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 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.
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
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.
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!
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.
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!
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’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 UA-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
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!!
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.
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!
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! 🌿
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 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.
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
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!
🪴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. ❤
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 ❤
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.
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
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...
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 😮
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 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
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.😂
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!
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😄
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 ❤
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 !
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.
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 ;)
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!
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.
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.
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.
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 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!
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 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?
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
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!
Imperfections occur in the wild all the time but plant keepers like us try to keep them perfect as they are decorative ornaments at home. This is the incorrect attitude that most of us have.
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.
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!!
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.
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!
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.
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!
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
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 ...
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!
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!
My biggest plant failure is my blue oil fern (microsorum Thailandicum). Both from your videos and from this experience, I’ve learned I cannot force my plants to be happy in the conditions I have to grow them. The blue oil fern is really meant for a terrarium, or something similar, and I cannot force it to enjoy living in New York. While I still have the very sad and pitiful 1 leaf plant, my expectations for it have been readjusted so that I’m no longer stressing about it.
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 💚🪴
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. 😁👍
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.
This is so important to realize, I felt guilty at first when plants would “Kaput” on me but now, if it doesn’t like my care or conditions, so what 🤷♀️ then it’s not for me… Calatheas for instance lol Some plants are worth trying again, but some? Naw
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😀
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 :)
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.
Last year I found thrips larvae on some of my plants and one after another I had to throw some plants out because the infestation was so bad. Everytime it was only ONE plant that had thrips (I NEVER ever saw an adult thrips) and i freaked out about that... I think they fly through the window, put their eggs into my plants and fly away. 🤣🤣 I´m really inspecting my plants really well, but I can´t get rid of them. Now it´s okay. I shower my plants regulary, they love it and it helds the few thrips larvae down. And now when I see another thrips larvae or a freshly brought plant that also got infested I think "Nah, I´ll shower her tomorrow." and sometimes I spray with a systemic, but very few. My plants are healthy and strong and the few thrips don´t do any damage for now. We live a harmonic life together 🤣
The cheerleader effect is not to be underestimated. Other people's collections almost always look nicer (until you take the time to look at every single plant)
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 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 🤣
It’s not easy accepting things may not go as planned and that we’re going to have setbacks. There’s a way through it that allows us to grow 😏 But the stressed out approach almost never ends well. Breathe. Assess. Respond. Accept.
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!!!👋 💚🌵🍀🌿💚
I am new to this and this video really helped me feel much better and have a more open minded perspective so thank you! I recently killed 2 alocasias - nobilis and stingray and was in distress but I have friends who encouraged me that causalities are normal. Tried to save the root rots but failed. Still got a lot to learn. 😅
I feel like a lot of people who fail with plants made the mistake of 1. thinking it’s easy, and 2. starting with tricky plants! People should start with pothos, monstera adansonii, or tradescantia zebrina… you can’t really screw those plants up and you can truly learn a ton about propagation from them! And they’re affordable!
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 got a caterpillar in my area where I have 25 pots. I have no idea how it got there and I took it personally. I was lucky to catch it before it took bites out of my Thai Con. you guys in the planttube community never talk about the caterpillars and the decimation that it will do. Not being snippy about it I just don't think I ever heard planttubers talking about them and I wasn't expecting them. It's all your faults. You released the moth/butterfly in my home without me noticing somehow.
I have not had them inside but outside for sure on ornamentals and food plants. I just picked one off that was enjoying my new rosebud on my new rose bush, bah! BT spray works well. I wouldn’t hesitate to spray it inside.
I think that the desire for perfection end up making people see plants as.... Decore?? Or something that don't shange, but as you told, they are living organisms, if some leaf is more little than the other ones, if it drop one, if it seems a little sad at winter is not because you are not being good of giving it what it needs, is just that they shange, just be sure to take care Is like wanting a perfect cat, for all of us our cats are perfect, even if every single cat is different than the other ones, the thing is loving them and taking care as mush as you can, but let nature be nature
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! 😆
Over watered and caused root rot, but then under watered and eventually unalived a fern. It disintegrated, I think it would have restarted but I threw it away when I saw no sign of new life after 7-10 days. That was my biggest failure. I've had some other set backs but one of those setbacks I'm really proud of now and its just a dwarf cavendish but it looks fantatsic if I do say so myself, but intially, I almost killed it.
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!
2:05 "Did I tell you to stop petting me?"😆
:D
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 :)
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 !!
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.
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!
That is a MAGNIFICENT cat !!!! 🐈
he's the king !!
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 !
I loved this short, the pouty face and the ugh! was hilarious!
Hehe thanks :)
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 :)
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 :)
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’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 UA-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
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 :)
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 !
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 :)
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! 🌿
Love your talk today! My favorite is not finding fault in yourself when something fails!
Stuff happens. Life is real! Love you so much!!
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!!
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.
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 :)
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 :)
🪴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:)
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:)
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 ❤🤗
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 :)
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!
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 😮
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 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 :)
Reality check appreciated, and the Novak reference!! 🎉❤ Thanks, Jan!
We live a sporty refernce !!! Thanks :)
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 :)
„It’s my hobby. I get to make the rules.“ THIS!💯
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!
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:)
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 ❤
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 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 !!
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 ....
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
Half of the fun of gardening and keeping indoor plants is trying and seeing what works 😊
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 :)
Great video to post! You are an inspiration. The plants you grow are imperfectly perfect!
Thank you :)
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 :)
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 :)
Really great , thanks Brad was listening for the whole video
He’s such a good boy :)
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
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 :)
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!
