You hit in on my big one: for lights and ZZs in particular...That and that they don't need/like water. Mine blasted like crazy last summer outside with lots of light and almost daily light watering... Of course, that's not how I'm caring for it in the winter....
@@lifeasitisrightnow2742 yes! I also read someplace about how they live in mature and they do receive a lot of water and sun compared to what we give them. I mean, yes, they can take less light and water, but do they love it? That's up for debate 😂
The biggest myth I've ever heard is that snake plants/sansevieria/dracaena "thrive on neglect" and "can live in no light". That sounded like nonsense to me, so I started watering them whenever their soil was dry, I gave them good light, and mine grow like weeds, instead of staying inert for years on end. My first one was a ratty-looking rescue from a grocery store, and within 3 months of me getting it, it put up 5 new leaves, and it's beautiful and happy! :) Most of my snake plants grow big, and fast. I'm so glad I didn't listen to the stuff that says to ignore them.
These are all important to talk about but as an orchid lover, I’m glad you’re talking about ice. Lots of people know about this from social media but that information doesn’t necessarily reach the houseplant community so I’m super happy you’re always bridging that gap! ❤️
I agree, all of it is definitely important! Lots of things can be learned from the orchid community, which I wish we would all consider as part of houseplant community too. I learned a lot of things by growing orchids & watching orchid youtubers!
My favourite are: 1. Some plants need misting to survive 2. Misting helps to increase humidity 3. Plants clean air 4. You should not sleep in the same room as plants because they take away your oxygen
Misting has never done anything 😂 Omg I should have totally included you should not sleep in the same room as plants! That one irritates me so much! People voice that concern to me quite frequently 😂
Back in the 80s I used to have an African violet in my bedroom. My mom would come and take it away as first thing as soon as I got a bad cold, cause "the plant will take away your oxygen". Funny to hear the legend is still alive 😅
@@finestracheride here, many people believe that having Sansevieria in your house will bring you misfortune as its sharp leaves will destroy the harmony in the home. Also, you shouldn't sleep in a room with plants as they will steal your oxygen and Dieffenbachia will obviously kill you if you have it in your house 😂
You had me cracking up on some of these myths. 🤣 Myth: Don't get African violet leaves wet. I wash mine but just make sure I dry them with a paper towel and they are fine and clean.
I could not agree more about the under watering!! My pet peeve.... UA-camrs that wait until the Hoya leaves get wrinkly. Why?? Poor plant ;) Loved the video!!!
I don't know. I dislike that as well. I never let them go without water for more than a week (in my mix and my conditions). I don't like the wrinkled look, that's for sure 😂 I'd much rather have those firm leaves 😍
I’m so glad you said the bit about boiling water. Every time I try to tell someone that it does nothing, they shut me down and won’t listen. 😩 thank you!
Thanks so much for this. These are all really good points that people need to hear. There are so many self-proclaimed "experts" spreading a lot of nonsense online.
Thank you for watching 💚 Yes, definitely. It's fine to try whatever but also it is important to say "In my experience, this is something that worked." But I also always want to know why 😂
the watering confusion is because most people don’t understand that indoor plant performance and growth is constrained by light and not water. Once people get the importance of light, the watering frequency and potting media is straightforward.
People tend to forget what they learned in science class about photosynthesis... This is how the plant makes the food that helps it to grow fertilizers don't feed a plant they both provide nutrients that the plant needs to maybe grow new Roots new leaves Etc but not needed to make photosynthesis. It's like we don't eat vitamins for food we take them to supplement our food to make us healthier
You are so fun to watch and I always learn from your channel. In the spring, I collect young green willow branches and cut into pieces and boil and let it steep overnight and water new seedlings or young plants that I'm wanting to establish good roots. With the stems I have left, put the willow pieces in a freezer bag and it's there when you want to brew up another batch. Thanks you for having the best channel.
On there is something in the willow (forgot what) that helps them root! They extract this also for some plant boosters! That is science backed, I love that! :D
Just reading the title I knew the 1st thing was going to be watering 😂 I am not disappointed, I have been a victim to that one, lost several plants and always blamed the water, not the previous 3 weeks of dryness 😣
@@BasiePlants I actually have two hoyas in passive hydro. Hoya bella and papaschonii. Both have been quite sad before and it was a last ditch effort. They seem to love it. Both grew tons of new leaves and the bella even produced a peduncle. I had an aloe die from underwatering so telling me to let the soil go "bone dry" is a recipe for desaster.
@@mathilda6763 When you tell me to let the mix go bone dry.... you can rest assured that plant is not seeing water 😂 I mean, I am better now, but yeah. I am definitely an underwaterer.
@@BasiePlants I tend to underwater also so sometimes I lose a few older leaves and it seems like the ones that can go longer without water seemed to be pothos poor things
Try giving your plants a teaspoon of Epsom salts a couple times a month in your waterings solution. Epsom salts has sulfur in it insects like thrips especially hate the sulfur. Epsom salts as magnesium sulfate... Years a go people on their vegetable gardens would buy sulfur in powdered form put it in a little duster and dust their plants to kill the bugs on the cucumbers and the green beans Etc. Now we have all these powerful insecticides and we forget about sulfur. Also the Magnesium helps firm up the leaves I make it easier for the plant to produce chlorophyll which is what actually feeds the plant fertilizers don't feed the plant they give it nutrients that sunlight can't produce during photosynthesis
This was fantastic!! Blessed be for the tiny pots and watering, especially! It seems that some "plant people" do have a lot of knowledge, but they don't do a lot of thinking. BTW, I love that shirt.
Thank you Bonnie! It is one of my favorite shirts! Ah, tiny pots, never repot... I don't understand why? It just creates unnecessary fear among the novice growers. In our local groups they say NEVER repot an orchid. I repot them all the time! Not single one died yet. I really don't know what are people doing 👀
"Spider mites hate high humidity, if you have mites your humidity isn't high enough" *Me- with 80% humidity and spider mites* I totally agree they go for the stressed or weak plants though. Unless you're a catasetum, then you're just a mite home while you have leaves 😂🙈 Hiding mine outside this year in the greenhouse. Shut them all away 😂 Oh yeah, those icebergs in the tropical rain forest, see them all the time 😂
Annabel, entering her conservatory in diving fins to spray spider mites 😂 The condesation on my windows is insane. I swear, I can put something there to drink all that water xD (Maybe I should get a cat?) Yes, they definitely go for stressed and weak plants and divas, like calatheas, no matter if they are stressed or weak (but being a stronger plant definitely helps). So now I need catasetums to capture all the mites and then close them off in a separate room. Is that the suggestion? Also, for some reason, all this iceberg talk makes me want to watch Titanic 👀
Thank you so much Mira. You know your stuff. Watering is probably the main issue for any houseplant. But you also mentioned changing the soil. So important! Even if you water your hoya correctly, if the soil is not good, say 100% cocoa coir, it won't do well. I'd say most of the hoyas I buy new come in cocoa coir. My mistake is keeping them in it because I'm afraid to disturb the roots.
Thank you :) Yes, changing the mix is very important as well to something that will be more suited for your home. Coco coir does not work for me, at least not compacted, pure coco coir.
You're so right about Coco coir I think part of the problem is that holds too much water and the other problem is I watch Ed's orchids on UA-cam and he's very particular about using that for his orchids. It takes him three or four soakings of Coco coir an RO water to get the parts per million down to an acceptable level I'm not sure if I remember correctly but I think maybe at the start it's up to like 5 to 700 or something... So I don't think houseplants like that much salt. Also they've already been rinsed where they were raised and that's causing water pollution and almost slave labor to make it so there's a trade-off to using that versus Pete which a lot of people aren't using because they claim it's ruining the peat bogs... But what I find is Ireland has been using peat logs to warm their homes for hundreds of years and they haven't run out of that fuel yet... So there is no perfect solution to a lot of the world's problems... For instance if you don't burn coal so you have a great supply of electricity how are you going to charge your electric car? Solar power will not produce enough energy to charge your car
For about a month I kept saying to my friends "You have to come over and smell this bottle of fertilizer, it will make you want to vomit." Surprisingly, no one came 😂
Oh my, I'm guilty, of leaving water out overnight, of putting a plant in low light. 😂 Now Mayo made me laugh so much. My cat or dog would eat all my leaves. And thank you for the shout out, although not all of my Calatheas like tap water. Poor rufibarba. 😂
Well, if water has been treated with clorine, it will help! But it won't for chloramine. Haha, I am surprised how many people didn't hear about the mayo! I hear it all the time 😂 I think your calatheas are lovely
In the study intro, I believe the 11C bark temperature mentioned was referring to the lowest measured datum. In the graph plotting the bark temperatures, the key showed (IIRC) a dot for an average temperature but a with a superimposed bar which generally is used to plot the range of data in the set that are being averaged. If this is right, then 11C certainly could have been the lowest measurement but one that, within a set of data, contributed to an average of 13C plotted as the dot. I’m glad to see evidence-based best practice being applied to a hobby I’ve enjoyed now for 50 years off and on. I learn a lot from your videos and enjoy your presentation style.
YES to the fertilizer topic! "Chemical" or "synthetic" fertilizers are really frowned upon, but guess what, everything is a chemical! Same goes with insecticides
Yup. But I do love my synthetic fertilizer that is well balanced and has all the micronutrients so I don't have to use any additional remedies to provide them to the plant 😁 Plus, it is also milder that some organic fertilizers. I mean, I checked the ppm and it doesn't raise it as much as couple of other organic fertilizers I tried 🤔
Oh the most common that I followed for longer than I should was that it was better to underwater. But as I became better at observing what was going on with the plants I stopped that... Unless I forget or as you say, I get lazy.. I have noticed if I have a plant above eye level I forget to water it! And I'm guilty of having 2 zz plants pulled well back from the windows, and while they are doing well so far, I think supplementing with LED is in the future. I actually would like to get a third and give it great light to see the growth habit difference!😳
Hanging plants are the worst. They always get underwatered in my home. I try to be less lazy, but it is so hard 😂 On one side, I love they take up no space, hanging there, on the other side I hate getting a ladder so I can water them. Sometimes I even try to water them from the floor because I am very tall, but that usually ends up with me spilling water all over my face xD
Collecting rainwater has been a game changer for my calatheas and orchids. I use 5 gallon buckets with lids. Cheap, and effective. Good points about "low light plants". I've got a variegated prayer plant happily living next to my orchids inside and it blooms weekly, it's huge, in a 14" pot. It was pretty miserable in "low light".
I love rainwater! I have buckets everywhere 😂 Calatheas definitely need a bit brighter light than what people think. My friend has a ton, and he grows them under LED lights. :)
Great video! I enjoyed hearing you talk through these myths. I can't collect rainwater easily (covered balcony) but I let my tap water sit out overnight so that it will be ready for me to use the next day -- because I found I am better at keeping up with watering if I have a jug of water with my preferred additives ready to go. :) I guess i'm lazier before I start than when I'm finishing and refilling the jugs. Or maybe I just have momentum. If a little chlorine dissipates, that's cool with me. If not, that's fine, too. All my plants get tap unless they protest. The prayer plants (except Ctenanthe) and spider plants do better with distilled/rainwater, so they get special treatment.
