I suffer with anxiety, depression, insomnia; your channel uplifts me and puts me in a happy place. So glad I found you. My collection of plants help me with my mental disorder. Please keep posting.
Hi Jan, thanks for this. I'm 3 minutes in and it got me thinking that the idea of perfect plants is a reflection of how we are all meant to be having perfect lives with perfect bodies and the huge amount of pressure that puts on people who believe the hype. Thanks for keeping the houseplant world real. Big hugs to Brad who looks more handsome than ever today 💙
I love that you mentioned plant prices! There are influencers who seem to be only showcasing newly purchased, expensive plants, and that’s just not realistic for many of us.
Every winter, when old leaves start dying off, I feel like I'm failing. I have to give myself a mental shake and remember that this is normal. Then the weather starts warming up and new buds show themselves and all is right in my plant world
Thank you so much for sharing this. I don’t know how many people I have met who think houseplants shouldn’t go out side. I remember my husband brought me a dead plant he got from work. I was new to the plant care it had no leaves just a stick but the roots were still healthy. I nursed it back to health and it ended up being a schefflera plant. The journey was up and down but well worth it. Her leaves grew lush and she was 4 feet tall and gorgeous. It gives me a sense of accomplishment to know I learned about this plant by taking care of it and watching it grow. Love your channel!
You are embodying and being that good plant friend/mentor that talks some sense into us, genuinely affirming all of the typical plant headaches, and giving some solid general advice. Huge kudos - coming from a newer (1 year) plant parent freak that needed some sense talking lol thanks!!
I also have this amazon sunset which suddenly just rotted from the bottom up. Your content as well as more time in the hobby have made it pretty easy for me to just cut it up so that some of it survived instead of just somehow trying to save something that was too far gone in the first place. The top cutting is currently rerooting so thanks for that!
That was a nice motivational "feel good" vid thanks Jan. 🙂 lots of encouragement and wisdom. My new motto "let it go". Tip for those like me who paid $350 for Thai, just before they came out at $99. Go buy 2 more, average them out, then you only paid $180 . You're welcome 🤗
I used to have these vanilla orchids and for some reason they all just unalived on me.. just bought new ones and if they also decide to be difficult I'll follow your advice to just move on from them. Just thought I'd try putting them on moss poles as well this time. 26:00 doing bonsai would be quite the departure, but that'd be a true test of patience. Used to watch a lot of bonsai content and the mix of aesthetics and culture behind it was really interesting.
Realism without being negative! I really appreciate that. Overall I have sunk plenty of money into plants, inside and outside, but not on individual plants. I must not be a risk taker! I really like the Alocasia plants, but they are of the opinion that two leaves is the perfect number of leaves. I have tried Fiddly Fig and lost it. The same with a couple of other plants. I have even lost or killed a ZZ plant. Now that is an accomplishment!
I’ve had lots of plant failures and thank you for perfectly articulating a healthy plant hobbyist attitude towards that experience. The biggest failure I’ve experienced was growing a philodendron florida green. I read up on it, watched all the TH-cam videos about it, bought all the necessary items to make the plant thrive…and it did but after growing it I absolutely hated the thing. I hated the sticky dew it always had on the petiole, the growth habit, etc. It took awhile because I spent so much time and money on the thing but I finally just got rid of it. The plant itself was inexpensive but all the other stuff added up since I wanted to provide it with the perfect growing conditions. What I learned from all that is to not be afraid to get rid of plants that don’t make you happy.
So true !! I have had those moments too.... where I hate growing a plant but i'm 'too far into the journey' to stop now :D nowadays these plants just get put in my garden hehe :D
I LOOOVED this video!! Thank you!! Personally, I have been in this journey with plants for over 6 years now and have had several resets for one reason or another. Sometimes I look back at old photos of my plants and reminisce when they were in better conditions or whatever. Something about plants, they really mirror you. I feel like if you are doing well, your plants most likely are thriving. That’s been my experience anyway since I have been dealing with depression and frankly severe mental health for a very long time. This past year in particular I have just been grounding myself in the best life soil for my own personal growth and keeping consistent my own care and health needs to make sure I can grow and bloom again like my plants showed me possible. There are clear marks that bear the scars of my own eras of sorrows but what brings me joy and promise in tomorrow is seeing the fruits of my labor show in the beauty I create around me with these plants. From dead stumps to centerpieces, all it takes is the right conditions, consistent care, and a little patience 🫶🏼
Thanks for sharing ! Agree, I sometimes look at old photos and think my plants used to look so much better. And yes, you are correct, they are a reflection of us, and the time & effort we have to put into them. You always need to consider yourself first :) it's a typical 'out your oxygen mask on first before helping other' scenario :)
I so agree with that. I started my new indoor plant journey when separating from my husband. It’s been extremely anxiety provoking and depressing. The plants have given me an outlet to zone in on, and not think about my troubles for a little while. It’s given me some purpose when I felt I’d lost it. But, whenever I fail, or something happens to a plant I take it extra hard. And when I have success I’m extra excited! So yes, completely agree they’re a reflection of your state. I guess mine is very fragile!
I left a comment about mental health and my plants before I saw this, thanks for your comment, it's relatable. And congratulations for not giving up on something that brings you joy! 🌿
This video was simply amazing, providing real comfort for the mental health of plant lovers. I watch it from Brazil, and I notice that all the topics you covered apply to me as well. It seems that we all face the same challenges in indoor plant cultivation. I used to think I was exceptional for never losing an Alocasia until a few died in quick succession. At first, I was upset, but now I understand that it's part of the process haha. Hugs!
29:37 I loved how you talked about having se setback is not a failure. As an artist I can assure you when you are about to cry and give up is when you are learning and making progress. Take care of your plant as if they are the last of their spicues, but don't strees over it when something happens. I even grow simple weed as a plant because it reminds me of my childhood. Weird enough when I strees over it that weed dies, but when I stop stressing about it that plant thrives.
Thank you for the truths Jan! One of my early mistakes as a plant parent was buying plants just because I liked the look of them without checking whether I had the right conditions for them. Now I only buy a plant if I'm sure I have the conditions for it to not just survive, but thrive! I feel like there's a life lesson hidden in there somewhere 😂
We all are facing failure... so true! I have been keeping houseplants for more than 40 years. As time went by, I learned to keep my fingers away from blue ferns, Boston Fern, some sorts of palm trees, and the smaller Schefflera varieties. It simply was not worth the effort. The conditions were not right, the light was insufficent, or - like the Schefflera - they were eaten alive by thrips and spider mites. Other plants thrived. Only since this year I discovered the Aroids, a very long time I stuck to Orchids, because the supply of houseplants had been becoming somewhat boring over these decades. I knew such a lot of them, nothing really new ever came into the stores... So roughly three months ago I got myself a few Aroids, mainly Alocasia and Philodendron, and what can I say? I´m learning so much again, and in working with them, and being fascinated by the new growth, or the textures of their leaves, I feel so much joy with this rekindled passion! I am very curious how they will develop, and how they´ll behave in Winter, and how I need to adjust my rooms to give them the right spots to be happy! I know that mistakes will happen... such is life, after all! I thank you (and some of your fellow planty channels) for this YT-Input that started the old fire for plant care in me again!💚
You sound like me! I've been growing for 40 years as well! The plant world has totally changed in recent years with so many NEW plants that were not available earlier in my plant journey. It's so exciting!
@@SSaaNNddYY77 Oh yes! I felt like a kid in a candy store!!! All of a sudden great looking plants popped up everywhere! I really had to reign in myself not to get too excited, and buy too much - space is limited, and heck: usually I don´t neglect my plants or lose them, so they WILL GROW and need more space for certain. And I´m super glad that my husband is also happy with the new planty additions, because HE considered those Orchids boring, so we nicely come around beautifully. He has to move between them and around them, so it´s much better he likes them, too...^^🥰 Of course we shall keep our eyes open to whatever tickles our fancy, right?💚 Love to read from you!
@mahaliaheartburn9577 I know! My plants rarely if ever die so space is very limited. Gosh wish we could chat cuz what you wrote is exactly what I could have wrote lol! My husband tolerates my addiction. Do you have a plant Instagram acct? I do! Let me know if you do and we can see each other's collection!
