, we were really focused on how we 50 00:03:20.879 --> 00:03:24.240 were going to approach our plant parenthood this year, especially compared to years past. 51 00:03:24.680 --> 00:03:28.680 Yeah, and it was kind of the usual suspects, burnout from over 52 00:03:28.719 --> 00:03:31.360 collecting. How we planned to rain that in, and how we want to 53 00:03:31.360 --> 00:03:36.319 focus on the love of the hobby again, both in terms of plant selection 54 00:03:36.400 --> 00:03:40.400 and care routine tweaks. Yeah, exactly. So today we wanted to circle 55 00:03:40.400 --> 00:03:44.719 back and chat about what some of those changes were, what they look like 56 00:03:44.759 --> 00:03:49.199 in action, and also take time to talk about continuing challenges and things that 57 00:03:49.280 --> 00:03:53.120 we're still working on. Yeah. So I'm just going to start with the 58 00:03:53.159 --> 00:03:59.479 biggest goal that I had for myself was entering the growing season with a breaking 59 00:03:59.520 --> 00:04:02.599 collector so that I could instead focus more on the plants that I already have 60 00:04:02.800 --> 00:04:06.919 as they were coming into better foliage, active growth in the warm weather, 61 00:04:08.439 --> 00:04:13.319 and then working with them more deliberately so that I was getting more enjoyment out 62 00:04:13.360 --> 00:04:18.319 of the plants that I already had. Because this way my intentions weren't so 63 00:04:18.480 --> 00:04:24.199 divided and distracted with new plants, and I was ignoring the existing ones. 64 00:04:25.040 --> 00:04:29.240 Yes, we've heard this before, Yeah, you know, from ourselves and 65 00:04:29.319 --> 00:04:33.160 from many people. Yeah, this is not an uncommon story, and I 66 00:04:33.199 --> 00:04:38.240 have talked a few times about this. But just last fall and winter were 67 00:04:38.240 --> 00:04:42.199 pretty stressful and that caused a lot of my plants to suffer, and that 68 00:04:42.319 --> 00:04:47.439 led to feelings of overwhelm because the upkeeping struggles that came with not having enough 69 00:04:47.519 --> 00:04:51.399 energy or motivation to keep my plants thriving. We're really beginning to weigh on 70 00:04:51.480 --> 00:04:57.680 me. So actually it was even earlier than our Spring Strategies episode. I 71 00:04:57.759 --> 00:05:00.279 was already making an effort to be much more consistent to my plant care routines 72 00:05:00.360 --> 00:05:04.519 in general, and that was kind of inspired by our chat with Maria back 73 00:05:04.639 --> 00:05:09.399 in January. So that's episode one twenty one for those who haven't heard it. 74 00:05:09.879 --> 00:05:13.839 And this was mostly going to include getting a consistent schedule for watering, 75 00:05:14.240 --> 00:05:18.000 and I was taking that more as a form of self care than an actual 76 00:05:18.120 --> 00:05:23.079 chore that needed to be observed. And then I also had to start being 77 00:05:23.079 --> 00:05:27.920 more consistent and exacting in my pest management to alleviate stresses down the road. 78 00:05:28.360 --> 00:05:30.519 And while those have been great and I've felt very good about them, I'm 79 00:05:30.519 --> 00:05:34.079 going to single out that the most productive tweak that I've made is getting onto 80 00:05:34.079 --> 00:05:40.079 a consistent fertilization schedule. Okay, yes, and this has been a long 81 00:05:40.160 --> 00:05:44.920 time coming, like you just said in episode number terms, Okay, so 82 00:05:44.959 --> 00:05:47.720 what have you actually done, Matthew? And you know I do want specifics, 83 00:05:47.759 --> 00:05:51.480 so I am going to press you as getting through this well. I 84 00:05:51.519 --> 00:05:55.959 mean, I've mentioned before I've never really been very good at that whole weekly, 85 00:05:56.040 --> 00:06:00.279 weekly practice, which is I think pretty much ideal for house plants. 86 00:06:00.279 --> 00:06:02.279 It's much better than giving them huge boosts to fertilizer a couple of times a 87 00:06:02.360 --> 00:06:06.720 year, which is what I have shamefully done in the past. And even 88 00:06:06.800 --> 00:06:12.879 when I've gotten better about using the actual concentrations that you're supposed to use to 89 00:06:12.920 --> 00:06:15.160 be your fertilizer, I get behind on it. I just forget the last 90 00:06:15.160 --> 00:06:19.399 time that I've done it. So this year, in conjunction with this improved 91 00:06:19.399 --> 00:06:25.480 watering schedule, where I am just going through before things are wilted and watering 92 00:06:25.519 --> 00:06:30.079 what needs it at once and checking with those plants, I'm also deliberately just 93 00:06:30.160 --> 00:06:33.240 including fertilizer in that routine. Okay, yeah, all right. It's happening 94 00:06:33.240 --> 00:06:36.560 at least once a month now, and sometimes I'm even doing it every other 95 00:06:36.600 --> 00:06:41.600 watering, depending on the plants and how actively they're growing. And I kind 96 00:06:41.639 --> 00:06:45.439 of have to laugh a bit, because you know how we give advice of 97 00:06:45.519 --> 00:06:47.800 like this is a best practice, but like do we follow that ourselves? 98 00:06:48.959 --> 00:06:54.439 Of course, we're just now revealing that maybe we don't, but everyone believed 99 00:06:54.439 --> 00:06:58.199 that we did. I'm sure they all believed that. I mean, it's 100 00:06:58.240 --> 00:07:02.079 really easy to know what's r versus like doing it yourself. So I knew 101 00:07:02.120 --> 00:07:04.839 that I should be fertilizing my potted plants, especially if they've been in that 102 00:07:04.879 --> 00:07:10.639 same pot and substrate for a couple of years. But now I'm just seeing 103 00:07:10.720 --> 00:07:14.439 the payoff of what it looks like when you're actually fertilizing consistently. Okay, 104 00:07:14.480 --> 00:07:18.000 so what are you using? Is this like osma coat slow release? It 105 00:07:18.040 --> 00:07:21.319 sounds like if it's during watering, it's probably some like water soluble one. 106 00:07:21.560 --> 00:07:27.720 Yes and yes, okay, So for plants that the substrate has broken down 107 00:07:27.959 --> 00:07:31.439 or they've outgrown like that pot size, they're getting root bound if the substrate 108 00:07:31.519 --> 00:07:36.920 really needs refreshing. I'm just you know, habitually mixing slow release fertilizer pellets 109 00:07:38.000 --> 00:07:41.360 into the substrate as I'm repotting. So if it's a foliage plant, they're 110 00:07:41.360 --> 00:07:46.199 getting a general all purpose indoor outdoor osma coat, you know, really standard 111 00:07:46.199 --> 00:07:51.160 all purpose fertilizer for things that might not want like the hind nitrogen that that 112 00:07:51.240 --> 00:07:56.000 fertilizer tends to have all use either balanced or maybe bloom booster if it's a 113 00:07:56.040 --> 00:08:00.720 flowering plant. But that's only going to give feeding for you three to six 114 00:08:00.759 --> 00:08:03.720 months, depending on the formulation. It'll tell you when the label how long 115 00:08:03.720 --> 00:08:07.879 those fertilizers will last. All right. So I'm hearing like some customization here. 116 00:08:07.000 --> 00:08:11.120 It's not just like brought across the board, all right. Yeah, 117 00:08:11.279 --> 00:08:15.800 and you know that's also being adapted into my watering routine. Like you said, 118 00:08:15.879 --> 00:08:20.600 I'm using the liquid fertilizer. Because when we chatted about fertilizer and soil 119 00:08:20.680 --> 00:08:24.319 nutrition with Miles most recently, he was telling us about how, you know, 120 00:08:24.360 --> 00:08:28.920 the slow release pellets they need to be in contact with water so that 121 00:08:28.959 --> 00:08:31.759 the nutrients can come out and leach into the soil. So I'm not really 122 00:08:31.799 --> 00:08:35.120 doing those for succulents. They'll like to dry a lot, exactly. And 123 00:08:35.200 --> 00:08:37.840 I mean not to call you out, but you know, if you are 124 00:08:39.039 --> 00:08:45.200 kind of an underwaterer or a less frequently than ideal waterer, maybe that is 125 00:08:45.320 --> 00:08:48.559 kind of the less effective approach for you. Yeah. And also what I 126 00:08:48.600 --> 00:08:52.080 was doing before was just sprinkling some on top of the soil of a plant 127 00:08:52.080 --> 00:08:54.480 that needed fertilizer and just trusting that they'd soak in when I watered. So 128 00:08:54.519 --> 00:08:58.120 that's why I mixed them into the substrates. But because that takes longer to 129 00:08:58.159 --> 00:09:01.559 get into the oil to be available for the roots to take up. Yeah, 130 00:09:01.639 --> 00:09:05.240 I'm also doing the liquid fertilizers. Okay, So is it like both? 131 00:09:05.360 --> 00:09:07.720 In some cases? It is both. In some cases, like if 132 00:09:07.759 --> 00:09:11.519 I freshly pot a plant up, and you know, I think it's going 133 00:09:11.559 --> 00:09:13.360 to be fine to fertilize and I'm not worried about harming like new roots as 134 00:09:13.399 --> 00:09:20.039 they're growing, I'll just start using like either typically half strength fertilizer, Okay, 135 00:09:20.200 --> 00:09:22.480 you know us for specifics, I'm just using Basic Miracle Grow. I'm 136 00:09:22.559 --> 00:09:26.159 using all you know, I use that for me My succulents like that's my 137 00:09:26.360 --> 00:09:30.759 you know, soil quote unquote elements. So no, yeah, no judgment 138 00:09:30.799 --> 00:09:33.080 here. I know that some people are like, oh, you need calmago, 139 00:09:33.200 --> 00:09:35.480 you need something very fancy. For most plants, you don't. And 140 00:09:35.720 --> 00:09:41.840 as long as you're doing it at like the recommended dosages or even lower concentrations, 141 00:09:41.000 --> 00:09:46.559 it's great. There's a reason that it is such an omnipresent product that's 142 00:09:46.600 --> 00:09:52.279 available everywhere. So are you seeing results here? Like is this paying dividends 143 00:09:52.320 --> 00:09:54.919 for you that you've seen a yeah, okay, yeah. So what I'm 144 00:09:54.960 --> 00:09:58.919 noticing is that I'm prioritizing if a plant is an active growth and it's a 145 00:10:00.039 --> 00:10:05.399 foliage plant, I'm just giving it the all purpose foliage plant fertilizer. And 146 00:10:05.720 --> 00:10:09.600 this is helping new growth come in like more actively, I've noticed. And 147 00:10:09.600 --> 00:10:13.360 this is both for plants that might have been in that pot for a while, 148 00:10:13.440 --> 00:10:16.080 like I have that enormous monstera that I don't know if it's ever going 149 00:10:16.120 --> 00:10:20.759 to get repotted because it's going to be such an undertaking. It's also some 150 00:10:20.840 --> 00:10:24.759 smaller plants that haven't been in their soil so long, but it's just supporting 151 00:10:24.759 --> 00:10:31.279 our growth more. And I can definitely see a change in how enthusiastically they're 152 00:10:31.360 --> 00:10:35.679 kind of approaching this more light, more warmth time of year, and that's 153 00:10:35.720 --> 00:10:39.519 been really good. I've seen much improved growth on most of my foliage plants. 