I absolutely love your content, Mr Sheffield!!!❤ You're my fave plant parent channel along with "the things you'll grow". Your content is VERY easy to follow, entertaining enough for adults that need info and not hype, however not too boring. I've learned so much and I enjoy every video. In fact you've inspired me to start a TikTok and TH-cam shorts of alllll of my content I've gathered and join aquarium hobbyists and plant parents alike together for tips and tricks! TH-cam'ng isn't easy and thanks again for the courage and content❤ EyeAmYah💚
Wish I had seen this video in May when I bought the last, pretty cheap tradescantia zebrina from a grocery store. Damn thing apparently had a thrips infestation at the beginning stages that I didn't even spot until they had spread to my pothos and mostera. Had to cut down the whole tradescantia to little pieces and the pothos also received an extreme trim. Luckily I managed to get the thrips before they munched the whole monstera.
I’m watching this entire video fully aware that I’m going to walk in, see what’s on clearance, convince myself I can save it and the run home and search “save a dying (insert plant name)”.😂 That’s the game I like to play.
Yes, I went through that with a ZZ plant, one yellow frond, weeks of drying out and soul change, it rotten at the bulb 😢 Next time I'll get a healthy one.
The funny thing is, my boyfriend doesn’t know anything about plants even a snake plant, but he has a calathea out in his porch that he barely even looks at and it does so well😂
I've struggled with them for 15yrs until I was advised to only use filtered/RO water on them as it's the heavy metal compounds in the water that causes the browning of the leaf tips. The lady even went as far as to say that if using outside rainwater make sure it's fresh from the sky and not stagnant for purity and outdoor pests. It works after you get a good few months cycle of watering to get the roots nice and clean, but if you forget and use tap water again it returns quickly. Good luck 🤞👍
Real. I’ve killed two different parlor palms but my calathea is still going strong! I do have a few crispy leaves, but that’s because I moved from somewhere really humid to a city that’s really dry.
I convinced my stepmum to get a moisture meter after finding a couple of her plants in literal puddles. Loads of little plant lives have been saved and she could not be happier. Thanks for the tip!
One point that I’d like to highlight is at horticultural college we were told to not to be afraid to knock the plant out of its pot before handing over the cash and always check the root system. And don’t worry about any bad looks!
The best source for a plant is an elder friend or family member who has had the same old monstera or pothos or jade in their living room for decades. Ask them to root you a cutting, and you know that plant will be bomb proof.
I inherited a tall, gangly aglaonema from my mom. I chopped & propped a few times, and the successes boosted my confidence when it came to Chinese evergreens. Maybe I'm some type of magician, or maybe it was so abused it knows little else 🤷♀️
Just here to feed the algorithm monster with an approach that works for me: 1) Put plant in a spot. If it thrives, leave it. 2) If it trys to die, move it and put a different plant in that spot. 3) Keep moving plants until they have a happy home.
Hey mate. I've recently developed a plant addiction. They are soo coool!!! I just want to say for someone who started knowing nothing about plants, I've been finding pieces of gold on your channel in terms of information. Thank you very much. I really enjoy your humour and attitude and the time you've taken to produce your video's. Such excellent quality and they are pure joy to watch. Thank you for all your hard work and attention to detail so people like us can enjoy your hard earned tips and tricks. Love from New Zealand.
I have only few windows and they face east, but with the help of plant lights I’ve been able to keep alive a snake plant, amaryllis, bromeliad, orchid, a small succulent terrarium, African violets, a cactus and several air ferns. I don’t check for pests like I should when I buy a new plant, but I do check the growing conditions required. I love this channel. Lots of great advice.
I didn't used to check for pests either. But that was before I got my first proper thrips infestation. After spending tons of time and money in order to save at least some of my plants and worrying about the pests reappearing for about a year or so, I definitely started checking. The permanent damage marks on the older plants I did save are a good reminder.
I'm on my plant journey since COVID and one thing I'd recommend is sometimes it's worth paying an extra couple of euros for a bigger version. My weather in Ireland would be similar to Mr, Sheffield so not a lot of sunshine. With the result, it can take what seems like a millennium to see much growth even if it is getting the correct amount of light with the help of a grow light or two. Much love from Ireland 🇮🇪🇵🇸🏳️🌈
I totally agree, I recently bought a 4 " rubber tree then went to local grocery store ,found fiddle leaf fig in a 3gallon ( it's huge) for the same price. It's Soo cool starting so giant ❤️❤️
When I'm in the nursery buying a new plant my first thing to look at are the roots! If the plant doesn't have a good root system, It'll die! Looking for pests is good but always look at the roots first and foremost! Happy New Year to you and your family 🎉
For anyone watching this, the only thing I was kind of wishing this video showed differently was looking at the plants under carriage IN the store BEFORE purchasing. I can't tell you how many plants get sold in box stores that have horrible roots on many plants even serious epiphytic plants like an orchid. Do yourself a favor and try your best to inspect for healthy roots before buying even if people are giving you weird looks you could easily school them about your wisdom. This could save you a load of disappointment!
I absolutely love you video's I live in Kansas City, Missouri USA and I think most of the country is in the DEEP FREEZE! Last night it got down to -8 degrees. No plant shopping here until Spring. Your plants are beautiful.
😂🤣😂😂🤣🤣🤣😂 the bin is back! Love it! Thank you. Now I need a shirt with a picture of you throwing a plant away in it. I have Improved my plant care just by adding more perlite to my soil mix, and only watering when it’s just about dry, and I melt fungus gnats and other pests with a spray bottle filled with rubbing alcohol, works on aphids too and every other pest I’ve come across. I haven’t burnt a plant or tree yet with it. I also use those yellow sticky pads. Thanks again Mr Sheffield! For this very educational video. Keep em coming 👍👍
@dreaminggreennursery Thanks for the tip! Does the alcohol spray work on scale insects? That would be much easier than soap scrubbing my bird's nest fern 😅
@@weholmes5315 yah it’s worked on scale on my trees outside and scale on a succulent I have. Not sure about a fern, those are pretty delicate. I’d try it on a Separate branch to see what it would do to it first. I don’t ground the plants in it, just where I see the bugs I spray them and it kills them instantly.
Waster meter is a life changer. Also your oatmeal and tea bags for for nitrogen. My plants are greener. Please take care and I will be watching for more plant tricks
I think it’s funny you picked the Fittonia because that’s one of the ones I have had the most difficulty with LOL. Don’t listen to Kansans when they talk about humidity here… their heat is dry 🙄🙄🙄. Just not Arizona dry. I am having luck now with a Fittonia in a glass cloche. I also put the remaining stubby stems that were left from the one I nearly killed and they appear to have new growth. Also Fittonia are so dramatic when it comes to watering that you will definitely know they need water.