@@SSaaNNddYY77 So sorry, no instagram so far. Never had the urge to show something around. Most of my plants I have for years and years... it´s always a very tough decision to get rid of one.
This was an excellent episode and so true. My failure was my Monstera Adansonii variegated. I had two, one died and one reverted. I’m going to wait until I see a more well established plant and try again. I always love your interactions with Brad ❤
Thank you so much Jan for the behind the scenes take on indoor plant care. I am a master gardener (MG) intern in the mid-Atlantic part of the United States, and in this part of the world we have extension offices, under the auspices of a local university to help inform people on “best practices” on indoor and outdoor plant care. Your advice is spot. Using pesticides or insecticides should be the last resort and pests are just part of the plant hobby experience. Using them does come with great responsibility. These chemicals can drift in the air and cause issues for your neighbors or leach into water. Always follow the label instructions. I greatly value your approach in helping viewers manage their expectations and enjoy the learning experiences of the journey and over time the reward value will only increase. More than a year ago I took your advice on giving my green jewels a full shower when possible to help manage the pest population. It made a HUGE difference.
I really appreciate your perspective on a lot of things! It’s nice to hear that perfection isn’t the norm for other people so maybe that means I’m not doing anything wrong. If my plants are growing and they seem happy, I shouldn’t freak out about minor things.
I had some "plant breakdown" last autumn, when my child was born. Coming winter combined with very limited time in my new reality made me feel really bad for my plants. But with time, I established my new routine and decided not to be so freaked out about potential failures - I just decided to embrace them and learn from my mistakes. Most of my plants thrive now, especially my monsteras - I even tried the "chop and extend" technique and it works great for me! Now, I really enjoy my plant hobby even if not everything goes as I expected. Well - it's a part of it 😄 I totallly agree with all you talk about here ❤
Thank you for sharing! I needed this. Recently, I lost a mutated epipremnum manjula that I have babied for almost a year. Luckily, I didn't pay a lot for it.
🪴Thank you for all your content. I always enjoy all your experiences and how you share. I love, love, love ferns, but I struggle with keeping them for long. But I love them so much that I will never stop trying. ❤❤ Keeping bringing us your amazing content and experiences. ❤
Hmm plant fails...well last winter i didnt water the moss pole of my philo splendid ONCE and it proceeded to drop all its lower leaves....so i had to chop! Meanwhile the philo glorious next to it was completely unbothered XD Also semi recently i bought a beautiful small philo pastazanum silver, because i was like "oooh i can squeeze it right there in this space jtll be perfect" aaaaand i hate it! Its making the whole area look super cluttered! So ill probably chop it and keep it small until i move! Or my poor philo silver sword that i didnt realize liked being more moist, so after it was barely hanging in there for mooonths i chopped, propagated, and now i have 2 massive ones! You really said it best Jan, its the journey thats the fun part! And learning about yourself! If you want green without effort just get plastic ones, as my mom would say XD
Great Video Idea ❤ A little over a year ago I had thrown away three alocasia after pest infestation. I hardly regret, that I didn't know that you can restet the corn so easy...
You speak the truth ❤😂!!! Ugh geez well my big failure philodendron red finale. . The potting mix was wrong so now use aroid mix and have only bought high quality potting mixes /soil vs. cheap universal potting soil . Has made a huge difference
yo thank you for this and all your other videos, and thank you for actually knowing wtf you're talking about from personal experience, and calling out BS you hear online finding your stuff has been so refreshing in a sea of nicely-produced, well-edited videos of charismatic people misting their leaves, repotting with Miracle-Gro, cutting off aerial roots and sharing bogus information like it's the gospel my most recent plant fail was having repotted my giant 7-foot-wide monstera deliciosa (that had gone dormant from my poor watering consistency and bone-dry winter humidity) in what was supposed to be the best bagged potting soil + perlite (in an opaque pot) a couple months ago, only to have it retain water for two weeks+ after each watering and simultaneously dry out in some spots and wet rot in others, of course none of which I could see happening until I got paranoid and dug it up again so, I watched like a dozen of your videos, ordered a 25cm/10" clear pot from an orchid supply website, made an aeroid mix based on yours, chopped off the rotten bits and a couple of rooted sections to propagate, repotted everything, and watched the next watering drain through the chunky mix almost immediately, leaving behind mostly condensation from humid air in the air pockets in the mix. boom! hoping for more success henceforth thanks again! also, bring on all the sports references, though if we're including aesthetic preferences here as well, personally I would've gone with Nadal or Federer over Djoker ;)
You were preaching’ to the choir this entire video! I was born in the Caribbean and now live in S. Florida. We never had plants inside, everything was outside and I have zero memories of my mother panicking over pests. Even now, all of MY plants are outside (my house is very dark - I need moar windows) because I, luckily, have the conditions to do so and the only pest I ever run into is spidermites. And sometimes I’ll spray with soapy water sometimes other insects will take care of everything for me and my plants are doing fine. I also did the thing where I spent a stupid amount of money for a PPP and it died and I was sad and now I literally have like seven that I either got for free or for dirt cheap. 😅 And the ten foot long vine with two leaves, you are so savage for putting people on blast for that! Omg. 😂 I feel the same way but never say anything because I’m like, whatever makes you happy my friend. Your plant is not thriving, it’s surviving. This video was wonderful, you gave great advice and gave it straight! I feel like people may come for you but honestly I think people need to know you don’t need to coddle your plants like they’re an asthmatic child with two broken arms, ADHD and an allergy to sunlight. In my opinion the best advice and the advice I give the most is, you’re going to make mistakes, it happens. Just learn from it. One of my fav things that you (as well as a couple of other people I follow) do that’s not in this vid but others, is how you’ll chop a plant and maybe you’ll prop maybe you’ll toss and you doing that and showing others it’s ok to throw away the piece you don’t want to prop is fine. Not everything had to be propped. Anyways run-ons aside, I enjoy your videos immensely! Thanks!
Thank you so much !! And people will come for me, no matter what I say :) Also a learning curve - you can't please everybody ... especially on the internet :) Happy growing !
Hi from Delhi, India. Alocasia are my nemesis! I have "unlifed" 3 and not learnt a damn thing from them. And obviously, it's not me it's them... Loved this video! Motivating reality check that takes the stress out of growing plants indoors... Thank you
Everything you mentioned makes sense Jan! One plant I love dearly kept ‘passing away’ 5 times. Although I kept losing my money, I decided to try a 6th time & I nailed it; it’s Cebu Blue! It grew so well that I had to chop & extend many times. It’s grown to maturity with large leaves. I’m glad I didn’t give up after #5. Thanks for sharing Jan!
If a plant dies, I just buy another one lol, sometimes. Trying not to do it right away though haha. Yay Sports! I work for a sports company, so love the references :)
Hello,Jan. I do not know if you’ll ever read this comment of mine since this episode says one month ago,but I am determined to watch ALL your previous vlogs since my daughter and I recently met you at the 2024 IAS Expo in Miami! You were so gracious and pleasant to all,that I decided to be an avid subbie of your channel! I so enjoyed this no nonsense episode about plants! It’s me accepting the hard truths about this hobby that it’s almost painless to accept when things happens. Thank you Jan very much for the psychological preparations of plant parenthood. Watching from Charlotte County,Florida.
I just want to say it's SO THERAPEUTIC to hear all these affirmations from an experienced plant grower that everything is normal and it's going to be okay. As someone who recently got obsessed about house plants I can't tell you how often I stress about pests, or why a leaf has browned, etc. This really helps me stay positive and accept the ebb and flow of plant growing. Thank you so much for this video😄
Feel good video… thanks! Interested to read other peoples experiences with plants that didn’t work for them. Mine were Rex begonias. Before I got into aroids, I struggled keeping Rex begonias happy. I became happier when I gave up that frustration and now have been totally enjoying my Hoyas, anthurium, philodendron, with a bit less enjoyment of alocasia.😂
Thank you for making this video! 💚 I would frequently get upset the first year because my succulents and tropical plants would keep dying and I tried so many things but without success. Speaking from personal experience, I unalived about 20 plants in my first year (probably more I didn't keep count). I have only one variety (mother of thousands) that I have managed to keep alive for more than 12 months. Would recommend it for beginners but beware that it is toxic to humans and pets if ingested, as a lot of common 'house' plants are.
