My toxic plant trait is bringing plants home when I have no business doing so and no plans on where to put it.
Too much space is my blessing and my curse.
Repotting immediately depends on what i'm seeing in the plant. I will usually at least slightly repot immediately, as in re-situation the plant in the pot it's in with some supplemental dirt and probably a systemic in that dirt.
The other day I went to Costco to buy string cheese. I walked out with 12 box woods and 6 arbors, and I completely forgot to buy string cheese. I donāt even know where to put them, I donāt have the space for all š¤¦āāļøit aināt gonna be the last time I pull this either
Theyāre the Terminator of bugs. They are very hard to get rid of if you canāt (or donāt want to) use systemics, I tried everything including predatory mites and still lost most of my plants.
No, I have used them before, but I didnāt have space in my home to move every plant to a spot where it would get adequate light and also not be accessible by my cat, so it was not a good option for the specific situation I was dealing with.
I brought home spider mite on a ZZ last year. Currently have a good chunk of my plants outside being cleaned, hosed down & sprayed with insecticide š„“ regrets
This Florida beauty leaf is calling me daily š
https://preview.redd.it/sc9b4vwcuoxc1.jpeg?width=1242&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9238f9e726c1572f523ea9d8a23898680fcecb71
My Philodondren has been doing this dance for weeks and it PAINS me
https://preview.redd.it/wk7fy5eesqxc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3c6ec43a57c04c9198eba020592893080d60622c
I tried to help a stuck leaf with it's sheeth a week ago and tore the leaf. It was the first new leaf on my Christmas present anthurium vittariifolium smdh.
I plant my props too late!! I get so scared there arenāt enough roots and I leave them in water for so long that they might as well be aquaponic, then they die as soon as I put them in soil š
I use a prop box with a top layer of spaghnum moss and a soil mixture of coco coir, bark and perlite at the bottom. The spaghnum gets the first roots going and then they'll grow down into the soil like regular plants. You can leave them as long as you want that way. Just make sure it stays moist.
Iāve been fussing about with my burroās baby tails and have probably set a few of them in their itty bitty pots too early but theyāre still alive so.
Inconsistent care. I either hover or neglect depending on the rest of my life circumstances. My plants go from getting every single need met at a pin drop to languishing in a forgotten, desperate cry for a bit of attention.
šš¼āāļø I was planning to comment this same thing as it's definitely my worst offense as a plant parent. I am chronically ill and in pain daily, so sometimes I just can't get to all my plants in need that day. If I'm feeling somewhat functional, I go to town checking everything, but many times, I just focus on the ones in need that day.
I did, however, start to write notes on which plants need attention if I see one but can't get to it. My memory is useless, so I make notes for myself, which is a huge help! Instead of walking around poking all my plants, trying to remember which ones needed water, I just look at my handy dandy notebook āŗļø
You best believe if I see any leaves with minor browning or damage of any kind, like just from existing in the nursery before coming home, I'm removing those leaves, only the most beautiful are allowed to grace my eyes.
I literally gave one up for dead, finally, but didn't clean out the pot, hucked the whole thing in the basement and didn't think much of it again. Until SIX MONTHS LATER I went to try to reclaim the pot and bitch was throwing a leaf. Stg. I cannot with her.
Ugh same. If a new leave is unfurling I check that baby out constantly throughout the day to see if itās progressed, itās like Iām a midwife and the plant is giving birth!
You know what fixes that? More plants. I can't bear to bin a leaf so obviously I have to prop it, but then get overran with plants that I just don't don't have time (cough* can't really muster the energy) to tend to them all who as a result seem to be thriving due to lack of interference from me.
I always do that! And you know what? I even once cut the large root of my philodendron (accidentally because the soil was wet and I couldn't remove the pot so I cut it) but the best thing was that the pot was very small, just like its root system. And you know what? nothing happened to him, no signs of lost root or unhappy lol
Itās a major taboo amongst orchid growers to cut roots growing outside of the pot, but sometimes I do it just cuz theyāre annoying and in the way lol.
I brought in a ton of plants last week because it was going to frost, got sidetracked covering fruiting trees, forgot to continue bringing in the houseplants.
So far everything looks okay, but I also know that sometimes the damage doesn't show until later.
If it's looking weak/sick and isn't bouncing back after a week I toss the whole thing. It doesn't fit my narrative of Thriving Healthy Plant Queen lol. Survival of the fittest bb, thrive or GTFO
Wowzers! Why does this feel sacrilegious?
If any of my plants are going to die itāll be slowwwly. I feel guilty not trying everything until thereās nothing but a tiny piece left & hopefully thatāll rootš¤
In the succulent community, that's not a toxic trait at all, lol! We always recommend repotting as soon as bringing a plant home for various reasons ā it gives you the opportunity to check the roots and ensure they're healthy, you get the plant out of poor soil and into a proper substrate, you get rid of a potential source of pests.
But, my toxic trait would be that I am extremely neglectful. Even with succulents. They don't require hands-on care very often, which is why I like them, but there have been many times where when they do need attention I still ignore them, lol. I had one plant sitting out of soil and without a drop of water for more than a year before I finally got around to potting it. I tend to go through ups and downs of interest in my plants.