I definitely find it is easier to water when everything is ready to go! But sometimes I am lazy to prepare my watering tank when I am done watering so it is rare that everything is actually prepared 😂
Please do a whole channel about watering! It's hands-down the thing I struggle with the most. I did the same as you when I got my first few plants--read up, listened to podcasts, etc--and my #1 takeaway was that overwatering is pretty much always what is wrong with plants not doing well so you should hardly ever water. Even though I now know that most plants do not want to be 'bone dry' it is really hard not to have fear about [over]watering. I know that many of my plants have grown very slowly because of my underwatering ways. I just had to re-root a good-sized Hoya Callistophylla because I underwatered to the point that the roots were dry-rotted. Seriously, would love more watering-based plantubes. It's the thing I'm always most unsure about.
I like to take photos of all my newbies and look how the grow by picture :) I was so afraid of overwatering, that I frequently underwatered all my Hoyas. As fertilizer use different kinds of. Some with more power, some very less nutrience.. I´m not sure seeing the difference at the plant (except my adansonii, she loves to be fertilized). For my cabbage or tomatoes outside I use chickenpoob, cause we have chickens or liquid-manure of stinging-nettle (cause I nearly can´t smell anything). Greatings :)
I also take photos! The issue? I have only plant photos in my phone xD Too hard to find them all to track progress 😂 Yes, aroids will want more nutrients than hoyas. Monsteras are heavy feeders, at least deliciosa is. Well, I would perhaps use something similar for outside plants, but not for inside :D
Thank you for displaying and talking about the ice used on Orchids. That experiment was solely to see if it hurts the leaves photosynthesis and the length of the flowering cycle... I don't see anything where it talked about the life of the roots! And I believe it's the roots that suffered the damage from the ice! And as I stated before they're just worried about people having a long flower life while the orchids displayed and in most homes or at least in a lot of homes and restaurants and offices that buy these for display throw them out after they quit blooming so of course the Orchid companies did not pay to see how long the Orchid would live if it's always watered with ice cubes... also they killed the poor plants at the end of the experiment pulling all the leaves off can't you look at the roots with the leaves on why do you need to dry the leaves and measure how much mass is left it looks to me like it's all money wasted and the poor orchids died in the end! Plants are living things so now they're being cruel to plants like they are to animals
I really think the focus should have been on long-term health of the orchid. Flowers are gorgeous and that is why we grow them, but you want it to bloom more in the future, not just that one time when you bought it. I am sad they destroyed those orchids in the end. To me, it makes no sense as Phalaenopsis tends to not grow much when blooming so comparing leaf mass to see if the one watered with ice was affected makes no sense to me.
I actually dislike tiny pots. I like a bit bigger pots for small plants, because that way I don't have to repot them any time soon. I like to let the plant grow into its pot. The "secret"? You don't douse the entire pot in water while there is a tiny plant in it. You water a little near the stem, that's it. Then water a little again after a couple of days etc until the tiny plant establishes itself a bit more and so on.
I love this video! Great content! In fact all your videos are great content! There are so many different opinions out there from various youtubers, that it is hard to decide which is correct. The size of pot, the type of pot, and repotting and when to repot is very confusing to me. I hear so many different opinions. When to fertilize or even if and how often is also very confusing, so many different opinions and advise.
Thank you 💚 Well, huge pot is never great. But I think some people keep their plants in the same pots forever and there is nothing left in the potting mix. It is all used up, dry, doesn't absorb moisture and the plant is clearly struggling. It just takes some time to learn these things.
In case you were curious: they dried and weighed the leaves as a measure of biomass. If a plant is doing well and producing a lot of leaves, they will weigh more in total than a plant that has fewer leaves. The leaves are dried to remove the influence of water on weight, say if a plant was watered more recently, or was up taking water better for some reason.
That did occur to me, but I wasn't sure. The reason why I wasn't sure is because there wasn't enough of information in my opinion - they never specified if the orchids are the same size, there is no information about the initial measurements of the orchids or of their leaves, leaf count etc. I see from photos that not all are the same size, but I guess we can believe the end result. Also, orchids don't really produce abundance of leaves, especially when in bloom, so that is why I was wondering as well. Another information that I noticed that was missing is the ambient temperature. I think someone's sucess using this as a watering method would also largerly depend on their environment.
@@BasiePlants Yeah, you'd really expect all that information! And I agree that leaf weight is a bit of an odd measurement for orchids... On top of that, some people spreading the "ice myth" claim orchids do BETTER with ice, and even this short-term study doesn't claim that! At best, there's no evidence to show it does harm to the plant short-term, and as you said we still need long-term evidence of what happens with these temperature dips. Glad you're pointing out that problem with this study, which can also sometimes affect the youtube community in general -- I see lots of "I tried leca for a month and my method worked great", where really methods need to be tested on plants for years! Love your channel and all the research you put into each video.
@@veronicakuhn5738 Yes, I agree with all that you said! Some things are just odd here and I don't think it's actual research, more of a presentation really of an experiment they did. Perhaps more of a case study. Anyways, one experiment doesn't prove anything and 4-6 months is definitely not long enough. Yeah, I see lots of people switching to leca and not doing the research. It is a bit more complex than people think and of course, after 6 months to a year they say leca is evil and it is killing my roots xD Thank you so much for the sweet words too 💚
There are so many questions about this experiment... when you buy orchids in the supermarket or a big-box store or from an orchid grower... And it looked like all those orchids were the same clones because they all had the same flower on them they should have counted the leaves because that should have counted in the mass that was left after they dried out the leaves. I can look at two of the same clones in the supermarket and one might have bigger leaves than the other or more leaves on it and that's how I decide on which one to buy if there is a flower that I don't have in my collection I also look at the roots. And those roots didn't look too healthy after being watered with ice cubes! So many questions to ask about the experiment
I worry about the first myth about watering with my cactus. I have been watering during this winter but only very small amounts. I don't want the roots to dry up and loose them.
Usually people wihdraw water for their cacti during the winter but that also depends on the light, temperature. If I see them go very wrinkly, I will give them some water.
We've received around 18 in of snow so I've been Gathering snow up and melting it probably have bottled 30 gallons or more of Rainwater. I just use some of my big huge patio flower pots that don't have a hole in the bottom fill it up with snow put it in the kitchen in front the heat vent and it's melted in the morning put a funnel and my saved water bottles because I only drink distilled water and now I have lovely snow water 2 water my for 500 house plants and 70 some orchids. It's supposed to snow again tonight and some tomorrow so I guess I'll have more fresh snow to melt. If you save your water bottles or any plastic bottle that you buy liquids in rinse them out it's great to save rainwater in
@@BasiePlants rainwater is fortified with nitrogen if it comes from a thunderstorm... But snow is made from rain water so regular rain and snow are made up of the same exact thing. There was a man on our public TV system called PBS that in the spring would do a fundraiser for the channel. He used to talk about in the spring what you should be doing to your plants outdoors and that was get your hose-end sprayer like you put Miracle Grow in and put a cup of Coca-Cola in and that provided sugar for the bacteria in the soil for them to grow put one cup of ammonia in the hose-end sprayer because that has nitrogen in it he called it a thunderstorm in a bottle and then he said to put a cup of dish detergent in the hose and sprayer all three of those things together because the dish detergent would wash all the dirt off of the leaves from the winter. after a thunderstorm that's why everything growing outside greens up because of the nitrogen produced because of the lightning! It may appear to be greener after a rain especially if it's been dry for a while but that's just because everything is getting watered after a regular rain. Mention it before I'm in my seventies so years ago we didn't have the internet or UA-cam so I read many many books on plants and have stacks of gardening magazines... In fact I had to take classes to get my Master's Degree to keep my teaching certificate and one of the teachers of one of the signs classes I think it was called middle school science... I said to my husband at the time your wife knows more science than the middle school science teachers I was teaching 5th grade at the time which is Elementary School... And most of what I was answering in this physical science class had a lot to do with what I had learned from Raising vegetables and flowers in my garden and my houseplants! If only I had had access to the internet I would have been more knowledgeable oh yes there was a couple hours on Sunday on talk radio where a plant man named Ralph snodsmith would talk about gardening and houseplants! In fact one time I got to talk to him and I said can I say hi to my Aunt Joan and Pittsburgh from down here and Maryland and he said well you just did if she's listening teehee and lo and behold my aunt was listening to that station at the same time and laughed because I said hi to her! You just brought back a sweet memory thank you.... and at this time of the year it's hard to get large amounts of rain water I wish I had a rainwater set up like Rick did with those great big watering trough that you would use to hold water for cattle!
The “just add ice people make me laugh. I think everyone can cut to the chase and just ask, “does this plant ever encounter ice in its natural habitat?” Argument over 😂.
Got spider mites on my Hoya imbarcata and it was positioned on the top of the humidifier with 70% working all the time. They still took it to downtown :(
Also I think a crazy person has to give you a thumbs down don't watch if you don't like shut it off it stopped giving the thumbs down... I guess there's haters no matter what channel they watch I wonder if they ever give a thumbs up
@@BasiePlants one thing I always do before I even watch a video is click the thumbs up so I don't forget... I feel like it's the least I can do 2 thank the person who took the time to make the video and post it on UA-cam!
If you add 1 teaspoon of Epsom salts to some of your watering practices the leaves will get shiny and dark green naturally. Magnesium is necessary for chlorophyll production and I've noticed when I do add Epsom salts to my watering that week it doesn't take long for the leaves to get a nice green color and a shine to them. Plus the sulfate in the Epsom salts helps keep the insect population down. Thrips especially don't like sulfur
I use kumulus as fungicide and it contains sulphur. It kills spider mites and I think it might work on thrips. I do use spinosad for thrips. I think in the US there is a brand.... maybe Captain Jack? Something like that. It is excellent bioinsecticide.
Totally random question, non plant related! Is that a digital piano? Do you recommend it as an alternative to a regular piano? I'm a violinist and would love to have a piano for accompaniment and for composition but a regular piano, even an upright, takes up so much room! And so incredibly heavy, and needs tuned regularly, etc etc. Do you have any thoughts? Thanks!
I bought liquid vermiculite and I kid you not - my focuses collection got infestation of earth worms :D and no it wasn't from the soil :D I use only algamic for all my plants and spray on orchid fertilizer for Hoyas.
I watered with banana water one time. Not only did I almost explode the mason jar I was keeping it in because yano... fermentation. But! It also molded like 80% of my plants, so that was cool 😅 SuperThrive also smells like a fish tank that hasn’t been cleaned in years. I’d rather use “Miracle Grow” then deal with THAT level of smell 🥲😭
I have SuperDrive (I guess it is a mock up of SuperThrive) and yup, it stinks xD Can confirm. I am sorry about the mold issues. But yes, that would happen. And then.... fungus gnats xD So no, I would definitely avoid all of that. Sadly, we don't have Miracle Grow here yet.