Ha Ha, I can’t keep mother of thousands alive! I called it my “mother of two” and then it croaked. Our conditions are all different and a good lesson that some plants aren’t meant for our environments. I can’t keep echeverias alive either 😮
Wow, I'm glad to hear that your approach to pests has also worked with thrips. I've had a thrips near-takeover of my some-90 plants indoor plants. I've really been struggling to keep them from spreading.
Great video, Jan! My biggest failure(s) is overspending on trendy “rare” plants and then having them die and feeling bad because of the money I spent. I agree that my best growers were the reasonably priced plants. My expensive fails are velvet leaved philodendrons or difficult hoyas and getting some pricey anthuriums and now realising I don’t have much luck with most of them in my environment. Even trying them in my cabinet. But anthuriums are all the rage these days but I’m stepping back from them and concentrating on plants that do better for my conditions.
Thank you for this video! Ferns are my inevitable failure. Also, I remember when 90% of my alocasias went dormant by the end of the first winter, I thought they all have died, it broke my heart. No ferns anymore but a bunch of cute little alocasias every spring since - and we are all happy!
I just started getting into plants and have precisely ONE houseplant. It's a little pothos with only 5 leaves. I also started a little herb garden. Like... LITTLE. My cilantro only has 5 short stems. I'm consuming these videos with voracity. I will be trying to make a moss pole this weekend and will TRY to propogate my little pothos for the first time. Very nervous about it!!!
Very comprehensive and so true! I agree 100% as regards pests outside and indoors, My tropical plants spend 5 months outside in the garden and never had problems with pests (slugs and snails sometimes). Thanks a lot for the video!
thank you for this whole video - had my first real pest outbreak a couple of weeks ago and im rounding the corner and I've only lost a couple plants. you make me feel like it wasn't all my fault!!
Thanks for sharing! As a pre covid house plant enthusiasts I have had my share of plant casualties 😂. Pre covid plants were cheap. Post covid, I am happy to have the experience under my belt because house plants, among other things, have become way more expensive. Needless to say, I have fewer casualties. I am glad I got a feel for what I can and can't grow in my environment now.
Sidney u said it well hopefully everyone understood its a hobby and it's not a competition or should anyone envy what they see on internet everyone journey is different just enjoy and keep growing also learning
Hi from Los Angeles! First comment on plant parenthood! Your video helped me so much! I’ve been so hard on myself with every little thing, including “investing “ I thought I could justify paying a lot if it meant I could turnaround and sell some of the propagations later, just to see the plant completely drop in price and new, more expensive ones hit my channels. Also, I’m probably in my 6th month of growing indoor plants. I made so many mistakes. #1 I thought my skills that my mom had taught me as a child planting in the outdoor garden with completely different plants, in a completely different climate would suffice. Didn’t work at all. Now that I’ve seen enough of my beginning handiwork unalive poor casualties, creating a plant graveyard, I’m on a mission to repot the first ones I bought that are still with me somehow! I just saw my handiwork and its failings in action with a monstera yesterday- first one I got, somehow still with us. I beat myself up very badly! Thank you for making me feel better and using those sports analogies really helped! Appreciate you and good luck!
Thank you so much. I bought my first houseplant in 1986 and yes, sometimes we all have failures. Sometimes you just fail to give extra water during a heatwave and you are responsible for some ugly leaves or outright death. Sometimes you never do know what you did wrong. I am not nearly as accomplished a grower as you are, but it was great to see it acknowledged that Instagram perfection is hard to obtain. You wanted to know a personal plant failure, and here is mine. With my conditions I can't provide the high humidity that some begonias need without an Ikea cabinet, and I am unwilling to devote the space to one in my small apartment. So I don't grow begonias. Win some, lose some.
@Valerie I ordered a pair of begonia wings on sale, that were shipped at snail speed during a heat wave, and tossed and kicked about in the process. One was DOA and I got refunded, the other in bad shape. I tried to rehab them both, the badly damaged one just couldn’t with my skill set, and the other is still throwing tantrums. It’s depressing, I’ll never ever buy a begonia again, it left my pride too injured!
Thank you so much for this, I'm still new and leaves have turned yellow and I panic. I have spider mites and I panic. I chop nervously as propagation just don't take like I've seen in videos. So thought I was doing something wrong! This was a wonderfully relieving video!
What a delight, as always! I had a beautiful Adansonii tree that was my first introduction to spider mites. She died a painful, necessary death. I now know how to battle spider mites! Yay!
I think there is such a thing as a green thumb, some people are just born with an innate understanding about plant growth and needs and it is a gift. Every one can grow plants just like everyone can learn to play a piano but some people just naturally blow all the others away musically!!
Maybe some people just grew up more in tune with nature, so it's easier for them to understand the 'language' plants talk. Whereas someone growing up in an urban environment, completely removed from any natural environment, would not have that understanding ...
I killed decades old plants when I more recently began collecting tropical house plants. In my effort to research care, I wasted a lot of time and money following advice that gave zero regard to conditions with care routine. That is until I found SPG! Your approach has saved my plants and myself a lot of grief and have given me hope to someday grow beautiful mature plants like yours. 😻
Your Cupria is gorgeous! I hope one day mine will look more like yours & not have droopy stems/leaves 😂 I guess I will probably figure it out eventually. Love this video. I love growing plants & the challenges too. Thanks for the inspiration 💚🪴
I became a plant parent the beginning of this year. I panic when I saw pest on one of my plants 🪴 and discarded the plant . 😫 I did not know how to treat the pest issue. Since then I have bought more plants and treat them to avoid pest issues and I keep a close eye on the plants. When I think I see any signs of pest, I twill do a treatment. However, I love the hobby and I enjoy learning about plants and how to take care of them. TY for your advice, its super helpful and it gives plant parents a better understanding of the process ✨🪴
I have unalived a few plants but seeing that others have the the same problems. Like you say if you look in great detail the plants aren’t perfect but the overall look is lush and green. I have learnt so much over the last two years but one plant I just don’t seem to have luck with is he variegated Hoya compacta I have green one doing ok but killed two variegated ones I will try one more time maybe get a more mature one 🤣
Get a Nanouk.. I got myself a Tradescantia Nanouk... I have gotten over 30 full separate plants from it.. I'm having so much fun propagating these pretty pink blooms .. I am just in love ❤️ with the whole process
When I moved to Meridian, Idaho I was in a brand new house with no lawn where mint had been grown. We put a lot of work into putting in compost, and planting grass and flowering plants. For several years most of my flowering annuals just died on me. It took me a while to figure out that there were loads of herbicides from growing mint that were killing off my ornamental plants. I didn't use any herbicides except RoundUp and that only occasionally. Eventually, my garden started to really take off even though I was in a low humidity, high desert environment that was USDA Zone 6. My biggest success was two hardy Omeo gums (Eucalyptus neglecta) that had recently been discovered in Australian highlands. They flourished in my lawn. I like pushing the limits on plants' hardiness or success in differing growing conditions. If a plant dies, it dies and I'll try growing something else.
Loved this - so uplifting. I used to just kill all houseplants, then my husband bought me a book on them one day (I think maybe as a joke more than anything 😂) but I thought, you know what, I’m going to read this and learn and give it a proper go! Now I’m hooked and I have learned so much along the way. It is easy to compare our collections to others too much and get deflated but I’m trying to just enjoy and appreciate my plants and not sweat the problems that go with it.
I chopped Scindapsus Exotica back, propagated the cuttings then removed mother plant and planted all together in a much larger pot WITHOUT chunky soil. Watered it thoroughly. And it didn’t dry out for four weeks, even though it was on top of a high cabinet in a warm climate. Most leave are curled but no yellowing. I haven’t looked at roots but for sure root rot. I’ve decided to do a test and see if it can recover without my intervention except for watering. I’m 81 and not up to doctoring any more. Time will tell. Donna
Yes I'm new subscriber I needed to see this video I'm always down on myself when one of my plants say goodbye! But watching this video I learned it's OK if my plants don't make it cuz I know I done everything that I could. Thx you 😘 ⚘️🌿☘️🪴
I threw my fiddle leaf fig away in the field next to my house. It was just not thriving in my environment and I had to accept. That one plant did not negate the excellent care that the other over 200 plants get.