154 00:10:39.679 --> 00:10:43.480 Okay, so when you say you use it, was it like then 155 00:10:43.559 --> 00:10:46.799 with each watering like every other? Are you not paying attention that closely? 156 00:10:48.159 --> 00:10:52.919 Well, what I'm doing is I am fertilizing the really hungry, fast growing 157 00:10:52.960 --> 00:10:58.600 plants. So I'm thinking like the alocacias, the spat the philing like plants 158 00:10:58.600 --> 00:11:03.159 that are going to be fine with getting consistent amounts of weak fertilizer. I'm 159 00:11:03.240 --> 00:11:07.360 never doing more than the recommended dose. Is it like with every watering? 160 00:11:07.399 --> 00:11:09.960 I mean? Or is it like yeah, every other okay, yeah, 161 00:11:09.960 --> 00:11:13.919 Like it kind of depends on the plants. There are some plants that I'm 162 00:11:13.919 --> 00:11:16.639 doing like every other water if I know that they're going to be sensitive to 163 00:11:16.799 --> 00:11:20.759 mineral accumulation in the soil, I'm flushing the substrates. But you know, 164 00:11:20.919 --> 00:11:26.120 most of my waterings, at least something is getting fertilizer. And where I'm 165 00:11:26.159 --> 00:11:31.759 really prioritizing and doing this consistently is with my succulents. And with my flowering 166 00:11:31.840 --> 00:11:35.399 plants, because there's a lot of these plants that this is the season where 167 00:11:35.399 --> 00:11:39.759 they're going to be blooming, and the Miracle Grow products they're designed to be 168 00:11:39.879 --> 00:11:45.360 used very regularly on potted indoor plants. So I'm just mixing up about a 169 00:11:45.360 --> 00:11:48.840 half strength fertilizer and I'm not doing this when the soil is dry. If 170 00:11:48.840 --> 00:11:52.480 the plants a little wheelt, that I'll give it some water let that soak 171 00:11:52.480 --> 00:11:56.000 in for an hour or two so that the roots are moist, the substrates 172 00:11:56.039 --> 00:11:58.159 moist, and then when I add the fertilizer then it can distribute through the 173 00:11:58.200 --> 00:12:05.720 medium. But I honestly have some hoyas that are blooming really enthusiastically right now 174 00:12:05.240 --> 00:12:09.279 and they weren't doing that before, and I think it might be because I'm 175 00:12:09.320 --> 00:12:13.440 giving them like a good solid fertilizer regimen. Yeah, I have some other 176 00:12:13.759 --> 00:12:18.559 flowering potted plants that have bloomed well in the past, but I can really 177 00:12:18.679 --> 00:12:22.600 see like a difference this year. There's this one. It's like an outdoor 178 00:12:22.639 --> 00:12:28.399 annual that's commonly known as matagust and periwinkle, and it's actually not in the 179 00:12:28.480 --> 00:12:33.360 Vinca genus, but whatever, and it just lives on my windowsill in my 180 00:12:33.440 --> 00:12:37.000 kitchen and it's covered in white flowers now, and I fertilize it with bloom 181 00:12:37.000 --> 00:12:43.039 boosting fertilizer every time. Then, back when we actually were right before the 182 00:12:43.039 --> 00:12:46.720 pandemic, you and I went to the Pacific Northwest Flowering Garden Show and I 183 00:12:46.840 --> 00:12:50.559 got an Ashcananthus like one of the lipstick finds. Yeah, it's like the 184 00:12:50.600 --> 00:12:56.720 speciosis variety. So it has those like firework panicles of orange and yellow and 185 00:12:56.759 --> 00:13:01.120 red flowers. That's been growing in one of my wine bottle planters for three 186 00:13:01.200 --> 00:13:03.799 years, like since I got it, I was not doing a good job 187 00:13:03.799 --> 00:13:07.960 of fertilizing it, and I started fertilizing it this year. It put on 188 00:13:07.000 --> 00:13:11.759 an explosion of growth. And it's in the same window so as the Mata 189 00:13:11.799 --> 00:13:16.440 gaskin periwinkle. It has more flowers open now than it's ever had the whole 190 00:13:16.480 --> 00:13:20.559 three years of its life with me. Yeah, and it has many panicles 191 00:13:20.600 --> 00:13:22.480 that aren't even close to opening. So this plant is going to be in 192 00:13:22.519 --> 00:13:26.639 flower all summer. And swear to God it's the fertilizer. Yeah, I 193 00:13:26.720 --> 00:13:31.039 say yeah, because I have a very similar thing over here. I have. 194 00:13:31.440 --> 00:13:35.879 I don't remember which species that we kind of guessed it might be, 195 00:13:35.240 --> 00:13:39.639 but yeah, it's the variety kind of with those sort of serrated leaves and 196 00:13:39.679 --> 00:13:45.919 those bright orange flowers, but not you know, super interesting foliage that one 197 00:13:46.039 --> 00:13:50.879 has I don't know, three massive like bulging kind of bunches of flowers. 198 00:13:50.960 --> 00:13:54.080 Yeah, more coming. I feel like I'll have some, yeah, for 199 00:13:54.120 --> 00:13:58.200 at least a month or two. And yeah, you know, I'm thinking 200 00:13:58.240 --> 00:14:01.279 about it. I have started to fertilize it more now. I really thought 201 00:14:01.279 --> 00:14:03.960 it like just needed a repot and it was kind of stuck in there. 202 00:14:03.639 --> 00:14:07.720 They respond, Okay, they yeah, obviously they really respond, and yeah, 203 00:14:07.840 --> 00:14:11.759 it is exciting. Cool. Well, and when we talked about how, 204 00:14:11.080 --> 00:14:16.279 you know, the hoyas we're both growing pollenura, we got these really 205 00:14:16.639 --> 00:14:20.120 great, fast growing cuttings from a listener. And since we did that episode 206 00:14:20.120 --> 00:14:24.399 a couple of weeks ago, I have several new sets of leaves on mine, 207 00:14:24.559 --> 00:14:28.080 and it is producing side shoots close to the base of the plant, 208 00:14:28.559 --> 00:14:33.320 and I fertilize it consistently. And I have the same thing on my Kaiienensis, 209 00:14:33.559 --> 00:14:37.600 my Hoya Stralis Lisa. They're all just growing tons of side shoots and 210 00:14:39.080 --> 00:14:41.519 like, I'm really excited to see the flowers on my encrosada because I've had 211 00:14:41.559 --> 00:14:46.279 that plant in the same pot for like five years. It's a mound of 212 00:14:46.399 --> 00:14:50.320 foliage in crisoda. Yeah, it's it's like a lemon scented one. All 213 00:14:50.399 --> 00:14:54.679 right. It's a great hoya that Doug Chamberlain really thinks is an easy, 214 00:14:54.759 --> 00:15:00.440 fast bloomer. I've treated it well for five years and it's never flower but 215 00:15:00.960 --> 00:15:03.399 its like maybe it was starving. Yeah, we see. You know. 216 00:15:05.080 --> 00:15:07.600 An actually funny side note the peduncle that has buds on it. Now, 217 00:15:07.960 --> 00:15:11.600 I've been waiting. I thought that they were going to bloom like three days 218 00:15:11.600 --> 00:15:13.279 ago, so every day I'm like, this is the day. They might 219 00:15:13.279 --> 00:15:16.639 be open tonight, but who knows. Yeah. Well, that peduncle though, 220 00:15:16.960 --> 00:15:22.159 it's like split head, like it has like a little stem that comes 221 00:15:22.200 --> 00:15:26.200 out of the stem and then there's like two curves with like two heads on 222 00:15:26.240 --> 00:15:30.559 the peduncle. Okay, interesting, So I trust your phone has been there 223 00:15:30.840 --> 00:15:35.440 on for three and a half weeks. I hope, like hopefully capturing that 224 00:15:35.519 --> 00:15:39.279 time lapse and that painstaking. I don't know if the way that it is 225 00:15:39.879 --> 00:15:46.240 I did set up time laps to get the blossoms on my black dragon hibiscus 226 00:15:46.399 --> 00:15:50.320 A couple of times. I had several flowers recently, and it's like that 227 00:15:50.399 --> 00:15:54.080 bland knows when I'm trying to time lapse it because the flowers like, I'm 228 00:15:54.519 --> 00:15:56.919 yeah, you can't do it if someone's looking. It's like doing a math 229 00:15:56.960 --> 00:16:00.879 in public. Okay, it's like a simple how much do people owe at 230 00:16:00.879 --> 00:16:03.039 the check? I'm like, I don't know how two plus threes? What? 231 00:16:03.919 --> 00:16:07.919 It was an overshare? But I have so many flowers on my chroniana, 232 00:16:07.399 --> 00:16:11.919 and that one blooms early in the evening, like afternoon. So I 233 00:16:12.120 --> 00:16:15.480 meant to get a time Labs photo of a chroniana. Yeah that means you've 234 00:16:15.480 --> 00:16:19.519 had it bloom enough when you know what time of day it's going to bloom. 235 00:16:19.799 --> 00:16:22.919 Okay, that I have apparent flowers ready to open, I'm going to 236 00:16:22.960 --> 00:16:26.679 set it a bit here, yeah, because it does not wait for dark 237 00:16:26.799 --> 00:16:30.159 and that that's an amazing plant. It has really responded well to like loves 238 00:16:30.240 --> 00:16:33.440 your space. Yeah, yeah, you're doing really well with it. That's 239 00:16:33.480 --> 00:16:36.799 cool. Yeah, it's it's great. So yeah, summary of this, 240 00:16:37.600 --> 00:16:41.120 I feel like I have seen significantly better growth on more of my plants because 241 00:16:41.120 --> 00:16:45.559 I'm paying more attention to them. I am not distracted by new plants that 242 00:16:45.600 --> 00:16:48.720 I'm adding, and I'm following that rule that we kind of tell people of, 243 00:16:48.799 --> 00:16:52.799 like give your plants fertilizer consistently and they love it, and like they 244 00:16:52.840 --> 00:16:56.759 do. I note this now from experience. Okay, okay, so that 245 00:16:56.879 --> 00:17:03.039 was great. We are going to move from a Victory Lap esque account that 246 00:17:03.080 --> 00:17:07.680 you just shared two more of a work in progress, you know, problem 247 00:17:07.720 --> 00:17:11.599 I am working through. Let's just say this one's relatable though to me. 248 00:17:11.759 --> 00:17:18.200 So okay, um, I wonder how Yeah, I feel like, you 249 00:17:18.240 --> 00:17:22.519 know, if you've listened to all one hundred and whatever episodes, maybe you're 250 00:17:22.559 --> 00:17:26.599 ready for this. But you know, we'll see buckle up. So I 251 00:17:26.640 --> 00:17:30.000 was really kind of trying to get back to basics with this. I will 252 00:17:30.079 --> 00:17:33.359 say I've mentioned that I have this big east facing window in my now not 253 00:17:33.559 --> 00:17:37.799 very new apartment. It's so ridiculously large, like it's a it's kind of 254 00:17:37.799 --> 00:17:41.680 a vintage building like this. The window dimensions don't make sense. It's like 255 00:17:41.960 --> 00:17:48.000 eight feet by five points something like, it's just like a huge rectangle. 256 00:17:48.039 --> 00:17:51.839 It's super cool. That's ideal though. Yeah, it's so ridiculously large. 