Man. He picked up the fittonia and I was immediately like 😬 (that's the teeth-clenched emoji, lol). I'm still fairly new to my plant journey, and got a beautiful pink fittonia a couple of months ago. I don't know if I had her in too much sunlight or not enough humidity, or what, but a ton of her leaves are all brown and crispy around the edges...including tiny baby leaves. >< I went looking for pests yesterday, wondering what the heck was going on, but didn't see anything. I have it nestled in with a bunch of my other plants for winter, and now have a small humidifier sitting right next to it, so I'm hoping that'll do the trick. It hasn't been in full sun for ages, but of course leaves don't heal. The stems are all still thick and healthy, but the leaves are crispy and have a slight bit of curl to them all so I'm like WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PLANT WHY DOES IT HATE LIFE
Got a very cute looking Fittonia only to realise it is the hardest plant to take care of. Whatever i do she seems to be sad to be with us and looks sad too. I have been misting her for twice a day tried moving her around the house to see what light she really wants but nothing has brought up her spirits. Finally saw this video (th-cam.com/video/IBFEmgfFkxM/w-d-xo.htmlsi=MkQiH8rzlzZc9vs-) today so she is now in a humidity-ziplock pouch dome. We live in Navi Mumbai and the weather is mostly dry as of now. We have a east facing balcony and currently the dome packed Fittonia is sitting near the balcony door to get indirect light saving from bright direct sunlight. Given that it's in the dome and the dome seems to be filled with moisture from transpiration how often would u suggest should i be watering or misting the plant in this dome setting? Any clue? I am just praying the kid doesn't die on me :(
Nice show. Yes it’s easy to isolate and watch every day for bugs. They like to come out when you water too. I do not use chemicals indoors. If they are a problem I compost them in the garden compost. Now in winter the bugs don’t survive the ice and snow here. I like your selection of plants here.
Random tip for over-waterers like me: non-glazed clay or terracotta pots can help dry the soil as moisture can wick through the walls. Sealed (smooth, glassy, glazed) pottery will not allow water to permeate and is really the same as using plastic. Even if it has holes in the floor, "the walls are sealed" so to speak. So if your plant likes wet damp soil go with glazed ceramics or plastics, if it prefers drier soil, try unglazed terracottas! (Maybe a good experiment, take various "twin" cuttings off the same mother plants, split between different pots to see what they prefer). Excellent vid as always Mr Sheffield
As a new plant parent, basically the first plant I purchased (after unrooted monstera adansonii), was calathea zebrina 🤣. I have to admit, I heard about her temperament before the purchase but tbh, I did not care. I accepted the challenge 😇 She arrived 6 days ago. Well established, pretty bushy with gorgeous and healthy looking leaves. I gave her shower, soaked the soil through, let her drained well and adoring her since. So far, no signs of distress. Will see in a month or two or six (if she will survive that long in my care, lol).
I needed new plants for the new year, so I got two mini baby Fittionias in red and pinkish color for my kids. They are the cutest and so easy to care for. I just water when leaves get droopy lol
Your ivy trailing along the wall is doing quite nicely! Maybe setting up pots of soil along their route will help those long legged lovelies stay healthy and thriving and could, in theory, be made to grow all throughout your house! Well done, my friend, I enjoy your channel.
@@SheffieldMadePlants I believe those "vines" will grow roots when they come in contact with a suitable growing medium. So ,use those little plastic pots you get when you buy a new plant, fill it with soil, lay the trailing end on it, and figure a way to mount them on the wall. In theory of course. I've never tried it myself.
Hi Rich, you give the best advise. I have learned so much from you. I have been a plant parent for over 50 years and learn something more very time I watch you. Thank you for all you do to teach new plant parents. I use fungis nat catchers. Great trick.😎😇🤗
Amazing information and content as always Mr. Sheffield, I would like to share one of my experience with calatheas, I have a Calathea Mediallion and I live in a place which is almost bone dry the entire year the relative humidity most of the time is between 30-40% only (except monsoons). What I do is I keep my Medallion is a transparent ikea box which traps the humidity and let me tell you its just growing awesome with all its glory. Even being over watered, the plant is just happy. Rather the peace lillies here are the most dying ones at my place 😂.
I guess I should repeat this is every plant video I watch: buy a UV bug zapper racket for each room you see fungus gnats in. I keep 1 in 1/2 bath & 2 in room w/ plants. I’ve also kept them on 24/7 when we’re home. The gnats come in from outside & we hear instant zaps. 95-98% of our fungus gnats are gone! I also cut the clear bug sticky sheets into 1” strips & lay a few upright in each plant. I’ve watered w/ some H2O2 & have used Mosquito Bits as well. I recommend doing all those steps & bottom water most & don’t overwater. The UV zappers seem to really take out the colonies though. Pets don’t love the zaps, but get used to it. We humans laugh at the zaps! After yrs of gnats, it’s satisfying! 😂
@@SheffieldMadePlants just seeing your reply! so glad you got one! you should make a video! I always laugh when it zaps & my husband says, “mm-hmm” like job done 🤣
I know the yellow attracts the buggers, but I use the clear ones. I cut the larger clear (meant for window) fly sticky traps into 1” strips & lay sticky side up in plant. I only ever see occasional baby fungus gnats on them.
This reminds me of a video I saw recently, so many People make plant videos but this one gave me the giggles. She was unboxing an order and advising everyone to change the soil immediately to soil with no white bits ( perlite) in it and no big round bug eggs ( slow release fertilizer)! All this because some other TH-cam plant person said these were eggs ....beige round and they crush 😂 the worse was the comment section thanking her. She did mean well and I did tell her but I had visions of all these new plant parents paying the big bucks for rare plants then ripping them out of their pots, combing their roots free of all the big " bug eggs" then shoving them in a water medium and placing them in full sun.😂
@@SheffieldMadePlants yeah, I leave mine alone also, unless there's a major problem but if you want to laugh, the first year I planted seeds outside, I was outside every morning with my coffee watching for any weeds👀 and as soon as I saw something I couldn't recognize, I plucked it out. When my mom saw me 😱 she said "well no wonder your flowers aren't growing!!! You're pulling them out as fast as they can grow" 🥴 Then she explained that the first couple of leaves don't necessarily look like the true leaves 😳🤯 We all live and learn 😂 I'm quite happy there was no social media then, that has been one of my plant fails that had been kept quiet for 40 years 😎
Mine get left alone quite a bit, so much that I probably stunt their growth! 😂 I have only changed the soil on a sansevieria twister I rescued from a home improvement store. The poor thing had root rot from over watering. The rest wait a few months for a new home. I would recommend keeping new plants away from the collection for a month. I bought a pilea with spider mites and it gave them to his friend that came in with him.
I just tried it with my mobile phone. Thanks for awesome tip. At the most bright spot I have only 140. :-( I have Pilea and Pepperonia here. I hope they will not die.