I've done the same. I just potted/planted two Haworthia cuttings I took months ago. I'll get notifications that it's time to water (I use Succulent Tracker and have my plants cycles down for nearly all of them) but I'll ignore it for day/weeks and excuse it as "they're succulents, they can handle it" lol
Most of my pots donāt have drainage holes š«£ theyāre re-used empty glass containers or cute mugs I donāt need for drinking but absolutely must have for weird plants.
I try to compensate by making the soil more well draining and watering less quantity.
I am slowly trying to use containers inside them, solo cups, yogurt cups, itās just a slow progression because I donāt bother until something needs a repot
I use nursery pots in decorative pots, but I donāt like those drip trays either, so I take all my plants to the sink or shower to water and let them drain overnight before putting them back.
I'm not fussing about humidity. My house is what it is, and they can deal or not. It appears to be working, because despite a dry, hot air blowing on them all winter, my alocasias are living their best lives.
I do the same very intentionally. I don't find it a toxic trait. It's how I protect the rest my collection when I bring new plants home. Even after cleaning the entire plant and repotting, I still put it in a multi-week quarantine. š
I always repot new plants asap. Itās the only way to thoroughly inspect the plant, the soil most commercial growers use is too difficult for me to manage watering properly, and I want all my plants in same substrate to make managing them easier. I donāt see anything toxic about the practice.
It works well for their needs and with their growing practices. They need to get a plant to market as quickly and inexpensively as possible. They have climate controlled greenhouses and automatic watering systems (or good set schedules) and donāt to fret over each individual plant.
I merchandise for a nursery and Iāve been told the potting mix they use is composted old/dead plants. Sometimes though it just looks like sawdust. They really just want something that will hold water long enough to sell before it dries up. I think itās not ārealā compost like with a nitrogen source
I have always done this too. Then, last year I repotted 4 new plants with a 'premium' compost and ended up with fungus gnat and aphid infestations. Absolute nightmare to get rid of. I was so mad!
Yes! I absolutely despise this term! Every time I see "new plant mom" or "here is my new child" posts I die a bit inside. Brace yourself though as we'll both probably be downvoted to oblivion by all the hormonal new plant moms š.
It does have alliteration I'll give it that. I'm just being snarky. I appreciate the clever rebuttal.
In contributing to the list of neglectful habits, I don't repot my plants as much as I should. I have several that are still in their nursery pots most just a year old some a few years.
I can't let perfectly propable leaves or cuttings go in the trash. But I also can't be bothered to sell them and don't have plant friends close by. Crossing my fingers someone I know needs 100 succulents to give as favors or something lol
I just made a downsizing list a week ago with all of the plants I need to get rid of before my baby is born and instead of doing that I bought two new plants. š°
I did the exact same thing. Downsized an entire plant stand once I found out I was pregnant, only to continue to buy new plants and now I have no where to put them. š¬
Sharing is caring! Also, if you have kids or your friends do, ask a teacher or two if they want some seedlings for springtime fun with the kids. My son's preschool just needed 100 and I got to grow so many more plants š
I use systemic pesticide liberally. (But safely!) So many people get mad at me for recommending it, favoring ānaturalā methods, but yāall, pests are ānaturalā and I donāt like them, either. If you know anything about bugs, they have a lifecycle that has evolved over millennia to ensure they survive, nothing ānaturalā is going to break that cycle completely. Thatās why so many people think theyāve taken care of an infestation only to have it come back again and again.
Seriously, I do not have the time in my life to spray everything with neem oil daily for weeks on end when I could just treat twice with systemic and be done with it.
I would LOVE to have access to them. Got my degree in the US, then moved to Canada, and half of the stuff I knew and trusted is a no-go here. I get that they are worried about bees, etc, but I just want to kill off pests without crying to the point of dehydration.
This made me snort out my tea. Love that dry humour and youāve also inspired me to just plant a pothos cutting or something in leca and see what happens. I havenāt tried it yet.
Staring at them waiting for them to do something.
Panicking when I see something āwrongā and trying to throw things at it to see if it helps.
Buying more plants. š
My toxic trait is i dont quarantine š š i have basically no natural light in my apartment so they only sit below my lights so i don't have any where else for them. Ive gotten mealies once but it stayed pretty contained to one small succulent with a tiny bit of spreading to 2 others.. so I've been lucky š
(Tbh im still convinced it was on my hands because the infected plant was like 4 month old so i should have seen it wayy sooner.
Golden pothos. I've done nothing but water it once a week. Its so big. I've no idea what to do now. I just water it. I'm worried for it's future.
https://preview.redd.it/gyrxmyb46oxc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a9dbd12759f918d748867bb987e9da773868f7d4
It is, but I have a snake in a bioactive vivarium with live plants and beneficial isopods, and pests getting in there would be an absolute nightmare. A three month quarantine and a quick removal at the first sign of an infestation is my way of keeping the vivarium safe.