I love the way you explain and make things sense about caring plants…. totally agree with you.
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 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 :)
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 :)
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 :)
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!
Imperfections occur in the wild all the time but plant keepers like us try to keep them perfect as they are decorative ornaments at home. This is the incorrect attitude that most of us have.
decorative ornaments don't have to be perfect either :)
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 :)
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!:)
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 :)
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 :)
I really love your perspective on plants, it's so refreshing! 😇
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 :)
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 :)
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
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 ...
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!
I love this! “It’s my hobby and I get to make the rules” amen brother amen 🎉
haha yes !! :)
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 :)
My biggest plant failure is my blue oil fern (microsorum Thailandicum). Both from your videos and from this experience, I’ve learned I cannot force my plants to be happy in the conditions I have to grow them. The blue oil fern is really meant for a terrarium, or something similar, and I cannot force it to enjoy living in New York. While I still have the very sad and pitiful 1 leaf plant, my expectations for it have been readjusted so that I’m no longer stressing about it.
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 💚🪴
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 😂
I think Bradley definitely identifies as a houseplant. A glorious, statement plant. 🐈🐈🐈
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. 😁👍
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.
Legit happy he got that double six 😊
Today I got a double 5 on first try !! whoop whoop :D
This is so important to realize, I felt guilty at first when plants would “Kaput” on me but now, if it doesn’t like my care or conditions, so what 🤷♀️ then it’s not for me… Calatheas for instance lol
Some plants are worth trying again, but some? Naw
Haha yep, i'm on the same page when it comes to calatheas ... no thank you:)
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😀
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 :)
Hi Jan! This was a very motivational video. Brad is adorable! Thank you so much for sharing!
thank you:)
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 ...
Last year I found thrips larvae on some of my plants and one after another I had to throw some plants out because the infestation was so bad. Everytime it was only ONE plant that had thrips (I NEVER ever saw an adult thrips) and i freaked out about that... I think they fly through the window, put their eggs into my plants and fly away. 🤣🤣 I´m really inspecting my plants really well, but I can´t get rid of them. Now it´s okay. I shower my plants regulary, they love it and it helds the few thrips larvae down. And now when I see another thrips larvae or a freshly brought plant that also got infested I think "Nah, I´ll shower her tomorrow." and sometimes I spray with a systemic, but very few. My plants are healthy and strong and the few thrips don´t do any damage for now. We live a harmonic life together 🤣
haha love that !!
Great and much appreciated advice. Thanks for helping us keep it in proper perspective.
Thanks for watching
The cheerleader effect is not to be underestimated. Other people's collections almost always look nicer (until you take the time to look at every single plant)
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 have a 5year old vanilla orchid ! some of the leaves are as old as 4 and half years old ! thats incredible
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
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 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 :)
It’s not easy accepting things may not go as planned and that we’re going to have setbacks.
There’s a way through it that allows us to grow 😏
But the stressed out approach almost never ends well.
Breathe. Assess. Respond. Accept.
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!!!👋
💚🌵🍀🌿💚
I am new to this and this video really helped me feel much better and have a more open minded perspective so thank you!
I recently killed 2 alocasias - nobilis and stingray and was in distress but I have friends who encouraged me that causalities are normal. Tried to save the root rots but failed. Still got a lot to learn. 😅
Happy growing :)
Drives me nuts when people say but they’re HOUSEplants. No, we’ve FORCED them to be houseplants lol.
Yep ... shows how disconnected we are from nature these days ...
32:36 OMG Novak Djokovic reference 🥺🥺 Greetings from Serbia☺️
I feel like a lot of people who fail with plants made the mistake of 1. thinking it’s easy, and 2. starting with tricky plants! People should start with pothos, monstera adansonii, or tradescantia zebrina… you can’t really screw those plants up and you can truly learn a ton about propagation from them! And they’re affordable!
Yes ... get swept up in the hype of 'rare' plants without knowing the basics first .... an expensive learning curve !! :P
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 got a caterpillar in my area where I have 25 pots. I have no idea how it got there and I took it personally. I was lucky to catch it before it took bites out of my Thai Con. you guys in the planttube community never talk about the caterpillars and the decimation that it will do. Not being snippy about it I just don't think I ever heard planttubers talking about them and I wasn't expecting them. It's all your faults. You released the moth/butterfly in my home without me noticing somehow.
I never had a caterpillar inside in 5 years of growing :O if I would have, I would have talked about it :P
I have not had them inside but outside for sure on ornamentals and food plants. I just picked one off that was enjoying my new rosebud on my new rose bush, bah! BT spray works well. I wouldn’t hesitate to spray it inside.
I think that the desire for perfection end up making people see plants as.... Decore?? Or something that don't shange, but as you told, they are living organisms, if some leaf is more little than the other ones, if it drop one, if it seems a little sad at winter is not because you are not being good of giving it what it needs, is just that they shange, just be sure to take care
Is like wanting a perfect cat, for all of us our cats are perfect, even if every single cat is different than the other ones, the thing is loving them and taking care as mush as you can, but let nature be nature
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 :)
Over watered and caused root rot, but then under watered and eventually unalived a fern. It disintegrated, I think it would have restarted but I threw it away when I saw no sign of new life after 7-10 days. That was my biggest failure. I've had some other set backs but one of those setbacks I'm really proud of now and its just a dwarf cavendish but it looks fantatsic if I do say so myself, but intially, I almost killed it.