257 00:17:52.039 --> 00:17:56.119 I like I had even less excuse for like not using windows in this place, 258 00:17:56.160 --> 00:18:00.640 which you know my history, I don't always do that, So regular 259 00:18:00.680 --> 00:18:03.400 listeners you know that I started with roults, like an aquariums, carnivorous plants 260 00:18:03.440 --> 00:18:07.680 that absolutely needed tons of light. So if you can imagine windows, they 261 00:18:07.799 --> 00:18:12.799 feel kind of uncontrolled, They feel inconsistent for me, Like, if I'm 262 00:18:12.799 --> 00:18:19.000 honest, I still don't completely know how an entire year goes in a window, 263 00:18:19.599 --> 00:18:23.519 like through all those changes of lighting temp. For my plants. Yeah, 264 00:18:23.599 --> 00:18:26.759 right, Like maybe I g guess that for like a lipstate plant, 265 00:18:26.799 --> 00:18:27.599 I know how that goes, but yeah, you know, some of the 266 00:18:27.680 --> 00:18:30.960 others that I have in there now, I'm not completely sure. So yeah, 267 00:18:32.039 --> 00:18:36.279 yeah. And the reason this is so relatable is because I feel like 268 00:18:36.400 --> 00:18:41.720 I have been typecast and pigeonholed as like the tropical foliage guy on this podcast 269 00:18:41.799 --> 00:18:45.759 show, even though I honestly don't really think that that's quite who I am 270 00:18:45.880 --> 00:18:51.559 in a lot of ways. And this is because I went from an apartment 271 00:18:51.640 --> 00:18:55.880 that had two enormous self facing windows that was like the same thing that you 272 00:18:55.960 --> 00:18:59.720 have, like this giant expanse of like eight feet by five points something, 273 00:19:00.759 --> 00:19:04.519 and I had succulents, I had all kinds of orchids, I had thriving 274 00:19:04.640 --> 00:19:08.880 orchids. I had just really amazing plants in that space. And I also 275 00:19:08.920 --> 00:19:12.079 had north windows so I could do lower light plants. And I had a 276 00:19:12.200 --> 00:19:17.759 huge balcony that I could grow things in full sun to like full shade, 277 00:19:17.880 --> 00:19:21.839 so I had every light exposure. There were also west windows in my kitchen 278 00:19:21.880 --> 00:19:26.039 which were not that big, but I had all the light options. When 279 00:19:26.079 --> 00:19:30.359 I lived in the U District and then moving to Capitol Hill, I had 280 00:19:30.480 --> 00:19:34.880 two windows in a sliding glass door that we're facing like just north of due 281 00:19:34.880 --> 00:19:44.359 east, so that balcony also only got sun until about noon most of the 282 00:19:44.480 --> 00:19:48.839 year, right, So my entire collection changed. So many of the plants 283 00:19:48.880 --> 00:19:55.279 that you grow are things that do actually require full consistent sun for a lot 284 00:19:55.319 --> 00:19:57.960 of the year, and probably you're not going to be able to do that 285 00:19:59.000 --> 00:20:03.119 in an east window. So when I moved with this collection of plants that 286 00:20:03.359 --> 00:20:08.119 thrived in that hot, sunny you district departments to Capitol Hill, I basically 287 00:20:08.160 --> 00:20:12.559 lost all of my orchids, most of my succulents, perished, and the 288 00:20:12.640 --> 00:20:18.160 plants that I was able to grow well were these like bright, indirect foliage 289 00:20:18.160 --> 00:20:22.920 plants. And so that's why my collection exploded in that direction. And that's 290 00:20:22.920 --> 00:20:25.880 when I started getting into grow lights, because like, well, I only 291 00:20:25.920 --> 00:20:30.359 have room for a couple of cacti now, and they have to tolerate morning 292 00:20:30.480 --> 00:20:33.440 only sun, and anything that needs more than that, or that needs longer 293 00:20:33.519 --> 00:20:37.119 durations of it, like orchids, they need grow lights. So this is 294 00:20:37.160 --> 00:20:41.920 you agreeing about window trust and window trust love. This is me telling you, 295 00:20:41.960 --> 00:20:45.160 I think it's hilarious that you've never used windows, but it makes sense 296 00:20:45.200 --> 00:20:49.880 because your collection has never been this sort of collection that is going to be 297 00:20:51.000 --> 00:20:55.960 able to live well in Seattle year around. I thank you for that. 298 00:20:56.039 --> 00:20:59.160 I've not come around. I just might not have articulated that to you. 299 00:21:00.000 --> 00:21:03.359 Okay, well, I'm gonna hear that as validation. My approach has always 300 00:21:03.400 --> 00:21:07.519 been grow everything in the windows that you can, and then anything that can't 301 00:21:07.559 --> 00:21:11.440 survive in the natural light of your windows, find a solution. Either don't 302 00:21:11.440 --> 00:21:15.759 grow it or find a lighting solution. So that's why I had so many 303 00:21:15.799 --> 00:21:18.079 grow lights in my Capitol Hill apart. So I guess I guess that kind 304 00:21:18.119 --> 00:21:22.119 of helps me set this up. Like I just took the opposite take, 305 00:21:22.519 --> 00:21:26.160 right, I set a thing up at the lights, and then anything that 306 00:21:26.240 --> 00:21:29.319 you know didn't need the light, maybe I'd throw in the window and try 307 00:21:30.680 --> 00:21:33.880 anyway. So I will die on the hill though that light is the single 308 00:21:33.920 --> 00:21:37.279 most important thing for your plans. Oh, no disagreement there, Yeah, 309 00:21:37.319 --> 00:21:41.720 I mean that justineable. Yeah, okay, So like I thought i'd kind 310 00:21:41.720 --> 00:21:45.720 of give a review. I thought I was a stranger, but it was 311 00:21:45.759 --> 00:21:48.960 like going to be this review from like an alien who just arrived here on 312 00:21:48.000 --> 00:21:52.359 Earth, you know, where there's no sun or something in to grow plants. 313 00:21:52.400 --> 00:21:56.759 I don't know anyway. For the things in my window, some things 314 00:21:56.759 --> 00:22:00.400 are great, some aren't or aren't yet. So when group of plants doing 315 00:22:00.599 --> 00:22:06.160 pretty well are my mounted orchids, I tend to overcollect these. Yeah, 316 00:22:06.160 --> 00:22:08.000 I tend to overcollect these. I tend to kind of get ahead of myself 317 00:22:08.079 --> 00:22:11.119 care wise, because these can be kind of demanding. Right, if you 318 00:22:11.119 --> 00:22:15.599 don't have any substrate there, you have to water more, drives more. 319 00:22:15.880 --> 00:22:19.119 A mounted plan will always require a lot more attention. Yeah, so they're 320 00:22:19.160 --> 00:22:23.400 doing pretty well. I do have a light kind of hanging in the window 321 00:22:23.440 --> 00:22:26.640 too, so it has a grow light also. I just really wanted to 322 00:22:26.720 --> 00:22:29.839 kind of get the most out of these that I could. Yeah, but 323 00:22:30.000 --> 00:22:33.839 it enjoys a natural light for me. The thought initially was that it would 324 00:22:33.880 --> 00:22:37.960 get these lower nighttime temps near the windows, which facilitates blooming. Yeah, 325 00:22:38.039 --> 00:22:41.759 that's kind of a nice thing to kind of, you know, make sure 326 00:22:41.799 --> 00:22:45.720 they have the conditions that they might need if I'm doing other things correctly. 327 00:22:45.319 --> 00:22:48.799 And they're doing well. So definitely getting a ton of growth. I know 328 00:22:48.880 --> 00:22:53.039 for certain gun era that I'm growing if I just ease up on the watering, 329 00:22:53.079 --> 00:22:56.359 which I've been a lot better at two because they're just more visible. 330 00:22:56.480 --> 00:23:00.480 They're easier to water in a window where you can just kind of spray it 331 00:23:00.559 --> 00:23:03.920 and like the window itself isn't getting get so you know, nasty like maybe 332 00:23:03.920 --> 00:23:07.960 a tabletop wood. Yeah, so they're doing pretty well. I think if 333 00:23:07.000 --> 00:23:11.480 it has a dry period, I'm going to get some flowers. And yeah, 334 00:23:11.519 --> 00:23:15.759 I definitely have filled the space completely up, you know, as we 335 00:23:15.880 --> 00:23:19.119 do. I have little hangers and some little like magnets on this window. 336 00:23:19.160 --> 00:23:23.839 I'll share a picture of this soon. But yeah, that's going really well. 337 00:23:25.799 --> 00:23:30.319 On the other hand, I had these grand plans to move my hoyas, 338 00:23:30.519 --> 00:23:36.880 especially the ones that had bloomed already. Moved them from this super prime 339 00:23:37.000 --> 00:23:40.559 real estate on a growth shelf that was like kind of high up, so 340 00:23:40.599 --> 00:23:42.640 I could see the hoya kind of cascading down right, and then maybe I 341 00:23:42.640 --> 00:23:48.000 could see some of the flowers that often face downward. It's been up there. 342 00:23:48.119 --> 00:23:51.400 There's big, like great light up there. I was going to move 343 00:23:51.440 --> 00:23:55.000 them to the window, especially once again that I've already seen bloom. I 344 00:23:55.039 --> 00:23:57.440 don't need to have them bloom all the time or something. Of course that's 345 00:23:57.440 --> 00:24:00.119 great, but I'm like, okay, put you in the way. Know 346 00:24:00.279 --> 00:24:03.240 maybe you know, with some of the seasonality there, you'll enjoy that. 347 00:24:03.039 --> 00:24:08.279 The few I've put there. I put the pollenura, the one that you 348 00:24:08.359 --> 00:24:11.119 talked about earlier, you know, just a couple of minutes ago. Yours 349 00:24:11.200 --> 00:24:17.160 is doing really well. Growth pretty much stopped on mine. I then moved 350 00:24:17.160 --> 00:24:19.160 it. A couple of days ago. One of the leaves was yellowed in 351 00:24:19.279 --> 00:24:22.559 a weird way, like not one of the new ones that you know is 352 00:24:22.559 --> 00:24:26.680 going to color up, So I wonder if it was too jarring. I 353 00:24:26.759 --> 00:24:30.240 put it back under the grow lights and that's fine. You know, it's 354 00:24:30.279 --> 00:24:33.079 a definitely an established plant, but it's not super huge, so maybe it's 355 00:24:33.119 --> 00:24:37.279 something I can do later. You know, it's not quite summer time. 356 00:24:37.359 --> 00:24:41.039 It wasn't quite summertime when I moved it, so maybe the light wasn't there 357 00:24:41.119 --> 00:24:45.480 to make that transition easy. So the hoyas overall, Yeah, I had 358 00:24:45.480 --> 00:24:48.759 all these plants to like move all the hoyas into these hanging you know things 359 00:24:48.839 --> 00:24:52.680 near the window. I don't know if that's really going to happen. Well, 360 00:24:52.680 --> 00:24:56.119 that's kind of what I was thinking. I feel like I have enough 361 00:24:56.200 --> 00:24:59.759 you know, hoya plant material at this point to do that. Yeah. 362 00:24:59.799 --> 00:25:03.880 I I have another species, Hoya lateensis. Oh yeah, has always been 363 00:25:03.880 --> 00:25:06.480 in the window. It was kind of in trouble. It had mealy bugs 364 00:25:06.519 --> 00:25:08.839 for a while. The mealy bugs are gone, but there is nothing like 365 00:25:08.880 --> 00:25:14.519 a peduncle anywhere. There is kind of just new, stringy, viney growth. 