If it works, it works

[@milkymoonmama369]

Oooohhh. My mix is extra chunky. I've been thinking how I'm going to change it because I'm watering WAY too much. Good idea with the moss

[@PlantFriendDownTheStreet]

Such a game changer

[@yeikes]

Perlite dust is one thing I always rinse outside. It's bad to breathe in and can gunk up drains. I buy the big bags and rinse a third of the bag at a time and keep it in a big bucket.

[@PlantFriendDownTheStreet]

Hopefully when we get a house we will have a yard and there will be space outside for stuff like that. We are so limited here with space and I don’t have storage and I don’t have a water hookup outside

[@ellewright6991]

My plants look absolutely amazing and I don't use a mix that chunky lol 😂 I think one of the most important things is the food you give them and how often! As well as the medium.
You can have a less chunky mix and still have Beautiful plants.

[@PlantFriendDownTheStreet]

That’s great if that works for you, we might not be growing the exact same types of plants in the same conditions so to each their own! The thing that this is great for is allowing you to water frequently enough that your leaves stop sticking and Cinderella slippering but that you don’t have issues with edema. When I started getting absolutely perfect philodendron leaves that were dripping with moisture as they unfurled I was absolutely sold on this approach for my conditions. And it works great for mid level humidity, which is what I have.

[@geslinam9703]

Which plant food do you use?

[@PlantFriendDownTheStreet]

I make a completely unnecessarily over complicated potion because I’m trying to use up some products but it’s filtered water, cal-mag (has to go in first), liquidirt, superthrive, Tezula MSU orchid fertilizer for tap water and then I PH balance down to 5.7.
There are definitely easier ways to get results though.

[@ashleythomas3329]

The sphagnum moss addition is genius! I made up a mix like this and some of my plants dried out so quickly. Genius!

[@PlantFriendDownTheStreet]

It makes a huge difference! I even use this mix in terracotta and can water once a week

[@keithpugh7538]

Your plants are gorgeous

[@PlantFriendDownTheStreet]

Thank you, that’s so kind of you to say

[@ItsMelyssa]

Love this! I do a similar mix, I like to add mosquito bits to prevent gnats as well.

[@PlantFriendDownTheStreet]

That’s another good tip!

[@teresakurzacz2341]

Piękne kwiaty

[@howdy_fellers]

amazing! We love a good plant mom!

[@PlantFriendDownTheStreet]

Thank you so much!

[@agata_ska]

What fraction of perlite do you use?
Lovely plants ❤

[@maxthecat14]

Sphagnum Moss? I don't know where you live, but here in the Uk, That is supposed to be banned in the UK by next year for gardeners and by 2030 for commercial use.

[@PlantFriendDownTheStreet]

Sphagnum moss is definitely not being banned in the US… I would imagine that most of it used commercially here is grown specifically to be harvested. Might need to look into that. I know that tree fern fiber is def one that you need to be really careful about buying sustainably.

[@dianamagouirk7099]

Probably a dumb question but could you give estimated amounts? Like 2 parts orchid bark, 2 parts perlite, 1 part tree fiber…???? I neeeeeed this exact mixture but I need an idea of how much of each to use. Pretty please? 😬😇

[@hannlarkin]

It's only sphagnum moss peat which will be banned - the actual sphagnum moss can be grown and harvested pretty sustainably 😊

[@maxthecat14]

@@hannlarkin Ok. thanks.

[@PlantFriendDownTheStreet]

That’s what I found when I googled as well! Perhaps it’s just referred to more interchangeably in the UK than in the US. Thanks for sharing the info!

[@haloitsme4103]

the moss works wonders but sadly it’s really bad for the environment

[@PlantFriendDownTheStreet]

This isn’t sphagnum peat, it’s sphagnum moss. I think the term is interchangeable some places and that leads to confusion but sphagnum moss is renewable. Sphagnum peat moss harvest is not renewable and is indeed really bad for the environment. I don’t use any of that. The brand I use is “Super Moss” and they claim to only use sustainable sources and are members of something called 1% for the planet so that’s about as good as you can expect with a consumer product these days.

[@DeeRodriguez]

Can you use regular bark instead of orchid bark?

[@PlantFriendDownTheStreet]

Like landscaping bark or something like mulch? Idk maybe? I think the orchid bark is a really good size though. Some other bark might come in too big of pieces.

[@Allietj]

What brand is your chunky perlite? I’ve been looking for it everywhere!!

[@PlantFriendDownTheStreet]

It’s Mother Earth but the bag I got is 4 cubic feet which is an absolutely huge bag so I’m not sure whether you can get a smaller one

[@love-qw5jq]

Thank you❤

[@PlantFriendDownTheStreet]

✨❤️🪴❤️✨❤️🪴

[@shakeshakeit1234]

What brand orchid bark?!

[@PlantFriendDownTheStreet]

I get it on Amazon and I think it’s just from like a wholesaler because it shows up in just a plastic bag in a box with no branding. If you search orchid bark on there you’ll find it!

[@priscillaspets]

what spag moss do you use?😊

[@PlantFriendDownTheStreet]

I think it’s on my Amazon storefront… super moss or something like that

[@kenbangbang]

Thats not enough worm castings

[@PlantFriendDownTheStreet]

I use nutrient solution every watering so it’s plenty

[@MooBabyCow]

Go off girl

[@JustinMiller-wm3gp]

How often do you usually have to water with this mix?

[@PlantFriendDownTheStreet]

This is a great question! It depends on the plant and the temperatures and what kind of pot you use. I have most of my plants in this mix in plastic, which retains moisture pretty well. Right now it’s been really hot so I’ve been having to water my pots about every 5 days or so. In the spring and winter when it wasn’t as hot, I was able to get by every 7-10 days. If you don’t want to water as often, you can use a bit more moss and use smaller bark. There’s definitely a component of trial and error but aroids just love this. All the plants I’ve put in it have exploded. Just be aware that you also need to fertilize and provide really high quality water. Thank you for such a good question!

[@janwillard6708]

If I had to water anywhere near once a day I wouldn’t have plants. 😅❤️🪴

[@PlantFriendDownTheStreet]

It’s totally happened to me during a heatwave one time. 0/10 haha