Just recently “found” your show on utube. Totally enjoying it. I do enjoy my plants. I’m moving to Florida from New Jersey and will continue my education with you, there. Thank you Another, bonus, you’re on Amazon where I can buy products you endorse.🌱
I ended up riddling my house with fungus gnats by buying plants from B&Q, those mosaic plants were heaving! It took my MONTHS last year to get rid of them, I have around 50 plants so it was some battle trying to get rid of the wee twats. My whole house was wallpapered with yellow sticky traps 😂 I now just buy plant cuttings and grow my own, i have a whole nursery going in my kitchen, much to my husbands chagrin 😂 my favorites are my monstera albos which i grew from cuttings. Its so hard trying to control myself in ikea and b&q but those gnats are something else. I saw your crispy boston fern, i cant seen to get those to survive, along with calathea. I also isolate new plants (didnt work for the gnats), I change the soil, occasionally i will totally wash the roots. Ive also just started using some worm castings (along with perlite, vermiculite, orchid bark ect), have you ever tried this? I also have a moisture meter, magnifying glasses to check plants. I have also just bought a houseplant spray version of the liquid food you showed, Ive just bought Liquidirt to try as fertiliser, again have you ever used it? Oh, top tip for gnats, they seem to absolutely love Innocent Smoothie, in the apple version, my daughter drinks loads of it and i noticed them hovering around a bottle if id put one on the counter, so i kade traps with cling film over the top, poked wee holes, and caught HUNDREDS of them that way, the cider traps dont work. Try the innocent smoothie as bait, just empty, unrinsed bottles, i promise you if you get an infestation it helps so much. Love your videos and find them great for learning tips i hadnt known, thanks for sharing your knowledge! 😊
I google the light needed for the plant while I’m in the store because I’m at a point in my home that light is more limited with over 100 houseplants. And thank you I do need to be more thorough at the store maybe even bring a magnifying glass in my purse for those pests…but I do have a plantie hospital that they stay in for a week away from my other divas :/
I have 22 Prayer plants now and I'm waiting for 2 more. The only one I've had trouble with is my Ctenanthe Golden mosaic with thrips. I have a mixture of Calathea Maranta ans Ctenanthe. I'm a beginner indoor plant person. I was growing vegi gardens and plants outside before my indoor plant obsession. I've been growing them all for approx 2 and a half years. All good except the mosaic and I still have her. So I don't agree. I've been fine with my group. So newbies can do it. 😊 Footnote. Have had 2 Fittonia they haven't been easy. Now they are outside on my verandah to live or die. Definitely don't consider them an easy indoor plant
My prayer plants were really happy too! It helps if you naturally have high humidity. Unfortunately I discovered a thrips infestation… all are infected minus the ornata. The picturata (patient 0) is dead. How did you manage to deal with the infestation? (Note: systemic solutions are banned where I live 😬)
I love having lots of leafy living green around me (avoiding flowering plants, mostly) but all of the plants I've done okay with are not compatible with cats, and i had to get rid of my little green friends - my peace lilies, my aloe vera, my african violets, my pothos... 😢 Instead, I got cat grass (cat: disinterested); bamboo (cat: ate all of the leaves off); some kind of hanging succulent that isn't dangerously toxic for cats (cat: wonders about climbing up to sit in the pot); and hanging baskets of impatiens (cat: treats these like giant cat toys). Still trying to find a catmint plant - attempts to grow catmint from seed have been woeful. Wanted one or two just to keep the mozzies at bay, but then a friend told me they were highly allergic to mosquito bites and now i want to be able to give them (and their cats) some well developed catmint plants as well.
I feel that. My cats wouldn't let me have anything even wall hanging decorations untill they turned 9 and calmed down a bit. They still sample my new plants sometimes but atleas they don't eat them whole anymore. 😂
I love your channel. As someone relatively new to the houseplant hobby, this is a great video. Buy a moisture meter and a light meter for plant care…it will save you a lot of misery as your knowledge grows. BIG ASK: can you feature the best FC (foot candle) range that you have found for your individual plants? There’s a lot of conflicting and confusing info about low, medium, and high indirect light. It would really help get the lighting right especially when moving plants around and/ or buying grow lights.
Thanks for your tips! I agree with everything you said about pest prevention. I had pest infestation last summer, most probably from a new plant I bought, and it was awful.
Hey, great video, but I think the lighting values are a bit extreme. For example, UF/IFAS defines low light as 25-100 fc, medium as 100-500 fc, and high as over 500 fc + a few hours of direct sunlight. Most houseplants can grow and thrive below 500 fc, even those not considered low light
Put DE powder all over on leaves and on top of soil for a week in a separate room then it’s good to go, even with infested new plants. If the plant is from a big box store especially it’s from a grocery sell in Costco or Walmart, then better repot
Thanks for the tips I have a fittonia but in a terrarium is definitely growing well but I was totally guilty of overwatering when I started out now I have learnt to wait
I got thrips a 3 years back from a new plant, i was so close to losing everything! My plants just finally recovered from the hiatus Definitely check out the plants for pests
Just came here to subscribe so you catch up with P.! 😂 You have a such great voice for videos, and your videos are really fun and informative! Thank you for sharing you plants, and art with us! ❤
I've got a collection of plants arriving this week. Will have to do all the checks when they get here as online purchases. I absolutely love your window shelves!
I have a moisture meter but what has always worked for me is to just lift the pot and feel how much it weighs. If it's light it needs water and if it's heavy it doesn't.
I also quarantined my plants on the other side of the room, but for 40 days (I have a plant calendar on my calendar app to keep track of it). I distributed them in my apartment to not huddle them together. Unfortunately I still got a thrips infestation… What I learned is that thrips can fly farther away than I expected and glide on air or jump on people/pets/objects. IMO quarantined plants should be kept in another room altogether (or in a closed clear box/bag) and treated with an all purpose insecticide for a week or two. I did a first round of insecticide this week (I had 40+ plants, I trashed 5) and one bottle is barely enough to treat my collection. Taking into account at least 4 remaining rounds are necessary, and the bottle is 13€, the treatment would not be worth it compared to buying new ones. I think I’m going to go with plan B and triage my 5 favs. If anyone has an idea, feel free to advise away :/ Systemics are banned in my country and I have cats.
This was the biggest thing about plants I ever learned: ALWAYS check the roots. The plants in stores are often clinging to survival in horrible waterlogged soil, and you have no idea how long the store has had them, under distant fluorescent lights and being watered by employees who are in a hurry and often don't know or care what they are... Or, if they're in a department store, they might not have been watered since they were shipped to the store, and the roots could have withered and dried.
I got a calathea because it looks so beautiful. Now I'm gonna need to get a water butt just to make it happy. Guess the other plants will be pleased too...
My #1 tip I'd give myself is this: It's actually really hard to entirely fuck up a plant. Beyond forgetting to water it until it's nothing but wood, any plant can (and properly will) come back. If something doesn't work out, cut it off! Cut the leaves! But the stems! Put it somewhere else. Water it and see how it just forgets and comes back. And honestly, it's a special kind of joy to see it happen. I've rescued stranger's plant, abandoned plants, I got plants for free at the store for taking the "dead" ones. They all came back, even the fiddle leaf fig that lost ALL leaves in NOVEMBER is now back and fully green. And I maybe watered it thrice (in my defence it was in quarantine bc I did not know what its problem was and sometimes I forget the quarantine plants .......). It's really such a good confidence boost!!! Plants forgive A LOT. Even calatheas. ;)
Condensed version: Find it a good home. If it thrives, leave it. If it's dying, move it and put a different plant in its place. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.
Houses too close, PNW cloudy skies during winter, & lots of pine trees. So I bought an LED plant light for $20 & loved it so much I bought 3 more. So almost all of my plants get LED lights now. My livingroom looks like a science lab (& I secretly love it! I love science!) One of my young adult kid’s doesn’t care for them. 😂 Planterina mentioned bigger peace lily leaves if under LED & she is right! You’ve gotta try it! These are the ones I buy….they have a light gray base. HAARAY Grow Lights for Indoor Plants Full Spectrum, 3-Head LED Plant Grow Light with Height Adjustable and Rotatable Stand, Plant Growing Lamps with 10 Dimmable Level, 3/9/12H Timer, 3 Switch Modes
I suddenly had aphids coating my arrowhead plant & a too many on my african violet! These 2 plants were in the same windowsill. All my other plants 30’ away are fine. I tossed the 2 infected plants! 😮 The violet w/ tons of coming blooms was from my mom for Mother’s Day too! So I was thinking it must be aphids living in the pine needles in gutter & getting thru window. Then weeks later I was admiring the dried lavendar I had cut from the garden 2 mos prior to aphids…in a small vase in same windowsill the 2 plants w/ aphids were! I had made little lavendar sachets bags too. Gross! Do you think the dried lavendar in vase hosted the aphids? Or did they just get into the only south window I have?
