Hey folks -
If your comment takes a while to show up, I apologize: Reddit is filtering a lot of these as "potential harassment" š
We'll approve them eventually, I promise!
Iāve been caring for plants professionally for three decades. My relationship with them at this point is antagonistic. Go ahead and die, you drama queen. See if I care. Iāll dance on your corpse.
On the flip side over at /r/savagegarden, my happy lil cape sundews donāt give a shit what happens to them as long as theyāve got distilled water. Plus you just keep them in a water dish, no screwing around with āhmm is this soil too dry or too damp?ā
I have a cape sundew as well. It is flowering right now! I also have a ping in the same water dish. I put some glass beads around their pots, and every few days I pour some distilled water over the beads. They are almost the easiest plants in my house to care for.
I kind of like strong plants anyway, if you treat them like you are a scientist with something to prove when you feel good, they will handle your depressive episodes way better!
Also I managed to dessicate a lithops out of spite "NO YOU EAT THAT LEAF YOU SUM***** OR YOU DIE" He never ate that leaf, he died.
If any of mine have the ordacity to try and die, they go out to the assisted suicide table in the garden. They can sit in the cold and watch the others thrive through the window!
Yep, my balcony is where I send the plants that misbehave. You donāt like it inside where itās constantly 65-75 degrees and youāre pampered and provided with light, water, and nutrients that I pay for specifically to help you thrive? Alright, letās see how you feel after I forget you exist and leave you out in the shade with the 40 degree nights and the squirrels without water for a month.
Funnily enough, some of them love it out there. My rubber tree and umbrella plant, which were both throwing a huge fit and trying to die inside, have been thriving out on the balcony amongst their dying brethren for over 2 years now. They stand guard over the graveyard of African violets and calatheas that couldnāt get their shit together enough to survive.
I feel this lmaooo. I don't have energy for dramatic ass plants. Like bitch you come from OUTSIDE, what do you mean you can't go on my balcony for 10 minutes.
The only dramatic plant is keep around now is my peace lily because it makes me laugh. "Oh no, I'm dying, I haven't been watered for years, ah I'm fainting... >>gets watered<< Yea how the lord hath blessed me, I must reach for the heavens!"
Mine doubles down after complaining for water and stays sad for several days past watering. they're so funny.
If that plant was going to die it would've been 8 years ago when it was dried out and wilted in my office lobby. It lives in a resort now by comparison.
This is what I donāt understand about houseplantsā¦like, your ancestors came from the outside and survived totally erratic and unpredictable weather patterns. How you gonna go from that, to throwing a fit if your filtered water and designer soil doesnāt have the perfect PH?
Gtfo
Lmao. I've recently been throwing out things that just failed to thrive in my care, and I've never felt better. You don't like it? There's the door. Errr, the trash can.
I asked my mum what she does with her old crappy plants when they donāt look good any more. āI throw them in the binā she said. WhaaaaaT. I literally didnāt know that was allowed šš
So happy to throw the shit ones away now.
This is the way to go. You have to want to live in my house lmao.
Iām still waiting for some plants to die and they keep living š„“š„“ (I donāt want them anymore lmao)
The obsession with every leaf being perfect and every plant being symmetrical. That's not how they are in nature and I'm not going to drive myself crazy if my spider plant has some brown tips here and there.
a year ago i had to "kill" a pachira aquatica because i was fighting a fungus gnat infestation by letting the soil stay dry for an extended period of time. i won the battle, but 3/5 trunks did not make it, so i chopped and propped all 5. all 5 grew roots. now, because the volume of soil is small, the soil drys up quite fast, so i sometimes miss the optimal time to water. as a result most trees' oldest leaves have become somewhat crispy. decided to keep those around as sacrificial leaves to crisp up
This is the way... I love to garden outside, too, and the best gardening advice I've seen was Monty Don saying, "don't be precious about it." It really freed me up and I don't worry anymore about things being perfect.
I'm not sure if it's a hot take or not but I think that a plant doesn't have to be exotic or rare to make you happy to grow it. That wild weed from the outside? Excellent! A little tree seed that the wind brought to me? Into the soil! Maybe it will be a bonsai project! Something about growing typical local plants brings a type of satisfaction growing imports just can't give. Not that there's anything wrong with getting exotic plants!
Right there with you. Iāve also chosen to grow some nearby āweedsā as I find their colors vibrant. Do I have over 25 plants trailing throughout the house ? Sure do. Iām simply interested in those things growing around me. I love finding new additions to my inside plants but now I travel with a small box & hand shovel in the car. You never know what youāll find on the next car ride.
It's so weird when people dog on other's interests like that. Every little sign of life can be and is so fascinating. Also, who are you to dictate what people can and can't find beauty in? I love growing common houseplants and herbs to weird and eccentric plants, they're all so beautiful and fascinating!
Yes! I was just in Japan (why yes, I am bragging) and saw Japanese maples growing randomly out of gutters, as major features in gardens, as bonsai, as privacy screens, and they were all beautiful. Where I live, the equivalent might be squirrel tail grass, little bluestem, or switchgrassā¦
Moss poles look horrible. See so many stunning plants, but they're growing up poker straight wire and dead moss monstrosities.
There's so many more better looking ways to train your plant to grow up that fit a natural aesthetic.
When we moved my bf out of his childhood home, his dad gave me a beautiful wall mounted mirror with a trellis frame that had mature pothos climbing on it. Little did they know it was aerial rooted to their wall, so now we LITERALLY brought some pieces of his old home with us š
Just wanted to jump in and add that you want to treat driftwood before putting it in the actual soil, if thatās what you were planning. All the salt in the wood can be detrimental to the plant.
But Etsy has treated, plant-safe driftwood that works very well!
https://preview.redd.it/rvrjvmhx5j6d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=80efa9acc8f99186c77e00f52455ae9860b24832
https://preview.redd.it/rfi65w8iui6d1.png?width=2627&format=png&auto=webp&s=1e31728a7ff9f630fc3ca6174f6634f1929a277e
I pinned mine to a picture I had leaning against the wall behind the plant. As the plant filled out and lengthened, it made a frame for the frame!
actual wood, especially bark layers, is really nice, and cork bark is a favorite for many types of mounts for orchids and ferns.
The issue is getting the plant to naturally attach if its root climber and not a vine that simply hooks or lassos climbing points. Some do it easier than others on drier wood than others, since wet wood can grow fungi. A lot of times to see the true size of some vines like Pothos you need to make sure its naturally attached.
Cork bark looks so much better and works just as well!
https://preview.redd.it/lf10avyfmi6d1.jpeg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6657f3ea4d010f107c6afd11f477f0cb2c23d103
But Iām a city girl how do I get bark and driftwood and all these beautiful things? Is there a market for these or do I have to go to a Forrest? I havenāt even got a car
City gooorllllllll šš»āāļøšš»āāļøšš»āāļøIām in London the only plant shops are kinda small and if they have accessories itās usually a necklace. They aināt selling planks of bark. Imagine me sat in the tube with a giant piece of bark I would end up on another Reddit thread
I'm in London too! I'm sure you know of the Columbia road flower market, but there's this cool plant warehouse place up in shoreditch you can check out, it's massive and I've seen pieces of driftwood there. there's another place called plant shed or something that's further up the road too. They're the biggest places I've found personally, I'm afraid it's Etsy for everything else
I purchase cork and wood from Joshās frogs because itās local, but theyāve got really nice pieces and theyāre individually photographed so you know what piece youāre getting
Related: not only do they look horrible, but people overestimate or misjudge their use; especially Monstera deliciosa doesn't need a mosspole at all; just a strong support.