Back in my childhood years people believed that HOYA will make you stay alone! Like the plant wants to be left alone, and you will not find a partner if you keep it in the house. Scary ?
Yes, I heard people use Epsom salts because of magnesium. Some are for it, some are against. I have never used them, because of magnesium that is already in my fertilizer. Do you get good results?
@@BasiePlants a great station to learn the nitty-gritty about growing orchids is Rick's orchids on UA-cam. Besides using an orchid fertilizer mix he still adds Epsom salts to his watering practice some of the time. He says if you hold your orchid up to the light and it's not a solid green color if there's light spots in that leaf it needs magnesium from Epsom salts. Plus he talks about the magnesium sulfate and it's sulfate part helps with insects because it's sulfur and thrips especially hate sulfur. It's death to them. And even though he gives a calcium magnesium liquid supplement he still uses Epsom salts and he still uses pelleted lime on his orchids and the pelleted lime has a lot of calcium and magnesium in it. Apparently calcium and magnesium have to be together and certain proportions for plants to absorb the calcium. Unfortunately Rick can't answer questions anymore because besides having Parkinson's he also has Lewy Body which is a form of Alzheimer's... I just found out recently that he had to give up his Orchid collection because he no longer could take care of them but if you go to his UA-cam channel you will learn to be a better Orchid grower and by you I mean viewers not necessarily you Basie....
@@kathleenmurphy2379 I watched all of his videos actually :) I've known about him for a long time. he is a delight and it is said his health isn't as good as before. I heard he had to give up his orchid collection.
@@BasiePlants the latest I heard about him was on Facebook and somebody said that he mailed them all his Orchid book collection which meant that he wasn't going to get better and like you said he had to give away his Orchid collection. And he could use some prayers because he has to go in for more surgery for some reason not sure. I am so glad he left us the Legacy he did about orchids and how to care for them. And he is truly an inspiration on how to live your life in spite of what gets thrown your way in the way of roadblocks. I like how he said he's not complaining he's just explaining and that would be in reference to why he hadn't posted a video in a while. What a hero he is to all of us that on days that he could move and wasn't laying Frozen in bed he made those videos for all of us! And he warned us the end was coming and there was a gap of a month or two there and he said and it's last video when this disease and he was referring to the Lewy Body Alzheimer's... You don't have any say and going away! I really miss him I found him only a year before the disease took over his life! Every once in awhile I leave a message in the comment section on one of his latest videos and tell him I'm thinking about him and miss his wonderful advice! He even did those wonderful videos on African violets which I think he started growing when he first got Parkinson's and then moved on to orchids. I'm one of his early videos he said he was making fees for his grandchildren and didn't realize they were going to be useful in the Orchid community! I try to mention his channel when I get a chance because even though he's not posting anymore he is a wonderful reference for anybody starting out with orchids. Have you ever watched any of Carolyn's videos? She lives on the west coast of Canada in a place called Salmon Arm near huge Lake and beautiful mountains. The name of her channel is a combination of her name and her husband's name Jack so the channels called j a c o l y n s orchids... She has a greenhouse in her backyard that she talks about that all her orchids are in her house she has interesting ways to display using vintage glassware and interesting things that she's made into Orchid pots. I think you would enjoy her she's also an artist and she makes wire sculptures she made one of Jimi Hendrix and another one with a lady riding an antique bicycle. She's taking traffic cones turn them upside down drilled holes in them to make them into an orchid pot and then painted them and used thrift store garage sale items to hold these unique Orchid pots. It was due to her and Rick that I was able to do well with my orchids that I started with 3 years ago. Then another lady whose UA-cam channel is named Emaans garden.... you would enjoy her Channel also she does more than just orchids but there's a funny an interesting video about when she made a trip to Florida her husband allowed her to visit a greenhouse or Nursery where they grew orchids. Apparently something was wrong with the orchids and they couldn't sell them so they were throwing them in trash cans. She asked if she could have them and they said yes so she started filling up boxes... The family was on vacation from I believe st. Louis area and I think she has four or five children so they have suitcases in the car or van and her husband she said is just about ready to cry because he doesn't know where they're going to put all these boxes of orchids... She shows the Orchid stacked and boxes in her hotel room then and later videos she shows how she has to clean them of mealybugs and in later video shows how her son had to build her sets of shelves with fluorescent lights on them because she didn't have any window space because of all her other plants... She's an amazing woman. Just like you're an amazing guy and so glad you started your UA-cam channel! Take care my friend I hope you don't mind me talking your ear off... Even though you can hear me so how could I talked your ear off but maybe I am talking your eyes off haha! It's easy to make these comments because it's like talking to you and I use the microphone on my cell phone keyboard to dictate these comments. I don't have to let my fingers do the walking to do my talking I just talk and my cell phone prints the words for the comments! The only problem is sometimes the words print on the screen to quickly and I don't catch the fact the microphone misunderstood what word I wanted to use and sometimes when I go back and read the comment it doesn't even make any sense so I'm not a crazy person it's just the microphone and I don't communicate 100% of the time so if a strange word shows up or I do too many run-on sentences without any punctuation marks It's because I didn't tell the microphone where to put an! Or a? Or.... So forgive any editing mistakes I make! It's 1:30 a.m. here so I better get to sleep soon
Never move your plants around! Mine are never in the same place and I move them weekly 😅. Also hand made fertilizer: mozzarella water and spent coffee powder 😱
I never heard mozzarella water :O And all this time I have been spilling it in the sink 😂 Yeah, I move my plants around within the room, they don't give a damn xD
Coffee grinds are great to put on the ground around your outside plants because the worms eat it and then of course all living animals insects included poop and that helps fertilize the soil it's not exactly the coffee grounds but it's the worms eating the coffee grinds outside. I would never put it on my houseplants cuz there shouldn't be worms in my flower pots... also banana peels are great to put around plants outside especially roses because they're full of magnesium... And once again the worms love them you don't have to put them in a compost pile on weight you can just put them around the plants they dry up very quickly. But I would never put banana peels anywhere near my house plants that may be why people think it's great for your house plants. I do use water from vegetables if I've cooked them fresh and there isn't any salt in the water. There are minerals that Leach out that outdoor plants can absorb but never ever ever use any vegetable water from canned vegetables too much salt in it
@@kathleenmurphy2379 Oh, liquid from canned vegetables is not good at all. A lot of people actually recommend rinsing the canned beans before you use them :D
@@BasiePlants you are right about can beans or any of those items I guess I was talking about green beans because there's too much salt in them. And if you're going to make chili can beans like kidney beans absolutely should be rinsed before they are added to anything. But if you cook your own fresh vegetables in water potatoes corn Etc you can put it on plants growing outside because there won't be a mold problem like there would be if you use it in the house. there's a lot of vitamins and minerals that Leach out of our vegetables when we cook them in water. But just because something is good to do for plants outside like banana skins for our roses and other plants it's not good to use on indoor plants. I use a synthetic fertilizer called osmocote coat that is slow release little tiny beads of fertilizer. It will release a little faster if the weather is warmer or your house is warmer. I also like those plant stick fertilizers you just put the little sticks in the soil and it releases slowly every time you water I want to have a couple giveaways when I reach my goals of how many subscribers I get and I guess since you said you can't get Miracle Grow in Europe that could be something I could use for a giveaway to send to somebody in Europe as a giveaway instead of a plant cuz you can't mail plants to Europe!
On the leaves that look Dusty I try to use a soft cloth to dust them... I noticed my Hoyas for some reason attract dust... I taught school and had a little girl my class whose mother was from Germany she married an American GI. She told me the plants that don't have dust on their leaves absorb the dust and her exact words were they eat the Dust... I do notice there are some plants that I never see dust on the leaves and other plants but it seems like they attract dust in it apparently doesn't taste good to them so they don't quote eat the Dust.... also Epsom salts helps make the leaves have stronger cells and I think this helps keep insects away. Rick of Rick's orchids on UA-cam said even though his workers are outside for the summer the Epsom salts keep bugs from eating his orchid leaves. Before he started using it apparently he had some problems
I am not sure if they can eat the dust, but some plants do attract more than others. I bet there is some good explanation for it, but I don't know of one now 😃
@@BasiePlants I can't remember the mother's name who was from Germany but I remember my students name and it was Petra... And I had a huge collection of plants in my classroom all the time many were things I was trying to keep alive over the winter because I didn't have room for them in my house... And she would go around and say look this plan has dust on this planet doesn't I didn't believe her but I couldn't argue with what was staring Us in the face so I just wondered about it where the plants able to absorb the dust or did they just have some kind of electrical charge that prevented the dust from landing on them it was just something I always wondered about but had no real answer for her hypothesis... She's the only person I've ever heard say that
Why was this ever decided to water orchids with ice cubes. I give my orchids a good drink every 7 to 10 days, until water runs out. That is just silly, plants for people who want a plant but not spend time with plant. Orchids are in tropical areas not deserts. Thank you for this great information.
I also water my orchids every 7-10 days. And they are fine! I think they started to promote this ice thing as many people complain they don't know how and when to water orchids and many die. I think it's just a combination of bad nursery mixes, and not enough experience. But ice is definitely not the solution 😂 And yes, orchids don't get ice in nature either, I agree!
Hi Miro! This was very interesting, informative and entertaining! I really enjoyed the myths and your thoughts on them. I've heard about all of them and totally agree with you. I used to be guilty of the "just add ice" for orchids when I first started buying them years ago. In fact, I just bought an Anthurium and it said to add 6 ice cubes per week to water it. Crazy, huh? I'd only heard about that for Phals. I read all of the comments and other viewers had some great thoughts, too. I googled the Rain Mix fertilizer, but it ships from Lithuania. Do you know if the MSU fertilizer works the same, and do you use the Rain Mix on all of your houseplants, or just your orchids? Please don't apologize for the length of the video as it was done very well, and before I knew it, it was over. I did watch the whole video and really enjoyed your dance moves. You should add them more often. LOL! Thank you so much for sharing!
Haha nooo 😂 Too many people are making it to the dance moves xD Oh, MSU is the original. RainMix is the European copy :D So I would say... MSU is the same or maybe even better? RainMix is made by Akerne. :) I do use it on all my plants, but it's not enough for aroids. I am kinda stingy, trying to not spend too much of it on plants that are not hoyas and orchids :D But I do use it for all plants in semihydro and it works great! :)
Miro: You asked if anyone has heard of anyone going into the jungle and spraying oil on the plants. Well, I also do not know of any lecca forests or baggie forests (if you know what I mean). Currently, I have 32 different hoyas, and I have never attempted lecca or baggies. I do not understand this concept. Help, please!