366 00:25:14.640 --> 00:25:17.640 I think it needs more light than it's getting, Okay, so maybe 367 00:25:17.640 --> 00:25:19.839 the east window just isn't going to cut it. To be fair, my 368 00:25:21.000 --> 00:25:26.640 Lateensis is growing right next to my Rotusa and my Croniana. It's also in 369 00:25:26.720 --> 00:25:30.279 a self watering wine bottle planter. It's put on tons of growth, but 370 00:25:30.319 --> 00:25:36.440 there's not a peduncle insight, and the Rotusa and the Croniana have both bloomed. 371 00:25:36.640 --> 00:25:40.440 The Croniana's blooming up a star. The lateensis is like, look at 372 00:25:40.440 --> 00:25:44.480 all my tiny cute little leaves. Yeah, because I thought maybe by putting 373 00:25:44.480 --> 00:25:48.559 it into like the prime space, you know, very well lit fry zone, 374 00:25:48.640 --> 00:25:52.519 i'll call it, I thought that I could kick some flowering out of 375 00:25:52.559 --> 00:25:56.400 it. Is that an expression? Yeah, but the flowers out of that, 376 00:25:56.799 --> 00:26:00.480 Yeah, so maybe that will work. Let's also point out that that's 377 00:26:00.480 --> 00:26:04.279 the one that there's not much care information and Doug Chamberlain does not have like 378 00:26:04.400 --> 00:26:11.440 positive regards to offer l tenses si um, yeah, so HOOI is less 379 00:26:11.440 --> 00:26:15.920 well. I have some just nariads there. I have some African violets I 380 00:26:15.960 --> 00:26:22.039 picked up. They're flowering a bunch. I'm getting some kind of dryish leaves. 381 00:26:22.079 --> 00:26:25.839 I may just need to tinker with watering there. Um. And you 382 00:26:25.880 --> 00:26:29.359 know, like these are not classically super difficult to get to flowers. I 383 00:26:29.359 --> 00:26:33.720 don't know if that is like the biggest vote of confidence. Last one, 384 00:26:33.720 --> 00:26:40.480 I'll mention the mandarin plant. Listen, Yeah, I tried to cut, 385 00:26:40.519 --> 00:26:42.680 you know, cut that stock off. The new growth looked good for a 386 00:26:42.759 --> 00:26:48.880 while. I'm starting to get some browning. Oh well it's a browning leaf 387 00:26:48.920 --> 00:26:52.079 tip. So it's a little bit different. But I'm just like, gosh, 388 00:26:52.200 --> 00:26:55.519 that's to be expected with you and just you know, a little baby 389 00:26:55.599 --> 00:26:57.880 update there. I've been trying to rehome it. Not not a lot of 390 00:26:57.920 --> 00:27:00.960 takers. I'm sorry. You can just leave it at your parents' house when 391 00:27:00.960 --> 00:27:04.319 you were you know, my mom, she wised up, she went out, 392 00:27:04.359 --> 00:27:07.160 she got out ahead of it. She's like, okay, have a 393 00:27:07.160 --> 00:27:10.960 lot of plants right now. So I didn't give others a wise woman. 394 00:27:11.519 --> 00:27:17.759 Yeah. Yeah, So what's next for you? Well, I think that 395 00:27:18.079 --> 00:27:21.640 in terms of the hoyas, I just want to add in that as mine 396 00:27:21.680 --> 00:27:25.880 have outgrown the grow rack shelves, I'm biting more like kind of you know, 397 00:27:26.039 --> 00:27:29.160 home to core places to put them. And that's what I was thinking, 398 00:27:29.240 --> 00:27:33.440 their growth. Yeah, it's it's kind of necessary. Sometimes some of 399 00:27:33.440 --> 00:27:36.319 them do well, like those ones that I was sharing. But I have 400 00:27:36.359 --> 00:27:41.200 a hoya obovada verragatta and when it was growing under lights like bright lights that 401 00:27:41.279 --> 00:27:48.680 everything thrives under the kind of variegated streak of cream down the center of the 402 00:27:48.759 --> 00:27:52.759 leaf was like the same texture and everything is the rest of the leaf, 403 00:27:52.759 --> 00:27:56.599 and the leaf would be around and flat. But now it hangs in a 404 00:27:56.640 --> 00:28:02.079 south facing window in my bedroom, and when the new leaves grow in, 405 00:28:02.400 --> 00:28:07.279 it's like the cream part of the leaf is like not willing to expand, 406 00:28:08.000 --> 00:28:14.480 So the leaf gets a little crinkled and kind of like fluted because the cream 407 00:28:14.559 --> 00:28:18.680 portion just kind of like stays stunted while the green of the leaf like kind 408 00:28:18.680 --> 00:28:22.960 of does its thing. So I might put that one back under higher light. 409 00:28:23.759 --> 00:28:26.920 It's in a south window, it does get some afternoon protection. But 410 00:28:27.519 --> 00:28:32.720 yeah, it's it's interesting. And I've also noticed that there's like, you 411 00:28:32.759 --> 00:28:37.039 know, just some little things that some of these plants like specifically want cooler 412 00:28:37.079 --> 00:28:41.400 temperatures. I've not had flowers on my numulariodes in a long time, and 413 00:28:41.680 --> 00:28:45.519 like it's growing okay, but you know, we kind of find a routine 414 00:28:45.519 --> 00:28:48.720 that works, then when you change it, it might take the plant some 415 00:28:48.799 --> 00:28:52.920 time to adjust and acclimate. Yeah, like there's a just an area that 416 00:28:52.920 --> 00:28:56.200 I'm growing that was doing well on the grow rex and now it's somewhere else 417 00:28:56.240 --> 00:29:02.480 and it just has stopped flowering. So you're learning these things that we all 418 00:29:02.559 --> 00:29:04.519 kind of learn at different times. You and I are like trading off when 419 00:29:04.559 --> 00:29:10.160 we learn and use different light strategies. Yes, may your entire home one 420 00:29:10.240 --> 00:29:14.240 day be grow rex we're getting there, no right, and would never allow 421 00:29:14.279 --> 00:29:18.400 that. I do want to just throw in about the mandarin plant. I 422 00:29:18.480 --> 00:29:21.839 sewed seeds of that thing like right after we did that episode. They have 423 00:29:21.920 --> 00:29:26.240 not germinated yet, so who knows what's going to happen. We'll see. 424 00:29:26.400 --> 00:29:29.079 Yeah. So the next thing that I wanted to talk about, I think 425 00:29:29.119 --> 00:29:33.720 ties in with something that you also wanted to mention. So I've said that 426 00:29:33.759 --> 00:29:37.440 I'm trying to rebuild my collection a bit with intention because last year, the 427 00:29:37.480 --> 00:29:42.480 plants that survived my move and like a not very great fall in winter were 428 00:29:42.480 --> 00:29:48.599 the ones that were super hardy and tolerant and neglect or plants that were so 429 00:29:48.720 --> 00:29:52.519 precious to me that they were going to live if I could do anything about 430 00:29:52.559 --> 00:29:56.759 it. Everything that needed consistent watering that I wasn't absolutely in love with, 431 00:29:56.160 --> 00:30:00.920 they all perished, and that's fine. But so now I'm trying to kind 432 00:30:00.960 --> 00:30:07.599 of rebuild what I want to replace them I've now lived in this house for 433 00:30:07.640 --> 00:30:11.880 almost two years, and I know to stop. I know, Oh my 434 00:30:11.960 --> 00:30:15.400 god, how has it been that long? But I intend to die in 435 00:30:15.480 --> 00:30:18.160 this house. And I feel like I know the space well hope, Okay, 436 00:30:18.720 --> 00:30:22.920 if I have to move again, I half of my soul will wither 437 00:30:22.039 --> 00:30:26.079 up. Chill and chat. Indeed, yeah, we're so chill. I'm 438 00:30:26.079 --> 00:30:32.480 going to die here. No, But I know what the windows do in 439 00:30:32.519 --> 00:30:37.519 different seasons. I know how the house responds when we're in the hundred twenties. 440 00:30:37.640 --> 00:30:41.920 I know how the house responds to the sun when we don't have it 441 00:30:41.000 --> 00:30:45.039 in June. Like I know what my nighttime lows are in different parts of 442 00:30:45.079 --> 00:30:49.400 the house. I know this space, and I know which plants do well 443 00:30:49.480 --> 00:30:53.839 where. I know what I can get away with and what's ideal. I've 444 00:30:55.000 --> 00:30:57.960 really established like where my grow rex are. All of my light timers are 445 00:30:59.039 --> 00:31:02.799 kind of perfected. Like I've refined and adapted these things well enough. And 446 00:31:02.839 --> 00:31:07.039 I feel like I myself have matured as a planned person to the point that 447 00:31:07.160 --> 00:31:11.720 I now have more restraint. I know what dies quickly for me. I 448 00:31:11.799 --> 00:31:15.680 know not to buy segoniums anymore. Sengonium Potophila. People love them, and 449 00:31:15.720 --> 00:31:19.359 I have one that's alive and it's luckily the prettiest investments the elbow variegated, 450 00:31:19.599 --> 00:31:23.440 But the rest of them, I don't even touch them anymore so because I 451 00:31:23.480 --> 00:31:27.319 want to maintain my fascination and love in this hobby, and that really diminished 452 00:31:27.400 --> 00:31:32.920 last year. I am getting new plants still, but just like I was 453 00:31:32.960 --> 00:31:34.799 just saying, I'm focusing on the ones that I already have. The new 454 00:31:34.839 --> 00:31:41.039 ones that I get, I'm being very selective about and I'm being extremely thoughtful 455 00:31:41.720 --> 00:31:48.640 when I'm browsing if I come across a potential impulse by plant or something that 456 00:31:48.759 --> 00:31:52.279 might have been on a wish list in the past, I know, like 457 00:31:52.720 --> 00:31:56.799 really being critical about, like what is this going to mean for my plant 458 00:31:56.799 --> 00:31:59.559 care routine? And how much am I going to enjoy this plant in six 459 00:31:59.640 --> 00:32:02.000 to twelve months? Is it even likely that you're going to make it to 460 00:32:02.160 --> 00:32:07.559 fall? Like plants really have to pass criteria before Okay, like I get 461 00:32:07.599 --> 00:32:13.000 out my debit card, listen, you can say pass. Is there an 462 00:32:13.039 --> 00:32:16.559 example of this, an example of a plant that I bought with deliberate intention? 463 00:32:16.799 --> 00:32:21.359 Or like what are you saying the one I'm curious about is the one 464 00:32:21.440 --> 00:32:28.680 that you passed up? Oh yeah, keeping all the time in here, 465 00:32:28.720 --> 00:32:31.599 we're not editing it. I don't really pick up the plates. Call Athias 466 00:32:32.440 --> 00:32:37.240 Calathias. Yeah, like I bought it's no longer a Claythia. It's in 467 00:32:37.319 --> 00:32:43.480 Geopardia now, but claythea Musaica. I bought one of those because I had 468 00:32:43.480 --> 00:32:46.119 one parish last year. But I love them. I think they're so beautiful. 