Could be. My arrrowhead also got aphids last year. No idea where they came from and it was only that plant. Must have flown in when i opened the window
Nothing to do with this video BUT I just wanna thank you, I recently bought a Rosemary plant .... She's beautiful, well cared for before I got her, thriving, new growth n everything 🙌🏻 but she was getting a bit carried away 🤦🏻♀️ I was genuinely terrified of cutting (pruning) her 🤷🏻♀️ She's so beautiful I didn't want to 'kill' her (I'm shite with plants!) Anyhoo.... Trawling through TH-cam videos 🤦🏻♀️ I found YOU 🙌🏻 in the UK (thank goodness) watched loads and got some new ideas AND trusting your input 🫣 I gave her a trim , I checked her :under garments' 😳 and she was running out of soil so, realising (to my worst fear) she needed more room I, initially left her 🤦🏻♀️ mindset being 'nah she'll be ok, I don't wanna kill her' .... anyhoo, I plucked up the courage to repot her, not disturbing her roots (they where healthy 👍🏻) She didn't drink for 3 days 😳 (and I do agree with the water from the bottom 👍🏻 She'll take what she needs, when she needs it. I won't drown her!) But I Solomonly believed the roots would 'find a way' (as you put it) .... Three days in, from repot, and she's drinking 🙌🏻 and there is new growth 🙌🏻 I am soooo (relieved) happy 😁 I'm so glad I trusted you, I love your 'no fuss necessary' approach 🎉 but you care about your plants ❤ Anyhoo, Thank You 👍🏻
I can only see one little problem with soil , plants going in to the shops in soil that’s holds water a lot and plants don’t have chance to “drink it” in normal house conditions and they will easily get root rot, specially in UK.( I live in Scotland and I really need well drained soil to not kill my plants) In my opinion and experience it’s better to change the soil accordingly to your house and plant after plant is settled in to avoid root rot.
I just get a new plant and have so many fungus gnats!!! I’ve had to drown all of my plants with some neem oil in water. Fingers crossed they don’t come back. I’ve watered all of them twice with it.
I do the same thing. A week isolation for new plants. I am dealing with my first spider mite issue on my alocasia Polly after having it for 2 years indoors and it’s in pon. I think my dracena or another plant next to it had spider mites.
My auntie sprays fly spray and spider spray on her plants during the summer when the wee flys etc are numerous, I was outraged but her plants do well regardless 😂👍
Great vid once again. Wouldn't you check the roots in the shop. Also... if I start again I might start with free cuttings, I've spent way too much money on my plant killing journey.
Mr Sheffield, I enjoyed your video, thank you for the nice tips! I hope I'm not the only one absolutely loving your fruit basket.... Can you tell us where is it from? Thank you so much!
Fun fact of you get a male cross orb wever spider that decides it wants to live above your plants. You name him Fred and let him deal with gnats. Also moving the soil.
I have a camellia growing in a pot that I've had for several years. When I bought it, it almost immediately began to wither: its leaves dried up, its stems died back, and only two leaves remained on a about 4cm stem. However, it miraculously regrew from there. While it's still not very big, it grows a bit more each year. It seems I might be doing something right because it has started producing flower buds in recent years. Unfortunately, the flowers never fully open before they fall off, indicating that the conditions still might not be ideal. Do you have any advice on how to help this camellia bloom properly and ensure its longevity?
Become a better plant parent 👉 sheffieldmadeplantsacademy.com
I absolutely love your content, Mr Sheffield!!!❤ You're my fave plant parent channel along with "the things you'll grow". Your content is VERY easy to follow, entertaining enough for adults that need info and not hype, however not too boring. I've learned so much and I enjoy every video. In fact you've inspired me to start a TikTok and TH-cam shorts of alllll of my content I've gathered and join aquarium hobbyists and plant parents alike together for tips and tricks! TH-cam'ng isn't easy and thanks again for the courage and content❤
EyeAmYah💚
@@keyahsblair that’s great!
Wish I had seen this video in May when I bought the last, pretty cheap tradescantia zebrina from a grocery store. Damn thing apparently had a thrips infestation at the beginning stages that I didn't even spot until they had spread to my pothos and mostera. Had to cut down the whole tradescantia to little pieces and the pothos also received an extreme trim. Luckily I managed to get the thrips before they munched the whole monstera.
I’m watching this entire video fully aware that I’m going to walk in, see what’s on clearance, convince myself I can save it and the run home and search “save a dying (insert plant name)”.😂 That’s the game I like to play.
I do that too 😂😂
I cannot resist a dire rescue 😅
Sounds quite fun 😁
I kid you not. My non-rescue plants have died
Yes, I went through that with a ZZ plant, one yellow frond, weeks of drying out and soul change, it rotten at the bulb 😢 Next time I'll get a healthy one.
The funny thing is, my boyfriend doesn’t know anything about plants even a snake plant, but he has a calathea out in his porch that he barely even looks at and it does so well😂
Typical 😂
I've struggled with them for 15yrs until I was advised to only use filtered/RO water on them as it's the heavy metal compounds in the water that causes the browning of the leaf tips. The lady even went as far as to say that if using outside rainwater make sure it's fresh from the sky and not stagnant for purity and outdoor pests. It works after you get a good few months cycle of watering to get the roots nice and clean, but if you forget and use tap water again it returns quickly. Good luck 🤞👍
Real. I’ve killed two different parlor palms but my calathea is still going strong! I do have a few crispy leaves, but that’s because I moved from somewhere really humid to a city that’s really dry.
@@dontnoticemesenpai6745parlor palms are sooo difficult to keep alive! they are pest magnets!
I convinced my stepmum to get a moisture meter after finding a couple of her plants in literal puddles. Loads of little plant lives have been saved and she could not be happier. Thanks for the tip!
That’s great 😃
I use a magnifying lens to check for pests etc and it really works for those that cannot be spotted easily 😉
That's a great idea!
I also use a magnifying glass🔍 and a flashlight to inspect any new plants.
@@janine8933 and existing ones when something looks suspicious 🧐
phone camera and the zoom in function can be pretty good
Now I want a magnifying glass
One point that I’d like to highlight is at horticultural college we were told to not to be afraid to knock the plant out of its pot before handing over the cash and always check the root system. And don’t worry about any bad looks!
The best source for a plant is an elder friend or family member who has had the same old monstera or pothos or jade in their living room for decades. Ask them to root you a cutting, and you know that plant will be bomb proof.
I inherited a tall, gangly aglaonema from my mom. I chopped & propped a few times, and the successes boosted my confidence when it came to Chinese evergreens. Maybe I'm some type of magician, or maybe it was so abused it knows little else 🤷♀️
The way you decorate your home with your plants look really nice
Thank you 😊
Your wife is a saint putting up with you dropping soil over the benchtop😊
Just here to feed the algorithm monster with an approach that works for me:
1) Put plant in a spot. If it thrives, leave it.
2) If it trys to die, move it and put a different plant in that spot.
3) Keep moving plants until they have a happy home.
Great tip..