😂 Well, in my opinion it is a bit different. :D With inorganic substrates like LECA or pon, we try to emulate the properties of the organic potting mix - keeping it airy, well ventilated and well-draining; able to retain some moisture, but not hold on to it for a long time and we try to remove what doesn't work for us, and that is the breakdown of organic potting mix, which increases acidity etc. In nature, they have fresh leaf litter, but they also die back quite frequently, at least the bottom part of the plant that is in the soil, and then the plant becomes truly epiphytic. This doesn't work well for us in homes for many reasons (high maintence mostly!) All the potting mixes have pros and cons, and LECA isn't ideal in my opinion, but organic potting mixes aren't either. I am currently experimenting with pon, to see if I will like it better than LECA. It is a DIY mix, not store bought, premixed pon. Anyways, I am talking mostly about epiphytic plants here :) To conclude, for me, some things make sense, like experiemnting with the mixes, trying to go for something that can last longer in your home, but some things, like putting mayonaise on the leaves, make no sense, as it clogs up the stomata which is a big no for the plant. I hope that clarifies it a bit :) If we made mechanical predators for example, I would say, okay, makes sense :D
I wonder if calatheas is if they dry out get spider mites is because maybe the surface of the leaf is not as strong therefore the spider mites can easily suck out nutrients from the leaf and therefore can expand their population very quickly. It must have something to do with the leaf being under stress and maybe the surface layer being thinner? Also if you add 1 teaspoon of Epsom salts to your watering practice that's per gallon it's made up of magnesium sulfate. The Magnesium helps chlorophyll production and the sulfate is sulfur which years ago was the insecticide people went to in their Gardens. You would see people back in the fifties and sixties with a little pump that had yellow Sulfur powder in Spring Leaves are there green beans and cucumbers excetera to kill the bugs that were on there. A man I watch on UA-cam his channel is called Ed's orchids told me that thrips hate sulfur so since I use epsom salts most of my water and practice... I wonder if that's why I don't have a problem with thrips or spider mites? Sometimes we forget about the nutrients that are plants need. My house plants get the leftover water from my orchid soak in their nutrient solution... And that nutrient solution first has Cal Mag which is a calcium magnesium supplement... Orchids are calcium Hogs, then I put seaweed emulsion which provides hormones that help the plant grow flowers leaves Roots Etc, then Epsom salts, then micronutrients, and then most of the time an orchid fertilizer that's high in nitrogen versus phosphorus and potassium. Also on my orchids every month or so I sprinkle some pelletized lime a couple sprinkles on top of my orchids that grow in bark and clay pots... Rick of Rick's sorkin's on UA-cam talk to the better grow people that grow orchids and make orchid products here in the United States. They told him they helped provide calcium to their orchids through the pelletized lime. For some reason they can't put the calcium into their fertilizer mix... And if you use Cal Mag the calcium magnesium supplement you have to put it in the water first. I have over 70 orchids so whatever they don't drink up when they soak for 20 minutes or so... And by the way all of those ingredients are at half strength except for the Epsom salts that's a teaspoon per gallon. It doesn't matter whether you grow your orchids in bark or river or lava rock you can sprinkle the pelleted lime on top of the media. Do not use regular lime it will burn
Well, also plants send out pheromons when they are under stress and pests are attracted by them. That definitely doesn't help. But mites are everywhere - on our skin, on our eyelashes. Millions of mites, different types and so on. So no wonder they are also in the dust on the plant's leaves. Using sillica (silicone) can actually help make the leaf tougher to insect attacts as it makes the leaf itself tougher. I haven't tried it, but I believe Rick L uses it. (or used it). Some research say that one should be very careful with Epsom salts, so I think for novice growers it's not a good idea. Fertilizers like RainMix or MSU fertilizer contain both Calcium and Magnesium that are measured out by experts so you have no risk of damaging your plants. Also, I think there is special type of pumice stone that contains Calcium - I think Dustin uses it for his Paphs (but don't quote me on that)
@@BasiePlants you're right about Mites) everywhere if people say they're allergic to dust it's probably not the dust they're allergic to but the mites that live in the dust on dead skin cells that we shed. I think the only danger with epsom salts would be the overuse of it and I don't use it every time I water and I believe it was Rick that said he didn't use it all the time and I didn't mean to say if I did say I used it every time. He said you can really tell if your plant is deficient in magnesium by shining a light through the leaf I think he used a flashlight and if it's solid green then it's not low and magnesium but if you see spots that are a lighter color of green it's magnesium deficient. I think he even talked about his orchid leaves and he flicked them with his finger and said look they're like plastic they're strong and he was either talking about Epsom salts or calcium and implying that because the leaves were so tough and so strong the insects gave up trying to chew on them so to speak. Any kind of fertilizer or nutrient or supplement can be too much of a good thing. So what's that saying about orchids weakly weekly... I never used anything. Full strength it's always half strength or less... But magnesium is super important for chlorophyll production and chlorophyll is important for a plan to be able to feed itself nitrogen also helps green up a plant but nitrogen is important for the plant to grow healthy... I hope you don't think I'm trying to debate you on everything I'm just adding what I've learned and my 70 some years... and if you go to my UA-cam channel you'll see my healthy plants I'm not saying I have 100% healthy plants because sometimes I forget to water so sometimes they get lost in the crowd and everyone gets watered but one for some reason I forget! Also you're right about pheromones being given off by plants I've watched a couple programs about it on the internet and it's like they're trying to tell other members of the same plant family to toughen up because they're under attack also I believe I read that these chemicals are given off because it can call predatory insects and to help get rid of the harmful ones. And it's really easy for humans to smell these chemicals when grass is cut the smell of cut grass is the plant say I'm under attack by the lawn mower! The Plant World is a wonderful mystery where we personally make discoveries every day
This is my favorite myth and it comes from a big box store that sold plants outside... Like geraniums petunias plants like that that if you hold off water In the Heat of the day they're going to be all shriveled up and lose leaves and maybe the feeder roots are going to be dead. I told the manager that the plants needed watered they're all wilted and he said you can't water those plants while the sun shining on them because it'll kill the leaves!!!! I guess the son better not come out after it rains outside or all the leaves will die teehee.... by the way the manager said his mother told him that...
Oh yes, water on leaves is a good myth too. I mean, it won't burn them. In summer, we get rain all the time and then bright sun right after. Outdoor plants don't mind it one bit.
In a case where a plant has been under-watered for some time , is there a chance that the plant could still survive? Like is there a way that it could be watered and not get any root rot?
Yes. Water little, but more frequently. It happened to me last summer because I didn't predict the importance of cover pots with NO drainage holes (since all hoyas are in net pots) and the water would flow away immediatly after I watered, and moss didn't have the chance to soak anything up. Very fast, some started to lose the firmness in the leaves. So, I removed the cover pot, and watered them - since the net pot was exposed, the potting mix would dry within a day. I sprayed them daily with rainwater+algamic and made sure the mix is also slightly moist.
My favorite myth dealing with orchids that I heard from an orchid grower is to add mortar that is stuck to Old used bricks and that will add calcium to your orchids! Or the one my orchids don't need extra calcium because there's lots of calcium in my water. Well we can absorb the calcium in our water because we have a stomach orchids don't have a stomach so they cannot absorb the calcium in the tap water! And I don't know how much calcium they're getting out of old brick mortar! If you want to help your orchids out Orchid Growers better grow here in the United States produce a fertilizer for orchids but they can add calcium to it because of the chemistry that happens when you combine that calcium with the nitrogen phosphorus and potassium in their Orchid fertilizers. They actually use pelleted lime on their orchids. They sprinkle a couple inches of the pelleted lime on top of their orchids or when they repot in my potting mix. And those are the experts that's the way to provide usable calcium to any plant especially orchids... They said it doesn't disturb the pH for the Orchid and besides that if you use a calcium magnesium liquid fertilizer it's chelated with iron so the Orchid can readily absorb the calcium and you don't have to worry about the pH. I use it with my nutrient solution but it has to be added first before with seaweed emotion and the commercial orchid fertilizer and usually I use the one with higher nitrogen... I would never use fish Emulsion especially in the house it stinks but the seaweed emulsion solution I use does not stink it's made by a company called Alaska and my orchids love it... every once in awhile I add a tea bag to some warm water if it looks like the Orchid is struggling to grow new Roots after root damage because the tannins in the T help stimulate root root growth like in the wild... The funny thing is I think it's dendrobiums prefer green tea... and someone I watch on UA-cam his channel is called Rick's orchids says street light a porch light can disrupt your orchids and cause them not to bloom they need to completely rest at night
Rick has a great channel and wonderful videos. I hope he is feeling better now. I try not to mix fertilizers because it can have negative effect as you said. So that is why I like my premade one, with calcium and all. I thiink it depends what is the source of nitrogen and RainMix doesn't have urea-sourced nitrogen.
@@BasiePlants I use the calmagic brand of calcium magnesium supplement and it says to add it first to the water. I then put in the seaweed emulsion, the micronutrient solution, the Epsom salts and then finally the better Gro brand of orchid food with the first number nitrogen being higher and then sometimes with the middle number higher and every once in awhile I have a Miracle Grow fertilizer that has the third number higher. I soaked my orchids in that for 20 minutes or half an hour and a couple times if the orchids are dried out a little bit too much any of it looked a little poorly I would let them soak overnight. I have a big storage container that holds about 4 or 5 gallons of water and they soak in that. Then I take them out put them on a tray and let the ceiling fan dry them out because I always do a foliar feeding while I'm watering them also so whatever nutrient solution I'm using I pour on the top and bottom leaves while they're soaking. But you can't leave that water in between the leaves or in the crown or it'll rot so that's why I moved them to a tray where the ceiling fan blows on them. Then I moved them back true the bay window or my bedroom take care and I admire you so much especially because English must not be your first language... I took French and Latin in high school and admire anyone who can speak and read fluently in a language that's not their native tongue! You're one really smart guy
There is a large gap of understanding plant health which you find more of in the typical outdoor garden community. The biggest misconception for me is terms like “low light” “easy care” cause plants to go into windowless bathrooms or succulents never get watered
Yes, that is true. That is why the generalization isn't a good thing. I often times look at photos in the groups and I can't say 100% for sure what caused some of those issues. But a lot of people seem to be very confident and they give all sorts of advice. Low light, easy care are definitely big misconceptions.
@@BasiePlants There is definetly a gap of trained skills in the 'houseplant' community and the content being produced has a lot general advice especially those apps (yikes). However, there are more opportunties arising for those us of skilled and trained (botanist, horticulturist, etc) to share that knowledge and shine a light on more experienced growers, gardeners, etc. Especially my favourite Hoya collectors that are more shy with social media.
@@frasercook5823 Oh the apps are useless 😂 The ID apps, apps to check the amount of light (particularly misleading) and yes, while there is some value to generalized advice to someone who is starting over, we should definitely be very careful with what we say.
I don't think that people boil fish heads to make fertaluzer. I think they ment when they change water in their fish tanks, that the old poo water works as a fertaluzer. I like to use aquarium water for most of my plants.