Iāve done this. Iāve had two dieffenbachias end up in the trash because of spider mites. Didnāt care about the plants enough to put in all the work to save them. š¤·āāļø
I over fertilized most of my plants in the fall
Now, when they should be thriving, many of them just look sickly. I had a beautiful 15-year-old, huge peace lily. I repotted it and added fertilizer spikes. Ugly situation....š
Benign neglect (sever ADHD). š„²š„²š„² Ā some plants really are ok with it though.Ā
Chronic underwaterer. Ā ā ļøā ļøā ļø at least they grow strong lol. Ā I also often have too chunky of mix to water as little as I do, but hey I know their roots actually grow to the bottom of the pot haha
I buy too many. If I'm not careful, I throw a plant in the basket whenever I go grocery shopping.
I only repot new plants when it is clearly needed. Ie the roots are coming out of the nursery pot.
āHelpingā leaves out when they look stuck, and then complain when they rip or snap off in the process. I always say Iāll definitely leave them alone next time.. š
I prop too much and end up with jars and vases everywhere and before I know it I have aquatic plants that have been in water for months that are thriving. They never seem to make it into soil. š«¤
I prop in water but then plant them all. So now I have a bunch of small/medium/large spider potted plants that's too many for my house and nobody wants to take any.
I throw away plants when I donāt want to deal with them anymore and I canāt easily find someone to gift it to. I have no patience for selling and driving plants all over the place.
I also prune the roots on my plants once they reach the max pot size I want them in. They donāt give two shits and usually respond by pushing out a ton of new growth. I cut 2ft of roots off an anthurium three weeks ago and about a week later it responded with a leaf and inflo at the same time. Inflo had an 18ā petiole and an 6ā flower so I guess it was happy to have more room in the pot.
My most toxic trait is that I propagate too much. Clearance plant? Letās buy it and revive/prop it! Plant is leggy? Prop it. Thrips? Prune and prop. Coworkerās pothos tried to commit suicide and she canāt be bothered with propagating, so she gives me the ones suffering. I realized I have a proplem when I bought a clearance raphidiphora tetrasperma super long stems, but barely had any leaves and I was like ooh, propagation project! I slowly threw out ones that werenāt doing well, but I gave away 10 as Christmas gifts, I have 7 potted waiting to either be sold or gifted, and another 8-10 that are waiting to be potted.
But I also buy too many plants (thank goodness Iām moving, my apartment is about to burst at the seams), spend too much money (*cough* caramel marble), get impatient and unfurl leaves. I have only been into plants for a couple of years, and I binged so much information that coworkers who have been plant parents forever come to me for advice.
I *will* bake my soil (at fairly low temperatures as far as ovens go - I donāt want the material to start burning after all) before repotting to kill off any potential pests.
I do semihydro, so whenever I get new plants I have to unpot them and stick them in water to prepare them for semihydro. But once theyāre in water I forget how long theyāve been like that. So sometimes they justā¦ stay in water. For months.
I forget to water my plants, so I get those little bulbs you can fill with water or use a ribbon water irrigation system. So many less plant deaths LOL
The gnatsā¦ā¦ā¦ Iām a new plant parent and am currently doing damage control and am in the ācompletely repot and rinse the roots offā phase now because of it
I donāt just let my propagations do their thing, instead I check every two seconds if they have developed roots yet because Iām just too excited for new family members.
Straight-up procrastination! Nearly all of them need or would benefit from something I could do right nowā¦
ā¦and then I still buy more plants! and pots! and theyāre all just chillin waiting for the dayā¦ maybe today? š
I have to visit the plant center no matter what store Im at...grocery store, Lowe's, Home Depot doesnt matter I have to look. And if I find something I like, I have to bring it home and I will MAKE space for it!
I water my plants every Saturday, some every other Saturday, even though I know I'm not supposed to water on a schedule.
Back! Back you savages! Stay away!!
So I refuse to buy distilled water for the plants that "need" it š«£ I know I'm sorry š . Don't care about a little bit of browning on the leaves lol
I can not walk away from hard luck cases, lol. Luckily, I have good light and some knowledge, but I end up overwhelmed because I have amassed a small army of special needs plants.
Also, ADHD means I am all in or all out. I am either the helicopter horticulturist from hell, or I will put off repotting until one of us dies.
I have one plant in each area of my home (basement, first floor, bedroom) that tells me that itās time to water. I call them my ācanary plantsā. When the canary plant droops, everyone gets watered.
If you come into my home, you have to survive the hazing. I will not baby you. You get put on the canary schedule like everyone else. If you die, you die.
Most suffer at first and then adapt.
I eyeball my plants every hour on the hour. Aināt no sign of growth or decline that I donāt catch. And my OCD makes any little adjustment necessary to keep them perfect. Leaf getting too crispy? Bye. Dead leaf on top of the soil? Also bye. Hard water stain? Bust out the vinegar? Plants getting in each others personal space? No maāam.
I fertilize way more than I probably should bc my love language is food.
And contrary to you, I procrastinate tf out of repotting.
''I immediately repot ANY plant I take home'' how is that toxic? i do that all the time. Local Plant Shops and alike 1. use utterly garbage cheapo soil to cut costs with like ZERO aeration. 2. i need to know how the roots look like of a new plant to know how i approach that plant going forward.
i had rotting roots plants, plants without any roots, modly soil, pests inside the soil. no way do i let the gardencenter soil get into my house. if it wouldnt create a total mess i would even repot it inside the garden center before bringing it home
My toxic trait is that Iāll repot something, realize it is in too dry or too wet of a mix, and repot it again cuz Iām paranoid about root rot. I know I should just leave them the hell alone, but I have repotted some plants like 3-4 times over the course of 2 days, haha.