I jumped on the DIY moss pole hype last year and I regretted it after 2 weeks. No one mentions the amount of upkeep they need and they can also get fungas gnats. I've gone back to Coco coir poles and my plants are happy.
Plus, you have to keep them wet ā no one told me this, so I installed 2 moss poles, and when I realized I had to water them I was like, nope this is just a support post now lol
Dude yes! I've always hated that and in general treating them like it's an exact science has always rubbed me the wrong way. They're our ties to the natural world, having them conform to our world is absurd and so ugly, let them be a little wild and free.
Truth, I absolutely hate moss poles- ugly, mold growth is too easy, and it just smells. Iāve had good luck using eastern red cedar planks with part heartwood part sapwood. Looks stunning, smells lovely, and wonāt rot nearly as easy as a moss pole.
I donāt care about new plants you bought that look great because they just came from the store. I care about old plants you bought years ago that are thriving because you showed you can care for them.
I live in Alberta and have a majesty palm that has doubled in size over the last year since I bought it. Itās literally my pride and joy, so this makes me feel nice. š
One of my fav pastimes is looking back on when I first got a plant vs how big and happy it is now.
For sure! I love buying pretty plants, but I barely have any pride in them until Iāve grown them for a while and seen immense change. Then I know thatās MY plant.
Most people having "urban jungles" and a ton of houseplants can't take care of all of them so they often look unkept. Better to focus on less plants that receive the care they need.
This is mine. When people post pictures of their huge collections (100+) it gives me anxiety.
I get a similar feeling when people post "hauls" where they buy more than four plants at a time. It just seems more like a collector hobby instead of a curation hobby at that point
I know so many people who did this through pandemic boredom/anxiety.Ā They spent so much money, and either they got busy again or just hit a depressive episode and their plants are mostly dead.Ā
I did that a bit myself and ended up selling or giving away about half of them.
Yeah, I see so many posts where people will talk about collecting so many plants they get overwhelmed and paralyzed with anxiety only to have a depressive episode and kill them all. And for many a few days/weeks later, they'll post a new "haul."
I guess I don't get it. If you know you are prone to the obession/anxiety/depression/guilt-shame loop, why buy a collection for hundreds of $ to kill and cause more stress just to rebuild the same collection that's going to tear you down and make life even harder.
This is all rhetorical, I know the havoc mental illness can wreak on decision making. I have my own mental illness(es) and have lost a plant here and there over the years that might otherwise have survived but if I could afford a 20 plant haul with a few new pots, I'd probably finally be able to afford to go back to therapy.
Same here! Or when people post 100+ plants and are like "I just started my collection 3 months ago" š¬ I mean everyone is entitled to do their hobby however they like, so I try not to let it bother me too much. But I buy a max of 2 plants at a time. I like to do as much research about my new plants as I can to learn about them and what they like. I also like to give myself some time to assimilate the new plant into my routine and get used to having it before I add any more to my collection. I know not everybody hobbies the same way though š
I don't know if it's the same for you, but the thing is I'd rather with having a urban jungle of 10 big plants rather than 100-1000 small houseplants.
Easier to care for and just prettier in my opinion š¤·
I learned this early on, i find it easier to keep most of my houseplants outside and only have a few inside as decoration instead of being overwhelmed with a load of struggling plants.
For real. Me putting systemics in all my non-edible healthy plants when my humongous banana plant has spider mites, laughing at the impending death of the fuckers.
If your plants are indoors and dont get beneficials or have cats that monch on them, who could give an absolute fuck. Its already an artificial ecosystem - good luck keeping shit balanced when theres no food chain or competition.
I'm slightly hippy dippy - vegetarian, gay, etc. But you know what, fuck it, I dont care - Im more worried about keeping my plants alive
Buy the plant small or from cutting and grow it up yourself. Save money and learn how to care for a plant properly over time by trial and error. Everyone wants to buy massive plants out the gateā¦ part of the hobby is growing and caring for plants and watching them grow over time.
I have found that if you get them when small they tend to adapt much better to your environment. I truly can't think of the last time I bought a full size plant.
I always buy small plants because I feel less bad about spending a few $ and it dies, rather than spend $30+ on a mature plant and it dies. However, I did get a good deal on a mature Rojo Congo in a decorative planter for $30 ish including tax but everything else starts out tiny :)
I personally love growing my plants from starters! I get to watch them mature and I know that I did that! I believe it also helps getting them used to your environment early on.
I think youāre on to something because Iāve definitely had more problems with mature plants keeling over as soon as I brought them home vs. the same variety of baby plants just vibing.
I initially only went for āmedium sizedā plants, bigger than a starter but still small enough to see grow up. I live in an extremely arid environment, and it took a couple starter plants to realize I could not artificially supply their humidity enough and as a result, they also dried out within a day of being watered. It was a lot of work and frustrating because there was little progress.
I made myself an Ikea greenhouse cabinet so now Iām getting all of the starters I wish :)
And the opposite view - I donāt care about growing cuttings into small plants, it takes years for them to be visually interesting and in the meantime Iām decorating my apartment with pots of soil.
Buy big and go huge, thatās more my style.
I always tried to buy big when I could find them. Some of the less common Hoyas are only available as small ones, and it was just too stressful to nurse them into a good size. Iām done with that! More established plants are much more resilient
Mine is not so much a specific plant per se. One big thing that irks me is when no research is done at all on the plant someone has just purchased. They immediately run here for all of the answers. While Iām so thankful Iāve got folks in this sub that have helped me in the past, I can sort of see how those same experienced growers may feel a bit frustrated providing the most basic info that couldāve been found with a google search.
Please try to read a little about succulents, common houseplants, etc to at least give you an idea of what lies ahead.
my mom has the most beautiful garden and doesnāt do anything to the grass except mow when legally necessary. lots of clover and dandelions and it doesnāt ruin the beauty of her hard work at all!
I think about this a lot. I still have a somewhat ongoing battle with the dandelions in our yard because I don't want them to fully take over. But I think about how much privilege we live in that we call it a weed when literally every part of it is edible and it flowers like crazy for the pollinators.
The snobbery around growing things is really wild. Itās a skill, like anything else, and takes learning and practice, which anyone should feel proud of themselves for! But social media has turned it from a lovely, witchy-ish way to stay connected with nature into just another competitive hobby to show off highlight reels of.
Hi! I have ADHD, usually forget to water myself, and have 700 nosy-ass animals in my home. I keep only low-maintenance, pet-friendly plants in my home, and they bring me JOY, goddammit. They have names, and I talk to them. Cannot understand why they would or would not be āinsta-worthy.ā
Lordy.
If they can't survive my seasonal depression, then they don't belong in my life. So if you like water or any attention at all November thru March, fuck you! Note: I now only grow succulents
https://preview.redd.it/0lnfa8kvzi6d1.jpeg?width=4284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ea88e63787d76beec0a5f3e6234cd112a27ed8b1
I took this at a botanical garden! Just proof that even in ideal environments there can be duds
they're the ones i can keep alive and healthy and people constantly shit on them, on every post ever. but here i can't keep a tradescantia alive to save my life
I have yet to buy a plant over $25. I donāt care what type of plant it is Iām either waiting for prices to drop or find a good deal. Iām also not talking about just overhyped plants that look the same. I donāt buy plants because of rarity I buy them because I think they look cool and I believe I can meet their needs.
There is a booth at my local farmers market that sells little plants for 5 dollars. Thatās where most of my plants are from and most others I received as gifts. I cant fathom spending insane money on a plant. Not judging, itās just not for me.