Only one that I slightly diagree with is that propagation is a must. Chop yes, propagate maybe. I will only propagate a plant if I have, or can find a home for it. I really don't sell plants very often. Most often cuttings are binned. Even though in my head I know that my nemesis Maidenhair fern is "not for me". I have been trying to grow one successfully for decades, sigh. Plants are wabi sabi. Love your cat! Great video.
Thanks so much. I had a regal shield that I have been babying for a while trying all kinds of things. I’ve finally accepted that either the plant is flawed or it’s not for my environment and has decided to “unalive” itself. Cest la vie. On to another philodendron.
I've been interested in plants since I was very young and my interest has only grown and grown. I have quite a varied collection now includong aroids, aglaonema, ficus, succulents to name a few. I would love to be to grow calatheas! ...but gosh do I struggle with them! They fold up and wither away, rot, go yellow... 😬 ...The ones I'm really struggling with atm are mosaic and Freddy and I don't know if I can bring them back. That said, I have changed many of my plants over to semi hydro and in doing that, I managed to recover my olbifolia and rufibarba. I won't replace any of my calatheas... I'll get aglaonemas instead lol. Ps, I love your videos and have learned so much from you x 😊🌿🐈
I have a Veitchii and it's absolutely thriving ever since I put it in my south-facing room (northern hemisphere). They can take so much more light. Maybe you had yours in low light.
Thanks. I'm with you on the pothos trailing around the room with 4 leaves. My sister has that. I have a hard time chopping, not the prop. Also , just can't get rid of the plant that just doesn't do anything for me because it was my Mom's😢. It's even the most difficult for me to prop.
Ha! I learned that spider plants are not and never will be unkillable! For some reason I can only grow them in water or outside in the ground, even here in the sub-tropics. Tried all the tios and tricks, and bought the one that doesn't flower or sprout pups. It lives!!! Great content, thats for reality check.
I love that video in the beginning, because it's so relatable. I'm at the point where I love my plants and care for them, but if they die, they die. I will buy a new one. I've had many plant failures. I no longer keep ferns, calatheas, anthuriums. Like you said, know your limits and conditions. 😸😻😽😽😽😽😽 love to Bradley -- you want spankies?
Danke für das Video, du hast so was von recht!! Ich habe schon einige Male angefangen mein Pflanzenhobby, aber wieder aufgehört wegen Misserfolge (mal einige Pflanzen sind eingegangen, mal hatten die wahnsinnigen Tripsbefall und ich habe die alle entsorgt, mal wurden sie einfach nicht mehr schön oder zu gross und ich wollte die nicht mehr haben) Jetzt hat mich wieder das Pflanzenfieber gepackt, und ich bin ganz optimistisch, dass dieses mal kleine Misserfolge nicht mehr zu Frustration führen werden. 😁👍
Danke, das hat mir wirklich geholfen. Ich fange gerade an und es klappt nicht alles so, wie ich es mir vorstelle. Aber, wie du auch sagst, ich lerne definitiv dazu. Dein Kanal macht viel Spaß.
Thank you! I really enjoy your videos. I have unalived 2 node cuttings, but normally can keep plants alive. I’ve decided node cuttings aren’t for me, unless they are already rooted.
Reality 💯% I just chopped my ph.white princess😢 Was my most expensive plants 4 years ago,happy for a long time then this year root roat,I place it in water to propagate ,grew beautiful water roots so went back to soil a few weeks ago,but!! Went down hill ..so chop chop to the rescue again ...will try one more time to repot it in a few weeks .. I follow many sports myself , Enjoyed watching the Olympics very much!!!👋 💚🌵🍀🌿💚
My biggest plant failure was my Alocasia Tandarusa ‘Jackalyn’. I have no idea what I did to it, but it literally died within 3 weeks of me bringing it home. The plant was the most gorgeous plant, I repotted it the day after bringing it home (I always repot plants knowing the risk). When I repotted I noticed a plug up underneath the stem and the roots were “falling out” quite easily, but there was no rot at the time. So, I didn’t do anything more with it. Within a week the leaves started wilting and turning yellow I thought it was underwatering, so I gave it water. It perked up and I thought “Yay” that was it, no it wasn’t. Long story….in the end I blamed myself, but now I look at it as a learning experience. 1. You don’t know what the plant was going through when you bought it. Most likely it was starting to rot before I brought it home. 2. I don’t have all the answers. 3. I also don’t have patients to propagate a stem. 😅 4. I want a plant that is beautiful. That is just the truth about it and I don’t feel bad if I throw one out and buy another. Wow I could keep going are you sad you asked that question at the end Jan? LOL! 😆
I can't keep calathea or Ivy alive. I started collecting plants at the beginning of this year after a bad car accident when I sustained a TBI. I haven't been able to work as a RN since the MVA. I was depressed and looking for something to keep me excited and busy at home while I was recovering. My plant collection and I are growing together. I now have 90 plants. I thought I didn't have a green thumb all my adult life. Turns out every time I got a new plant I was over watering (From love), so I adjusted and learned and now my plants and new hobby are thriving!
I realized that I don't have the right conditions to grow calatheas and as much as I enjoy the look of them, I just gave up after the third plant unalived itself. 😆Now I don't even crave them anymore .. if a plant doesn't work out for you over and over again and you've done everything you were willing to do / were able to do .. then it's best to move on to different ones😀
I suffer with anxiety, depression, insomnia; your channel uplifts me and puts me in a happy place. So glad I found you. My collection of plants help me with my mental disorder. Please keep posting.
thank you so much for sharing :) Glad my channel can have a positive impact :)
Hi Jan, thanks for this. I'm 3 minutes in and it got me thinking that the idea of perfect plants is a reflection of how we are all meant to be having perfect lives with perfect bodies and the huge amount of pressure that puts on people who believe the hype. Thanks for keeping the houseplant world real. Big hugs to Brad who looks more handsome than ever today 💙
Thanks for watching :) glad this kind of video is valuable to you :)
Yasssss!
I love that you mentioned plant prices! There are influencers who seem to be only showcasing newly purchased, expensive plants, and that’s just not realistic for many of us.
Every winter, when old leaves start dying off, I feel like I'm failing. I have to give myself a mental shake and remember that this is normal. Then the weather starts warming up and new buds show themselves and all is right in my plant world
Same !!!
Same too !!
2:05 "Did I tell you to stop petting me?"😆
:D
Thank you so much for sharing this. I don’t know how many people I have met who think houseplants shouldn’t go out side. I remember my husband brought me a dead plant he got from work. I was new to the plant care it had no leaves just a stick but the roots were still healthy. I nursed it back to health and it ended up being a schefflera plant. The journey was up and down but well worth it. Her leaves grew lush and she was 4 feet tall and gorgeous. It gives me a sense of accomplishment to know I learned about this plant by taking care of it and watching it grow. Love your channel!
Thanks so much :) happy growing !
You always talking common sense, reality & life keep up the good work brother
Thank you so much !! Glad this sort of content resonates with you:)
@@sydneyplantguy always my blessings brother, you are the plant motivator!
I loved this short, the pouty face and the ugh! was hilarious!
Hehe thanks :)
That is a MAGNIFICENT cat !!!! 🐈
he's the king !!
You are embodying and being that good plant friend/mentor that talks some sense into us, genuinely affirming all of the typical plant headaches, and giving some solid general advice. Huge kudos - coming from a newer (1 year) plant parent freak that needed some sense talking lol thanks!!
Happy growing :) & thanks for watching :)
I also have this amazon sunset which suddenly just rotted from the bottom up. Your content as well as more time in the hobby have made it pretty easy for me to just cut it up so that some of it survived instead of just somehow trying to save something that was too far gone in the first place. The top cutting is currently rerooting so thanks for that!
Oh that plant is on my wishlist !!! Hope it'll recover quickly :)
Half of the fun of gardening and keeping indoor plants is trying and seeing what works 😊
Love your talk today! My favorite is not finding fault in yourself when something fails!
Stuff happens. Life is real! Love you so much!!