I looked it up now - they use fish parts & guts, submerge them in water, and use that emulsion after about 6 months. It is supposed to provide plants with quick nitrogen boost. I am definitely skipping that, even if it's proven to be good. Aquarium water is good too :)
I think the thing about the fish and making fertilizer from it is the American Indians taught the pilgrims to put the fish heads in the hole they planted the corn seed to pumpkin seed and the green Bean seed in because it provided nitrogen. And the reason they planted those what they called the three sisters together is because the corn grew tall and the green beans were able to grow up the corn stalk and the pumpkins grow on the ground under the corn and the beans which enabled them to grow three crops in one space. Back in those days it was hard to clear land to grow Garden so this was a great Labor saver... And the fish had provided nitrogen is it rotted in the ground. I don't care how they make fish emulsion fertilizer I'm not using it cuz it stinks to high heaven and I just wonder how much bacteria is growing with those dead fish!
By using fish tank water you not only help your houseplants but you help your fish. When you first set up a fish tank there are bacteria that can eat the urine but no bacteria can eat so to speak and get rid of the nitrogen. So the only way to keep your fish healthy is to take out water once a week and replace it with fresh water. So instead of putting all that good fertilizer... Nitrogen... Down the drain music for your plants so you'll have healthy plants and healthy fish
One more thing - fresh cut flowers. Who knows what comes with them from outside or from a floral shop? For many of my fellow plant collectors it is like a TABOO forever.
Oh, pests can definitely come in on cut flowers. But again, they can come in on us as well as we go outside and come back in. I guess it's something you have to accept. If you want to have plants, you will have pests. But I definitely don't have any cut flowers ever. My mom likes cut roses but once I saw a vase full of cut roses that she picked and the buds were filled with aphids. Good grief 😂
Indeed. Most are bought as potted plants because they can stay in bloom for 3 months or more which is longer than any cut flower. Then they discard them. A lot of hotels do this too.
Yeah, of course you should water you orchids with ice cubes... because orchids come from an area where ice regularly occurs. 😧 It's not like most orchids come from tropical regions and aren't adapted to ice-cold temperatures....😑
Haven t you heard from the popular ice cube rains in the tropical forrests … I Wonder why the study wasn t longer. But by the looks of the roots altogher I guess the orchids ends were near - no matter the watering method 😓
Obviously the experiment wasn't done to see if ice harm the plant over a Year's. Of time or so or to see if it harm the roots the experiment was just to see if the bloom lasted longer or was cut short if you put ice on. But we who don't throw are orchids away after it blooms want to know more that's for sure
I'm in my seventies and a long time ago maybe in the 80s or the 70s they suggested using ice cubes for hanging baskets so the water wouldn't drip everywhere
What are the most common houseplant misconceptions that you hear? 👀
You hit in on my big one: for lights and ZZs in particular...That and that they don't need/like water. Mine blasted like crazy last summer outside with lots of light and almost daily light watering... Of course, that's not how I'm caring for it in the winter....
@@lifeasitisrightnow2742 yes! I also read someplace about how they live in mature and they do receive a lot of water and sun compared to what we give them. I mean, yes, they can take less light and water, but do they love it? That's up for debate 😂
@@BasiePlants the proof is in new shoots! 🙃
@@lifeasitisrightnow2742 mine almost doubled this summer with about the same care as you gave yours.
The biggest myth I've ever heard is that snake plants/sansevieria/dracaena "thrive on neglect" and "can live in no light".
That sounded like nonsense to me, so I started watering them whenever their soil was dry, I gave them good light, and mine grow like weeds, instead of staying inert for years on end.
My first one was a ratty-looking rescue from a grocery store, and within 3 months of me getting it, it put up 5 new leaves, and it's beautiful and happy! :) Most of my snake plants grow big, and fast. I'm so glad I didn't listen to the stuff that says to ignore them.
Favourite plantuber, hands down. Right amount of information density with adorable personality.
Thank you 😭💚💚
Came for the plant content, but subscribed for the sass.
😂 Oh, it wasn't that sassy 👀
“Stressing the plants... stresses the plants...” - too true 😂 🤦🏻♀️
Right?!
I love your sense of humor! You make me smile! (hope I'm smiling in the right moment) Hi from Ukraine by the way.
Thank you! I am glad the video made you smile :) Greetings from Serbia!
I got so excited seeing how long this video is! Definitely don’t apologize!
Peggy 💚 I bet #10 was your favorite 😃
These are all important to talk about but as an orchid lover, I’m glad you’re talking about ice. Lots of people know about this from social media but that information doesn’t necessarily reach the houseplant community so I’m super happy you’re always bridging that gap! ❤️
I agree, all of it is definitely important! Lots of things can be learned from the orchid community, which I wish we would all consider as part of houseplant community too. I learned a lot of things by growing orchids & watching orchid youtubers!
My favourite are:
1. Some plants need misting to survive
2. Misting helps to increase humidity
3. Plants clean air
4. You should not sleep in the same room as plants because they take away your oxygen
Misting has never done anything 😂 Omg I should have totally included you should not sleep in the same room as plants! That one irritates me so much! People voice that concern to me quite frequently 😂
@@BasiePlants yes, I see it often in Facebook discussions. You should make a part 2 of plant myths!
@@martinanemcokova917 I definitely see that happening in the future 😂
Back in the 80s I used to have an African violet in my bedroom. My mom would come and take it away as first thing as soon as I got a bad cold, cause "the plant will take away your oxygen". Funny to hear the legend is still alive 😅
@@finestracheride here, many people believe that having Sansevieria in your house will bring you misfortune as its sharp leaves will destroy the harmony in the home. Also, you shouldn't sleep in a room with plants as they will steal your oxygen and Dieffenbachia will obviously kill you if you have it in your house 😂
Watching this in my downtime with my plants and I’m so relaxed. Loved the “I wonder if they’re trying to bake bread”
You had me cracking up on some of these myths. 🤣
Myth: Don't get African violet leaves wet. I wash mine but just make sure I dry them with a paper towel and they are fine and clean.
YES! I totally sprayed mine. As long as water is above room temperature, it is fine.
And don't use cold water on the leaves.
I could not agree more about the under watering!! My pet peeve.... UA-camrs that wait until the Hoya leaves get wrinkly. Why?? Poor plant ;)
Loved the video!!!
I don't know. I dislike that as well. I never let them go without water for more than a week (in my mix and my conditions). I don't like the wrinkled look, that's for sure 😂 I'd much rather have those firm leaves 😍
I’m so glad you said the bit about boiling water. Every time I try to tell someone that it does nothing, they shut me down and won’t listen. 😩 thank you!
Yeah, I mean if they want to do it... and have time. Sure. I certainly don't xD I am sometimes too lazy to even mix in the fertilizer 😂
Voice of reason with nice dance moves. 🤓😘
😂 Too many people decided to stay and see the dance moves. XD
best patreon shoutout i've ever seen xD
😂 And it was all because I messed up.
Enjoyable, informative and entertaining... thank you!
I am glad you enjoyed it 😃
Thanks so much for this. These are all really good points that people need to hear. There are so many self-proclaimed "experts" spreading a lot of nonsense online.
Thank you for watching 💚 Yes, definitely. It's fine to try whatever but also it is important to say "In my experience, this is something that worked." But I also always want to know why 😂
the watering confusion is because most people don’t understand that indoor plant performance and growth is constrained by light and not water. Once people get the importance of light, the watering frequency and potting media is straightforward.
I agree. But unfortunately, I see it recommended all the time. And I think that's not very helpful for new growers. :/
People tend to forget what they learned in science class about photosynthesis... This is how the plant makes the food that helps it to grow fertilizers don't feed a plant they both provide nutrients that the plant needs to maybe grow new Roots new leaves Etc but not needed to make photosynthesis. It's like we don't eat vitamins for food we take them to supplement our food to make us healthier
@@kathleenmurphy2379 Yup! Sun and water are the building blocks, as Annabel said. :)
I'm just using my standard comment...I love you, Miro.
Reb 💚 I love you, plant queen!
Loved the dance 💃 😍
😂😂😂 Yay, you made it until the end then 🥳
You are so fun to watch and I always learn from your channel. In the spring, I collect young green willow branches and cut into pieces and boil and let it steep overnight and water new seedlings or young plants that I'm wanting to establish good roots. With the stems I have left, put the willow pieces in a freezer bag and it's there when you want to brew up another batch. Thanks you for having the best channel.
On there is something in the willow (forgot what) that helps them root! They extract this also for some plant boosters! That is science backed, I love that! :D
M: apparently you can grow them without adding the ice. :DDD Im crying :'''DDDDDDDD love your videos
It's a miracle they do well without the ice 😂 Thank you 💚
I really enjoyed this.Happy growing and stay safe. I agree with you.
I am glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching!
Just reading the title I knew the 1st thing was going to be watering 😂 I am not disappointed, I have been a victim to that one, lost several plants and always blamed the water, not the previous 3 weeks of dryness 😣
I have done it too :/ Especially to Peperomias. I am trying couple of them in semihydro where they have constant supply of moisture and they love it!
@@BasiePlants I actually have two hoyas in passive hydro. Hoya bella and papaschonii. Both have been quite sad before and it was a last ditch effort. They seem to love it. Both grew tons of new leaves and the bella even produced a peduncle.
I had an aloe die from underwatering so telling me to let the soil go "bone dry" is a recipe for desaster.
@@mathilda6763 When you tell me to let the mix go bone dry.... you can rest assured that plant is not seeing water 😂 I mean, I am better now, but yeah. I am definitely an underwaterer.
@@BasiePlants I tend to underwater also so sometimes I lose a few older leaves and it seems like the ones that can go longer without water seemed to be pothos poor things
@@kathleenmurphy2379 Yes, when I underwater my pothos for a longer period, it does tend to lose the leaves. Not too many, but some.
Great video. I also wondered why i have spider mites with 60% RH. love your work ❤️
Thank you 💚 Yup, they can appear in high humidity too!
Try giving your plants a teaspoon of Epsom salts a couple times a month in your waterings solution. Epsom salts has sulfur in it insects like thrips especially hate the sulfur. Epsom salts as magnesium sulfate... Years a go people on their vegetable gardens would buy sulfur in powdered form put it in a little duster and dust their plants to kill the bugs on the cucumbers and the green beans Etc. Now we have all these powerful insecticides and we forget about sulfur. Also the Magnesium helps firm up the leaves I make it easier for the plant to produce chlorophyll which is what actually feeds the plant fertilizers don't feed the plant they give it nutrients that sunlight can't produce during photosynthesis
You always make my day Miro! I love the info and the fun! 🌿🥰🌿
Maybe you can give us an update on your orchid collection? That would be nice.
Thank you for the suggestion! Maybe they will be featured in one of the future videos soon-ish :)
This was fantastic!! Blessed be for the tiny pots and watering, especially! It seems that some "plant people" do have a lot of knowledge, but they don't do a lot of thinking. BTW, I love that shirt.