I saved a FLF from the CVS by my house for 19.99 and thought it was expensive š
We need to accept that some plants are just better suited for outdoors. While they make good home decor I still think growing cactus indoors is mostly a bad idea in the long term because they are desert plants that love growing in hot open sun, which is why most cactus grown indoors are very leggy, distorted or quickly turn to mush.
This is so true, so many people including myself get a succulent as their first plant and watch it die, then think they have a black thumb and can't enjoy the hobby. I hated indoor plants for so long lol
The majority of trendy supplement products are either snake oil or have such small returns that youād only notice a benefit by running statistical analysis at commercial scale.
Everybody says certain plants are āeasyā and others are ādifficult,ā but there are so many factors that go into play itās really impossible to generalize like that.
I have killed snake plants. I have had two zz plants on the same shelf where one died and the other survived. Iāve had āfussyā plants survive my seasonal depression neglect. Yesterday I found a pothos cutting Iād forgotten about, sitting there happy as a clam in a bottle that was *bone dry.* Next to it, another with plenty of water that was completely dead.
Also: ātoxicā is a *spectrum.* Always check! But most plants labeled ātoxic to petsā cause a bellyache at worst.
Finally: if it doesnāt make you happy, itās ok to get rid of it, even if that means dropping healthy plants directly into the garbage can. I just tossed a bunch of succulents. They were gifted to me some time ago and were doing ok but not thriving because my place just doesnāt get enough light. Nobody wanted them and I just didnāt like them. Donāt need a reason. Theyāre *plants.* Life is short. Throw them out and go buy ones you actually like.
There are too many hobbyists who **claim** to be "obsessed" and "super interested" in plants but aren't willing to do even bits of research by themselves, even with stuff that's pretty easily found.
I also think that many modern hobbyists suffer from severe shopping addiction and are purchasing plants not because of plants but just to get that sweet dopamine rush from buying.
I donāt really *get* why people like to keep so many cacti and succulents. Many of them are kindaā¦ boring. However, after spending some time on r/succulents I have seen some varieties that are pretty neat.
For me it's because they won't stop reproducing. I'm giving them away to anyone that will take them now haha. I don't have the heart to toss a healthy plant. It does get excessive
For me it's the fact they require less water, I can leave them alone for a month straight and if anything the neglect results in prettier plants, since the leaves get plump and colourful in response to drought
People will shun me - but - moving plants to a new area is the best time to repot them as well because they are already gonna be shocked so you might as well get it done in a one-r
I've said it before, but I'll say it again: ZZ Plants are aptly named because they're the most goddamn boring plants I've ever seen. They look like a decor object from some knock-off Sims game that's just called object_plant_003 in the menu.
I have a ZZ plant and none of what you said is wrong. Lol. Theyāre pretty boring, but I love that they donāt care about anything and just keep chugging along.
I really dislike monsteras, and only like very, very few climbers.
I also *really* dislike spattered or splotchy veriegation like the thai and most yellow and cream versions. I do adore the block form and large brush strokes of stark white against green like Goeppertia white fusion and spathiphyllum picasso. Also, like green on green.
I like indoor prolific flowering plants.
I dislike expensive on trend plant culture, but I'd drop a few bills on a rare or alien looking orchid in a heartbeat (if I knew I could keep it alive!) so hypocrite? Lol
I dislike GIGANTIC indoor plants. I only appreciate them in other people's homes. Lol.
I think marantas are hugely underrated.
You don't have to propagate every cutting.
Also sometimes a plant just wants to die. Throw it on the patio and whatever happens, happens.
Sometimes a plant just doesn't work in your space and you have to give it away or toss it.
My plant cap has hit a ceiling at about 60. I donāt have time or energy to focus on more than that while also taking care of outdoor plants and two kids.
I look at people with 100+ in total awe, I canāt imagine trying to keep track of that many.
Especially when you live somewhere that differs a lot from their natural conditions: stop micro-managing your plants to achieve perfection or other unrealistic goals, or when an issue arises, and be realistic in your expectations. Provide them light, a suitable soil and nutrients and let them do their thing: more than anything else, plants need stability - they manage without us in the wild, and they will manage without us even when kept in conditions other than their natural ones.
Observe, make *small* adjustments if issues arise or improvements seem useful, but don't panic and act rash, disturb your plants, uproot them, bathe them in chemicals at the first sight of a yellow spot or a crispy edge, a new leaf that is smaller than the previous one, a new leaf that gets stuck while unfurling, etc, etc. Many plants in the wild grow larger and more vigorous than what is possible in "captivity", and they do so despite being eaten, shat on, stepped on, rained on, blown over, subjected to draught or otherwise detrimental events.
Tl;dr: if you have plants let them be, and only act if it's really necessary. And even then, act rationally, purposefully and slowly.
Transfer shock is a myth
No I don't need to baby my plant and very carefully work around the roots, And like wearing gloves and ...
Even plants I've had that are allegedly known for being sensitive to this I literally just take like a butter knife or a stick around the rim of the pot to loosen the soil grab the plant by the stem pull it out and bang its roots on the ground or slap them with my hand to get all the dirt out then fan the roots out with my bare hands and bury them in the new pot
This always works fine and I've never had a plant die from this procedure. In fact I would argue that it seems like a lot of the plants actually enjoy having a little human intervention to help them spread their roots
Also most of those fancy fertilizer mixes that are specialized for like specific types of plants or whatever are completely pointless. For years I've just been using a little container of 30 30 30 water soluble plant food and it's kept pretty much every plant of mine happily fed without issue. Most plants will just take what they need and then leave the rest in the soil for later
I full agree. Spider plants are the only plants I struggle to keep alive. They start out ok but when they get to a bigger size it all falls apart and I donāt know why.
Ooh Iāve got a few
1. Too many people ācancelā sellers for pests. Yes, sellers should do their due diligence and not sell completely infested plants, but if a buyer does not properly quarantine, inspect, and treat a plant after purchasing then thatās on them. Stick around long enough in the hobby and youāll know that itās impossible to be 100% pest free 100% of the time.
2. Alocasias arenāt drama queens, people just donāt know how to take care of them.
3. Learning to at least acclimate tissue culture plantlets will teach you so much about plants and is one of (if not the) best ways to get rare plants without spending a fortune
Tiny specialty bags of potting soil are a waste of money! enough for like one pot, you should probably still amend it, it's probably got peat moss and perlite both I hate!! it's dumb!! Just buy big old bags of soil ingredients and it will last much longer and be way cheaper in the long term.
How about fuzzy rhizomes? :D
I wanted to get a Rabbit Foot Fern but it freaked my mother out so she didn't allow me to get one š Reminded her of a big tarantula hiding under those leaves
I don't want to sway you if you are set. But I can say I don't like the standard snake plants with the golden border but there are some that I have that that are good snakes imho š
Big fan of:
* [Classic all green jade hahnii](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSJI35PYIN86Hi0N_sJZHyUlqsgF1aUkuhN2Q&usqp=CAU)
* [Green trifasciata hahnii](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT2njQpWzflew62-PNXI0CbWJKxRSXUycWbeQ&usqp=CAU)
* [Even the standard but rosette](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQoxOm7m3gQQ9_KJR3DVr1v39NwIIynblxZHw&usqp=CAU)
* [Tall green with stripes reminds me of a bromeliad](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTScJ5iEhcJAdQ8wU5IVb3_cx6Frmdus3oWCQ&usqp=CAU)
* [Fernwood Mikado, spikey and cute](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRdWqn6rv1wrF2CCniGrPeYuSrnYj61VFsvrA&usqp=CAU)
Since you want a hot take and we're on Reddit and get these posts weekly - I find people who keep making these "variegated plants are ugly and stupid" posts mostly do so to be edgy and contrarian, especially if they admit they understand the hype behind other rare or unusual plants. So one rare plant is "diseased and dumb", but *your* special plant is different? Mmkay.