That was a nice motivational "feel good" vid thanks Jan. 🙂 lots of encouragement and wisdom. My new motto "let it go".
Tip for those like me who paid $350 for Thai, just before they came out at $99. Go buy 2 more, average them out, then you only paid $180 . You're welcome 🤗
Thank you!! Hahaha! LOVE your thinking 😂
Yup, I was just groaning about this!
I used to have these vanilla orchids and for some reason they all just unalived on me.. just bought new ones and if they also decide to be difficult I'll follow your advice to just move on from them. Just thought I'd try putting them on moss poles as well this time.
26:00 doing bonsai would be quite the departure, but that'd be a true test of patience. Used to watch a lot of bonsai content and the mix of aesthetics and culture behind it was really interesting.
Realism without being negative! I really appreciate that. Overall I have sunk plenty of money into plants, inside and outside, but not on individual plants. I must not be a risk taker! I really like the Alocasia plants, but they are of the opinion that two leaves is the perfect number of leaves. I have tried Fiddly Fig and lost it. The same with a couple of other plants. I have even lost or killed a ZZ plant. Now that is an accomplishment!
Haha .... I have also killed a ZZ plant before :P Cheers :)
I’ve had lots of plant failures and thank you for perfectly articulating a healthy plant hobbyist attitude towards that experience. The biggest failure I’ve experienced was growing a philodendron florida green. I read up on it, watched all the TH-cam videos about it, bought all the necessary items to make the plant thrive…and it did but after growing it I absolutely hated the thing. I hated the sticky dew it always had on the petiole, the growth habit, etc. It took awhile because I spent so much time and money on the thing but I finally just got rid of it. The plant itself was inexpensive but all the other stuff added up since I wanted to provide it with the perfect growing conditions. What I learned from all that is to not be afraid to get rid of plants that don’t make you happy.
So true !! I have had those moments too.... where I hate growing a plant but i'm 'too far into the journey' to stop now :D nowadays these plants just get put in my garden hehe :D
I LOOOVED this video!! Thank you!!
Personally, I have been in this journey with plants for over 6 years now and have had several resets for one reason or another. Sometimes I look back at old photos of my plants and reminisce when they were in better conditions or whatever.
Something about plants, they really mirror you. I feel like if you are doing well, your plants most likely are thriving. That’s been my experience anyway since I have been dealing with depression and frankly severe mental health for a very long time. This past year in particular I have just been grounding myself in the best life soil for my own personal growth and keeping consistent my own care and health needs to make sure I can grow and bloom again like my plants showed me possible.
There are clear marks that bear the scars of my own eras of sorrows but what brings me joy and promise in tomorrow is seeing the fruits of my labor show in the beauty I create around me with these plants. From dead stumps to centerpieces, all it takes is the right conditions, consistent care, and a little patience 🫶🏼
Thanks for sharing ! Agree, I sometimes look at old photos and think my plants used to look so much better. And yes, you are correct, they are a reflection of us, and the time & effort we have to put into them. You always need to consider yourself first :) it's a typical 'out your oxygen mask on first before helping other' scenario :)
I so agree with that. I started my new indoor plant journey when separating from my husband. It’s been extremely anxiety provoking and depressing. The plants have given me an outlet to zone in on, and not think about my troubles for a little while. It’s given me some purpose when I felt I’d lost it. But, whenever I fail, or something happens to a plant I take it extra hard. And when I have success I’m extra excited! So yes, completely agree they’re a reflection of your state. I guess mine is very fragile!
I left a comment about mental health and my plants before I saw this, thanks for your comment, it's relatable. And congratulations for not giving up on something that brings you joy! 🌿
This video was simply amazing, providing real comfort for the mental health of plant lovers. I watch it from Brazil, and I notice that all the topics you covered apply to me as well. It seems that we all face the same challenges in indoor plant cultivation.
I used to think I was exceptional for never losing an Alocasia until a few died in quick succession. At first, I was upset, but now I understand that it's part of the process haha. Hugs!
Thanks :) I do think that when growing inside, our conditions are more similar than different :)
29:37 I loved how you talked about having se setback is not a failure.
As an artist I can assure you when you are about to cry and give up is when you are learning and making progress. Take care of your plant as if they are the last of their spicues, but don't strees over it when something happens.
I even grow simple weed as a plant because it reminds me of my childhood. Weird enough when I strees over it that weed dies, but when I stop stressing about it that plant thrives.
Well said :)
@@sydneyplantguy ❤🤗
Thank you for the truths Jan! One of my early mistakes as a plant parent was buying plants just because I liked the look of them without checking whether I had the right conditions for them. Now I only buy a plant if I'm sure I have the conditions for it to not just survive, but thrive! I feel like there's a life lesson hidden in there somewhere 😂
I think we all did that and sometimes it still happens to me 😄
Yes!!! Wish every new plant parent would know about this straight away!!
We all are facing failure... so true!
I have been keeping houseplants for more than 40 years. As time went by, I learned to keep my fingers away from blue ferns, Boston Fern, some sorts of palm trees, and the smaller Schefflera varieties. It simply was not worth the effort. The conditions were not right, the light was insufficent, or - like the Schefflera - they were eaten alive by thrips and spider mites.
Other plants thrived.
Only since this year I discovered the Aroids, a very long time I stuck to Orchids, because the supply of houseplants had been becoming somewhat boring over these decades. I knew such a lot of them, nothing really new ever came into the stores... So roughly three months ago I got myself a few Aroids, mainly Alocasia and Philodendron, and what can I say?
I´m learning so much again, and in working with them, and being fascinated by the new growth, or the textures of their leaves, I feel so much joy with this rekindled passion!
I am very curious how they will develop, and how they´ll behave in Winter, and how I need to adjust my rooms to give them the right spots to be happy! I know that mistakes will happen... such is life, after all!
I thank you (and some of your fellow planty channels) for this YT-Input that started the old fire for plant care in me again!💚
You sound like me! I've been growing for 40 years as well! The plant world has totally changed in recent years with so many NEW plants that were not available earlier in my plant journey. It's so exciting!
@@SSaaNNddYY77 Oh yes! I felt like a kid in a candy store!!! All of a sudden great looking plants popped up everywhere! I really had to reign in myself not to get too excited, and buy too much - space is limited, and heck: usually I don´t neglect my plants or lose them, so they WILL GROW and need more space for certain.
And I´m super glad that my husband is also happy with the new planty additions, because HE considered those Orchids boring, so we nicely come around beautifully. He has to move between them and around them, so it´s much better he likes them, too...^^🥰
Of course we shall keep our eyes open to whatever tickles our fancy, right?💚
Love to read from you!
@mahaliaheartburn9577 I know! My plants rarely if ever die so space is very limited. Gosh wish we could chat cuz what you wrote is exactly what I could have wrote lol! My husband tolerates my addiction. Do you have a plant Instagram acct? I do! Let me know if you do and we can see each other's collection!
@@SSaaNNddYY77 So sorry, no instagram so far. Never had the urge to show something around.
Most of my plants I have for years and years... it´s always a very tough decision to get rid of one.
That's so nice to hear :) there are so many plants to discover... hope this hobby will never get boring :) Happy growing !
This was an excellent episode and so true. My failure was my Monstera Adansonii variegated. I had two, one died and one reverted. I’m going to wait until I see a more well established plant and try again. I always love your interactions with Brad ❤
Thank you:)
Thank you so much Jan for the behind the scenes take on indoor plant care. I am a master gardener (MG) intern in the mid-Atlantic part of the United States, and in this part of the world we have extension offices, under the auspices of a local university to help inform people on “best practices” on indoor and outdoor plant care. Your advice is spot. Using pesticides or insecticides should be the last resort and pests are just part of the plant hobby experience. Using them does come with great responsibility. These chemicals can drift in the air and cause issues for your neighbors or leach into water. Always follow the label instructions. I greatly value your approach in helping viewers manage their expectations and enjoy the learning experiences of the journey and over time the reward value will only increase. More than a year ago I took your advice on giving my green jewels a full shower when possible to help manage the pest population. It made a HUGE difference.
Thanks for sharing :)
I really appreciate your perspective on a lot of things! It’s nice to hear that perfection isn’t the norm for other people so maybe that means I’m not doing anything wrong. If my plants are growing and they seem happy, I shouldn’t freak out about minor things.