469 00:32:46.519 --> 00:32:51.000 And I've killed enough of them and I've had enough problems with pests on 470 00:32:51.039 --> 00:32:53.000 them, and I'm like, I get it. I don't. I've had 471 00:32:53.039 --> 00:32:57.160 the experience. I know what you look like. I'm not going to buy 472 00:32:57.200 --> 00:33:02.240 any of you anymore. And so I've also looked at a variety of orchids, 473 00:33:02.279 --> 00:33:05.680 like I'm kind of trying to get back into orchids. Yeah, but 474 00:33:05.720 --> 00:33:09.119 I see dendrobims and I'm like, you're one of the most beautiful varieties of 475 00:33:09.240 --> 00:33:14.599 orchids, and you're inexpensive, A traitor Joe's right now. But I don't 476 00:33:14.640 --> 00:33:16.480 need you. I know what it is like having you in my home, 477 00:33:16.559 --> 00:33:20.200 and I know how to care for you, but like it doesn't work. 478 00:33:20.799 --> 00:33:24.720 So okay, yeah, all right, it's basically that I do have one 479 00:33:24.839 --> 00:33:29.759 regret plant that I want to put out there. It's a hartly fern. 480 00:33:30.039 --> 00:33:34.839 Hartly fern. Yeah, it has like black wiry stowns of a heart shaped 481 00:33:34.920 --> 00:33:42.279 leaf. Sorry, f those dudes, like you don't water them like once 482 00:33:42.759 --> 00:33:45.039 and then they just like curl up and if you're like really lucky, you 483 00:33:45.119 --> 00:33:47.880 get them water within like the first couple of minutes that they curl up, 484 00:33:47.920 --> 00:33:52.480 them look like a dead husk and then they might unfurl. But like, 485 00:33:52.599 --> 00:33:55.200 thetan is way too fussy for me. I regret getting that one. I 486 00:33:55.240 --> 00:33:58.839 thought, oh, I'm gonna put this in one of my self watering containers 487 00:33:58.839 --> 00:34:00.960 that I do from maidenhairs. Before I even got that far, I was 488 00:34:01.039 --> 00:34:05.920 letting it adjust to my home and that plant like might come back from the 489 00:34:05.960 --> 00:34:07.400 rhizome. But I'm like, you were not the right choice for me. 490 00:34:07.519 --> 00:34:09.920 Okay, it was only six dollars, so I don't feel too bad, 491 00:34:09.960 --> 00:34:14.119 but that was a lesson. I now look at this plant like recovering on 492 00:34:14.159 --> 00:34:16.719 micro rack, and I'm like, I should have paid more attention to that 493 00:34:16.719 --> 00:34:21.079 whole like this, this isn't the right plant that you don't need. Okay, 494 00:34:21.159 --> 00:34:24.880 yes, I am hearing maturation. I'm hearing restraint. Honestly, there's 495 00:34:24.920 --> 00:34:28.039 a lot of it. And I pressed you. I pressed you a little 496 00:34:28.039 --> 00:34:30.320 bit. Okay, the table into a sun shop the last time that I 497 00:34:30.360 --> 00:34:35.719 was there, it's really stopped. Oh my gosh, I did You're gonna 498 00:34:35.800 --> 00:34:39.679 laugh at me. I did get a Hoyabella. Wow. Okay, that's 499 00:34:39.679 --> 00:34:42.599 a thing. I mean, as gonna say Kalathis, I'm like, yeah, 500 00:34:42.639 --> 00:34:45.400 you guys had a tough relationship for a while. You kind of kept 501 00:34:45.440 --> 00:34:47.760 going back to her. I think that Kalathiers are beautiful. Here you I 502 00:34:47.880 --> 00:34:52.360 with Hoyabella and Bella doesn't impress me. This looks healthy and it's doing. 503 00:34:52.440 --> 00:34:54.960 You just want to win. You just want to win with Hoyabella. Yeah, 504 00:34:55.000 --> 00:34:59.960 and that's when it looks it's it's most beautiful. It's covered in flower 505 00:35:00.519 --> 00:35:02.239 and they last a long time. I mean it was my first Hoya. 506 00:35:02.360 --> 00:35:05.880 I still have it. I have a soft spot. I will take it 507 00:35:06.000 --> 00:35:08.679 to a busy street and I will just drop kick it into traffic when it's 508 00:35:08.679 --> 00:35:12.800 at its peak, just to like teachings, and then we'll pretend it's the 509 00:35:12.840 --> 00:35:15.840 first plant. You did that with, all right, Ye've never done that 510 00:35:15.840 --> 00:35:20.760 before. So yeah, if like you know, it's sort of related. 511 00:35:20.840 --> 00:35:24.119 I guess like for me, I think about my next goal is kind of 512 00:35:24.119 --> 00:35:32.119 like continuing my efficiency kick. I'll say, you're, well, okay, 513 00:35:32.159 --> 00:35:36.599 you haven't been to my plays, but no, but just hearing what you're 514 00:35:36.639 --> 00:35:40.320 talking about necessity is the mother of invention. Yeah. It does feel like 515 00:35:40.400 --> 00:35:45.079 ways to like balance the effort you want to put in with a collection that 516 00:35:45.119 --> 00:35:47.920 you want to have. Yeah, And I feel like there's always puzzle aspects 517 00:35:47.960 --> 00:35:52.039 to this hobby for me, and this is kind of this one right now. 518 00:35:52.119 --> 00:35:54.360 Like maybe it's not happening in like the plant care sort of layer, 519 00:35:54.840 --> 00:35:59.480 but it's happening in like the care portion. Yeah. So a big part 520 00:35:59.480 --> 00:36:04.239 of that for me has been about plant selection I mentioned earlier, getting back 521 00:36:04.239 --> 00:36:07.679 to carnivorous plants that are honestly easier to care for than so many of the 522 00:36:07.760 --> 00:36:12.239 other plants that are new to me lately, Like that we've gotten through the 523 00:36:12.280 --> 00:36:15.440 podcast and once I've you gotten you know, these swaps that are starting again. 524 00:36:15.960 --> 00:36:20.239 Yeah. Another part of that is cutting down are the ones that aren't 525 00:36:20.280 --> 00:36:22.519 doing super well that I already have already taking up a lot of space, 526 00:36:22.719 --> 00:36:27.039 like mandarin plant, or just aren't giving me a ton of joy? Also, 527 00:36:27.119 --> 00:36:30.760 like mandarin plant, are there any others besides the mandarin plant? Really 528 00:36:30.840 --> 00:36:34.360 focused on it? Okay, it's just like the very corner of my view 529 00:36:34.440 --> 00:36:37.079 now too, So sorry, it's getting a lot of you know, the 530 00:36:37.119 --> 00:36:39.480 hates right now. That plant's like, I don't even know my proper name. 531 00:36:43.320 --> 00:36:47.159 Yeah it's yeah, amiens recognastrum. We've ever done one from the point 532 00:36:47.199 --> 00:36:52.480 of view of a plant. That's a good idea. That's a good like 533 00:36:52.599 --> 00:36:57.920 aftershow idea for the future. So last piece I would say is just trying 534 00:36:57.960 --> 00:37:01.239 to fit in plants that I love of in like smart spaces where they can 535 00:37:01.320 --> 00:37:07.519 drink from water that accumulates in a watering tray for example, or other places. 536 00:37:07.559 --> 00:37:12.239 So this is my latest little like puzzle. You know, other things 537 00:37:12.239 --> 00:37:15.559 like what can live near the kitchen sink where it's more humid and I remember 538 00:37:15.599 --> 00:37:19.679 to water more so you know, I guess that's fairly normal. Okay, 539 00:37:19.840 --> 00:37:22.480 Yeah, but those are kind of my different prongs right now. Well, 540 00:37:22.480 --> 00:37:24.880 And I think that when you talk about how carnivorous plants are easy for you, 541 00:37:24.920 --> 00:37:28.800 it's because you can just leave them in a tray of water. Exactly. 542 00:37:28.840 --> 00:37:30.440 It's you know, we said that in that episode where like, okay, 543 00:37:30.480 --> 00:37:32.920 you just get a couple of these things, right, And I know 544 00:37:32.960 --> 00:37:37.000 that it's not like the easiest thing for everyone to do, but really, 545 00:37:37.559 --> 00:37:39.840 after you're done with less than one, I feel like it's pretty smooth sailing. 546 00:37:40.119 --> 00:37:43.760 Yeah. And then otherwise, like you know, succulents, you just 547 00:37:43.760 --> 00:37:46.599 water them when they're completely dry. So it's just like in between plants through 548 00:37:46.639 --> 00:37:53.280 the fussiest yes plants, the water a little bit of plants. Yeah, 549 00:37:53.320 --> 00:37:57.960 so you know, carnivorous plant wise, I'm getting kind of a mix of 550 00:37:58.039 --> 00:38:01.519 classics that I've already had some new challenge plants for me. I have one 551 00:38:01.559 --> 00:38:07.519 called Drusera prolifera. I'm gonna look that one up. Yeah, it's a 552 00:38:07.760 --> 00:38:12.880 sund like a carnivorous stewie looking sund. It has spoon shaped leaves, which 553 00:38:12.920 --> 00:38:15.960 is kind of unusual for the genus. Oh, this one's cute. It 554 00:38:15.039 --> 00:38:20.840 kind of looks like a carnivorous version of the peepee plant. Almost. Oh 555 00:38:20.920 --> 00:38:23.119 yeah, I could see that. So anyway, that that sundo is, 556 00:38:23.559 --> 00:38:28.519 I guess an easy grower. I thought it was very difficult before saw one 557 00:38:28.599 --> 00:38:30.800 randomly picked it up and it's doing pretty well. It is a very fussy 558 00:38:30.840 --> 00:38:35.440 eater, which is interesting, Like it's not one that really responds to like 559 00:38:35.559 --> 00:38:38.519 fully or feeding, so I have to kind of like find little gnats for 560 00:38:38.599 --> 00:38:42.480 it. But luckily I have you know, some nats in my home now. 561 00:38:42.599 --> 00:38:46.239 Yeah, just put a next year African violets. Actually, yeah, 562 00:38:46.480 --> 00:38:50.719 not a bad idea. I'm looking around. Um. Yeah, I got 563 00:38:50.719 --> 00:38:53.840 a new Nepenthes nepenthees hammada, which is really you know, thought of is 564 00:38:53.920 --> 00:38:57.800 very difficult, but I have a small one. Yeah. It was for 565 00:38:58.000 --> 00:39:00.639 a firesale price someone who just was like, oh, I can't get this 566 00:39:00.719 --> 00:39:04.800 particular clone to do super well. How but you have a go at it? 567 00:39:04.880 --> 00:39:07.760 Yeah, So yeah, it's growing well so far. It is very 568 00:39:07.800 --> 00:39:10.199 tiny, and I do like the toothed parastome on that one. That's a 569 00:39:10.280 --> 00:39:15.440 really neat plant. Yeah, it's definitely like a prestige one that people really 570 00:39:15.440 --> 00:39:20.199 love. Did you chat with Jacob from Plant Prodigy about that one? I 571 00:39:20.320 --> 00:39:23.920 told him about it, but he is kind of way smarter than me in 572 00:39:23.960 --> 00:39:29.320 the sense that he tends to get hybrids that have the characteristics of the very 573 00:39:29.320 --> 00:39:32.440 cool you know species. Yeah, but grow you know, twice as quickly, 574 00:39:32.760 --> 00:39:37.960 and he doesn't have that like toxic chaotic trade of being species purists like 575 00:39:38.079 --> 00:39:40.480 us, even though we know it's not a choice and we know that it's 576 00:39:40.519 --> 00:39:44.760 not as rewarded. Yeah, so like as I bought it, I might 577 00:39:44.800 --> 00:39:47.800 be I'm like, okay, maybe I'll just do like Jacob later and get 578 00:39:49.239 --> 00:39:52.400 you know, the hybrid that you know, we'll probably do better in my 579 00:39:52.440 --> 00:39:54.119 conditions, but whatever, We'll see how the somata goes again, I said 580 00:39:54.119 --> 00:39:57.440 it was, you know, kind of on the cheaper side. Yeah. 581 00:39:57.480 --> 00:40:00.360 And then helium flora. I keep moving those around right now. I'm just 582 00:40:00.400 --> 00:40:04.159 trying to get that cold enough night and I think they're okay, but they're 583 00:40:04.159 --> 00:40:07.320 not really thriving. I got one flower this year. I had you know, 584 00:40:07.559 --> 00:40:10.920 more other years, but they're growing well enough. So hopefully those do 585 00:40:12.000 --> 00:40:15.360 well this summer, which is kind of the hardest season for them always. 