I think we are all thinking of the same recent interaction, Bonnie!! 😂
Thank you Bonnie! It is one of my favorite shirts! Ah, tiny pots, never repot... I don't understand why? It just creates unnecessary fear among the novice growers. In our local groups they say NEVER repot an orchid. I repot them all the time! Not single one died yet. I really don't know what are people doing 👀
👀👀👀😂
"Spider mites hate high humidity, if you have mites your humidity isn't high enough"
*Me- with 80% humidity and spider mites*
I totally agree they go for the stressed or weak plants though. Unless you're a catasetum, then you're just a mite home while you have leaves 😂🙈 Hiding mine outside this year in the greenhouse. Shut them all away 😂
Oh yeah, those icebergs in the tropical rain forest, see them all the time 😂
Annabel, entering her conservatory in diving fins to spray spider mites 😂 The condesation on my windows is insane. I swear, I can put something there to drink all that water xD (Maybe I should get a cat?) Yes, they definitely go for stressed and weak plants and divas, like calatheas, no matter if they are stressed or weak (but being a stronger plant definitely helps). So now I need catasetums to capture all the mites and then close them off in a separate room. Is that the suggestion? Also, for some reason, all this iceberg talk makes me want to watch Titanic 👀
Good advice on the complete fertilizer.
Yes, many people forget the micronutrients. :)
Thank you so much Mira. You know your stuff. Watering is probably the main issue for any houseplant. But you also mentioned changing the soil. So important! Even if you water your hoya correctly, if the soil is not good, say 100% cocoa coir, it won't do well. I'd say most of the hoyas I buy new come in cocoa coir. My mistake is keeping them in it because I'm afraid to disturb the roots.
Thank you :) Yes, changing the mix is very important as well to something that will be more suited for your home. Coco coir does not work for me, at least not compacted, pure coco coir.
You're so right about Coco coir I think part of the problem is that holds too much water and the other problem is I watch Ed's orchids on UA-cam and he's very particular about using that for his orchids. It takes him three or four soakings of Coco coir an RO water to get the parts per million down to an acceptable level I'm not sure if I remember correctly but I think maybe at the start it's up to like 5 to 700 or something... So I don't think houseplants like that much salt. Also they've already been rinsed where they were raised and that's causing water pollution and almost slave labor to make it so there's a trade-off to using that versus Pete which a lot of people aren't using because they claim it's ruining the peat bogs... But what I find is Ireland has been using peat logs to warm their homes for hundreds of years and they haven't run out of that fuel yet... So there is no perfect solution to a lot of the world's problems... For instance if you don't burn coal so you have a great supply of electricity how are you going to charge your electric car? Solar power will not produce enough energy to charge your car
Just found your channel, love to hear you talk about plants. You are so entertaining!
Pigs 🐖 in the house! 😂😂😂
Oh my goodness I needed that laugh.
I use a “natural” fertilizer and it STINKS to high heavens.
For about a month I kept saying to my friends "You have to come over and smell this bottle of fertilizer, it will make you want to vomit." Surprisingly, no one came 😂
I love your channel, thanks for all the extremely informative and entertaining videos!! 💚💚💚 🥰
Thank you for those kind words 💚
I enjoyed this so much, please do another one! For example, should you loosen up the roots when repotting?
Thanks for the suggestion! I will definitely try to do another video in the future :)
Great video!
Fantastic moves 💃 🕺 😊
I was hoping not many people will stay until the end to see that 😂
1-10 - I can only agree. :) Happy growing!
I think there are far more than these 10, sadly 😂 Happy growing to you too! 💚
You've got moves! If that was messed up, please mess up again and again. 😂 Oh and the Xanadu looks gorgeous in your background. 😍
It was 😂 I didn't realize I left someone out until the end and it was too late to re-record again. So I just did this 😂
Hahaha just finished. Great informative video. This confirm my suspicion hearing those 10 myths. ❤️❤️❤️
Great to hear you enjoyed it! :D
Thank you! I love your videos!
Thank you 💚 That is so sweet of you to say 🙂
Thank you for the tips, very informative. Always looking forward to your video's :)
Thank you 💚 I am happy you like the videos :D
Haha, we could all use a Summer Rayne Oakes for watering our plants.
I wouldn't be mad at all if she were to come over 😂
When my orchid leaves were puckering, I used weak tea. There is a regiment to this, I found it on utube. Worked great!
Oh my, I'm guilty, of leaving water out overnight, of putting a plant in low light. 😂 Now Mayo made me laugh so much. My cat or dog would eat all my leaves.
And thank you for the shout out, although not all of my Calatheas like tap water. Poor rufibarba. 😂
Well, if water has been treated with clorine, it will help! But it won't for chloramine. Haha, I am surprised how many people didn't hear about the mayo! I hear it all the time 😂 I think your calatheas are lovely
In the study intro, I believe the 11C bark temperature mentioned was referring to the lowest measured datum. In the graph plotting the bark temperatures, the key showed (IIRC) a dot for an average temperature but a with a superimposed bar which generally is used to plot the range of data in the set that are being averaged. If this is right, then 11C certainly could have been the lowest measurement but one that, within a set of data, contributed to an average of 13C plotted as the dot. I’m glad to see evidence-based best practice being applied to a hobby I’ve enjoyed now for 50 years off and on. I learn a lot from your videos and enjoy your presentation style.
YES to the fertilizer topic! "Chemical" or "synthetic" fertilizers are really frowned upon, but guess what, everything is a chemical! Same goes with insecticides
Yup. But I do love my synthetic fertilizer that is well balanced and has all the micronutrients so I don't have to use any additional remedies to provide them to the plant 😁 Plus, it is also milder that some organic fertilizers. I mean, I checked the ppm and it doesn't raise it as much as couple of other organic fertilizers I tried 🤔
I don't think a plant knows the difference between natural calcium and chemical calcium or natural nitrogen or commercial nitrogen
I enjoyed listening to your video! I was actually cutting/propagating some of my hoyas while listening 👍🌿✌️🌿
Oh how nice! Which hoyas did you propagate?
@@BasiePlants sigillatis, rotundiflora, obavada, and kentiana variagated. I have multiples so I'm not worried about cutting 😂
@@rosietulips2620 Oh, very nice ones too! Especially variegated kentiana!
The “I’ve never fertilized so they don’t need to be fed”. It’s not like they get fed in the wild, I laughed hard when I heard that one. Lol
Oh the most common that I followed for longer than I should was that it was better to underwater. But as I became better at observing what was going on with the plants I stopped that... Unless I forget or as you say, I get lazy.. I have noticed if I have a plant above eye level I forget to water it! And I'm guilty of having 2 zz plants pulled well back from the windows, and while they are doing well so far, I think supplementing with LED is in the future. I actually would like to get a third and give it great light to see the growth habit difference!😳
Hanging plants are the worst. They always get underwatered in my home. I try to be less lazy, but it is so hard 😂 On one side, I love they take up no space, hanging there, on the other side I hate getting a ladder so I can water them. Sometimes I even try to water them from the floor because I am very tall, but that usually ends up with me spilling water all over my face xD
Bahahaha if Summer Rain is in your yard that would definitely help.
She would do a better job than me, that is for sure!
@@BasiePlants same! 😂
Collecting rainwater has been a game changer for my calatheas and orchids. I use 5 gallon buckets with lids. Cheap, and effective. Good points about "low light plants". I've got a variegated prayer plant happily living next to my orchids inside and it blooms weekly, it's huge, in a 14" pot. It was pretty miserable in "low light".
I love rainwater! I have buckets everywhere 😂 Calatheas definitely need a bit brighter light than what people think. My friend has a ton, and he grows them under LED lights. :)
Very useful information👍In the future could you show the way you remove a coco husk from a plant?🙏🏻🙏🏻
I do plan to make one! I need a good candidate first 😂
Great video. Watched it on the big tv..emo Miro.
Great video! I enjoyed hearing you talk through these myths.
I can't collect rainwater easily (covered balcony) but I let my tap water sit out overnight so that it will be ready for me to use the next day -- because I found I am better at keeping up with watering if I have a jug of water with my preferred additives ready to go. :) I guess i'm lazier before I start than when I'm finishing and refilling the jugs. Or maybe I just have momentum. If a little chlorine dissipates, that's cool with me. If not, that's fine, too. All my plants get tap unless they protest. The prayer plants (except Ctenanthe) and spider plants do better with distilled/rainwater, so they get special treatment.
I definitely find it is easier to water when everything is ready to go! But sometimes I am lazy to prepare my watering tank when I am done watering so it is rare that everything is actually prepared 😂
Please do a whole channel about watering! It's hands-down the thing I struggle with the most. I did the same as you when I got my first few plants--read up, listened to podcasts, etc--and my #1 takeaway was that overwatering is pretty much always what is wrong with plants not doing well so you should hardly ever water. Even though I now know that most plants do not want to be 'bone dry' it is really hard not to have fear about [over]watering. I know that many of my plants have grown very slowly because of my underwatering ways. I just had to re-root a good-sized Hoya Callistophylla because I underwatered to the point that the roots were dry-rotted. Seriously, would love more watering-based plantubes. It's the thing I'm always most unsure about.
Always my favorite. 😘
Thank you Ava 💚
I love how the research conclusion mentioned “homeowners” 😂 what? Why? 😂
I think the students who did this “research” were a bit drunk...
You can successfuly grow orchids using the ice method only if you own a home, clearly 😂
Yes it's for homeowners but not for growers or hobbyists or people that know about plants and wouldn't like to take an ice shower either.
I like to take photos of all my newbies and look how the grow by picture :) I was so afraid of overwatering, that I frequently underwatered all my Hoyas. As fertilizer use different kinds of. Some with more power, some very less nutrience.. I´m not sure seeing the difference at the plant (except my adansonii, she loves to be fertilized). For my cabbage or tomatoes outside I use chickenpoob, cause we have chickens or liquid-manure of stinging-nettle (cause I nearly can´t smell anything). Greatings :)
I also take photos! The issue? I have only plant photos in my phone xD Too hard to find them all to track progress 😂 Yes, aroids will want more nutrients than hoyas. Monsteras are heavy feeders, at least deliciosa is. Well, I would perhaps use something similar for outside plants, but not for inside :D
stresssssssedddd... Time to wash off all them spider dirt off a shower lolol
Definitely time to wash all my plants 😂
Yay for Hoyas!
Hoyas are the best!