Thanks for watching :)
I had some "plant breakdown" last autumn, when my child was born. Coming winter combined with very limited time in my new reality made me feel really bad for my plants. But with time, I established my new routine and decided not to be so freaked out about potential failures - I just decided to embrace them and learn from my mistakes. Most of my plants thrive now, especially my monsteras - I even tried the "chop and extend" technique and it works great for me! Now, I really enjoy my plant hobby even if not everything goes as I expected. Well - it's a part of it 😄 I totallly agree with all you talk about here ❤
Thank you for sharing! I needed this. Recently, I lost a mutated epipremnum manjula that I have babied for almost a year. Luckily, I didn't pay a lot for it.
„It’s my hobby. I get to make the rules.“ THIS!💯
🪴Thank you for all your content. I always enjoy all your experiences and how you share. I love, love, love ferns, but I struggle with keeping them for long. But I love them so much that I will never stop trying. ❤❤ Keeping bringing us your amazing content and experiences. ❤
Thank you:)
I really love your perspective on plants, it's so refreshing! 😇
Hmm plant fails...well last winter i didnt water the moss pole of my philo splendid ONCE and it proceeded to drop all its lower leaves....so i had to chop! Meanwhile the philo glorious next to it was completely unbothered XD
Also semi recently i bought a beautiful small philo pastazanum silver, because i was like "oooh i can squeeze it right there in this space jtll be perfect" aaaaand i hate it! Its making the whole area look super cluttered! So ill probably chop it and keep it small until i move!
Or my poor philo silver sword that i didnt realize liked being more moist, so after it was barely hanging in there for mooonths i chopped, propagated, and now i have 2 massive ones!
You really said it best Jan, its the journey thats the fun part! And learning about yourself! If you want green without effort just get plastic ones, as my mom would say XD
So true... learning about plants has taught me a lot about myself :)
Great Video Idea ❤
A little over a year ago I had thrown away three alocasia after pest infestation. I hardly regret, that I didn't know that you can restet the corn so easy...
Lesson learned :) thank you!
You speak the truth ❤😂!!! Ugh geez well my big failure philodendron red finale. . The potting mix was wrong so now use aroid mix and have only bought high quality potting mixes /soil vs. cheap universal potting soil . Has made a huge difference
Reality check appreciated, and the Novak reference!! 🎉❤ Thanks, Jan!
We live a sporty refernce !!! Thanks :)
yo thank you for this and all your other videos, and thank you for actually knowing wtf you're talking about from personal experience, and calling out BS you hear online
finding your stuff has been so refreshing in a sea of nicely-produced, well-edited videos of charismatic people misting their leaves, repotting with Miracle-Gro, cutting off aerial roots and sharing bogus information like it's the gospel
my most recent plant fail was having repotted my giant 7-foot-wide monstera deliciosa (that had gone dormant from my poor watering consistency and bone-dry winter humidity) in what was supposed to be the best bagged potting soil + perlite (in an opaque pot) a couple months ago, only to have it retain water for two weeks+ after each watering and simultaneously dry out in some spots and wet rot in others, of course none of which I could see happening until I got paranoid and dug it up again
so, I watched like a dozen of your videos, ordered a 25cm/10" clear pot from an orchid supply website, made an aeroid mix based on yours, chopped off the rotten bits and a couple of rooted sections to propagate, repotted everything, and watched the next watering drain through the chunky mix almost immediately, leaving behind mostly condensation from humid air in the air pockets in the mix. boom! hoping for more success henceforth
thanks again! also, bring on all the sports references, though if we're including aesthetic preferences here as well, personally I would've gone with Nadal or Federer over Djoker ;)
Thanks :) Federer is my personal all time fave .... but statistically speaking Novak is the GOAT ... just not the most pleasant human ....
House plants are so easy,
I’m an orchid person/outdoor gardener and I often forget about my plants, they do well and are doing great 😂
Great video to post! You are an inspiration. The plants you grow are imperfectly perfect!
Thank you :)
You were preaching’ to the choir this entire video! I was born in the Caribbean and now live in S. Florida. We never had plants inside, everything was outside and I have zero memories of my mother panicking over pests. Even now, all of MY plants are outside (my house is very dark - I need moar windows) because I, luckily, have the conditions to do so and the only pest I ever run into is spidermites. And sometimes I’ll spray with soapy water sometimes other insects will take care of everything for me and my plants are doing fine.
I also did the thing where I spent a stupid amount of money for a PPP and it died and I was sad and now I literally have like seven that I either got for free or for dirt cheap. 😅
And the ten foot long vine with two leaves, you are so savage for putting people on blast for that! Omg. 😂 I feel the same way but never say anything because I’m like, whatever makes you happy my friend. Your plant is not thriving, it’s surviving.
This video was wonderful, you gave great advice and gave it straight! I feel like people may come for you but honestly I think people need to know you don’t need to coddle your plants like they’re an asthmatic child with two broken arms, ADHD and an allergy to sunlight.
In my opinion the best advice and the advice I give the most is, you’re going to make mistakes, it happens. Just learn from it.
One of my fav things that you (as well as a couple of other people I follow) do that’s not in this vid but others, is how you’ll chop a plant and maybe you’ll prop maybe you’ll toss and you doing that and showing others it’s ok to throw away the piece you don’t want to prop is fine. Not everything had to be propped.
Anyways run-ons aside, I enjoy your videos immensely! Thanks!
Thank you so much !! And people will come for me, no matter what I say :) Also a learning curve - you can't please everybody ... especially on the internet :) Happy growing !
Brad IS purrfect!
He really is :)
I love the way you explain and make things sense about caring plants…. totally agree with you.
Hi from Delhi, India. Alocasia are my nemesis! I have "unlifed" 3 and not learnt a damn thing from them. And obviously, it's not me it's them... Loved this video! Motivating reality check that takes the stress out of growing plants indoors... Thank you
Thanks for watching & happy growing :)
Love your realness with this one! Perfect is an unreal expectation and no pests would be amazing 😊... but also a miracle. I love the kitty as well 😺.
Thanks :)
Everything you mentioned makes sense Jan! One plant I love dearly kept ‘passing away’ 5 times. Although I kept losing my money, I decided to try a 6th time & I nailed it; it’s Cebu Blue! It grew so well that I had to chop & extend many times. It’s grown to maturity with large leaves. I’m glad I didn’t give up after #5. Thanks for sharing Jan!
If a plant dies, I just buy another one lol, sometimes. Trying not to do it right away though haha. Yay Sports! I work for a sports company, so love the references :)
Hello,Jan. I do not know if you’ll ever read this comment of mine since this episode says one month ago,but I am determined to watch ALL your previous vlogs since my daughter and I recently met you at the 2024 IAS Expo in Miami! You were so gracious and pleasant to all,that I decided to be an avid subbie of your channel! I so enjoyed this no nonsense episode about plants! It’s me accepting the hard truths about this hobby that it’s almost painless to accept when things happens. Thank you Jan very much for the psychological preparations of plant parenthood. Watching from Charlotte County,Florida.
Thank you so much :) appreciate the support!! Happy growing :)
Great and much appreciated advice. Thanks for helping us keep it in proper perspective.
Thanks for watching
Really great , thanks Brad was listening for the whole video
He’s such a good boy :)
I just want to say it's SO THERAPEUTIC to hear all these affirmations from an experienced plant grower that everything is normal and it's going to be okay. As someone who recently got obsessed about house plants I can't tell you how often I stress about pests, or why a leaf has browned, etc. This really helps me stay positive and accept the ebb and flow of plant growing. Thank you so much for this video😄
that's awesome :) glad it was helpful:)
Feel good video… thanks!
Interested to read other peoples experiences with plants that didn’t work for them.
Mine were Rex begonias. Before I got into aroids, I struggled keeping Rex begonias happy. I became happier when I gave up that frustration and now have been totally enjoying my Hoyas, anthurium, philodendron, with a bit less enjoyment of alocasia.😂
Thanks for watching :) happy growing :)
Thank you for making this video! 💚 I would frequently get upset the first year because my succulents and tropical plants would keep dying and I tried so many things but without success. Speaking from personal experience, I unalived about 20 plants in my first year (probably more I didn't keep count). I have only one variety (mother of thousands) that I have managed to keep alive for more than 12 months. Would recommend it for beginners but beware that it is toxic to humans and pets if ingested, as a lot of common 'house' plants are.