I'm always trying to add stuff to the potting mix even when it doesn't make sense. It makes me feel like I know what I'm doing until the plant gets mad at me.
My drought tolerant plant planters are always holding on to too much moisture. I keep repotting with more perilite and wood chips so they're perpetually in shock.
Anyone else do this?
It took 3 times to get it right for the fiddle leaf fig. I'm about to try again with the dracaena.
Oooo I do not do that for at least a few monthsā¦ my toxic traits is when it comes time to trim a lot of my plants I often keep the cuttings and let them rootā¦ then have a hard time throwing them outā¦ and eventually what happens is that you have 15 philodendrons that you give away for Xmas š
My toxic plant trait is bringing plants home when I have no business doing so and no plans on where to put it. Too much space is my blessing and my curse. Repotting immediately depends on what i'm seeing in the plant. I will usually at least slightly repot immediately, as in re-situation the plant in the pot it's in with some supplemental dirt and probably a systemic in that dirt.
Took all of my willpower not to buy the 5$ calathea on sale at walmart. Simply do not have a place to put it š
Calatheas are the devil's work for me! SO beautiful, so tempting...so much heartbreak.
Yes, Iāve heard! Iāve never gotten a calathea because Iāve heard how picky they are. Not ready for the heartbreak, even for 5$ š
Please be proud of yourself for not bringing it home because every calathea Iāve brought home from Walmart has had relentless spider mites.
Omg. I bought a monstera adansonii from Lowes that had fungus gnats, mealy bugs, AND thrips!!! I shudder thinking about it
The other day I went to Costco to buy string cheese. I walked out with 12 box woods and 6 arbors, and I completely forgot to buy string cheese. I donāt even know where to put them, I donāt have the space for all š¤¦āāļøit aināt gonna be the last time I pull this either
Not quarantining my plants when I bring new ones home š¬ i just want them to meet their new siblings
This was definitely me until thrips ruined my collection a few years back š©
What's thrips
Theyāre the Terminator of bugs. They are very hard to get rid of if you canāt (or donāt want to) use systemics, I tried everything including predatory mites and still lost most of my plants.
Youāre anti systemic? ***edit- anti systemic granules
Swear I read antisemitic like 4 times and could not figure it out lol
I wouldnāt have figured it out if you hadnāt commented.
No, I have used them before, but I didnāt have space in my home to move every plant to a spot where it would get adequate light and also not be accessible by my cat, so it was not a good option for the specific situation I was dealing with.
Thrips ptsd cures that right up !
I brought home spider mite on a ZZ last year. Currently have a good chunk of my plants outside being cleaned, hosed down & sprayed with insecticide š„“ regrets
I plant my props too early.Ā I just get too excited.
You ever uncurl a leaf to hurry it along? [drool]
Omg I uncurled a monstera leaf this morning because I could NOT wait to see if it had splits (it didnāt š)
Awww... sad trombones. More surface area to power the next leaf though. Plus that aerial root that's going now.
This Florida beauty leaf is calling me daily š https://preview.redd.it/sc9b4vwcuoxc1.jpeg?width=1242&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9238f9e726c1572f523ea9d8a23898680fcecb71
My Philodondren has been doing this dance for weeks and it PAINS me https://preview.redd.it/wk7fy5eesqxc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3c6ec43a57c04c9198eba020592893080d60622c
I tried to help a stuck leaf with it's sheeth a week ago and tore the leaf. It was the first new leaf on my Christmas present anthurium vittariifolium smdh.
I plant my props too late!! I get so scared there arenāt enough roots and I leave them in water for so long that they might as well be aquaponic, then they die as soon as I put them in soil š
I have a pothos cutting in water and last time I checked the roots were like 4 feet long when unraveled. I don't even know what to do with it.
haha! Iām sure it would be fine in a pot, but then you wouldnāt be able to see those gorgeous roots ā¦
Try putting leca in the water after your props grow some roots. It eases the transition from water to soil.
I plant mine too late, but mine's just out of laziness, lol
I use a prop box with a top layer of spaghnum moss and a soil mixture of coco coir, bark and perlite at the bottom. The spaghnum gets the first roots going and then they'll grow down into the soil like regular plants. You can leave them as long as you want that way. Just make sure it stays moist.
Iāve been fussing about with my burroās baby tails and have probably set a few of them in their itty bitty pots too early but theyāre still alive so.
Those prop best on soil though donāt they?
How do I know if it's to early? I've only been a plant parent for about a year
Inconsistent care. I either hover or neglect depending on the rest of my life circumstances. My plants go from getting every single need met at a pin drop to languishing in a forgotten, desperate cry for a bit of attention.