Thank you for displaying and talking about the ice used on Orchids. That experiment was solely to see if it hurts the leaves photosynthesis and the length of the flowering cycle... I don't see anything where it talked about the life of the roots! And I believe it's the roots that suffered the damage from the ice! And as I stated before they're just worried about people having a long flower life while the orchids displayed and in most homes or at least in a lot of homes and restaurants and offices that buy these for display throw them out after they quit blooming so of course the Orchid companies did not pay to see how long the Orchid would live if it's always watered with ice cubes... also they killed the poor plants at the end of the experiment pulling all the leaves off can't you look at the roots with the leaves on why do you need to dry the leaves and measure how much mass is left it looks to me like it's all money wasted and the poor orchids died in the end! Plants are living things so now they're being cruel to plants like they are to animals
I really think the focus should have been on long-term health of the orchid. Flowers are gorgeous and that is why we grow them, but you want it to bloom more in the future, not just that one time when you bought it. I am sad they destroyed those orchids in the end. To me, it makes no sense as Phalaenopsis tends to not grow much when blooming so comparing leaf mass to see if the one watered with ice was affected makes no sense to me.
Ice for Orchids has always made me cringe! Another informative video, thanks.
And I still see it being recommended in houseplant groups. It makes me cringe too!
I actually dislike tiny pots. I like a bit bigger pots for small plants, because that way I don't have to repot them any time soon. I like to let the plant grow into its pot. The "secret"? You don't douse the entire pot in water while there is a tiny plant in it. You water a little near the stem, that's it. Then water a little again after a couple of days etc until the tiny plant establishes itself a bit more and so on.
I love this video! Great content! In fact all your videos are great content! There are so many different opinions out there from various youtubers, that it is hard to decide which is correct. The size of pot, the type of pot, and repotting and when to repot is very confusing to me. I hear so many different opinions. When to fertilize or even if and how often is also very confusing, so many different opinions and advise.
Thank you 💚 Well, huge pot is never great. But I think some people keep their plants in the same pots forever and there is nothing left in the potting mix. It is all used up, dry, doesn't absorb moisture and the plant is clearly struggling. It just takes some time to learn these things.
In case you were curious: they dried and weighed the leaves as a measure of biomass. If a plant is doing well and producing a lot of leaves, they will weigh more in total than a plant that has fewer leaves. The leaves are dried to remove the influence of water on weight, say if a plant was watered more recently, or was up taking water better for some reason.
That did occur to me, but I wasn't sure. The reason why I wasn't sure is because there wasn't enough of information in my opinion - they never specified if the orchids are the same size, there is no information about the initial measurements of the orchids or of their leaves, leaf count etc. I see from photos that not all are the same size, but I guess we can believe the end result. Also, orchids don't really produce abundance of leaves, especially when in bloom, so that is why I was wondering as well. Another information that I noticed that was missing is the ambient temperature. I think someone's sucess using this as a watering method would also largerly depend on their environment.
@@BasiePlants Yeah, you'd really expect all that information! And I agree that leaf weight is a bit of an odd measurement for orchids... On top of that, some people spreading the "ice myth" claim orchids do BETTER with ice, and even this short-term study doesn't claim that! At best, there's no evidence to show it does harm to the plant short-term, and as you said we still need long-term evidence of what happens with these temperature dips. Glad you're pointing out that problem with this study, which can also sometimes affect the youtube community in general -- I see lots of "I tried leca for a month and my method worked great", where really methods need to be tested on plants for years! Love your channel and all the research you put into each video.
@@veronicakuhn5738 Yes, I agree with all that you said! Some things are just odd here and I don't think it's actual research, more of a presentation really of an experiment they did. Perhaps more of a case study. Anyways, one experiment doesn't prove anything and 4-6 months is definitely not long enough. Yeah, I see lots of people switching to leca and not doing the research. It is a bit more complex than people think and of course, after 6 months to a year they say leca is evil and it is killing my roots xD Thank you so much for the sweet words too 💚
There are so many questions about this experiment... when you buy orchids in the supermarket or a big-box store or from an orchid grower... And it looked like all those orchids were the same clones because they all had the same flower on them they should have counted the leaves because that should have counted in the mass that was left after they dried out the leaves. I can look at two of the same clones in the supermarket and one might have bigger leaves than the other or more leaves on it and that's how I decide on which one to buy if there is a flower that I don't have in my collection I also look at the roots. And those roots didn't look too healthy after being watered with ice cubes! So many questions to ask about the experiment
I worry about the first myth about watering with my cactus. I have been watering during this winter but only very small amounts. I don't want the roots to dry up and loose them.
Usually people wihdraw water for their cacti during the winter but that also depends on the light, temperature. If I see them go very wrinkly, I will give them some water.
We've received around 18 in of snow so I've been Gathering snow up and melting it probably have bottled 30 gallons or more of Rainwater. I just use some of my big huge patio flower pots that don't have a hole in the bottom fill it up with snow put it in the kitchen in front the heat vent and it's melted in the morning put a funnel and my saved water bottles because I only drink distilled water and now I have lovely snow water 2 water my for 500 house plants and 70 some orchids. It's supposed to snow again tonight and some tomorrow so I guess I'll have more fresh snow to melt. If you save your water bottles or any plastic bottle that you buy liquids in rinse them out it's great to save rainwater in
I have big buckets where I put my rainwater. I prefer rainwater to snow as rain is supposed to be fortified with nitrogen.
@@BasiePlants rainwater is fortified with nitrogen if it comes from a thunderstorm... But snow is made from rain water so regular rain and snow are made up of the same exact thing. There was a man on our public TV system called PBS that in the spring would do a fundraiser for the channel. He used to talk about in the spring what you should be doing to your plants outdoors and that was get your hose-end sprayer like you put Miracle Grow in and put a cup of Coca-Cola in and that provided sugar for the bacteria in the soil for them to grow put one cup of ammonia in the hose-end sprayer because that has nitrogen in it he called it a thunderstorm in a bottle and then he said to put a cup of dish detergent in the hose and sprayer all three of those things together because the dish detergent would wash all the dirt off of the leaves from the winter. after a thunderstorm that's why everything growing outside greens up because of the nitrogen produced because of the lightning! It may appear to be greener after a rain especially if it's been dry for a while but that's just because everything is getting watered after a regular rain. Mention it before I'm in my seventies so years ago we didn't have the internet or UA-cam so I read many many books on plants and have stacks of gardening magazines... In fact I had to take classes to get my Master's Degree to keep my teaching certificate and one of the teachers of one of the signs classes I think it was called middle school science... I said to my husband at the time your wife knows more science than the middle school science teachers I was teaching 5th grade at the time which is Elementary School... And most of what I was answering in this physical science class had a lot to do with what I had learned from Raising vegetables and flowers in my garden and my houseplants! If only I had had access to the internet I would have been more knowledgeable oh yes there was a couple hours on Sunday on talk radio where a plant man named Ralph snodsmith would talk about gardening and houseplants! In fact one time I got to talk to him and I said can I say hi to my Aunt Joan and Pittsburgh from down here and Maryland and he said well you just did if she's listening teehee and lo and behold my aunt was listening to that station at the same time and laughed because I said hi to her! You just brought back a sweet memory thank you.... and at this time of the year it's hard to get large amounts of rain water I wish I had a rainwater set up like Rick did with those great big watering trough that you would use to hold water for cattle!
The “just add ice people make me laugh. I think everyone can cut to the chase and just ask, “does this plant ever encounter ice in its natural habitat?” Argument over 😂.
Got spider mites on my Hoya imbarcata and it was positioned on the top of the humidifier with 70% working all the time. They still took it to downtown :(
Noooooooo 😭 That breaks my heart. I hate spider mites. Stupid and useless. I am so sorry about your imbricata. :(
Also I think a crazy person has to give you a thumbs down don't watch if you don't like shut it off it stopped giving the thumbs down... I guess there's haters no matter what channel they watch I wonder if they ever give a thumbs up
I always wonder the same. I think it is more effort to give thumbs down and leave the video than to just... leave the video :D
@@BasiePlants one thing I always do before I even watch a video is click the thumbs up so I don't forget... I feel like it's the least I can do 2 thank the person who took the time to make the video and post it on UA-cam!
I use the declorinated water from my fish tank. Do you think this is bad?
If you add 1 teaspoon of Epsom salts to some of your watering practices the leaves will get shiny and dark green naturally. Magnesium is necessary for chlorophyll production and I've noticed when I do add Epsom salts to my watering that week it doesn't take long for the leaves to get a nice green color and a shine to them. Plus the sulfate in the Epsom salts helps keep the insect population down. Thrips especially don't like sulfur
I use kumulus as fungicide and it contains sulphur. It kills spider mites and I think it might work on thrips. I do use spinosad for thrips. I think in the US there is a brand.... maybe Captain Jack? Something like that. It is excellent bioinsecticide.
Totally random question, non plant related! Is that a digital piano? Do you recommend it as an alternative to a regular piano? I'm a violinist and would love to have a piano for accompaniment and for composition but a regular piano, even an upright, takes up so much room! And so incredibly heavy, and needs tuned regularly, etc etc. Do you have any thoughts? Thanks!
I bought liquid vermiculite and I kid you not - my focuses collection got infestation of earth worms :D and no it wasn't from the soil :D I use only algamic for all my plants and spray on orchid fertilizer for Hoyas.
Now I want thee ice cubes 🧊🧊 🧊
haha 😂 Well, if you are thirsty, it apparently should work xD
Will you share your buying for your hoya's you recently brought
I didn't get any recently, but I prefer to get them from Sweden, from Camilla. She is the chairwoman of the Swedish Hoya Society :)
Humm those pictures comparing the orchids in different locations, how did they get the same grey background?? Same lighting, weird
I watered with banana water one time. Not only did I almost explode the mason jar I was keeping it in because yano... fermentation.
But! It also molded like 80% of my plants, so that was cool 😅
SuperThrive also smells like a fish tank that hasn’t been cleaned in years.
I’d rather use “Miracle Grow” then deal with THAT level of smell 🥲😭
I have SuperDrive (I guess it is a mock up of SuperThrive) and yup, it stinks xD Can confirm. I am sorry about the mold issues. But yes, that would happen. And then.... fungus gnats xD So no, I would definitely avoid all of that. Sadly, we don't have Miracle Grow here yet.
I once used fish emulsion outside in my greenhouse. It smelled like I had buried a body in there. It took several days for the smell to fade.
Oh no 😂 That is definitely worse than the smell I got.
Back in my childhood years people believed that HOYA will make you stay alone! Like the plant wants to be left alone, and you will not find a partner if you keep it in the house. Scary ?
These evil plants that curse you and make you stay alone forever 😂 Sadly, I don't have any tips against that.
Yes, becayse you will stay at home all the time looking at your beautiful hoya 😁😍
Which is not a bad fate xD
I use ebsom salts in my house plants.
Yes, I heard people use Epsom salts because of magnesium. Some are for it, some are against. I have never used them, because of magnesium that is already in my fertilizer. Do you get good results?