Ha Ha, I can’t keep mother of thousands alive! I called it my “mother of two” and then it croaked. Our conditions are all different and a good lesson that some plants aren’t meant for our environments. I can’t keep echeverias alive either 😮
Amazing video, thanks for this! 🙌🏻 The pest part really resonated with me, I don’t think anyone has ever talked about it the way you just did 😅👏🏻
Thank you :) glad it was valuable :)
Wow, I'm glad to hear that your approach to pests has also worked with thrips. I've had a thrips near-takeover of my some-90 plants indoor plants. I've really been struggling to keep them from spreading.
Great video, Jan! My biggest failure(s) is overspending on trendy “rare” plants and then having them die and feeling bad because of the money I spent. I agree that my best growers were the reasonably priced plants. My expensive fails are velvet leaved philodendrons or difficult hoyas and getting some pricey anthuriums and now realising I don’t have much luck with most of them in my environment. Even trying them in my cabinet. But anthuriums are all the rage these days but I’m stepping back from them and concentrating on plants that do better for my conditions.
Well, sometimes u gotta feel the pain to learn a lesson :) happens to all of us :)
This video had me chuckling the whole time through! Your examples were so familiar. Great video.
Thank you:)
Thank you for this video! Ferns are my inevitable failure. Also, I remember when 90% of my alocasias went dormant by the end of the first winter, I thought they all have died, it broke my heart. No ferns anymore but a bunch of cute little alocasias every spring since - and we are all happy!
Yes, I probably get 1-2 messages a day from people saying they killed their alocasias or oxalis, when they are just dormant :P
Hi Jan! This was a very motivational video. Brad is adorable! Thank you so much for sharing!
thank you:)
I just started getting into plants and have precisely ONE houseplant. It's a little pothos with only 5 leaves. I also started a little herb garden. Like... LITTLE. My cilantro only has 5 short stems. I'm consuming these videos with voracity. I will be trying to make a moss pole this weekend and will TRY to propogate my little pothos for the first time. Very nervous about it!!!
Thank you :) it’s normal to be nervous at the beginningn but just try and enjoy the process :) best of luck
@@sydneyplantguy Thanks very much! 😊
Very comprehensive and so true! I agree 100% as regards pests outside and indoors, My tropical plants spend 5 months outside in the garden and never had problems with pests (slugs and snails sometimes). Thanks a lot for the video!
Cheers :)
thank you for this whole video - had my first real pest outbreak a couple of weeks ago and im rounding the corner and I've only lost a couple plants. you make me feel like it wasn't all my fault!!
Glad it helped!:)
Thanks for sharing! As a pre covid house plant enthusiasts I have had my share of plant casualties 😂. Pre covid plants were cheap. Post covid, I am happy to have the experience under my belt because house plants, among other things, have become way more expensive. Needless to say, I have fewer casualties. I am glad I got a feel for what I can and can't grow in my environment now.
Same here !! Happy growing :)
Sidney u said it well hopefully everyone understood its a hobby and it's not a competition or should anyone envy what they see on internet everyone journey is different just enjoy and keep growing also learning
Thanks :)
Thanks. You have presented a great video.
Thank you:)
Hi from Los Angeles! First comment on plant parenthood! Your video helped me so much! I’ve been so hard on myself with every little thing, including “investing “ I thought I could justify paying a lot if it meant I could turnaround and sell some of the propagations later, just to see the plant completely drop in price and new, more expensive ones hit my channels.
Also, I’m probably in my 6th month of growing indoor plants. I made so many mistakes. #1 I thought my skills that my mom had taught me as a child planting in the outdoor garden with completely different plants, in a completely different climate would suffice. Didn’t work at all. Now that I’ve seen enough of my beginning handiwork unalive poor casualties, creating a plant graveyard, I’m on a mission to repot the first ones I bought that are still with me somehow! I just saw my handiwork and its failings in action with a monstera yesterday- first one I got, somehow still with us. I beat myself up very badly! Thank you for making me feel better and using those sports analogies really helped! Appreciate you and good luck!
Glad the video was helpful :) happy growing :)
Thank you so much. I bought my first houseplant in 1986 and yes, sometimes we all have failures. Sometimes you just fail to give extra water during a heatwave and you are responsible for some ugly leaves or outright death. Sometimes you never do know what you did wrong. I am not nearly as accomplished a grower as you are, but it was great to see it acknowledged that Instagram perfection is hard to obtain. You wanted to know a personal plant failure, and here is mine. With my conditions I can't provide the high humidity that some begonias need without an Ikea cabinet, and I am unwilling to devote the space to one in my small apartment. So I don't grow begonias. Win some, lose some.
Thanks for sharing :) happy growing !
@Valerie I ordered a pair of begonia wings on sale, that were shipped at snail speed during a heat wave, and tossed and kicked about in the process. One was DOA and I got refunded, the other in bad shape. I tried to rehab them both, the badly damaged one just couldn’t with my skill set, and the other is still throwing tantrums. It’s depressing, I’ll never ever buy a begonia again, it left my pride too injured!
Thank you so much for this, I'm still new and leaves have turned yellow and I panic. I have spider mites and I panic. I chop nervously as propagation just don't take like I've seen in videos. So thought I was doing something wrong! This was a wonderfully relieving video!
What a delight, as always! I had a beautiful Adansonii tree that was my first introduction to spider mites. She died a painful, necessary death. I now know how to battle spider mites! Yay!
Lesson learnt :)
I think there is such a thing as a green thumb, some people are just born with an innate understanding about plant growth and needs and it is a gift. Every one can grow plants just like everyone can learn to play a piano but some people just naturally blow all the others away musically!!
Maybe some people just grew up more in tune with nature, so it's easier for them to understand the 'language' plants talk. Whereas someone growing up in an urban environment, completely removed from any natural environment, would not have that understanding ...
I killed decades old plants when I more recently began collecting tropical house plants. In my effort to research care, I wasted a lot of time and money following advice that gave zero regard to conditions with care routine. That is until I found SPG! Your approach has saved my plants and myself a lot of grief and have given me hope to someday grow beautiful mature plants like yours. 😻
Thank you Erica :) really appreciate your support :)
Your Cupria is gorgeous! I hope one day mine will look more like yours & not have droopy stems/leaves 😂 I guess I will probably figure it out eventually. Love this video. I love growing plants & the challenges too. Thanks for the inspiration 💚🪴
I became a plant parent the beginning of this year. I panic when I saw pest on one of my plants 🪴 and discarded the plant . 😫 I did not know how to treat the pest issue. Since then I have bought more plants and treat them to avoid pest issues and I keep a close eye on the plants. When I think I see any signs of pest, I twill do a treatment. However, I love the hobby and I enjoy learning about plants and how to take care of them. TY for your advice, its super helpful and it gives plant parents a better understanding of the process ✨🪴
I have unalived a few plants but seeing that others have the the same problems. Like you say if you look in great detail the plants aren’t perfect but the overall look is lush and green. I have learnt so much over the last two years but one plant I just don’t seem to have luck with is he variegated Hoya compacta I have green one doing ok but killed two variegated ones I will try one more time maybe get a more mature one 🤣
Thanks for watching :)
Get a Nanouk.. I got myself a Tradescantia Nanouk... I have gotten over 30 full separate plants from it.. I'm having so much fun propagating these pretty pink blooms .. I am just in love ❤️ with the whole process
When I moved to Meridian, Idaho I was in a brand new house with no lawn where mint had been grown. We put a lot of work into putting in compost, and planting grass and flowering plants. For several years most of my flowering annuals just died on me. It took me a while to figure out that there were loads of herbicides from growing mint that were killing off my ornamental plants. I didn't use any herbicides except RoundUp and that only occasionally. Eventually, my garden started to really take off even though I was in a low humidity, high desert environment that was USDA Zone 6. My biggest success was two hardy Omeo gums (Eucalyptus neglecta) that had recently been discovered in Australian highlands. They flourished in my lawn. I like pushing the limits on plants' hardiness or success in differing growing conditions. If a plant dies, it dies and I'll try growing something else.