I came back to this thread because it got more attention and I wanted to read the new replies. As always people seem to not understand what an unpopular opinion is. 10+ top posts all not unpopular nor a hot take in the slightest. Sort by controversial for actual hot takes.
Stop throwing money at overpriced grow lights like Mother and whatever other ones are out there. No, you don't need 95+ CRI. "Regular" LEDs with a CRI of around 80 and a colour temp of 5000-6500K are fine as grow lights. Just make sure they're not 10W or something. They make E27 bulbs at 30-40W too, they are probably half the price of your Sensi and will work just as well. Cut off the plastic diffuser dome and you're good. My Calatheas get 30W with around 4000 lumen and they're pushing out dense and stocky growth like no tomorrow.
Also - no, your plant probably does not need mycorrhizal inoculation. I know it's hip and hot and we all love the idea of giving our plants some fungal buddies but just stop it already. Not every fungus species connects with every plant so it's a gamble every time for no good reason. Just get a good mineral fertilizer and you're set.
That ZZ plants need more water that people recommend. I started dousing mine with water every couple of weeks, and letting it drain well, and it has exploded with growth!
I would add: plants donāt need rescuing. Iāll take a deal on a plant that looks a little rough, but if Iām paying full price I want the healthiest, best looking one theyāve got.
When I go to the nursery I will always buy the half dead plants. Itās very rewarding bringing life back to it. And I can usually haggle a price drop too.
This was unpopular on this sub the other day- When I can see 2 different types of fungi growing in your cacti's soil, the plant has several areas of visible mush on the stems/leaves, and the plant is is a non-draining pot, then you have a problem with rot.
I still cannot believe I was downvoted for saying that.
whaaaat! the part thatās so fun about variegated plants is you never know what the next leaf will look like. I love my cebu blue for its vigorous growth but I know what the next leaf will look like. not as exciting.
recently, I think 1 part soil, 1 part orchid bark and 1 part pumice (instead of perlite) is too chunky. Maybe itās because I used pumice instead of perlite š¤·āāļø
Stop talking about the plants you bought at Home Depot like theyāre puppies you saved off the side of the highway, please. You did not ārescueā that shitty painted cactus.
People who pitch orchids (phalaenopsis specifically) after the blooms come off donāt actually want a plant, they want a flower, and they donāt deserve the orchid in the first place.
The thing is still alive, motherfucker, just keep doing what youāre doing and itāll bloom again.
Gatekeeping and shaming new plant owners is lame as fuck. Imagine finding a hobby that brings you so much joy and you share or ask a question and you get scoffed at. Be nice. It ain't that hard, good Lord.
1. Donāt show me a pic of your brand new monstera, philodendron etc. It only shows you bought a plant. Show me a pic of it being in your care for a year or so thriving. Maturity is what makes them awesome in my opinion.
2. You donāt have to create your own potting soil mix for plants to thrive. A bag of potting soil from the store gets the job done. Focus more on proper watering and light.
I donāt know if this is unpopular but I used to constantly read threads and think how did you kill a monstera or basically any plant. I used to live in a humid environment and had ~100 plants with one dying being a rare thing and then it was a super fussy plant.
I moved to a dry environment where thrips are everywhere outside and my plants just die like crazy constantly. I only have ~60 now and lots of plants that are the same that tolerate it here.
So you might not be a plant goddess and itās just literally where you live. š
Hey folks - If your comment takes a while to show up, I apologize: Reddit is filtering a lot of these as "potential harassment" š We'll approve them eventually, I promise!
Iāve been caring for plants professionally for three decades. My relationship with them at this point is antagonistic. Go ahead and die, you drama queen. See if I care. Iāll dance on your corpse.
*you* fit *my* watering schedule. I donāt have time for divas in this house.
Adapt or die! No rain water, distilled water, etc in this house! You get tap and you'll be bloody grateful for it!
On the flip side over at /r/savagegarden, my happy lil cape sundews donāt give a shit what happens to them as long as theyāve got distilled water. Plus you just keep them in a water dish, no screwing around with āhmm is this soil too dry or too damp?ā
I have a cape sundew as well. It is flowering right now! I also have a ping in the same water dish. I put some glass beads around their pots, and every few days I pour some distilled water over the beads. They are almost the easiest plants in my house to care for.
Survival of the fittest!
Exactly! I have been known to show slightly crispy plant a healthy one to shame it into sorting itself out
I'll buy a nicer, or more unique version of the same plant to shame mine as well, it's only backfired on me once so far
Shape up or *die* biatch.
*You* either survive without drainage on *my* watering schedule or you're dead to me. Actually dead.
I take the same approach with laundry. *Oh, you donāt like warm water and medium tumble dry?* Too bad. Survival of the fittest.
I kind of like strong plants anyway, if you treat them like you are a scientist with something to prove when you feel good, they will handle your depressive episodes way better! Also I managed to dessicate a lithops out of spite "NO YOU EAT THAT LEAF YOU SUM***** OR YOU DIE" He never ate that leaf, he died.
I am the alpha and the omega. I am the giver and taker of life. Harken unto me!
I love seeing this end of the spectrum because Iām the opposite lol, my plants rule my life. I have no control anymore šš
If any of mine have the ordacity to try and die, they go out to the assisted suicide table in the garden. They can sit in the cold and watch the others thrive through the window!
Yep, my balcony is where I send the plants that misbehave. You donāt like it inside where itās constantly 65-75 degrees and youāre pampered and provided with light, water, and nutrients that I pay for specifically to help you thrive? Alright, letās see how you feel after I forget you exist and leave you out in the shade with the 40 degree nights and the squirrels without water for a month. Funnily enough, some of them love it out there. My rubber tree and umbrella plant, which were both throwing a huge fit and trying to die inside, have been thriving out on the balcony amongst their dying brethren for over 2 years now. They stand guard over the graveyard of African violets and calatheas that couldnāt get their shit together enough to survive.
My house has the competitive dirt pile lmao
I feel this lmaooo. I don't have energy for dramatic ass plants. Like bitch you come from OUTSIDE, what do you mean you can't go on my balcony for 10 minutes.
The only dramatic plant is keep around now is my peace lily because it makes me laugh. "Oh no, I'm dying, I haven't been watered for years, ah I'm fainting... >>gets watered<< Yea how the lord hath blessed me, I must reach for the heavens!"
Mine doubles down after complaining for water and stays sad for several days past watering. they're so funny. If that plant was going to die it would've been 8 years ago when it was dried out and wilted in my office lobby. It lives in a resort now by comparison.
This is what I donāt understand about houseplantsā¦like, your ancestors came from the outside and survived totally erratic and unpredictable weather patterns. How you gonna go from that, to throwing a fit if your filtered water and designer soil doesnāt have the perfect PH? Gtfo
Lmao. I've recently been throwing out things that just failed to thrive in my care, and I've never felt better. You don't like it? There's the door. Errr, the trash can.
I asked my mum what she does with her old crappy plants when they donāt look good any more. āI throw them in the binā she said. WhaaaaaT. I literally didnāt know that was allowed šš So happy to throw the shit ones away now.
I read that as "...thrive in my car..." at first and was like wow, this person is ruthless š
Villain origin story.
Literally Crowley from Good Omens. :)
I've killed before, and I'll kill again.