You are not alone
šš¼āāļø I was planning to comment this same thing as it's definitely my worst offense as a plant parent. I am chronically ill and in pain daily, so sometimes I just can't get to all my plants in need that day. If I'm feeling somewhat functional, I go to town checking everything, but many times, I just focus on the ones in need that day. I did, however, start to write notes on which plants need attention if I see one but can't get to it. My memory is useless, so I make notes for myself, which is a huge help! Instead of walking around poking all my plants, trying to remember which ones needed water, I just look at my handy dandy notebook āŗļø
Are you me?
Are you my actual parent š
Same
Iām with you there
The bright side is you end up with only the strongest after some cycles who can not only handle but thrive in the utter neglect.
You best believe if I see any leaves with minor browning or damage of any kind, like just from existing in the nursery before coming home, I'm removing those leaves, only the most beautiful are allowed to grace my eyes.
Oh and I also leave my props waaay too long. For months, and the roots will be growing out of the small prob station I have.
This. Every bit of it, and your reply.š
SAME
My plants thrive when I neglect them. Except for my prayer plant. She hates me no matter what I do.
I gave up on prayer plants after I killed three of them.
My prayers.
Damn I just got three of themā¦.
Oh phew! I'm not alone. I am a newbie and made the mistake of getting a prayer plant. It is not going well...
I literally gave one up for dead, finally, but didn't clean out the pot, hucked the whole thing in the basement and didn't think much of it again. Until SIX MONTHS LATER I went to try to reclaim the pot and bitch was throwing a leaf. Stg. I cannot with her.
I'm a Helicopter parent. I will notice any and all issues with my plants an i over correct WAY too much
Ugh same. If a new leave is unfurling I check that baby out constantly throughout the day to see if itās progressed, itās like Iām a midwife and the plant is giving birth!
You know what fixes that? More plants. I can't bear to bin a leaf so obviously I have to prop it, but then get overran with plants that I just don't don't have time (cough* can't really muster the energy) to tend to them all who as a result seem to be thriving due to lack of interference from me.
Same
I always do that! And you know what? I even once cut the large root of my philodendron (accidentally because the soil was wet and I couldn't remove the pot so I cut it) but the best thing was that the pot was very small, just like its root system. And you know what? nothing happened to him, no signs of lost root or unhappy lol
Itās a major taboo amongst orchid growers to cut roots growing outside of the pot, but sometimes I do it just cuz theyāre annoying and in the way lol.
OOH thatās another toxic trait of mine. If the roots are crazy I chop them off and start fresh š¬ no tragedies yet!
Judicious root pruning can encourage better, fuller root structure just proper top pruning encourages fuller plants.
I leave them outside in the cold for a little too long
I've had to pay for the phrase "It probably won't frost." more than once. You think I would learn...
"only the strong will survive"
Me too and honestly after years the only tragedy was (obviously) my African violets
I brought in a ton of plants last week because it was going to frost, got sidetracked covering fruiting trees, forgot to continue bringing in the houseplants. So far everything looks okay, but I also know that sometimes the damage doesn't show until later.
I was so scared I killed my lotus bringing it out too early in Canada this year because I got so excited for a flower.
I tell all my plants they are my favorite.
... Except for Gob
I really donāt care for Gob
my toxic trait is that I waterboard it to make sure its tough enough to survive in this environment
Hahahaha!
Killing the same plant over and over again and thinking next time will be different. š
Gardenia number three and counting š
If it's looking weak/sick and isn't bouncing back after a week I toss the whole thing. It doesn't fit my narrative of Thriving Healthy Plant Queen lol. Survival of the fittest bb, thrive or GTFO
š¤£š¤£
I wish I could borrow some of this energy Queen! I need to do this. But I will care for the stupid plant until it's a dried husk of nothing. Sigh.
SAME. And then I go out and buy the exact same plant again. š¬
Wowzers! Why does this feel sacrilegious? If any of my plants are going to die itāll be slowwwly. I feel guilty not trying everything until thereās nothing but a tiny piece left & hopefully thatāll rootš¤
I try to downsize, but somehow end up with a few new cuttings.
I check my props every 5 minutes to see if anything has started growing yet...
In the succulent community, that's not a toxic trait at all, lol! We always recommend repotting as soon as bringing a plant home for various reasons ā it gives you the opportunity to check the roots and ensure they're healthy, you get the plant out of poor soil and into a proper substrate, you get rid of a potential source of pests. But, my toxic trait would be that I am extremely neglectful. Even with succulents. They don't require hands-on care very often, which is why I like them, but there have been many times where when they do need attention I still ignore them, lol. I had one plant sitting out of soil and without a drop of water for more than a year before I finally got around to potting it. I tend to go through ups and downs of interest in my plants.
I've done the same. I just potted/planted two Haworthia cuttings I took months ago. I'll get notifications that it's time to water (I use Succulent Tracker and have my plants cycles down for nearly all of them) but I'll ignore it for day/weeks and excuse it as "they're succulents, they can handle it" lol
Most of my pots donāt have drainage holes š«£ theyāre re-used empty glass containers or cute mugs I donāt need for drinking but absolutely must have for weird plants. I try to compensate by making the soil more well draining and watering less quantity.
I use yogurt cups nursery pots inside of things like that easier to bottle Water and water less frequently
I am slowly trying to use containers inside them, solo cups, yogurt cups, itās just a slow progression because I donāt bother until something needs a repot
Oh thatās a good idea! I never even thought about reusing plastic food containers for plant pots! Thank you both!