Loved this - so uplifting. I used to just kill all houseplants, then my husband bought me a book on them one day (I think maybe as a joke more than anything 😂) but I thought, you know what, I’m going to read this and learn and give it a proper go! Now I’m hooked and I have learned so much along the way. It is easy to compare our collections to others too much and get deflated but I’m trying to just enjoy and appreciate my plants and not sweat the problems that go with it.
Thank you so much :) happy growing :)
I chopped Scindapsus Exotica back, propagated the cuttings then removed mother plant and planted all together in a much larger pot WITHOUT chunky soil. Watered it thoroughly. And it didn’t dry out for four weeks, even though it was on top of a high cabinet in a warm climate. Most leave are curled but no yellowing. I haven’t looked at roots but for sure root rot. I’ve decided to do a test and see if it can recover without my intervention except for watering. I’m 81 and not up to doctoring any more. Time will tell. Donna
Good luck donna :)
Yes I'm new subscriber I needed to see this video I'm always down on myself when one of my plants say goodbye! But watching this video I learned it's OK if my plants don't make it cuz I know I done everything that I could. Thx you 😘 ⚘️🌿☘️🪴
Thanks for watching :)
I threw my fiddle leaf fig away in the field next to my house. It was just not thriving in my environment and I had to accept. That one plant did not negate the excellent care that the other over 200 plants get.
Exactly !!
Only one that I slightly diagree with is that propagation is a must. Chop yes, propagate maybe. I will only propagate a plant if I have, or can find a home for it. I really don't sell plants very often. Most often cuttings are binned. Even though in my head I know that my nemesis Maidenhair fern is "not for me". I have been trying to grow one successfully for decades, sigh. Plants are wabi sabi. Love your cat! Great video.
Cheers :) yeah fair enough! I definitely don't propagate everything I chop off ... I'd be drowning in plants :D
Thanks so much. I had a regal shield that I have been babying for a while trying all kinds of things. I’ve finally accepted that either the plant is flawed or it’s not for my environment and has decided to “unalive” itself. Cest la vie. On to another philodendron.
I've been interested in plants since I was very young and my interest has only grown and grown. I have quite a varied collection now includong aroids, aglaonema, ficus, succulents to name a few. I would love to be to grow calatheas! ...but gosh do I struggle with them! They fold up and wither away, rot, go yellow... 😬 ...The ones I'm really struggling with atm are mosaic and Freddy and I don't know if I can bring them back. That said, I have changed many of my plants over to semi hydro and in doing that, I managed to recover my olbifolia and rufibarba. I won't replace any of my calatheas... I'll get aglaonemas instead lol. Ps, I love your videos and have learned so much from you x 😊🌿🐈
Thanks for sharing & watching ) Happy growing !
I have a Veitchii and it's absolutely thriving ever since I put it in my south-facing room (northern hemisphere). They can take so much more light. Maybe you had yours in low light.
I've tried high light before & it did nothing :/ I think in spring I'll pop it in the greenhouse and see if that makes a difference ...
Fantastic video…thank you for reminding me of common sense reality😂…truly appreciate you and have learned so much. Thank you!
Thankyou for showing the up close imperfections.. lots of my plants have boo-boos too.. seeing urs made me feel better about it 😂
Legit happy he got that double six 😊
Today I got a double 5 on first try !! whoop whoop :D
Thanks. I'm with you on the pothos trailing around the room with 4 leaves. My sister has that. I have a hard time chopping, not the prop.
Also , just can't get rid of the plant that just doesn't do anything for me because it was my Mom's😢. It's even the most difficult for me to prop.
Plants with sentimental value are the best, even if they aren't growing that well :)
Ha! I learned that spider plants are not and never will be unkillable! For some reason I can only grow them in water or outside in the ground, even here in the sub-tropics. Tried all the tios and tricks, and bought the one that doesn't flower or sprout pups. It lives!!! Great content, thats for reality check.
Thanks :)
I love this! “It’s my hobby and I get to make the rules” amen brother amen 🎉
haha yes !! :)
I love that video in the beginning, because it's so relatable. I'm at the point where I love my plants and care for them, but if they die, they die. I will buy a new one. I've had many plant failures. I no longer keep ferns, calatheas, anthuriums. Like you said, know your limits and conditions. 😸😻😽😽😽😽😽 love to Bradley -- you want spankies?
Thanks :)
32:36 OMG Novak Djokovic reference 🥺🥺 Greetings from Serbia☺️
Danke für das Video, du hast so was von recht!! Ich habe schon einige Male angefangen mein Pflanzenhobby, aber wieder aufgehört wegen Misserfolge (mal einige Pflanzen sind eingegangen, mal hatten die wahnsinnigen Tripsbefall und ich habe die alle entsorgt, mal wurden sie einfach nicht mehr schön oder zu gross und ich wollte die nicht mehr haben) Jetzt hat mich wieder das Pflanzenfieber
gepackt, und ich bin ganz optimistisch, dass dieses mal kleine Misserfolge nicht mehr zu Frustration führen werden. 😁👍
I actually find that many of the plant influencers make plant care seem way more complicated and complex than it needs to be.
Suppose they gotta justify their existence :P the focus should be more on conditions and less on care
Danke, das hat mir wirklich geholfen. Ich fange gerade an und es klappt nicht alles so, wie ich es mir vorstelle. Aber, wie du auch sagst, ich lerne definitiv dazu.
Dein Kanal macht viel Spaß.
Danke :)
Thank you! I really enjoy your videos.
I have unalived 2 node cuttings, but normally can keep plants alive. I’ve decided node cuttings aren’t for me, unless they are already rooted.
Yeah they are definitely a gamble !!
Reality 💯%
I just chopped my ph.white princess😢
Was my most expensive plants 4 years ago,happy for a long time then this year root roat,I place it in water to propagate ,grew beautiful water roots so went back to soil a few weeks ago,but!! Went down hill ..so chop chop to the rescue again ...will try one more time to repot it in a few weeks ..
I follow many sports myself ,
Enjoyed watching the Olympics very much!!!👋
💚🌵🍀🌿💚
OMG i saw that facebook reel at 1:00 a month ago. I'm glad to see him pop up on my yt feed too.
I think Bradley definitely identifies as a houseplant. A glorious, statement plant. 🐈🐈🐈
My biggest plant failure was my Alocasia Tandarusa ‘Jackalyn’. I have no idea what I did to it, but it literally died within 3 weeks of me bringing it home. The plant was the most gorgeous plant, I repotted it the day after bringing it home (I always repot plants knowing the risk). When I repotted I noticed a plug up underneath the stem and the roots were “falling out” quite easily, but there was no rot at the time. So, I didn’t do anything more with it. Within a week the leaves started wilting and turning yellow I thought it was underwatering, so I gave it water. It perked up and I thought “Yay” that was it, no it wasn’t. Long story….in the end I blamed myself, but now I look at it as a learning experience.
1. You don’t know what the plant was going through when you bought it. Most likely it was starting to rot before I brought it home.
2. I don’t have all the answers.
3. I also don’t have patients to propagate a stem. 😅
4. I want a plant that is beautiful. That is just the truth about it and I don’t feel bad if I throw one out and buy another.
Wow I could keep going are you sad you asked that question at the end Jan? LOL! 😆
haha thanks for sharing :) it's great to see so many other plant parents feeling the same way :)
I can't keep calathea or Ivy alive. I started collecting plants at the beginning of this year after a bad car accident when I sustained a TBI. I haven't been able to work as a RN since the MVA. I was depressed and looking for something to keep me excited and busy at home while I was recovering. My plant collection and I are growing together. I now have 90 plants. I thought I didn't have a green thumb all my adult life. Turns out every time I got a new plant I was over watering (From love), so I adjusted and learned and now my plants and new hobby are thriving!
I realized that I don't have the right conditions to grow calatheas and as much as I enjoy the look of them, I just gave up after the third plant unalived itself. 😆Now I don't even crave them anymore .. if a plant doesn't work out for you over and over again and you've done everything you were willing to do / were able to do .. then it's best to move on to different ones😀
Really helpful... thanks for the authentic truth!
Cheers :)