Hey mate. I've recently developed a plant addiction. They are soo coool!!! I just want to say for someone who started knowing nothing about plants, I've been finding pieces of gold on your channel in terms of information. Thank you very much. I really enjoy your humour and attitude and the time you've taken to produce your video's. Such excellent quality and they are pure joy to watch. Thank you for all your hard work and attention to detail so people like us can enjoy your hard earned tips and tricks. Love from New Zealand.
I appreciate that thank you!
Feel the same. I just subscribed and can’t wait to watch more of ur videos for beginners 😊
Watching from Michigan, United States
Feel the same. I just subscribed and can’t wait to watch more of ur videos for beginners 😊
Watching from Michigan, United States
Feel the same. I just subscribed and can’t wait to watch more of ur videos for beginners 😊
Watching from Michigan, United States
Feel the same. I just subscribed and can’t wait to watch more of ur videos for beginners 😊
Watching from Michigan, United States
I have only few windows and they face east, but with the help of plant lights I’ve been able to keep alive a snake plant, amaryllis, bromeliad, orchid, a small succulent terrarium, African violets, a cactus and several air ferns. I don’t check for pests like I should when I buy a new plant, but I do check the growing conditions required. I love this channel. Lots of great advice.
Thank you kindly!
I didn't used to check for pests either. But that was before I got my first proper thrips infestation. After spending tons of time and money in order to save at least some of my plants and worrying about the pests reappearing for about a year or so, I definitely started checking.
The permanent damage marks on the older plants I did save are a good reminder.
This was an AMAZING video!! It’s everything I wish I knew before I got my first plant, summed up in a simple and easy-to-follow manner
Glad it was helpful!
I'm on my plant journey since COVID and one thing I'd recommend is sometimes it's worth paying an extra couple of euros for a bigger version. My weather in Ireland would be similar to Mr, Sheffield so not a lot of sunshine. With the result, it can take what seems like a millennium to see much growth even if it is getting the correct amount of light with the help of a grow light or two. Much love from Ireland 🇮🇪🇵🇸🏳️🌈
Yep good shout 👍. Our climate is rubbish eh?
I totally agree, I recently bought a 4 " rubber tree then went to local grocery store ,found fiddle leaf fig in a 3gallon ( it's huge) for the same price. It's Soo cool starting so giant ❤️❤️
what does palestine have to do with plants?
@@Ofek-sb7ot so it's just the Palestine flag you've a problem with 🙄 I'll go ahead and remove that pronto so as not to offend your sensibilities 😂
When I'm in the nursery buying a new plant my first thing to look at are the roots! If the plant doesn't have a good root system, It'll die!
Looking for pests is good but always look at the roots first and foremost!
Happy New Year to you and your family 🎉
Good shout 👍
For anyone watching this, the only thing I was kind of wishing this video showed differently was looking at the plants under carriage IN the store BEFORE purchasing. I can't tell you how many plants get sold in box stores that have horrible roots on many plants even serious epiphytic plants like an orchid. Do yourself a favor and try your best to inspect for healthy roots before buying even if people are giving you weird looks you could easily school them about your wisdom. This could save you a load of disappointment!
Look weird ❓ with a magnifying glass , and your nose in the soil ?
Nawww 😔
I have been dealing with mealy bugs for months and it has driven me absolutely crazy
Same here especially these gnats
The best thing I did was buy myself a moisture meter after watching a previous video, absolute must have to grow plants in pots.
Excellent!
I love growing from a 6” baby growing quite a few right now . Am delighted watching them grow .
I absolutely love you video's I live in Kansas City, Missouri USA and I think most of the country is in the DEEP FREEZE! Last night it got down to -8 degrees. No plant shopping here until Spring. Your plants are beautiful.
My word that’s cold 🥶
😂🤣😂😂🤣🤣🤣😂 the bin is back! Love it! Thank you. Now I need a shirt with a picture of you throwing a plant away in it. I have Improved my plant care just by adding more perlite to my soil mix, and only watering when it’s just about dry, and I melt fungus gnats and other pests with a spray bottle filled with rubbing alcohol, works on aphids too and every other pest I’ve come across. I haven’t burnt a plant or tree yet with it. I also use those yellow sticky pads. Thanks again Mr Sheffield! For this very educational video. Keep em coming 👍👍
Thanks! The bin returns 😂
@@SheffieldMadePlants 🤣😂
@dreaminggreennursery Thanks for the tip! Does the alcohol spray work on scale insects? That would be much easier than soap scrubbing my bird's nest fern 😅
@@weholmes5315 yah it’s worked on scale on my trees outside and scale on a succulent I have. Not sure about a fern, those are pretty delicate. I’d try it on a Separate branch to see what it would do to it first. I don’t ground the plants in it, just where I see the bugs I spray them and it kills them instantly.
Waster meter is a life changer. Also your oatmeal and tea bags for for nitrogen. My plants are greener. Please take care and I will be watching for more plant tricks
Water meter is the best
I think they always say high humidity on every tropical plant, but they don't all require it. Happy new year
Yeah they need consistency mostly i think
Thank you for sharing beautiful and amazing plants lovely collection beautiful
Thanks for visiting
I think it’s funny you picked the Fittonia because that’s one of the ones I have had the most difficulty with LOL. Don’t listen to Kansans when they talk about humidity here… their heat is dry 🙄🙄🙄. Just not Arizona dry. I am having luck now with a Fittonia in a glass cloche. I also put the remaining stubby stems that were left from the one I nearly killed and they appear to have new growth.
Also Fittonia are so dramatic when it comes to watering that you will definitely know they need water.
I don't think you're alone. My other one seems ok really. Droops massively when it needs a drink like you say
I am in Phoenix and my fittonia is doing quite well. I don't do anything extra for humidity either.
Man. He picked up the fittonia and I was immediately like 😬 (that's the teeth-clenched emoji, lol). I'm still fairly new to my plant journey, and got a beautiful pink fittonia a couple of months ago. I don't know if I had her in too much sunlight or not enough humidity, or what, but a ton of her leaves are all brown and crispy around the edges...including tiny baby leaves. >< I went looking for pests yesterday, wondering what the heck was going on, but didn't see anything. I have it nestled in with a bunch of my other plants for winter, and now have a small humidifier sitting right next to it, so I'm hoping that'll do the trick. It hasn't been in full sun for ages, but of course leaves don't heal. The stems are all still thick and healthy, but the leaves are crispy and have a slight bit of curl to them all so I'm like WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PLANT WHY DOES IT HATE LIFE
@@veryberry39 they tend to hate winter and bounce back in spring
Got a very cute looking Fittonia only to realise it is the hardest plant to take care of. Whatever i do she seems to be sad to be with us and looks sad too. I have been misting her for twice a day tried moving her around the house to see what light she really wants but nothing has brought up her spirits.
Finally saw this video (th-cam.com/video/IBFEmgfFkxM/w-d-xo.htmlsi=MkQiH8rzlzZc9vs-) today so she is now in a humidity-ziplock pouch dome.
We live in Navi Mumbai and the weather is mostly dry as of now. We have a east facing balcony and currently the dome packed Fittonia is sitting near the balcony door to get indirect light saving from bright direct sunlight.
Given that it's in the dome and the dome seems to be filled with moisture from transpiration how often would u suggest should i be watering or misting the plant in this dome setting? Any clue? I am just praying the kid doesn't die on me :(
I have a snake plant it weighs so much and is just so huge I about can't move it I have had it for 18 years 🎉 time to break it down and share
Happy 2024! Thank you for teaching me that plants are resilient!