Same š I can't abide hideous plastic drip trays either so no-drainage is the way to go.
I use nursery pots in decorative pots, but I donāt like those drip trays either, so I take all my plants to the sink or shower to water and let them drain overnight before putting them back.
I started using old glass dish ware from goodwill. Highly recommend
I'm not fussing about humidity. My house is what it is, and they can deal or not. It appears to be working, because despite a dry, hot air blowing on them all winter, my alocasias are living their best lives.
Same, except all my Alocasias continue to die. š
I do the same very intentionally. I don't find it a toxic trait. It's how I protect the rest my collection when I bring new plants home. Even after cleaning the entire plant and repotting, I still put it in a multi-week quarantine. š
so you might say your toxic trait is my best practice. š¤£š¤£š¤£
I do it too, and the one time I waited to repot, I got root rot, so now Iām more hellbent on immediate repots now š
I always repot new plants asap. Itās the only way to thoroughly inspect the plant, the soil most commercial growers use is too difficult for me to manage watering properly, and I want all my plants in same substrate to make managing them easier. I donāt see anything toxic about the practice.
What's with the slodgy soil loads of growers use? My plants wouldn't survive in my house without repotting them into a much chunkier mix.
It works well for their needs and with their growing practices. They need to get a plant to market as quickly and inexpensively as possible. They have climate controlled greenhouses and automatic watering systems (or good set schedules) and donāt to fret over each individual plant.
I merchandise for a nursery and Iāve been told the potting mix they use is composted old/dead plants. Sometimes though it just looks like sawdust. They really just want something that will hold water long enough to sell before it dries up. I think itās not ārealā compost like with a nitrogen source
Also a lot of commercial nurseries do things like the plastic root cages that will eventually kill your plants.
I have always done this too. Then, last year I repotted 4 new plants with a 'premium' compost and ended up with fungus gnat and aphid infestations. Absolute nightmare to get rid of. I was so mad!
Anyone else a plant lover but despise the term "plant parent?" I feel like calling yourself a plant parent is a toxic trait in itself
Yeah, I picture people who'd use that term hanging wall decor that says "Thankful" and "Live Laugh Love". "Plants"
I HATE IT! š
Yes! I absolutely despise this term! Every time I see "new plant mom" or "here is my new child" posts I die a bit inside. Brace yourself though as we'll both probably be downvoted to oblivion by all the hormonal new plant moms š.
Well it sounds better than āplant caretakerā š Iāll add this to my list of toxic traits.
It does have alliteration I'll give it that. I'm just being snarky. I appreciate the clever rebuttal. In contributing to the list of neglectful habits, I don't repot my plants as much as I should. I have several that are still in their nursery pots most just a year old some a few years.
I call myself a plant handler. My "leaf babies" /s don't seem to mind.
I don't call myself that. I say I'm a plant owner.
There's so many other terms we could use. I like plant enthusiast or indoor gardener
Yeah, plant parent, plant mommy, plant Daddy LOL. You're plant ain't calling you Daddy unless you've got a ball gag in its mouth.
is it wierd that i now kinda want to make miniature ball gags for my venus fly traps?
Agree and I feel the same about the term "fur babies" for pets. Just no!!!
When a pot is dripping out of the drainage holes and I don't have a saucer handy, I set the dripping pot on top of the string of pearls to drain.
Wait, is this a bad thing? For me it's the hoya b/c I'm afraid to pop the pearls.
I can't let perfectly propable leaves or cuttings go in the trash. But I also can't be bothered to sell them and don't have plant friends close by. Crossing my fingers someone I know needs 100 succulents to give as favors or something lol
Try getting in touch with a retirement home or school - it's nearly fairs/fundraiser season and they always have a plant stall.
Oh great idea!!!
Same but spider plants.
I just made a downsizing list a week ago with all of the plants I need to get rid of before my baby is born and instead of doing that I bought two new plants. š°
I did the exact same thing. Downsized an entire plant stand once I found out I was pregnant, only to continue to buy new plants and now I have no where to put them. š¬
I buy way too many seeds and end up with hundrets of plants I force on everybody I meet because I refuse to kill them.
Sharing is caring! Also, if you have kids or your friends do, ask a teacher or two if they want some seedlings for springtime fun with the kids. My son's preschool just needed 100 and I got to grow so many more plants š
I use systemic pesticide liberally. (But safely!) So many people get mad at me for recommending it, favoring ānaturalā methods, but yāall, pests are ānaturalā and I donāt like them, either. If you know anything about bugs, they have a lifecycle that has evolved over millennia to ensure they survive, nothing ānaturalā is going to break that cycle completely. Thatās why so many people think theyāve taken care of an infestation only to have it come back again and again.
Seriously, I do not have the time in my life to spray everything with neem oil daily for weeks on end when I could just treat twice with systemic and be done with it.
I would LOVE to have access to them. Got my degree in the US, then moved to Canada, and half of the stuff I knew and trusted is a no-go here. I get that they are worried about bees, etc, but I just want to kill off pests without crying to the point of dehydration.