586 00:40:15.679 --> 00:40:21.119 As far as like putting plants in smart I'll say spaces, My thing right 587 00:40:21.119 --> 00:40:24.880 now is trying to put all of my rip salas into self watering like waking 588 00:40:24.960 --> 00:40:30.559 chord pots and kind of putting those in the trays that react on you or 589 00:40:30.559 --> 00:40:34.760 did you larnament from the Justnaria Society sale. Good question, okay, because 590 00:40:34.800 --> 00:40:37.519 I think of you as more of like a full self contained watering pot thing. 591 00:40:38.000 --> 00:40:42.679 But I mean it was definitely like around that, of course on our 592 00:40:42.719 --> 00:40:45.679 social media for a while now. Then at the sale, I saw just 593 00:40:45.760 --> 00:40:47.719 kind of like a chord sticking out and you're like, okay, you know, 594 00:40:47.840 --> 00:40:50.639 just like put water in this tray. I mean, fill up the 595 00:40:50.639 --> 00:40:53.559 tray whenever. It's like, you know, deconstructed self watering pot maybe. 596 00:40:53.679 --> 00:40:55.719 And then I'm like, oh, I can put this in some of the 597 00:40:55.840 --> 00:41:00.920 larger plants where I would just want to water them a ton, there's water 598 00:41:00.000 --> 00:41:02.199 sitting there. Sometimes it gets kind of gross, you know, if it 599 00:41:02.239 --> 00:41:05.639 sits there for a while, and I'm like, oh, if only something 600 00:41:05.639 --> 00:41:09.800 would sit drink this. A carnivorous plant won't because often there's fertilizer in there, 601 00:41:09.920 --> 00:41:14.559 like you know, it's as it's run through soil. You can't use 602 00:41:14.599 --> 00:41:17.400 that so much. But for these I have a couple doing very well. 603 00:41:17.679 --> 00:41:24.079 Rips Ellis paradoxa is one I just moved my what's it called drunken bones? 604 00:41:24.360 --> 00:41:29.480 I want to say cactus. Yeah, that hatiora. It's also like bottle 605 00:41:29.559 --> 00:41:34.159 plant or something that one there. I have a couple other ones. The 606 00:41:34.400 --> 00:41:37.960 names are escaping me right now. I think you should do maiden hair ferns 607 00:41:37.960 --> 00:41:40.079 if you need a plant to suck up that water, and specifically the Himalayan 608 00:41:40.159 --> 00:41:44.920 maiden hair fern, because it is a fairly small growing species. It's much 609 00:41:44.960 --> 00:41:47.960 more compact and I think it would be much better for your space. Excellent 610 00:41:49.119 --> 00:41:52.400 idea, and I did that about six months ago, not with a Himalayan 611 00:41:52.519 --> 00:41:57.400 that I know of, but I was like, you know, yeah, 612 00:41:57.440 --> 00:42:00.199 I you know, I let it dry out for an hour or two or 613 00:42:00.239 --> 00:42:05.159 whatever. This species hates mostly died back. I had like a frond or 614 00:42:05.199 --> 00:42:07.960 two. Put it under there. It's massive. Again, I have it 615 00:42:07.039 --> 00:42:10.840 under my drusina. Yeah, so I'll just like drench the drausina. It's 616 00:42:10.840 --> 00:42:15.400 sitting like a little bit elevated in this you know, separate tray under it 617 00:42:15.440 --> 00:42:20.599 gets basically rained on and then there's a cord where it can sit and it's 618 00:42:20.840 --> 00:42:23.599 super well perfect. So yes, it does not yet a lot. You 619 00:42:23.639 --> 00:42:27.360 know, there are other options here are a great great thing to point out. 620 00:42:27.440 --> 00:42:30.400 And then yeah, little addendum, just putting things outdoors where I can 621 00:42:30.840 --> 00:42:35.559 I love these powerful magnets. I have some that work outdoors on these on 622 00:42:35.719 --> 00:42:38.159 like the parts of the window pane their metal, So I have little trays. 623 00:42:38.599 --> 00:42:42.239 Does your landlord know you're doing that? I'm sure he doesn't listen. 624 00:42:42.320 --> 00:42:46.239 That sounds okay, Well he can look at the window, I you know, 625 00:42:46.639 --> 00:42:51.440 listen. Like rent laws are really great here in Seattle. I got 626 00:42:51.519 --> 00:42:54.679 yelled at from what I was doing on my balcony roc that was crossing a 627 00:42:54.760 --> 00:42:58.559 lot of lines. They're like, it's going to fall off. It's a 628 00:42:58.639 --> 00:43:02.760 collapse problem. I literally use the justification of like, I'm pretty sure that 629 00:43:02.840 --> 00:43:07.039 the number of people that I could fit on the balcony weighs more than the 630 00:43:07.119 --> 00:43:09.079 number of plants that I curate. I would find hard to believe. And 631 00:43:09.119 --> 00:43:13.960 then they all went out there, okay, on top of these you know, 632 00:43:14.360 --> 00:43:19.159 water laden ceramic things that were Anyway, it was a cool balcony and 633 00:43:19.320 --> 00:43:22.880 no one died while you lived there. I don't know what's happening there. 634 00:43:22.920 --> 00:43:25.519 I can't even look at that building when I'm on the hill. I really 635 00:43:25.559 --> 00:43:30.760 hope they address the structural damage. Anyway, over here, I have a 636 00:43:30.800 --> 00:43:35.079 tiny fly trap that is stuck to the window and it's doing well. It's 637 00:43:35.079 --> 00:43:37.760 got a few things so far. Oh very nice. So are you doing 638 00:43:37.800 --> 00:43:43.719 anything that is efficiency specific like this in your mind? Well, you know 639 00:43:43.960 --> 00:43:46.760 it. Actually it's a good tie in with what I said just a little 640 00:43:46.760 --> 00:43:50.519 bit ago about like I mean intentional about the plants that I'm getting. Yeah, 641 00:43:50.599 --> 00:43:53.119 yeah, this is a spectrum of things. Yeah, Like the plants 642 00:43:53.159 --> 00:44:00.280 that I am getting now are the ones that couldn't tolerate the like abuse that 643 00:44:00.320 --> 00:44:07.039 they went through last year and kind of my like plant despondency so abuse. 644 00:44:07.000 --> 00:44:10.480 Yeah, I mean I let a bunch of plants die and it was heartbreaking, 645 00:44:10.480 --> 00:44:15.480 but also just because they couldn't tolerate it. So now I'm getting back 646 00:44:15.480 --> 00:44:22.000 into things like alocacia and maiden hair ferns and also carnivorous plants like I had, 647 00:44:22.559 --> 00:44:25.000 you know, my history with the nepenthes and I have like two really 648 00:44:25.039 --> 00:44:30.119 good helium bora, and I was very happy with the success that I'd had 649 00:44:30.159 --> 00:44:35.440 specifically with the nepenthees, and those plants did not make it through last year, 650 00:44:35.480 --> 00:44:37.039 and I had them for several years by that point, and they had 651 00:44:37.079 --> 00:44:42.840 grown up and immatured a tone, so like that was awful for me, 652 00:44:43.079 --> 00:44:45.239 and so I'm getting back into them and kind of like you're doing some things 653 00:44:45.280 --> 00:44:50.480 with your carnivorous plants to reignite that part of your hobby. I repositioned the 654 00:44:50.599 --> 00:44:55.840 racks of micro rack so that I now have a fairly close space with trays 655 00:44:55.880 --> 00:45:00.199 of water, and I have three Nuvinus fly traps. I have a read 656 00:45:00.239 --> 00:45:01.519 one, I have a standard green one, and I have one of the 657 00:45:01.519 --> 00:45:06.960 ones with like the thick teeth. And these are indoors. Yep, they're 658 00:45:06.960 --> 00:45:09.800 growing indoors right now. I'm just going to try that. My penicula. 659 00:45:10.280 --> 00:45:15.719 We're not doing great, but they were the only carnivorous plants that made it 660 00:45:15.800 --> 00:45:21.440 through last year. They are so hardy Okay, I'm impressed. I lost 661 00:45:21.559 --> 00:45:24.239 one of the three. They are now coming back. They're looking great, 662 00:45:24.760 --> 00:45:29.239 so probably, god, this might be a real this week. I'm probably 663 00:45:29.280 --> 00:45:32.199 gonna get them positioned in little pummus planters that I have sitting around specifically for 664 00:45:32.400 --> 00:45:37.360 this. I also have another Saracenia. I lost all my saracenia and my 665 00:45:37.559 --> 00:45:44.119 Darlingtonia. But you know, you're doing the self wicking thing for your salas. 666 00:45:44.440 --> 00:45:49.000 I've been thinking of doing that for some of my epiphytic cacti as well, 667 00:45:49.519 --> 00:45:52.760 and thinking of like getting one of those like one point five liter wine 668 00:45:52.800 --> 00:45:57.920 bottles to do like an enormous version of that, but for like you know, 669 00:45:58.119 --> 00:46:02.519 the dishbone cactus or some thing. But my first nipenthis that I have 670 00:46:02.599 --> 00:46:08.880 since last year's casualties. It's a hybrid between low Ei and ventricosa. Oh 671 00:46:09.039 --> 00:46:13.800 okay. I think this is the same one that Jacob Plant Prodigy talked about, 672 00:46:13.920 --> 00:46:16.280 okay, and he liked good good, So that actually makes me feel 673 00:46:16.280 --> 00:46:22.000 great because he's such a good grower of these plants. That feels vindicating. 674 00:46:22.320 --> 00:46:24.159 But I have it set up in just per light and sphagnum moss in a 675 00:46:24.199 --> 00:46:30.400 wine bottled planter, and I'm gonna get more in apenthees soon. I just 676 00:46:30.440 --> 00:46:34.639 want to see how these carnivorous plants do. But the way that they're all 677 00:46:34.679 --> 00:46:36.960 set up, it's like they're just in a tray of water. They're under 678 00:46:37.000 --> 00:46:39.800 extremely high light. They're easily accessible so that I can take that whole tray 679 00:46:39.880 --> 00:46:45.320 out, Like I got heavy duty trays that can supposedly hold fifty pounds and 680 00:46:45.519 --> 00:46:47.920 so like if it has water in it, and these plants, I don't 681 00:46:47.960 --> 00:46:51.679 have to be so careful about, like, oh, don't let it snap 682 00:46:51.679 --> 00:46:53.920 and break and spill water all over my house, because it does get scummy 683 00:46:53.960 --> 00:46:58.639 and algae. So what I do is I just like empty it out in 684 00:46:58.719 --> 00:47:00.480 the toilet and spray it down really well to get the algae out, and 685 00:47:00.480 --> 00:47:04.800 then I just replace it. I'm not being too careful about my water quality 686 00:47:04.840 --> 00:47:07.119 just because it's not been an issue for either of us in this area. 687 00:47:08.280 --> 00:47:12.000 I am keeping an eye though, to see if I might need to do 688 00:47:12.000 --> 00:47:14.920 this, but I want to get into drifts Sarah next. Now that I've 689 00:47:14.960 --> 00:47:19.920 kind of figuring out like keeping my highlight and nepenthes going keeping them moist with 690 00:47:19.960 --> 00:47:23.679 the self watering version, then I'm kind of doing the same thing with my 691 00:47:23.679 --> 00:47:28.719 friends and Allocacia, Like we talked about that, and I remember the episode 692 00:47:28.800 --> 00:47:32.000 numbers, like one of them was fifty four maybe whatever. But it's it's 693 00:47:32.039 --> 00:47:36.280 that layered, wicking thing like if you've been on Instagram or TikTok, you've 694 00:47:36.320 --> 00:47:38.320 seen me do that. Oh actually, okay, I'm going to cut you 695 00:47:38.360 --> 00:47:43.079 off here. The other thing I did it with was that Allocacia Bambino. 