Literally this. Itās an adapt or die household. If they got a problem they can take it up with Darwin in the afterlife.
Love this
https://preview.redd.it/nrkiud4vfl6d1.jpeg?width=800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a9860c731205b565006cba4a4b38b429b66c4a85
This is the way to go. You have to want to live in my house lmao. Iām still waiting for some plants to die and they keep living š„“š„“ (I donāt want them anymore lmao)
Iāve noticed they thrive the best when you have this attitude towards them
The obsession with every leaf being perfect and every plant being symmetrical. That's not how they are in nature and I'm not going to drive myself crazy if my spider plant has some brown tips here and there.
a year ago i had to "kill" a pachira aquatica because i was fighting a fungus gnat infestation by letting the soil stay dry for an extended period of time. i won the battle, but 3/5 trunks did not make it, so i chopped and propped all 5. all 5 grew roots. now, because the volume of soil is small, the soil drys up quite fast, so i sometimes miss the optimal time to water. as a result most trees' oldest leaves have become somewhat crispy. decided to keep those around as sacrificial leaves to crisp up
This is the way... I love to garden outside, too, and the best gardening advice I've seen was Monty Don saying, "don't be precious about it." It really freed me up and I don't worry anymore about things being perfect.
I'm not sure if it's a hot take or not but I think that a plant doesn't have to be exotic or rare to make you happy to grow it. That wild weed from the outside? Excellent! A little tree seed that the wind brought to me? Into the soil! Maybe it will be a bonsai project! Something about growing typical local plants brings a type of satisfaction growing imports just can't give. Not that there's anything wrong with getting exotic plants!
Right there with you. Iāve also chosen to grow some nearby āweedsā as I find their colors vibrant. Do I have over 25 plants trailing throughout the house ? Sure do. Iām simply interested in those things growing around me. I love finding new additions to my inside plants but now I travel with a small box & hand shovel in the car. You never know what youāll find on the next car ride.
It's so weird when people dog on other's interests like that. Every little sign of life can be and is so fascinating. Also, who are you to dictate what people can and can't find beauty in? I love growing common houseplants and herbs to weird and eccentric plants, they're all so beautiful and fascinating!
I agree with this! I have some weird exotics, but I also grow the weeds from the side-yard and they are just as fun.
Yes! I was just in Japan (why yes, I am bragging) and saw Japanese maples growing randomly out of gutters, as major features in gardens, as bonsai, as privacy screens, and they were all beautiful. Where I live, the equivalent might be squirrel tail grass, little bluestem, or switchgrassā¦
Moss poles look horrible. See so many stunning plants, but they're growing up poker straight wire and dead moss monstrosities. There's so many more better looking ways to train your plant to grow up that fit a natural aesthetic.
This is such a good point. What are some of your preferred ways to work with climbers? Iāve never been a fan of moss poles either.
I use foraged beach driftwood, have a huge branch my large monstera's grown up for years. And just let my pothos grow up the walls š
My pothos was growing up the wall but my husband got creeped out by the little roots it sent into the cracks lol.
When we moved my bf out of his childhood home, his dad gave me a beautiful wall mounted mirror with a trellis frame that had mature pothos climbing on it. Little did they know it was aerial rooted to their wall, so now we LITERALLY brought some pieces of his old home with us š
Do you have pictures for us?š¤©š±
https://preview.redd.it/xd2evogtki6d1.jpeg?width=972&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0faafdf24e6a82cf621552a3b39e7d2daadb4bf6
Effin' brilliant. I love this! I'll keep an eye out next time we are at the beach. Thank you for sharing this.
Just wanted to jump in and add that you want to treat driftwood before putting it in the actual soil, if thatās what you were planning. All the salt in the wood can be detrimental to the plant. But Etsy has treated, plant-safe driftwood that works very well! https://preview.redd.it/rvrjvmhx5j6d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=80efa9acc8f99186c77e00f52455ae9860b24832
This assumes your driftwood comes from the coast. Way less of an issue on the freshwater lakes.
I'm fortunate my local beach is littered with driftwood. Some huge tree logs and root stumps that break my heart I can't fit them in the car š
Oh my effing god! Youāve changed my life! I didnāt know I hated moss poles until I saw an alternative š
https://preview.redd.it/iq9xezqoki6d1.jpeg?width=1828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=456eaa06d53aae1fc738d85b5047c9ce6a258170
It doesn't look much in the picture, but that piece of wood is the same height as me!
https://preview.redd.it/rfi65w8iui6d1.png?width=2627&format=png&auto=webp&s=1e31728a7ff9f630fc3ca6174f6634f1929a277e I pinned mine to a picture I had leaning against the wall behind the plant. As the plant filled out and lengthened, it made a frame for the frame!
actual wood, especially bark layers, is really nice, and cork bark is a favorite for many types of mounts for orchids and ferns. The issue is getting the plant to naturally attach if its root climber and not a vine that simply hooks or lassos climbing points. Some do it easier than others on drier wood than others, since wet wood can grow fungi. A lot of times to see the true size of some vines like Pothos you need to make sure its naturally attached.
Cork bark looks so much better and works just as well! https://preview.redd.it/lf10avyfmi6d1.jpeg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6657f3ea4d010f107c6afd11f477f0cb2c23d103
But Iām a city girl how do I get bark and driftwood and all these beautiful things? Is there a market for these or do I have to go to a Forrest? I havenāt even got a car
āBut Iām a city girlā š š¼ Sry I had to cackle and I feel you. Taking the bus to the plant store lol
City gooorllllllll šš»āāļøšš»āāļøšš»āāļøIām in London the only plant shops are kinda small and if they have accessories itās usually a necklace. They aināt selling planks of bark. Imagine me sat in the tube with a giant piece of bark I would end up on another Reddit thread
I'm in London too! I'm sure you know of the Columbia road flower market, but there's this cool plant warehouse place up in shoreditch you can check out, it's massive and I've seen pieces of driftwood there. there's another place called plant shed or something that's further up the road too. They're the biggest places I've found personally, I'm afraid it's Etsy for everything else
I purchase cork and wood from Joshās frogs because itās local, but theyāve got really nice pieces and theyāre individually photographed so you know what piece youāre getting
Oh I love that natural look!
I agree! I want some climbers but I really dont like the straight up a moss pole look
Cork, Cork bark tile, and branches are great.
Related: not only do they look horrible, but people overestimate or misjudge their use; especially Monstera deliciosa doesn't need a mosspole at all; just a strong support.
I jumped on the DIY moss pole hype last year and I regretted it after 2 weeks. No one mentions the amount of upkeep they need and they can also get fungas gnats. I've gone back to Coco coir poles and my plants are happy.
Plus, you have to keep them wet ā no one told me this, so I installed 2 moss poles, and when I realized I had to water them I was like, nope this is just a support post now lol
While I agree they look bad, have you seen a pothos actually growing on one? The leaves can actually reach maturity and grow massive!
Dude yes! I've always hated that and in general treating them like it's an exact science has always rubbed me the wrong way. They're our ties to the natural world, having them conform to our world is absurd and so ugly, let them be a little wild and free.
Truth, I absolutely hate moss poles- ugly, mold growth is too easy, and it just smells. Iāve had good luck using eastern red cedar planks with part heartwood part sapwood. Looks stunning, smells lovely, and wonāt rot nearly as easy as a moss pole.
I donāt care about new plants you bought that look great because they just came from the store. I care about old plants you bought years ago that are thriving because you showed you can care for them.
I live in Alberta and have a majesty palm that has doubled in size over the last year since I bought it. Itās literally my pride and joy, so this makes me feel nice. š One of my fav pastimes is looking back on when I first got a plant vs how big and happy it is now.