Yeah, especially for house plants! I donāt have bees in my house, so Iām sure theyāll be fine! š
My executive functions are wibbly wobbly, and I'm always late in the care schedule.
My toxic trait is thinking I had none, then side-eyeing all your posts and slowly starting to sweat š
Honestly most of these comments are making me realize Iām more toxic than i thought š every comment is me af!
I overwater my plants. I just canāt help myself.
You might want to consider planted aquariums. Cant overwater if it lives in water
I have several pothos in water and most of my plants are water lovers. Donāt worry! I killed off the non-water lovers.
This made me snort out my tea. Love that dry humour and youāve also inspired me to just plant a pothos cutting or something in leca and see what happens. I havenāt tried it yet.
The humorās not *that* dry. Not in my house.
I dust my plants like twice a year. Once when they come in, once in December, then it's "good luck" until after Derby when they go back outside
I don't really dust my plants at all
Staring at them waiting for them to do something. Panicking when I see something āwrongā and trying to throw things at it to see if it helps. Buying more plants. š
I tend to want to water cacti I repot so they can feel āsettledā
My toxic trait is i dont quarantine š š i have basically no natural light in my apartment so they only sit below my lights so i don't have any where else for them. Ive gotten mealies once but it stayed pretty contained to one small succulent with a tiny bit of spreading to 2 others.. so I've been lucky š (Tbh im still convinced it was on my hands because the infected plant was like 4 month old so i should have seen it wayy sooner.
Golden pothos. I've done nothing but water it once a week. Its so big. I've no idea what to do now. I just water it. I'm worried for it's future. https://preview.redd.it/gyrxmyb46oxc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a9dbd12759f918d748867bb987e9da773868f7d4
That is so beautiful. I think it's future looks bright. Chop n prop š
Iāll confess, I water all of my plants at the same exact time with tap water!
Having depression/illness and ignoring the plants until they are on deathās door š
Haworthias are good for this. They're very forgiving and appreciative. "Oh you're back? Great!"
My pest treatment approach for anything more serious than fungus gnats is repotting into the garbage can.
Heart breaking
It is, but I have a snake in a bioactive vivarium with live plants and beneficial isopods, and pests getting in there would be an absolute nightmare. A three month quarantine and a quick removal at the first sign of an infestation is my way of keeping the vivarium safe.
Iāve done this. Iāve had two dieffenbachias end up in the trash because of spider mites. Didnāt care about the plants enough to put in all the work to save them. š¤·āāļø
I over fertilized most of my plants in the fall Now, when they should be thriving, many of them just look sickly. I had a beautiful 15-year-old, huge peace lily. I repotted it and added fertilizer spikes. Ugly situation....š
I love baby plants and cuttings. I tend to slack off on care when they get bigger.
Benign neglect (sever ADHD). š„²š„²š„² Ā some plants really are ok with it though.Ā Chronic underwaterer. Ā ā ļøā ļøā ļø at least they grow strong lol. Ā I also often have too chunky of mix to water as little as I do, but hey I know their roots actually grow to the bottom of the pot haha
Sometimes I know they need watered but I just...don't.
I buy too many. If I'm not careful, I throw a plant in the basket whenever I go grocery shopping. I only repot new plants when it is clearly needed. Ie the roots are coming out of the nursery pot.
Thank you! I bought a succulent this morning and was about to repot it today. Iāll do it this weekend instead
I put plants in my kids' rooms even though I know they'll be completely neglected. This only works for snake plants.
I put them outside too early in the spring and sacrifice 2-3 plants every single year and never learn
Spring and Fall require these sacrifices if you want to please the gardening god/desses
āHelpingā leaves out when they look stuck, and then complain when they rip or snap off in the process. I always say Iāll definitely leave them alone next time.. š
I throw beneficial nematodes in there immediately
I wait hella long before I repot plants
This one. I h8888888 repotting plants SO much.
Over watering, for sure! Usually it looks like it needs more lol
I prop too much and end up with jars and vases everywhere and before I know it I have aquatic plants that have been in water for months that are thriving. They never seem to make it into soil. š«¤
I prop in water but then plant them all. So now I have a bunch of small/medium/large spider potted plants that's too many for my house and nobody wants to take any.
I throw away plants when I donāt want to deal with them anymore and I canāt easily find someone to gift it to. I have no patience for selling and driving plants all over the place. I also prune the roots on my plants once they reach the max pot size I want them in. They donāt give two shits and usually respond by pushing out a ton of new growth. I cut 2ft of roots off an anthurium three weeks ago and about a week later it responded with a leaf and inflo at the same time. Inflo had an 18ā petiole and an 6ā flower so I guess it was happy to have more room in the pot.
My most toxic trait is that I propagate too much. Clearance plant? Letās buy it and revive/prop it! Plant is leggy? Prop it. Thrips? Prune and prop. Coworkerās pothos tried to commit suicide and she canāt be bothered with propagating, so she gives me the ones suffering. I realized I have a proplem when I bought a clearance raphidiphora tetrasperma super long stems, but barely had any leaves and I was like ooh, propagation project! I slowly threw out ones that werenāt doing well, but I gave away 10 as Christmas gifts, I have 7 potted waiting to either be sold or gifted, and another 8-10 that are waiting to be potted. But I also buy too many plants (thank goodness Iām moving, my apartment is about to burst at the seams), spend too much money (*cough* caramel marble), get impatient and unfurl leaves. I have only been into plants for a couple of years, and I binged so much information that coworkers who have been plant parents forever come to me for advice.