696 00:47:43.280 --> 00:47:46.960 Oh that we really well, nothing has happened yet, but there was the 697 00:47:47.039 --> 00:47:50.519 new tissue in there when I was like, I think I'm going to throw 698 00:47:50.559 --> 00:47:52.719 this out. Okay, I have two. I'm going to see if it 699 00:47:52.719 --> 00:47:54.800 wakes up. It's in the window, so it has that hurdle. Hopefully 700 00:47:54.800 --> 00:47:58.559 it's bright enough. But anyway, continue, Yeah, I hope it works. 701 00:47:58.599 --> 00:48:01.440 I apol do. Yeah. All of my allocation went dormant last year. 702 00:48:01.920 --> 00:48:05.920 Some of them have woken up. Others I've just composted because I'm like, 703 00:48:06.599 --> 00:48:10.119 I can always replace you. So I now have like four that are 704 00:48:10.159 --> 00:48:15.840 in full leaf. They're doing really well. They're putting on new leaves. 705 00:48:15.000 --> 00:48:19.840 I've treated one of them for spider mites once. Because I'm being very intentional 706 00:48:19.840 --> 00:48:23.599 about my pests. My maiden hair ferns are doing great. I have a 707 00:48:23.880 --> 00:48:28.519 very large it's one of the ones that can live outdoors here. I think 708 00:48:28.519 --> 00:48:31.920 it's pandatam or pedapholia or something like. Yeah. That one I need to 709 00:48:31.960 --> 00:48:36.079 find like an enormous glass vessel because I want to do like a statement piece 710 00:48:36.119 --> 00:48:38.440 for it. But the others are doing really really well, and I'm very 711 00:48:38.480 --> 00:48:42.280 happy with them so far. I'm just keeping them wet. I'm allowing the 712 00:48:42.320 --> 00:48:47.400 allocation to stay lightly moist, sometimes wet, sometimes slightly dry. But because 713 00:48:47.599 --> 00:48:51.800 orchids have been such a challenge for me in this space and I haven't quite 714 00:48:51.800 --> 00:48:55.360 figured them out yet, I am doing better with like the Pathew pedalums, 715 00:48:55.519 --> 00:48:59.280 the slipper orchids. Those are some of my favorites, and I used to 716 00:48:59.320 --> 00:49:02.039 have a great collection those years ago. I've only had two that I haven't 717 00:49:02.079 --> 00:49:06.639 done great for a few years. So I'm doing those in a combination of 718 00:49:06.639 --> 00:49:12.119 wine bottle planters and the layered treatment, but with a hole drilled in the 719 00:49:12.159 --> 00:49:15.000 side, like about halfway up where the lecca layer goes. And I've started 720 00:49:15.000 --> 00:49:21.800 doing that adaptation to that allocation madenhair fern version, because these plants do want 721 00:49:21.880 --> 00:49:24.639 more airflow to their roots, and I'm also doing that for like some ant 722 00:49:24.679 --> 00:49:29.880 plants, and so what that allows is I can water them thoroughly, use 723 00:49:29.920 --> 00:49:32.079 my thumb to cover that hole, flood the container, let it soak in, 724 00:49:32.239 --> 00:49:36.760 do this with fertilizers sometimes, and then I can drain out that excess 725 00:49:36.800 --> 00:49:38.840 water and I can flush the substrate when I want, But I can also 726 00:49:38.960 --> 00:49:44.039 leave a few inches of water in the bottom that never reaches into the substrate 727 00:49:44.400 --> 00:49:49.320 and the wicking cord draws it up to keep this sphagnum moss the coconut chunks 728 00:49:49.320 --> 00:49:52.559 like lightly moist. And two of these pathio pedalums are going to bloom soon, 729 00:49:53.079 --> 00:49:57.480 and the others are still looking good. Like I've got six on this 730 00:49:57.960 --> 00:50:01.360 on an east window sill and my office here that are doing really really well. 731 00:50:01.400 --> 00:50:06.400 I'm feeling good about them. I found these little efficiency things like these 732 00:50:06.400 --> 00:50:07.320 are the plants that are going to dry out too much. These are the 733 00:50:07.320 --> 00:50:10.159 plants that I'm going to neglect a little bit if it gets hot for two 734 00:50:10.199 --> 00:50:15.679 days and I don't notice them. So god wicking self watering. They are 735 00:50:15.760 --> 00:50:20.440 really taking a lot of the struggle out for me for a lot of these 736 00:50:20.480 --> 00:50:23.679 plants that are super sensitive, super beautiful. Okay, yeah, yes, 737 00:50:24.800 --> 00:50:30.199 I dare say you're obsessed. I am, and there are no and listen, 738 00:50:30.480 --> 00:50:34.079 there's a lot of good reason for this. Okay, I'm you know, 739 00:50:34.119 --> 00:50:36.679 hey, I'm borrowing some of this now. I kind of never thought 740 00:50:36.679 --> 00:50:37.719 I would be. I mean, a couple of years ago, I'm like, 741 00:50:37.760 --> 00:50:39.920 oh, that's not really like a thing I would do, or I 742 00:50:39.920 --> 00:50:43.519 would just kind of like put you know, a palm, a stone writ 743 00:50:43.559 --> 00:50:47.360 in water or the plant writ in water or whatever. Yeah, but okay, 744 00:50:47.440 --> 00:50:52.559 here's my question for the future for you. Yeah, so, okay, 745 00:50:52.559 --> 00:50:55.599 you have all these vessels, that's great question. One. When are 746 00:50:55.599 --> 00:50:59.760 you going to have to kind of get in there and clean all these out 747 00:51:00.159 --> 00:51:01.880 or like get in there and just be like, you know what, this 748 00:51:01.920 --> 00:51:06.559 degradation that happens in here is kind of different? Is that in one year? 749 00:51:06.679 --> 00:51:09.440 This is actually a great question. I'm two years, it's going to 750 00:51:09.480 --> 00:51:13.079 be it's gonna be different schedules for a lot of these plants. So like, 751 00:51:13.320 --> 00:51:15.760 what would you say or have you reached this point with any of these 752 00:51:15.920 --> 00:51:19.679 I had like an older plant set up or something. Yeah, yeah, 753 00:51:19.719 --> 00:51:22.519 what's that like? So the first allocacia that I set up? Is this 754 00:51:22.559 --> 00:51:27.119 our episode on these? You just give us the overview? Yeah, let 755 00:51:27.119 --> 00:51:29.920 me just give you an overview, because maybe we could address us in a 756 00:51:29.960 --> 00:51:31.800 whole episode. Yeah, here's what I found. Yeah, every time that 757 00:51:31.880 --> 00:51:36.360 I pot something up in one of these self watering wicking systems, whether it's 758 00:51:36.360 --> 00:51:38.519 the closed vessel, the closed vessel with a hole in the side, or 759 00:51:38.599 --> 00:51:43.880 a wine bottle planter, I keep track of what the soil is doing, 760 00:51:43.960 --> 00:51:46.159 and what the growth of the plant is doing. When it's a closed system, 761 00:51:46.199 --> 00:51:51.760 in particular with no drainage, I'm very hesitant about over fertilizing or even 762 00:51:51.800 --> 00:51:54.840 fertilizing at all. So what I do is I wait to see does the 763 00:51:54.880 --> 00:52:00.360 plant stop growing or slow down, Because if it reaches that point, then 764 00:52:00.400 --> 00:52:02.840 I know, okay, it's pretty much depleted the system. So I'll add 765 00:52:02.880 --> 00:52:06.800 a little bit of fertilizer to see if that kind of gets it going again. 766 00:52:07.039 --> 00:52:09.159 If I'm seeing tons of roots, like if it's really full, if 767 00:52:09.159 --> 00:52:14.639 there's a lot of foliage coming in, Like I had an Allocacia amazonica that 768 00:52:14.800 --> 00:52:17.079 like really filled a six inch vessel, then it was like, okay, 769 00:52:17.119 --> 00:52:21.239 it is time for you. Now you have outgrown a six inch vessel. 770 00:52:21.679 --> 00:52:24.159 Instead of getting like an enormous glass base to do this again, you're going 771 00:52:24.239 --> 00:52:30.000 to go into like a ten inch pot because there's enough substrate that I can 772 00:52:30.039 --> 00:52:34.679 easily water that substrate at the regular frequency. See that's what I was thinking, 773 00:52:34.719 --> 00:52:37.519 Yeah, yeah, like you could. This is a step where then 774 00:52:37.599 --> 00:52:40.320 graduates into kind of a larger system that's more conventional, where then you can 775 00:52:40.360 --> 00:52:45.679 deal with those other things like yeah, yeah, like mineral accumulation or like 776 00:52:45.159 --> 00:52:49.760 breakdown of the medium or something that you might worry about. Okay, right, 777 00:52:49.840 --> 00:52:52.559 like one to two years is about what I think it takes. I 778 00:52:52.599 --> 00:52:55.360 think that if you fertilize, you have to be very careful if you can't 779 00:52:55.480 --> 00:53:00.480 drain that excess water out. Yeah, the wine bottle planters are super easy 780 00:53:00.519 --> 00:53:04.320 to do this because like they'll automatically drain, but you do have to scrab 781 00:53:04.320 --> 00:53:07.639 out the algae that builds up in them occasionally and try to keep light off 782 00:53:07.679 --> 00:53:10.280 of these vessels because they're clear, so algae will grow. But it's great 783 00:53:10.320 --> 00:53:15.039 because if it's a small plant like these small orchids that I'm growing, I 784 00:53:15.079 --> 00:53:20.960 can just every year to two years either put them back in the exact same 785 00:53:21.039 --> 00:53:24.559 setup with fresh substrate, or I can graduate them bump into the next largest 786 00:53:24.639 --> 00:53:30.239 size. If it's a plant that's going to stay small, then you can 787 00:53:30.280 --> 00:53:34.519 just you know, perpetually keep it that way. But I love this approach 788 00:53:34.960 --> 00:53:37.079 for young hoyas. You know how so many times we get hoias that start 789 00:53:37.119 --> 00:53:42.400 in like two inch pots and they want to stay sort of moist because there's 790 00:53:42.440 --> 00:53:45.000 not there's a lot of drying that happens quickly. I've grown a lot of 791 00:53:45.039 --> 00:53:50.639 hoyas up two sizes where they are great in pots where they struggle, and 792 00:53:50.719 --> 00:53:52.760 like the two inch pot, like they go into like a three inch wine 793 00:53:52.760 --> 00:53:58.639 bottle and then give it a year or two at most, and they're ready 794 00:53:58.679 --> 00:54:00.320 to get into a bigger pot. Yeah, And so I think that that 795 00:54:00.440 --> 00:54:04.119 answers the question for me, like, yeah, maybe we revisit this at 796 00:54:04.199 --> 00:54:07.840 some point and kind of give that treatment and not like at the end of 797 00:54:07.840 --> 00:54:10.079 a Chilean shot a little bit like this. So if you hear this again, 798 00:54:10.199 --> 00:54:13.599 act surprised because I think, yeah, yeah, maybe we're onto something 799 00:54:13.599 --> 00:54:15.159 here, Okay, And I do feel like maybe, like I feel like 800 00:54:15.199 --> 00:54:22.039 I've been branded the tropical foliage guy. I might be the like weird glass 801 00:54:22.159 --> 00:54:27.920 plant growing setup guy that is your next moniker that you know, harpist really 802 00:54:28.000 --> 00:54:30.519 rolls off the tongue, doesn't it. Yeah, we'll work shopping. Yeah, 803 00:54:30.679 --> 00:54:36.239 I do have a Bagonia. Like people have wonderful luck with Bagonias. 