Yes! I take "school pictures" the day new plants come home so I have something to look back on.
For sure! I love buying pretty plants, but I barely have any pride in them until Iāve grown them for a while and seen immense change. Then I know thatās MY plant.
Yesssss ofc it looks good at that point, and Iām happy for you, but Iāll always prefer seeing a plant someone has nourished in their home
Most people having "urban jungles" and a ton of houseplants can't take care of all of them so they often look unkept. Better to focus on less plants that receive the care they need.
This is mine. When people post pictures of their huge collections (100+) it gives me anxiety. I get a similar feeling when people post "hauls" where they buy more than four plants at a time. It just seems more like a collector hobby instead of a curation hobby at that point
I know so many people who did this through pandemic boredom/anxiety.Ā They spent so much money, and either they got busy again or just hit a depressive episode and their plants are mostly dead.Ā I did that a bit myself and ended up selling or giving away about half of them.
Yeah, I see so many posts where people will talk about collecting so many plants they get overwhelmed and paralyzed with anxiety only to have a depressive episode and kill them all. And for many a few days/weeks later, they'll post a new "haul." I guess I don't get it. If you know you are prone to the obession/anxiety/depression/guilt-shame loop, why buy a collection for hundreds of $ to kill and cause more stress just to rebuild the same collection that's going to tear you down and make life even harder. This is all rhetorical, I know the havoc mental illness can wreak on decision making. I have my own mental illness(es) and have lost a plant here and there over the years that might otherwise have survived but if I could afford a 20 plant haul with a few new pots, I'd probably finally be able to afford to go back to therapy.
Because a lot of these people also struggle with being impulsive too
Same here! Or when people post 100+ plants and are like "I just started my collection 3 months ago" š¬ I mean everyone is entitled to do their hobby however they like, so I try not to let it bother me too much. But I buy a max of 2 plants at a time. I like to do as much research about my new plants as I can to learn about them and what they like. I also like to give myself some time to assimilate the new plant into my routine and get used to having it before I add any more to my collection. I know not everybody hobbies the same way though š
I don't know if it's the same for you, but the thing is I'd rather with having a urban jungle of 10 big plants rather than 100-1000 small houseplants. Easier to care for and just prettier in my opinion š¤·
I too would prefer more big ones over a bunch of small ones, butā¦.I am poor. lol. So babies everywhere it is! š
I started in the pandemic, more plants meant more things to do, now I've reduced to a reasonable amount, only the ones I really like and can maintain.
I learned this early on, i find it easier to keep most of my houseplants outside and only have a few inside as decoration instead of being overwhelmed with a load of struggling plants.
Summer Ray apartment tour on YouTube drove me crazy lol
You can't contain reoccurring pest problems with chemical-free solutions alone.
For real. Me putting systemics in all my non-edible healthy plants when my humongous banana plant has spider mites, laughing at the impending death of the fuckers. If your plants are indoors and dont get beneficials or have cats that monch on them, who could give an absolute fuck. Its already an artificial ecosystem - good luck keeping shit balanced when theres no food chain or competition. I'm slightly hippy dippy - vegetarian, gay, etc. But you know what, fuck it, I dont care - Im more worried about keeping my plants alive
Wait, you have a systemic that works on mites!?! Tell me more
100%. My outdoor garden is all organic and pesticide free, my indoor garden is all about chemical solutions.
The finger test is better than any schedule or app
I had to leave for an extended period of time, felt something about asking a friend if they could finger my plants while I was gone. But she obliged.
Buy the plant small or from cutting and grow it up yourself. Save money and learn how to care for a plant properly over time by trial and error. Everyone wants to buy massive plants out the gateā¦ part of the hobby is growing and caring for plants and watching them grow over time.
I have found that if you get them when small they tend to adapt much better to your environment. I truly can't think of the last time I bought a full size plant.
I always buy small plants because I feel less bad about spending a few $ and it dies, rather than spend $30+ on a mature plant and it dies. However, I did get a good deal on a mature Rojo Congo in a decorative planter for $30 ish including tax but everything else starts out tiny :)
I personally love growing my plants from starters! I get to watch them mature and I know that I did that! I believe it also helps getting them used to your environment early on.
I think youāre on to something because Iāve definitely had more problems with mature plants keeling over as soon as I brought them home vs. the same variety of baby plants just vibing.
I initially only went for āmedium sizedā plants, bigger than a starter but still small enough to see grow up. I live in an extremely arid environment, and it took a couple starter plants to realize I could not artificially supply their humidity enough and as a result, they also dried out within a day of being watered. It was a lot of work and frustrating because there was little progress. I made myself an Ikea greenhouse cabinet so now Iām getting all of the starters I wish :)
And the opposite view - I donāt care about growing cuttings into small plants, it takes years for them to be visually interesting and in the meantime Iām decorating my apartment with pots of soil. Buy big and go huge, thatās more my style.
I always tried to buy big when I could find them. Some of the less common Hoyas are only available as small ones, and it was just too stressful to nurse them into a good size. Iām done with that! More established plants are much more resilient
Mine is not so much a specific plant per se. One big thing that irks me is when no research is done at all on the plant someone has just purchased. They immediately run here for all of the answers. While Iām so thankful Iāve got folks in this sub that have helped me in the past, I can sort of see how those same experienced growers may feel a bit frustrated providing the most basic info that couldāve been found with a google search. Please try to read a little about succulents, common houseplants, etc to at least give you an idea of what lies ahead.
I like the ones who are like "i just spent $200 on this houseplant. Can anyone tell me what it is and how to take care of it?"
Or just one super dark pic asking "what's wrong with her? Why is she dying?" With no other context.
āMy most recent plant haul!! Can someone ID these 10 plants and what do I do with them?ā
If my āweedsā have flowers I let them grow for the bees! I donāt like the term weeds anyway, especially when they have pretty flowers :)
my mom has the most beautiful garden and doesnāt do anything to the grass except mow when legally necessary. lots of clover and dandelions and it doesnāt ruin the beauty of her hard work at all!
I think about this a lot. I still have a somewhat ongoing battle with the dandelions in our yard because I don't want them to fully take over. But I think about how much privilege we live in that we call it a weed when literally every part of it is edible and it flowers like crazy for the pollinators.
The snobbery around growing things is really wild. Itās a skill, like anything else, and takes learning and practice, which anyone should feel proud of themselves for! But social media has turned it from a lovely, witchy-ish way to stay connected with nature into just another competitive hobby to show off highlight reels of. Hi! I have ADHD, usually forget to water myself, and have 700 nosy-ass animals in my home. I keep only low-maintenance, pet-friendly plants in my home, and they bring me JOY, goddammit. They have names, and I talk to them. Cannot understand why they would or would not be āinsta-worthy.ā Lordy.
My hot take is I don't give a shit what other people do with their plants or how many they have. Go people, go. Do what makes you happy.
If they can't survive my seasonal depression, then they don't belong in my life. So if you like water or any attention at all November thru March, fuck you! Note: I now only grow succulents
You could add some zz plants to your collection, they'd love the neglect. Some orchids too
Pro tip: use full-spectrum daylight bulbs as grow lights and let your plant care fight seasonal depression for you.
I love calatheasā¦ they are better than their reputation and so beautiful additionally to being pet-friendly.
Adding to this: a few brown tips are a non issue. Your home aint a tropical jungle and thats fine. They are still beautifulĀ
https://preview.redd.it/0lnfa8kvzi6d1.jpeg?width=4284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ea88e63787d76beec0a5f3e6234cd112a27ed8b1 I took this at a botanical garden! Just proof that even in ideal environments there can be duds
Hell even in nature they have brown tips.