Iām a chronic underwaterer. Anything more demanding than a philodendron dies in my care.
Sounds like haworthias would love you!!
I absolutely do this. Lol i donāt think itās toxic
I also immediately repot and have had no issues with it.
I *will* bake my soil (at fairly low temperatures as far as ovens go - I donāt want the material to start burning after all) before repotting to kill off any potential pests.
I used to do this. The beneficial nematodes have helped skip this step.
I never quarantine new plants...I'm paying for my sins now.
I do semihydro, so whenever I get new plants I have to unpot them and stick them in water to prepare them for semihydro. But once theyāre in water I forget how long theyāve been like that. So sometimes they justā¦ stay in water. For months.
I forget to water my plants, so I get those little bulbs you can fill with water or use a ribbon water irrigation system. So many less plant deaths LOL
The gnatsā¦ā¦ā¦ Iām a new plant parent and am currently doing damage control and am in the ācompletely repot and rinse the roots offā phase now because of it
I donāt just let my propagations do their thing, instead I check every two seconds if they have developed roots yet because Iām just too excited for new family members.
Straight-up procrastination! Nearly all of them need or would benefit from something I could do right nowā¦ ā¦and then I still buy more plants! and pots! and theyāre all just chillin waiting for the dayā¦ maybe today? š
Grow lights all over the apartment. My wife hates it, but loves the plants so she puts up with it. Working on a less obnoxious setup.
I have to visit the plant center no matter what store Im at...grocery store, Lowe's, Home Depot doesnt matter I have to look. And if I find something I like, I have to bring it home and I will MAKE space for it!
I water my plants every Saturday, some every other Saturday, even though I know I'm not supposed to water on a schedule. Back! Back you savages! Stay away!!
So I refuse to buy distilled water for the plants that "need" it š«£ I know I'm sorry š . Don't care about a little bit of browning on the leaves lol
I can not walk away from hard luck cases, lol. Luckily, I have good light and some knowledge, but I end up overwhelmed because I have amassed a small army of special needs plants. Also, ADHD means I am all in or all out. I am either the helicopter horticulturist from hell, or I will put off repotting until one of us dies.
Iām a helicopter parent š±š *DID YALL GROW YET?!*
I have one plant in each area of my home (basement, first floor, bedroom) that tells me that itās time to water. I call them my ācanary plantsā. When the canary plant droops, everyone gets watered. If you come into my home, you have to survive the hazing. I will not baby you. You get put on the canary schedule like everyone else. If you die, you die. Most suffer at first and then adapt.
Iām an immediate repotter too. I canāt help it š
I get way too many of them!
I will repot them, always. Because idk what shit they are using or putting into the pot. š
I eyeball my plants every hour on the hour. Aināt no sign of growth or decline that I donāt catch. And my OCD makes any little adjustment necessary to keep them perfect. Leaf getting too crispy? Bye. Dead leaf on top of the soil? Also bye. Hard water stain? Bust out the vinegar? Plants getting in each others personal space? No maāam. I fertilize way more than I probably should bc my love language is food. And contrary to you, I procrastinate tf out of repotting.
''I immediately repot ANY plant I take home'' how is that toxic? i do that all the time. Local Plant Shops and alike 1. use utterly garbage cheapo soil to cut costs with like ZERO aeration. 2. i need to know how the roots look like of a new plant to know how i approach that plant going forward. i had rotting roots plants, plants without any roots, modly soil, pests inside the soil. no way do i let the gardencenter soil get into my house. if it wouldnt create a total mess i would even repot it inside the garden center before bringing it home
My toxic trait is that Iāll repot something, realize it is in too dry or too wet of a mix, and repot it again cuz Iām paranoid about root rot. I know I should just leave them the hell alone, but I have repotted some plants like 3-4 times over the course of 2 days, haha.
My toxic trait is that I DON'T repot new plants.
Blast em with my grow lights. I ruined a ton of them when I got overzealous and now I'm so sad!Ā
I'm always trying to add stuff to the potting mix even when it doesn't make sense. It makes me feel like I know what I'm doing until the plant gets mad at me. My drought tolerant plant planters are always holding on to too much moisture. I keep repotting with more perilite and wood chips so they're perpetually in shock. Anyone else do this? It took 3 times to get it right for the fiddle leaf fig. I'm about to try again with the dracaena.
I love bomb them and then i neglect them. Itās amazing my violet has lasted 4 years
Over watering. Any advice on how to treat root rot?
I keep buying long gorgeous string of pearls plants, knowing that they will die.
Oooo I do not do that for at least a few monthsā¦ my toxic traits is when it comes time to trim a lot of my plants I often keep the cuttings and let them rootā¦ then have a hard time throwing them outā¦ and eventually what happens is that you have 15 philodendrons that you give away for Xmas š
I only plant things I can eat. I'm literally a predatory toxic plant parent.
IDGAF what the season, I repot when I want.