804 00:54:36.280 --> 00:54:39.239 And there's this one called the Beefsteak Bagonia. It's a vintage classic. People 805 00:54:39.280 --> 00:54:44.559 grow them so well even I know that they Yeah, they just freaking die 806 00:54:44.599 --> 00:54:46.360 in my care and so I had this one that keeps reducing itself to a 807 00:54:46.480 --> 00:54:51.039 rhizome with like little leaves poking out, and I think I'm going to do 808 00:54:51.079 --> 00:54:53.480 that in one of those layered setups, and maybe if I try Claythia again, 809 00:54:53.519 --> 00:54:55.639 I'm going to do it in a layered setup. Lots of people keep 810 00:54:55.679 --> 00:54:59.599 asking in social media with this work, and it's like, I see no 811 00:54:59.639 --> 00:55:02.760 reason why not you should go ahead and try this how it goes? Yeah, 812 00:55:04.039 --> 00:55:05.719 I would, but I don't have a clathe and I haven't, but 813 00:55:06.280 --> 00:55:07.360 I'm saying, you say to them, You're like, you know what, 814 00:55:07.519 --> 00:55:10.760 you guys? Dry it. People do keep asking like would this work for 815 00:55:12.159 --> 00:55:15.400 an album on Stara? Would this work for print Pink Princess? Would this 816 00:55:15.440 --> 00:55:19.079 work for a Melano crisis? And it's like, Okay, honestly, this 817 00:55:19.159 --> 00:55:22.719 is not the right approach for those plants you want them to dry more. 818 00:55:22.719 --> 00:55:24.960 But you can also just change the substrate, use something super chunky and area 819 00:55:25.039 --> 00:55:29.400 let it dry more. But it's ideal for plants that never want to dry 820 00:55:29.880 --> 00:55:32.719 much. You know how I bought four African violets of the African Violet sale. 821 00:55:32.920 --> 00:55:37.039 Yeah, well, the two that are in wine bottle planters thriving, 822 00:55:37.199 --> 00:55:40.960 enormous blooming. One of them literally has the same flowers that it had when 823 00:55:40.960 --> 00:55:45.320 we bought it at that sale. This month was that sale? Like was 824 00:55:45.320 --> 00:55:47.880 that March? Oh? Yeah? April? April? Yeah, okay, 825 00:55:49.159 --> 00:55:53.400 literally I have the same flower on one of those plants as it came with 826 00:55:53.440 --> 00:55:58.519 in April. But the other two that I left in their pots, they're 827 00:55:58.519 --> 00:56:00.000 not doing so hot. So they're going to go and wine model planters, 828 00:56:00.000 --> 00:56:06.039 probably Saffernoon. All right, so maybe we'll get a wine club sponsorship. 829 00:56:06.119 --> 00:56:08.280 Okay. It's an alarming number of wine bottles. Oh, and I will 830 00:56:08.360 --> 00:56:12.440 put out there. Some people have commented, oh, if only I drink 831 00:56:12.480 --> 00:56:17.079 wine. I have used maple syrup bottles. Yeah, I have used kombucha 832 00:56:17.159 --> 00:56:22.039 bottles. Like, there's many bottles. I'm just saying wine because like that's 833 00:56:22.079 --> 00:56:23.320 what we have. Brian. Now, I'm like collecting them. They're like 834 00:56:23.320 --> 00:56:27.159 sitting on the counter, and he's like, do something with these, Like 835 00:56:27.239 --> 00:56:30.320 I do I make wine mooddle planters regularly? He's like, but the bottles 836 00:56:30.360 --> 00:56:34.239 are always there. I'm like that's because every time, like we were at 837 00:56:34.239 --> 00:56:36.599 my parents' house, I was like, wine can I just like take these 838 00:56:36.599 --> 00:56:37.880 wine bottles, and she's like, only if you bring me back a plant 839 00:56:37.920 --> 00:56:42.880 and wh wow, Okay, we'll put the mandarin plant in one. Okay, 840 00:56:43.079 --> 00:56:45.639 just don't say anything. Yeah, I should have taken a photo of 841 00:56:45.679 --> 00:56:47.840 the African violet that she has. You can't see the foliage. It's just 842 00:56:47.880 --> 00:56:52.639 this cloud of white flowers. It's amazing. I'll ever send me a photo 843 00:56:52.639 --> 00:56:54.719 so that I can put it in our show notes. Maybe, Okay, 844 00:56:54.760 --> 00:57:00.079 anything else, No, but I think that well, nothing else that I 845 00:57:00.119 --> 00:57:02.559 specifically want to add as like an approach or something. But I feel like 846 00:57:02.599 --> 00:57:07.440 we really did in April set ourselves out with this idea of like, we're 847 00:57:07.440 --> 00:57:10.239 going to do better this year. We've learned some things. We've learned both 848 00:57:10.239 --> 00:57:14.760 things about plants. We've also learned things about our plant parenthood or approaches, 849 00:57:14.840 --> 00:57:17.360 what we get out of this hobby. We're getting close to feeling overwhelmed. 850 00:57:17.559 --> 00:57:22.039 If our collections all died, would we be that sad? How are you 851 00:57:22.079 --> 00:57:24.679 feeling now? Honestly, I feel like I'm kind of halfway there, Like 852 00:57:24.719 --> 00:57:29.320 I've definitely made some improvement. Some sections of the collection feel much easier. 853 00:57:29.639 --> 00:57:32.599 Yeah, but I really I'm not exactly where I want to be yet okay, 854 00:57:32.639 --> 00:57:35.519 but hey, you know we're at the halfway mark. How about you. 855 00:57:35.599 --> 00:57:37.679 It's a work in progress. It sounds like, yeah, it sounds 856 00:57:37.679 --> 00:57:42.320 like you're seeing some good things, and yeah, I do have to admit 857 00:57:42.360 --> 00:57:45.639 that I went through a couple of weeks ago, a few weeks ago by 858 00:57:45.719 --> 00:57:47.679 this point, and I was just like, you look like shit. So 859 00:57:47.719 --> 00:57:52.480 you're going outside, and you look like shit, so you're going outside. 860 00:57:52.760 --> 00:57:54.880 So there's a bunch of plants that I just like vanished to the north side 861 00:57:54.920 --> 00:58:00.280 of my house where they can either recover or die and whatever the solution is. 862 00:58:00.960 --> 00:58:04.719 Fine, I've sunburned a few things. I'm at peace with it, 863 00:58:05.000 --> 00:58:07.039 like I hope that some of them in particular make it through. But if 864 00:58:07.079 --> 00:58:10.079 they don't, like it's okay. And that has taught me that I don't 865 00:58:10.119 --> 00:58:14.239 need that plant in my life. If I can't, if it looks miserable 866 00:58:14.239 --> 00:58:16.800 after a winter indoors, and if it doesn't perk up after summer outdoors, 867 00:58:16.800 --> 00:58:20.480 it's just not the plant for me, unless I get a greenhouse at some 868 00:58:20.559 --> 00:58:23.599 point. But I feel good because I have really been delivered about my pest 869 00:58:23.639 --> 00:58:28.760 management. I have a really good routine of like I inspect the problem plants 870 00:58:28.760 --> 00:58:31.639 and I spray them off in the sink or the shower. I treat them 871 00:58:31.679 --> 00:58:37.079 with soap sprays. I feel like I'm actually really actually, I feel like 872 00:58:37.079 --> 00:58:38.639 every few months I say this, but I feel like I'm knocking the mealy 873 00:58:38.679 --> 00:58:44.440 Backs, well, mealy bugs back, well, mealy Back kind It's like 874 00:58:44.559 --> 00:58:50.039 Nickelback or something. You know, mealy Back is the worst band Nickelback. 875 00:58:50.079 --> 00:58:54.519 If you yeah, yeah, you thought that was bad. Yeah, oh, 876 00:58:54.559 --> 00:58:59.559 but I will tell you two things I so to wrap up soon. 877 00:59:00.800 --> 00:59:06.360 We're gonna but if you want a really tiny just snariad. When I sowed 878 00:59:06.400 --> 00:59:10.760 those mandarin plant seeds, I also sowed some of the Vietnamese violet seeds. 879 00:59:12.599 --> 00:59:16.639 I'm going to have approximately eighteen billion of them to share soon unless I prick 880 00:59:16.719 --> 00:59:21.960 out a good nine tenths of them. So you can have some of those 881 00:59:22.079 --> 00:59:29.280 if you would like the baby stagworn ferns. The yeah, I don't know 882 00:59:29.320 --> 00:59:31.360 what you're gonna do with one, but you can have a trouble of those. 883 00:59:32.079 --> 00:59:36.119 And I have enough wine bottle planters that are just like chilling in a 884 00:59:36.159 --> 00:59:38.760 box in my closet right now that if you want one or two to try 885 00:59:38.800 --> 00:59:43.440 something in. I'm happy to get you started with that. Okay, maybe 886 00:59:43.519 --> 00:59:45.679 I think I have one from you from a long time ago. You have 887 00:59:45.800 --> 00:59:50.159 like a cut off wine bottle that an allocations came in. Yeah, it's 888 00:59:50.159 --> 00:59:52.519 just a bottle, but you like filled it with water. It's not like 889 00:59:52.559 --> 00:59:54.199 the bottle top. It's only like one part of the two part system. 890 00:59:54.480 --> 00:59:59.159 Yeah, okay, it was an early model. Yeah, it was not 891 00:59:59.280 --> 01:00:01.960 like the whole thing. Yeah. Yeah, okay, Well I look forward 892 01:00:02.000 --> 01:00:06.000 to those gifts. Yeah, we have. We have thoroughly come up with 893 01:00:06.000 --> 01:00:09.800 everything that we could say today. So okay, this has been Plant Dutty 894 01:00:09.840 --> 01:00:13.880 Podcast. Thanks for listening. Don't forget to like and subscribe, tell your 895 01:00:13.920 --> 01:00:15.320 friends about us, and if you enjoy what we've heard, please give us 896 01:00:15.320 --> 01:00:17.760 a five star rating. That'll help others find us. To see images of 897 01:00:17.840 --> 01:00:22.760 things we discussed in our episodes, or videos of those d i wis that 898 01:00:22.760 --> 01:00:27.119 we've talked about, check out our Pinterest and Instagram or visit our TikTok. 899 01:00:27.280 --> 01:00:30.280 If you want to get in touch, email us at Plant Dutty Podcast at 900 01:00:30.280 --> 01:00:32.719 gmail, or check out the website Plant Eddy podcast dot com. Until next 901 01:00:32.719 --> 01:00:35.599 week, Thanks for listening, and have your growing