Thanks for watching 😁
Nice show. Yes it’s easy to isolate and watch every day for bugs. They like to come out when you water too. I do not use chemicals indoors. If they are a problem I compost them in the garden compost. Now in winter the bugs don’t survive the ice and snow here. I like your selection of plants here.
Very true the fungus gnat population definitely dies down over winter
Random tip for over-waterers like me: non-glazed clay or terracotta pots can help dry the soil as moisture can wick through the walls. Sealed (smooth, glassy, glazed) pottery will not allow water to permeate and is really the same as using plastic. Even if it has holes in the floor, "the walls are sealed" so to speak. So if your plant likes wet damp soil go with glazed ceramics or plastics, if it prefers drier soil, try unglazed terracottas!
(Maybe a good experiment, take various "twin" cuttings off the same mother plants, split between different pots to see what they prefer).
Excellent vid as always Mr Sheffield
Thanks!
As a new plant parent, basically the first plant I purchased (after unrooted monstera adansonii), was calathea zebrina 🤣. I have to admit, I heard about her temperament before the purchase but tbh, I did not care. I accepted the challenge 😇 She arrived 6 days ago. Well established, pretty bushy with gorgeous and healthy looking leaves. I gave her shower, soaked the soil through, let her drained well and adoring her since. So far, no signs of distress. Will see in a month or two or six (if she will survive that long in my care, lol).
I needed new plants for the new year, so I got two mini baby Fittionias in red and pinkish color for my kids. They are the cutest and so easy to care for. I just water when leaves get droopy lol
Sounds great!
Your ivy trailing along the wall is doing quite nicely! Maybe setting up pots of soil along their route will help those long legged lovelies stay healthy and thriving and could, in theory, be made to grow all throughout your house! Well done, my friend, I enjoy your channel.
How would you do that?
@@SheffieldMadePlants I believe those "vines" will grow roots when they come in contact with a suitable growing medium. So ,use those little plastic pots you get when you buy a new plant, fill it with soil, lay the trailing end on it, and figure a way to mount them on the wall. In theory of course. I've never tried it myself.
Sending big appreciation from 🇨🇦
Your advice on plant propagation worked like a charm.
Great stuff 👍
Hi Rich, you give the best advise. I have learned so much from you. I have been a plant parent for over 50 years and learn something more very time I watch you. Thank you for all you do to teach new plant parents. I use fungis nat catchers. Great trick.😎😇🤗
Thank you very much
Amazing information and content as always Mr. Sheffield, I would like to share one of my experience with calatheas, I have a Calathea Mediallion and I live in a place which is almost bone dry the entire year the relative humidity most of the time is between 30-40% only (except monsoons). What I do is I keep my Medallion is a transparent ikea box which traps the humidity and let me tell you its just growing awesome with all its glory. Even being over watered, the plant is just happy. Rather the peace lillies here are the most dying ones at my place 😂.
Nice one. I'm not surprised with all that extra humidity it can soak up
I guess I should repeat this is every plant video I watch: buy a UV bug zapper racket for each room you see fungus gnats in. I keep 1 in 1/2 bath & 2 in room w/ plants. I’ve also kept them on 24/7 when we’re home. The gnats come in from outside & we hear instant zaps. 95-98% of our fungus gnats are gone! I also cut the clear bug sticky sheets into 1” strips & lay a few upright in each plant. I’ve watered w/ some H2O2 & have used Mosquito Bits as well. I recommend doing all those steps & bottom water most & don’t overwater. The UV zappers seem to really take out the colonies though. Pets don’t love the zaps, but get used to it. We humans laugh at the zaps! After yrs of gnats, it’s satisfying! 😂
I've got one now. The zap makes me jump everytime
I NEED one of those!!! Great idea 😂
@@SheffieldMadePlants just seeing your reply! so glad you got one! you should make a video! I always laugh when it zaps & my husband says, “mm-hmm” like job done 🤣
I know the yellow attracts the buggers, but I use the clear ones. I cut the larger clear (meant for window) fly sticky traps into 1” strips & lay sticky side up in plant. I only ever see occasional baby fungus gnats on them.
I’ve pulled a sticky thing out of my dog’s tail hair before & from the bottom of a paw. 😚 So I don’t keep any plants at dog level anymore.😂
😂
I was about to say "Oh, thats the B&Q in Sheffield" when I remembered your channels name lol
😁
This reminds me of a video I saw recently, so many People make plant videos but this one gave me the giggles.
She was unboxing an order and advising everyone to change the soil immediately to soil with no white bits ( perlite) in it and no big round bug eggs ( slow release fertilizer)!
All this because some other TH-cam plant person said these were eggs ....beige round and they crush 😂 the worse was the comment section thanking her. She did mean well and I did tell her but I had visions of all these new plant parents paying the big bucks for rare plants then ripping them out of their pots, combing their roots free of all the big " bug eggs" then shoving them in a water medium and placing them in full sun.😂
Oops. We're all doing our best 😁. I leave them alone for a few months
@@SheffieldMadePlants yeah, I leave mine alone also, unless there's a major problem but if you want to laugh, the first year I planted seeds outside, I was outside every morning with my coffee watching for any weeds👀 and as soon as I saw something I couldn't recognize, I plucked it out.
When my mom saw me 😱 she said "well no wonder your flowers aren't growing!!! You're pulling them out as fast as they can grow" 🥴
Then she explained that the first couple of leaves don't necessarily look like the true leaves 😳🤯
We all live and learn 😂 I'm quite happy there was no social media then, that has been one of my plant fails that had been kept quiet for 40 years 😎
@@nicoleperron3315 😅
Mine get left alone quite a bit, so much that I probably stunt their growth! 😂 I have only changed the soil on a sansevieria twister I rescued from a home improvement store. The poor thing had root rot from over watering. The rest wait a few months for a new home. I would recommend keeping new plants away from the collection for a month. I bought a pilea with spider mites and it gave them to his friend that came in with him.
Happy 2024. 🌱🌵
Happy new year
I just tried it with my mobile phone. Thanks for awesome tip. At the most bright spot I have only 140. :-( I have Pilea and Pepperonia here. I hope they will not die.
I didn't expect to be laughing as well as informed that was a great watch thankyou 🙂⭐🌸
Glad you enjoyed it 😁
Just getting into having a few plants. Thanks for the info!
This video was so helpful! I know nothing about plants and this will definitely help me going forward!
Glad it was helpful!