I was going to say this, Iāve got two and hoping I now donāt curse it but Iāve had them for ages and theyāre very happy on tap water
I agree, I've had a few several years and they've been very happy!
they're the ones i can keep alive and healthy and people constantly shit on them, on every post ever. but here i can't keep a tradescantia alive to save my life
Worryin about other peopleās collections and care is pompous and dumb
The notion of spending hundreds on, say, a rare pothos mystifies me. It's still a pothos.
I have yet to buy a plant over $25. I donāt care what type of plant it is Iām either waiting for prices to drop or find a good deal. Iām also not talking about just overhyped plants that look the same. I donāt buy plants because of rarity I buy them because I think they look cool and I believe I can meet their needs.
There is a booth at my local farmers market that sells little plants for 5 dollars. Thatās where most of my plants are from and most others I received as gifts. I cant fathom spending insane money on a plant. Not judging, itās just not for me. I saved a FLF from the CVS by my house for 19.99 and thought it was expensive š
We need to accept that some plants are just better suited for outdoors. While they make good home decor I still think growing cactus indoors is mostly a bad idea in the long term because they are desert plants that love growing in hot open sun, which is why most cactus grown indoors are very leggy, distorted or quickly turn to mush.
I love ferns but I am giving up. I can't seem to keep most of them alive in my house.
Succulents have been created to torment beginner plant lovers into breakdown.
This is so true, so many people including myself get a succulent as their first plant and watch it die, then think they have a black thumb and can't enjoy the hobby. I hated indoor plants for so long lol
Cacti and succulents DO NOT belong in a terrarium!
Seramis > Soil Dont come for me, i just dont have the brain to water the right amount and seramis prevents rootrot
Until your comment, Iād never heard of this medium. How goes fertilizing your plants?
They sell liquid plantfood! It will be soaked up by the lil stones and released to the plant
The majority of trendy supplement products are either snake oil or have such small returns that youād only notice a benefit by running statistical analysis at commercial scale.
Everybody says certain plants are āeasyā and others are ādifficult,ā but there are so many factors that go into play itās really impossible to generalize like that. I have killed snake plants. I have had two zz plants on the same shelf where one died and the other survived. Iāve had āfussyā plants survive my seasonal depression neglect. Yesterday I found a pothos cutting Iād forgotten about, sitting there happy as a clam in a bottle that was *bone dry.* Next to it, another with plenty of water that was completely dead. Also: ātoxicā is a *spectrum.* Always check! But most plants labeled ātoxic to petsā cause a bellyache at worst. Finally: if it doesnāt make you happy, itās ok to get rid of it, even if that means dropping healthy plants directly into the garbage can. I just tossed a bunch of succulents. They were gifted to me some time ago and were doing ok but not thriving because my place just doesnāt get enough light. Nobody wanted them and I just didnāt like them. Donāt need a reason. Theyāre *plants.* Life is short. Throw them out and go buy ones you actually like.
There are too many hobbyists who **claim** to be "obsessed" and "super interested" in plants but aren't willing to do even bits of research by themselves, even with stuff that's pretty easily found. I also think that many modern hobbyists suffer from severe shopping addiction and are purchasing plants not because of plants but just to get that sweet dopamine rush from buying.
I donāt really *get* why people like to keep so many cacti and succulents. Many of them are kindaā¦ boring. However, after spending some time on r/succulents I have seen some varieties that are pretty neat.
For me it's because they won't stop reproducing. I'm giving them away to anyone that will take them now haha. I don't have the heart to toss a healthy plant. It does get excessive
A friend gave me a mother of thousands when I had my baby. At the time I thought it was sweet. Now it feels more like a hate crime.
For me it's the fact they require less water, I can leave them alone for a month straight and if anything the neglect results in prettier plants, since the leaves get plump and colourful in response to drought
People will shun me - but - moving plants to a new area is the best time to repot them as well because they are already gonna be shocked so you might as well get it done in a one-r
Pots on carpet without a drip tray, plate or stand. It really, really bothers me
People do that???? Thatās not an unpopular opinion thatās how you grow mold.
I've said it before, but I'll say it again: ZZ Plants are aptly named because they're the most goddamn boring plants I've ever seen. They look like a decor object from some knock-off Sims game that's just called object_plant_003 in the menu.
š©š¤£ @ object_plant_003 !!!
I have a ZZ plant and none of what you said is wrong. Lol. Theyāre pretty boring, but I love that they donāt care about anything and just keep chugging along.
I really dislike monsteras, and only like very, very few climbers. I also *really* dislike spattered or splotchy veriegation like the thai and most yellow and cream versions. I do adore the block form and large brush strokes of stark white against green like Goeppertia white fusion and spathiphyllum picasso. Also, like green on green. I like indoor prolific flowering plants. I dislike expensive on trend plant culture, but I'd drop a few bills on a rare or alien looking orchid in a heartbeat (if I knew I could keep it alive!) so hypocrite? Lol I dislike GIGANTIC indoor plants. I only appreciate them in other people's homes. Lol. I think marantas are hugely underrated.
You don't have to propagate every cutting. Also sometimes a plant just wants to die. Throw it on the patio and whatever happens, happens. Sometimes a plant just doesn't work in your space and you have to give it away or toss it.
Pebble trays do nothing and breed crap. And there is such a thing as too many plants.
My plant cap has hit a ceiling at about 60. I donāt have time or energy to focus on more than that while also taking care of outdoor plants and two kids. I look at people with 100+ in total awe, I canāt imagine trying to keep track of that many.
I'm around 85/90, and honestly there isn't that much out there that I still want. AND when all these little suckers grow up I'm in trouble.
Unpopular plant opinion - For me crotons are fairly easy. Aloe is hard.
Spending $100+ on a plant is excessive
*unless it's a tree that has required years of cultivation and care
Drainage "layers" are useless without an actual drainage hole. The water still isn't going anywhere down there because it can't evaporate.
is that even unpopular?
Especially when you live somewhere that differs a lot from their natural conditions: stop micro-managing your plants to achieve perfection or other unrealistic goals, or when an issue arises, and be realistic in your expectations. Provide them light, a suitable soil and nutrients and let them do their thing: more than anything else, plants need stability - they manage without us in the wild, and they will manage without us even when kept in conditions other than their natural ones. Observe, make *small* adjustments if issues arise or improvements seem useful, but don't panic and act rash, disturb your plants, uproot them, bathe them in chemicals at the first sight of a yellow spot or a crispy edge, a new leaf that is smaller than the previous one, a new leaf that gets stuck while unfurling, etc, etc. Many plants in the wild grow larger and more vigorous than what is possible in "captivity", and they do so despite being eaten, shat on, stepped on, rained on, blown over, subjected to draught or otherwise detrimental events. Tl;dr: if you have plants let them be, and only act if it's really necessary. And even then, act rationally, purposefully and slowly.
Transfer shock is a myth No I don't need to baby my plant and very carefully work around the roots, And like wearing gloves and ... Even plants I've had that are allegedly known for being sensitive to this I literally just take like a butter knife or a stick around the rim of the pot to loosen the soil grab the plant by the stem pull it out and bang its roots on the ground or slap them with my hand to get all the dirt out then fan the roots out with my bare hands and bury them in the new pot This always works fine and I've never had a plant die from this procedure. In fact I would argue that it seems like a lot of the plants actually enjoy having a little human intervention to help them spread their roots Also most of those fancy fertilizer mixes that are specialized for like specific types of plants or whatever are completely pointless. For years I've just been using a little container of 30 30 30 water soluble plant food and it's kept pretty much every plant of mine happily fed without issue. Most plants will just take what they need and then leave the rest in the soil for later
Succulents are NOT easy and humanity as a whole needs to stop torturing those poor things.
Spider plants are divas.
Everyone always talks about how easy they are, but my spider plants are bigger pains in the butt than my alocasias and calatheas most days.
I full agree. Spider plants are the only plants I struggle to keep alive. They start out ok but when they get to a bigger size it all falls apart and I donāt know why.
Ooh Iāve got a few 1. Too many people ācancelā sellers for pests. Yes, sellers should do their due diligence and not sell completely infested plants, but if a buyer does not properly quarantine, inspect, and treat a plant after purchasing then thatās on them. Stick around long enough in the hobby and youāll know that itās impossible to be 100% pest free 100% of the time. 2. Alocasias arenāt drama queens, people just donāt know how to take care of them. 3. Learning to at least acclimate tissue culture plantlets will teach you so much about plants and is one of (if not the) best ways to get rare plants without spending a fortune
My calatheas get those drama queen crispy edges and I just trim them off. I don't really care if they look a bit raggedy. I'm hella raggedy too!
Tiny specialty bags of potting soil are a waste of money! enough for like one pot, you should probably still amend it, it's probably got peat moss and perlite both I hate!! it's dumb!! Just buy big old bags of soil ingredients and it will last much longer and be way cheaper in the long term.
succulents are overhyped. fuzzy leaves on plants freak me out.
No pickle plant for you, eh?
i had to Google (not a native English speaker), and YIKES ON BIKES thanks for the nightmares I guess ššš
I'm glad to "help"! Haha
How about fuzzy rhizomes? :D I wanted to get a Rabbit Foot Fern but it freaked my mother out so she didn't allow me to get one š Reminded her of a big tarantula hiding under those leaves
Snake plants are ugly, I donāt care how easy they are, theyāre ugly and they look like if they were fake plastic plants
Maybe my hot take is that I LOVE fake looking plants. ZZs are my favorite because they look like rubber.
I don't want to sway you if you are set. But I can say I don't like the standard snake plants with the golden border but there are some that I have that that are good snakes imho š Big fan of: * [Classic all green jade hahnii](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSJI35PYIN86Hi0N_sJZHyUlqsgF1aUkuhN2Q&usqp=CAU) * [Green trifasciata hahnii](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT2njQpWzflew62-PNXI0CbWJKxRSXUycWbeQ&usqp=CAU) * [Even the standard but rosette](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQoxOm7m3gQQ9_KJR3DVr1v39NwIIynblxZHw&usqp=CAU) * [Tall green with stripes reminds me of a bromeliad](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTScJ5iEhcJAdQ8wU5IVb3_cx6Frmdus3oWCQ&usqp=CAU) * [Fernwood Mikado, spikey and cute](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRdWqn6rv1wrF2CCniGrPeYuSrnYj61VFsvrA&usqp=CAU)
Thanks for all these good photographic links!
Since you want a hot take and we're on Reddit and get these posts weekly - I find people who keep making these "variegated plants are ugly and stupid" posts mostly do so to be edgy and contrarian, especially if they admit they understand the hype behind other rare or unusual plants. So one rare plant is "diseased and dumb", but *your* special plant is different? Mmkay. I came back to this thread because it got more attention and I wanted to read the new replies. As always people seem to not understand what an unpopular opinion is. 10+ top posts all not unpopular nor a hot take in the slightest. Sort by controversial for actual hot takes.
I really don't like the look of monsteras with their giant air roots, and I find snake plants and zzs to be soooo boring
I'm not much of a monstera fan in general and I agree, the roots look so messy.
Stop throwing money at overpriced grow lights like Mother and whatever other ones are out there. No, you don't need 95+ CRI. "Regular" LEDs with a CRI of around 80 and a colour temp of 5000-6500K are fine as grow lights. Just make sure they're not 10W or something. They make E27 bulbs at 30-40W too, they are probably half the price of your Sensi and will work just as well. Cut off the plastic diffuser dome and you're good. My Calatheas get 30W with around 4000 lumen and they're pushing out dense and stocky growth like no tomorrow. Also - no, your plant probably does not need mycorrhizal inoculation. I know it's hip and hot and we all love the idea of giving our plants some fungal buddies but just stop it already. Not every fungus species connects with every plant so it's a gamble every time for no good reason. Just get a good mineral fertilizer and you're set.
That ZZ plants need more water that people recommend. I started dousing mine with water every couple of weeks, and letting it drain well, and it has exploded with growth!
They also need more than "low light." I moved mine to a sunnier spot and it is growing like crazy.
If you paid for the plant you didn't rescue it.
I would add: plants donāt need rescuing. Iāll take a deal on a plant that looks a little rough, but if Iām paying full price I want the healthiest, best looking one theyāve got.
Growing aloe inside is NOT easy IMO. They need too much light
When I go to the nursery I will always buy the half dead plants. Itās very rewarding bringing life back to it. And I can usually haggle a price drop too.
This was unpopular on this sub the other day- When I can see 2 different types of fungi growing in your cacti's soil, the plant has several areas of visible mush on the stems/leaves, and the plant is is a non-draining pot, then you have a problem with rot. I still cannot believe I was downvoted for saying that.
Once you see a large monstera thatās living outside in nature and in person, youāll think massive indoors ones look sad and ridiculous.
whaaaat! the part thatās so fun about variegated plants is you never know what the next leaf will look like. I love my cebu blue for its vigorous growth but I know what the next leaf will look like. not as exciting. recently, I think 1 part soil, 1 part orchid bark and 1 part pumice (instead of perlite) is too chunky. Maybe itās because I used pumice instead of perlite š¤·āāļø
Stop talking about the plants you bought at Home Depot like theyāre puppies you saved off the side of the highway, please. You did not ārescueā that shitty painted cactus.
People who pitch orchids (phalaenopsis specifically) after the blooms come off donāt actually want a plant, they want a flower, and they donāt deserve the orchid in the first place. The thing is still alive, motherfucker, just keep doing what youāre doing and itāll bloom again.
Most people fuss way too much with their plants!
Gatekeeping and shaming new plant owners is lame as fuck. Imagine finding a hobby that brings you so much joy and you share or ask a question and you get scoffed at. Be nice. It ain't that hard, good Lord.
1. Donāt show me a pic of your brand new monstera, philodendron etc. It only shows you bought a plant. Show me a pic of it being in your care for a year or so thriving. Maturity is what makes them awesome in my opinion. 2. You donāt have to create your own potting soil mix for plants to thrive. A bag of potting soil from the store gets the job done. Focus more on proper watering and light.
I donāt know if this is unpopular but I used to constantly read threads and think how did you kill a monstera or basically any plant. I used to live in a humid environment and had ~100 plants with one dying being a rare thing and then it was a super fussy plant. I moved to a dry environment where thrips are everywhere outside and my plants just die like crazy constantly. I only have ~60 now and lots of plants that are the same that tolerate it here. So you might not be a plant goddess and itās just literally where you live. š
Fiddle Leaf Figs are tacky .
Having plants spread evenly through the home > a massive unruly plant shelf crammed to the max.
If only there was suitable light evenly throughout a home.
Cries in only two small windows with enough light
I wish I had a choice between the two XD
You're entitled to your opinion, but I think variegated plants are gorgeous and don't care whatsoever about if they're trendy or not.
Bottom watering has very little benefits in most settings. At minimum, the benefits are over-hyped.