UNDER RATED VIDEO FOR BEGINNERS
Just recently “found” your show on utube. Totally enjoying it. I do enjoy my plants. I’m moving to Florida from New Jersey and will continue my education with you, there. Thank you
Another, bonus, you’re on Amazon where I can buy products you endorse.🌱
Wonderful! Thanks for watching 😁
I ended up riddling my house with fungus gnats by buying plants from B&Q, those mosaic plants were heaving! It took my MONTHS last year to get rid of them, I have around 50 plants so it was some battle trying to get rid of the wee twats. My whole house was wallpapered with yellow sticky traps 😂 I now just buy plant cuttings and grow my own, i have a whole nursery going in my kitchen, much to my husbands chagrin 😂 my favorites are my monstera albos which i grew from cuttings. Its so hard trying to control myself in ikea and b&q but those gnats are something else. I saw your crispy boston fern, i cant seen to get those to survive, along with calathea. I also isolate new plants (didnt work for the gnats), I change the soil, occasionally i will totally wash the roots. Ive also just started using some worm castings (along with perlite, vermiculite, orchid bark ect), have you ever tried this? I also have a moisture meter, magnifying glasses to check plants. I have also just bought a houseplant spray version of the liquid food you showed, Ive just bought Liquidirt to try as fertiliser, again have you ever used it? Oh, top tip for gnats, they seem to absolutely love Innocent Smoothie, in the apple version, my daughter drinks loads of it and i noticed them hovering around a bottle if id put one on the counter, so i kade traps with cling film over the top, poked wee holes, and caught HUNDREDS of them that way, the cider traps dont work. Try the innocent smoothie as bait, just empty, unrinsed bottles, i promise you if you get an infestation it helps so much. Love your videos and find them great for learning tips i hadnt known, thanks for sharing your knowledge! 😊
I google the light needed for the plant while I’m in the store because I’m at a point in my home that light is more limited with over 100 houseplants. And thank you I do need to be more thorough at the store maybe even bring a magnifying glass in my purse for those pests…but I do have a plantie hospital that they stay in for a week away from my other divas :/
Great stuff 👍
I have 22 Prayer plants now and I'm waiting for 2 more. The only one I've had trouble with is my Ctenanthe Golden mosaic with thrips. I have a mixture of Calathea Maranta ans Ctenanthe. I'm a beginner indoor plant person. I was growing vegi gardens and plants outside before my indoor plant obsession. I've been growing them all for approx 2 and a half years. All good except the mosaic and I still have her. So I don't agree. I've been fine with my group. So newbies can do it. 😊
Footnote. Have had 2 Fittonia they haven't been easy. Now they are outside on my verandah to live or die. Definitely don't consider them an easy indoor plant
Depends on your house i guess as with most plants. I'm sure i'd struggle with plants you find easy!
My prayer plants were really happy too! It helps if you naturally have high humidity. Unfortunately I discovered a thrips infestation… all are infected minus the ornata. The picturata (patient 0) is dead. How did you manage to deal with the infestation? (Note: systemic solutions are banned where I live 😬)
I got a moisture meter for Christmas and it’s my favourite thing! I have been watering way too often in the past
Great stuff 👍
I love having lots of leafy living green around me (avoiding flowering plants, mostly) but all of the plants I've done okay with are not compatible with cats, and i had to get rid of my little green friends - my peace lilies, my aloe vera, my african violets, my pothos... 😢
Instead, I got cat grass (cat: disinterested); bamboo (cat: ate all of the leaves off); some kind of hanging succulent that isn't dangerously toxic for cats (cat: wonders about climbing up to sit in the pot); and hanging baskets of impatiens (cat: treats these like giant cat toys). Still trying to find a catmint plant - attempts to grow catmint from seed have been woeful. Wanted one or two just to keep the mozzies at bay, but then a friend told me they were highly allergic to mosquito bites and now i want to be able to give them (and their cats) some well developed catmint plants as well.
It’s amazing how many plants are toxic to cats. If only they’d stop having a nibble
I feel that. My cats wouldn't let me have anything even wall hanging decorations untill they turned 9 and calmed down a bit. They still sample my new plants sometimes but atleas they don't eat them whole anymore. 😂
I love your channel. As someone relatively new to the houseplant hobby, this is a great video. Buy a moisture meter and a light meter for plant care…it will save you a lot of misery as your knowledge grows.
BIG ASK: can you feature the best FC (foot candle) range that you have found for your individual plants? There’s a lot of conflicting and confusing info about low, medium, and high indirect light. It would really help get the lighting right especially when moving plants around and/ or buying grow lights.
Thanks! I aim for 500fc which is trickier than it sounds. Lots of spots only get 100
Do you currently use mosquito bits in your plants? If so, what's the method you use to add the mosquito bits to your plant babies?
I don't because they are banned for sale to home users in the UK 🤷🏻♂️
Thanks for your tips! I agree with everything you said about pest prevention. I had pest infestation last summer, most probably from a new plant I bought, and it was awful.
Pests are a pain 😬
Hey, great video, but I think the lighting values are a bit extreme. For example, UF/IFAS defines low light as 25-100 fc, medium as 100-500 fc, and high as over 500 fc + a few hours of direct sunlight. Most houseplants can grow and thrive below 500 fc, even those not considered low light
Put DE powder all over on leaves and on top of soil for a week in a separate room then it’s good to go, even with infested new plants. If the plant is from a big box store especially it’s from a grocery sell in Costco or Walmart, then better repot
Thanks for the tips I have a fittonia but in a terrarium is definitely growing well but I was totally guilty of overwatering when I started out now I have learnt to wait
We learn best from our mistakes
Happy New Year Mr Sheffield..Loved this video too😊Hi From Maine❄️☃️🌨️
Happy new year!
I got thrips a 3 years back from a new plant, i was so close to losing everything! My plants just finally recovered from the hiatus
Definitely check out the plants for pests
Wise words 👍
Just came here to subscribe so you catch up with P.! 😂 You have a such great voice for videos, and your videos are really fun and informative! Thank you for sharing you plants, and art with us! ❤
Thank you very much 😁
Got some house plants this weekend and they’re the first I’ve owned! Now I’m here and you have a new sub 😊
Awesome! Thank you!
I've got a collection of plants arriving this week. Will have to do all the checks when they get here as online purchases.
I absolutely love your window shelves!
Thanks! They can easily be built 😁
I've got hooked since I bought a monsteria in bad condition but i used banana skins and teabags and now it's thriving
Nice!
I have a moisture meter but what has always worked for me is to just lift the pot and feel how much it weighs. If it's light it needs water and if it's heavy it doesn't.
Sure. Needs some experience
I also quarantined my plants on the other side of the room, but for 40 days (I have a plant calendar on my calendar app to keep track of it). I distributed them in my apartment to not huddle them together. Unfortunately I still got a thrips infestation… What I learned is that thrips can fly farther away than I expected and glide on air or jump on people/pets/objects. IMO quarantined plants should be kept in another room altogether (or in a closed clear box/bag) and treated with an all purpose insecticide for a week or two.
I did a first round of insecticide this week (I had 40+ plants, I trashed 5) and one bottle is barely enough to treat my collection. Taking into account at least 4 remaining rounds are necessary, and the bottle is 13€, the treatment would not be worth it compared to buying new ones. I think I’m going to go with plan B and triage my 5 favs.
If anyone has an idea, feel free to advise away :/ Systemics are banned in my country and I have cats.
Sounds rough. I’ve not had thrips before I don’t think. But yes they can easily fly in from outside. Where do you live?
Great catch of the plant!!
😂
Thanks for sharing your knowledge !❤🎉😊
My pleasure 😊
This was the biggest thing about plants I ever learned: ALWAYS check the roots. The plants in stores are often clinging to survival in horrible waterlogged soil, and you have no idea how long the store has had them, under distant fluorescent lights and being watered by employees who are in a hurry and often don't know or care what they are...
Or, if they're in a department store, they might not have been watered since they were shipped to the store, and the roots could have withered and dried.
Amen
I got a calathea because it looks so beautiful. Now I'm gonna need to get a water butt just to make it happy. Guess the other plants will be pleased too...
My #1 tip I'd give myself is this:
It's actually really hard to entirely fuck up a plant. Beyond forgetting to water it until it's nothing but wood, any plant can (and properly will) come back. If something doesn't work out, cut it off! Cut the leaves! But the stems! Put it somewhere else. Water it and see how it just forgets and comes back. And honestly, it's a special kind of joy to see it happen.
I've rescued stranger's plant, abandoned plants, I got plants for free at the store for taking the "dead" ones. They all came back, even the fiddle leaf fig that lost ALL leaves in NOVEMBER is now back and fully green. And I maybe watered it thrice (in my defence it was in quarantine bc I did not know what its problem was and sometimes I forget the quarantine plants .......). It's really such a good confidence boost!!! Plants forgive A LOT. Even calatheas. ;)
I think you’re right. They always grow back
Condensed version:
Find it a good home.
If it thrives, leave it.
If it's dying, move it and put a different plant in its place.
Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.
I have this exact same plant and NOW I just realized that I have I placed it in the wrong spot
Love and Peace.
Happy New Year 🎉🎉🎉🎉. I love the video. When using the trusty moisture meter, where is the best place to put the moisture meter to check the moisture?
Happy new year! About middle of the pot
I love this video. So informative!
Glad it was helpful!
The yellow sticky things are so good they catch my cats too.
😂
excellent starter tips and advice 👍🏻
Cheers mate!
Hi there!
I use coffee with milk for plants with brown edges, it’s works wonderfully
Interesting 🤔
Thank you 🥰✨
Houses too close, PNW cloudy skies during winter, & lots of pine trees. So I bought an LED plant light for $20 & loved it so much I bought 3 more. So almost all of my plants get LED lights now. My livingroom looks like a science lab (& I secretly love it! I love science!) One of my young adult kid’s doesn’t care for them. 😂 Planterina mentioned bigger peace lily leaves if under LED & she is right! You’ve gotta try it! These are the ones I buy….they have a light gray base.
HAARAY Grow Lights for Indoor Plants Full Spectrum, 3-Head LED Plant Grow Light with Height Adjustable and Rotatable Stand, Plant Growing Lamps with 10 Dimmable Level, 3/9/12H Timer, 3 Switch Modes
Oops! Didn’t know you included your recommended grow lights. The ones I mentioned are the wand? type. 😊
Yeah i've got a bunch of SANSI ones that i love
All my calathea’s are my easiest plants. Maybe because I live in Florida and we have high humidity. Idk but they definitely aren’t difficult.
I suddenly had aphids coating my arrowhead plant & a too many on my african violet! These 2 plants were in the same windowsill. All my other plants 30’ away are fine. I tossed the 2 infected plants! 😮 The violet w/ tons of coming blooms was from my mom for Mother’s Day too!
So I was thinking it must be aphids living in the pine needles in gutter & getting thru window. Then weeks later I was admiring the dried lavendar I had cut from the garden 2 mos prior to aphids…in a small vase in same windowsill the 2 plants w/ aphids were! I had made little lavendar sachets bags too. Gross!
Do you think the dried lavendar in vase hosted the aphids? Or did they just get into the only south window I have?
Could be. My arrrowhead also got aphids last year. No idea where they came from and it was only that plant. Must have flown in when i opened the window
Nothing to do with this video BUT I just wanna thank you, I recently bought a Rosemary plant .... She's beautiful, well cared for before I got her, thriving, new growth n everything 🙌🏻 but she was getting a bit carried away 🤦🏻♀️ I was genuinely terrified of cutting (pruning) her 🤷🏻♀️ She's so beautiful I didn't want to 'kill' her (I'm shite with plants!) Anyhoo.... Trawling through TH-cam videos 🤦🏻♀️ I found YOU 🙌🏻 in the UK (thank goodness) watched loads and got some new ideas AND trusting your input 🫣 I gave her a trim , I checked her :under garments' 😳 and she was running out of soil so, realising (to my worst fear) she needed more room I, initially left her 🤦🏻♀️ mindset being 'nah she'll be ok, I don't wanna kill her' .... anyhoo, I plucked up the courage to repot her, not disturbing her roots (they where healthy 👍🏻) She didn't drink for 3 days 😳 (and I do agree with the water from the bottom 👍🏻 She'll take what she needs, when she needs it. I won't drown her!) But I Solomonly believed the roots would 'find a way' (as you put it) .... Three days in, from repot, and she's drinking 🙌🏻 and there is new growth 🙌🏻 I am soooo (relieved) happy 😁 I'm so glad I trusted you, I love your 'no fuss necessary' approach 🎉 but you care about your plants ❤ Anyhoo, Thank You 👍🏻
Glad I could help!
The idea of keeping it isolated in the corner for a "Like a naughty child" for a week or two. 😂 Jeeze, what did the kid do to get a whole week?!
Spilt the 🥛
I can only see one little problem with soil , plants going in to the shops in soil that’s holds water a lot and plants don’t have chance to “drink it” in normal house conditions and they will easily get root rot, specially in UK.( I live in Scotland and I really need well drained soil to not kill my plants) In my opinion and experience it’s better to change the soil accordingly to your house and plant after plant is settled in to avoid root rot.
Such a great video
Thanks !!!
Glad you liked it!
Thanks great video. ❤ Freddy.
You bet!
I just get a new plant and have so many fungus gnats!!! I’ve had to drown all of my plants with some neem oil in water. Fingers crossed they don’t come back. I’ve watered all of them twice with it.
Sorry to hear that
I do the same thing. A week isolation for new plants. I am dealing with my first spider mite issue on my alocasia Polly after having it for 2 years indoors and it’s in pon. I think my dracena or another plant next to it had spider mites.
Oh no! So frustrating 😞
My auntie sprays fly spray and spider spray on her plants during the summer when the wee flys etc are numerous, I was outraged but her plants do well regardless 😂👍
those yellow stickers are so worth it also I use hydro ass top off
Oh yes!
Great vid once again. Wouldn't you check the roots in the shop. Also... if I start again I might start with free cuttings, I've spent way too much money on my plant killing journey.
Yep should do
Rich you should see my cat when the fungis Nat catcher gets stuck to his tail. Funniest thing
😂😂😂
Mr Sheffield, I enjoyed your video, thank you for the nice tips!
I hope I'm not the only one absolutely loving your fruit basket.... Can you tell us where is it from? Thank you so much!
Glad you enjoyed it! Can't remember really. Maybe IKEA many years ago
Fun fact of you get a male cross orb wever spider that decides it wants to live above your plants. You name him Fred and let him deal with gnats. Also moving the soil.
Haha youre v funny😂 and great videos and tips. Calatheas dont last long in my house. Ive given up with them
Thanks!
The calathea thing is real... I had one that was decent for a while but all since just die immediately
I know right!
🎉happy new year 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
Happy new year!
I have a camellia growing in a pot that I've had for several years. When I bought it, it almost immediately began to wither: its leaves dried up, its stems died back, and only two leaves remained on a about 4cm stem. However, it miraculously regrew from there. While it's still not very big, it grows a bit more each year. It seems I might be doing something right because it has started producing flower buds in recent years. Unfortunately, the flowers never fully open before they fall off, indicating that the conditions still might not be ideal. Do you have any advice on how to help this camellia bloom properly and ensure its longevity?
I’ve never had a camilia. Is it in the garden? Flowering plants tend to want lots of sun. Is that it maybe?
What a sweet little plant! I've definitely enjoyed your "Fun With Plants" journey 🌱🪴🌵🌿☘
Thank you 😊