@@BasiePlants a great station to learn the nitty-gritty about growing orchids is Rick's orchids on UA-cam. Besides using an orchid fertilizer mix he still adds Epsom salts to his watering practice some of the time. He says if you hold your orchid up to the light and it's not a solid green color if there's light spots in that leaf it needs magnesium from Epsom salts. Plus he talks about the magnesium sulfate and it's sulfate part helps with insects because it's sulfur and thrips especially hate sulfur. It's death to them. And even though he gives a calcium magnesium liquid supplement he still uses Epsom salts and he still uses pelleted lime on his orchids and the pelleted lime has a lot of calcium and magnesium in it. Apparently calcium and magnesium have to be together and certain proportions for plants to absorb the calcium. Unfortunately Rick can't answer questions anymore because besides having Parkinson's he also has Lewy Body which is a form of Alzheimer's... I just found out recently that he had to give up his Orchid collection because he no longer could take care of them but if you go to his UA-cam channel you will learn to be a better Orchid grower and by you I mean viewers not necessarily you Basie....
@@kathleenmurphy2379 I watched all of his videos actually :) I've known about him for a long time. he is a delight and it is said his health isn't as good as before. I heard he had to give up his orchid collection.
@@BasiePlants the latest I heard about him was on Facebook and somebody said that he mailed them all his Orchid book collection which meant that he wasn't going to get better and like you said he had to give away his Orchid collection. And he could use some prayers because he has to go in for more surgery for some reason not sure. I am so glad he left us the Legacy he did about orchids and how to care for them. And he is truly an inspiration on how to live your life in spite of what gets thrown your way in the way of roadblocks. I like how he said he's not complaining he's just explaining and that would be in reference to why he hadn't posted a video in a while. What a hero he is to all of us that on days that he could move and wasn't laying Frozen in bed he made those videos for all of us! And he warned us the end was coming and there was a gap of a month or two there and he said and it's last video when this disease and he was referring to the Lewy Body Alzheimer's... You don't have any say and going away! I really miss him I found him only a year before the disease took over his life! Every once in awhile I leave a message in the comment section on one of his latest videos and tell him I'm thinking about him and miss his wonderful advice! He even did those wonderful videos on African violets which I think he started growing when he first got Parkinson's and then moved on to orchids. I'm one of his early videos he said he was making fees for his grandchildren and didn't realize they were going to be useful in the Orchid community! I try to mention his channel when I get a chance because even though he's not posting anymore he is a wonderful reference for anybody starting out with orchids. Have you ever watched any of Carolyn's videos? She lives on the west coast of Canada in a place called Salmon Arm near huge Lake and beautiful mountains. The name of her channel is a combination of her name and her husband's name Jack so the channels called j a c o l y n s orchids... She has a greenhouse in her backyard that she talks about that all her orchids are in her house she has interesting ways to display using vintage glassware and interesting things that she's made into Orchid pots. I think you would enjoy her she's also an artist and she makes wire sculptures she made one of Jimi Hendrix and another one with a lady riding an antique bicycle. She's taking traffic cones turn them upside down drilled holes in them to make them into an orchid pot and then painted them and used thrift store garage sale items to hold these unique Orchid pots. It was due to her and Rick that I was able to do well with my orchids that I started with 3 years ago. Then another lady whose UA-cam channel is named Emaans garden.... you would enjoy her Channel also she does more than just orchids but there's a funny an interesting video about when she made a trip to Florida her husband allowed her to visit a greenhouse or Nursery where they grew orchids. Apparently something was wrong with the orchids and they couldn't sell them so they were throwing them in trash cans. She asked if she could have them and they said yes so she started filling up boxes... The family was on vacation from I believe st. Louis area and I think she has four or five children so they have suitcases in the car or van and her husband she said is just about ready to cry because he doesn't know where they're going to put all these boxes of orchids... She shows the Orchid stacked and boxes in her hotel room then and later videos she shows how she has to clean them of mealybugs and in later video shows how her son had to build her sets of shelves with fluorescent lights on them because she didn't have any window space because of all her other plants... She's an amazing woman. Just like you're an amazing guy and so glad you started your UA-cam channel! Take care my friend I hope you don't mind me talking your ear off... Even though you can hear me so how could I talked your ear off but maybe I am talking your eyes off haha! It's easy to make these comments because it's like talking to you and I use the microphone on my cell phone keyboard to dictate these comments. I don't have to let my fingers do the walking to do my talking I just talk and my cell phone prints the words for the comments! The only problem is sometimes the words print on the screen to quickly and I don't catch the fact the microphone misunderstood what word I wanted to use and sometimes when I go back and read the comment it doesn't even make any sense so I'm not a crazy person it's just the microphone and I don't communicate 100% of the time so if a strange word shows up or I do too many run-on sentences without any punctuation marks It's because I didn't tell the microphone where to put an! Or a? Or.... So forgive any editing mistakes I make! It's 1:30 a.m. here so I better get to sleep soon
Never move your plants around! Mine are never in the same place and I move them weekly 😅. Also hand made fertilizer: mozzarella water and spent coffee powder 😱
I never heard mozzarella water :O And all this time I have been spilling it in the sink 😂 Yeah, I move my plants around within the room, they don't give a damn xD
@@BasiePlants 😂😂
Coffee grinds are great to put on the ground around your outside plants because the worms eat it and then of course all living animals insects included poop and that helps fertilize the soil it's not exactly the coffee grounds but it's the worms eating the coffee grinds outside. I would never put it on my houseplants cuz there shouldn't be worms in my flower pots... also banana peels are great to put around plants outside especially roses because they're full of magnesium... And once again the worms love them you don't have to put them in a compost pile on weight you can just put them around the plants they dry up very quickly. But I would never put banana peels anywhere near my house plants that may be why people think it's great for your house plants. I do use water from vegetables if I've cooked them fresh and there isn't any salt in the water. There are minerals that Leach out that outdoor plants can absorb but never ever ever use any vegetable water from canned vegetables too much salt in it
@@kathleenmurphy2379 Oh, liquid from canned vegetables is not good at all. A lot of people actually recommend rinsing the canned beans before you use them :D
@@BasiePlants you are right about can beans or any of those items I guess I was talking about green beans because there's too much salt in them. And if you're going to make chili can beans like kidney beans absolutely should be rinsed before they are added to anything. But if you cook your own fresh vegetables in water potatoes corn Etc you can put it on plants growing outside because there won't be a mold problem like there would be if you use it in the house. there's a lot of vitamins and minerals that Leach out of our vegetables when we cook them in water. But just because something is good to do for plants outside like banana skins for our roses and other plants it's not good to use on indoor plants. I use a synthetic fertilizer called osmocote coat that is slow release little tiny beads of fertilizer. It will release a little faster if the weather is warmer or your house is warmer. I also like those plant stick fertilizers you just put the little sticks in the soil and it releases slowly every time you water I want to have a couple giveaways when I reach my goals of how many subscribers I get and I guess since you said you can't get Miracle Grow in Europe that could be something I could use for a giveaway to send to somebody in Europe as a giveaway instead of a plant cuz you can't mail plants to Europe!
Mayo, lol. Always shake my head and laugh at that
Me too 😂 I would use it for other things xD
On the leaves that look Dusty I try to use a soft cloth to dust them... I noticed my Hoyas for some reason attract dust... I taught school and had a little girl my class whose mother was from Germany she married an American GI. She told me the plants that don't have dust on their leaves absorb the dust and her exact words were they eat the Dust... I do notice there are some plants that I never see dust on the leaves and other plants but it seems like they attract dust in it apparently doesn't taste good to them so they don't quote eat the Dust.... also Epsom salts helps make the leaves have stronger cells and I think this helps keep insects away. Rick of Rick's orchids on UA-cam said even though his workers are outside for the summer the Epsom salts keep bugs from eating his orchid leaves. Before he started using it apparently he had some problems
I am not sure if they can eat the dust, but some plants do attract more than others. I bet there is some good explanation for it, but I don't know of one now 😃
@@BasiePlants I can't remember the mother's name who was from Germany but I remember my students name and it was Petra... And I had a huge collection of plants in my classroom all the time many were things I was trying to keep alive over the winter because I didn't have room for them in my house... And she would go around and say look this plan has dust on this planet doesn't I didn't believe her but I couldn't argue with what was staring Us in the face so I just wondered about it where the plants able to absorb the dust or did they just have some kind of electrical charge that prevented the dust from landing on them it was just something I always wondered about but had no real answer for her hypothesis... She's the only person I've ever heard say that
Why was this ever decided to water orchids with ice cubes. I give my orchids a good drink every 7 to 10 days, until water runs out. That is just silly, plants for people who want a plant but not spend time with plant. Orchids are in tropical areas not deserts. Thank you for this great information.
I also water my orchids every 7-10 days. And they are fine! I think they started to promote this ice thing as many people complain they don't know how and when to water orchids and many die. I think it's just a combination of bad nursery mixes, and not enough experience. But ice is definitely not the solution 😂 And yes, orchids don't get ice in nature either, I agree!
Hi Miro! This was very interesting, informative and entertaining! I really enjoyed the myths and your thoughts on them. I've heard about all of them and totally agree with you. I used to be guilty of the "just add ice" for orchids when I first started buying them years ago. In fact, I just bought an Anthurium and it said to add 6 ice cubes per week to water it. Crazy, huh? I'd only heard about that for Phals. I read all of the comments and other viewers had some great thoughts, too. I googled the Rain Mix fertilizer, but it ships from Lithuania. Do you know if the MSU fertilizer works the same, and do you use the Rain Mix on all of your houseplants, or just your orchids? Please don't apologize for the length of the video as it was done very well, and before I knew it, it was over. I did watch the whole video and really enjoyed your dance moves. You should add them more often. LOL! Thank you so much for sharing!
Haha nooo 😂 Too many people are making it to the dance moves xD Oh, MSU is the original. RainMix is the European copy :D So I would say... MSU is the same or maybe even better? RainMix is made by Akerne. :) I do use it on all my plants, but it's not enough for aroids. I am kinda stingy, trying to not spend too much of it on plants that are not hoyas and orchids :D But I do use it for all plants in semihydro and it works great! :)
Also, I didn't know they are recommending ice for anthuriums now. I wonder who did that research 😂
Miro: You asked if anyone has heard of anyone going into the jungle and spraying oil on the plants. Well, I also do not know of any lecca forests or baggie forests (if you know
what I mean). Currently, I have 32 different hoyas, and I have never attempted lecca or baggies. I do not understand this concept. Help, please!
😂 Well, in my opinion it is a bit different. :D With inorganic substrates like LECA or pon, we try to emulate the properties of the organic potting mix - keeping it airy, well ventilated and well-draining; able to retain some moisture, but not hold on to it for a long time and we try to remove what doesn't work for us, and that is the breakdown of organic potting mix, which increases acidity etc. In nature, they have fresh leaf litter, but they also die back quite frequently, at least the bottom part of the plant that is in the soil, and then the plant becomes truly epiphytic. This doesn't work well for us in homes for many reasons (high maintence mostly!) All the potting mixes have pros and cons, and LECA isn't ideal in my opinion, but organic potting mixes aren't either. I am currently experimenting with pon, to see if I will like it better than LECA. It is a DIY mix, not store bought, premixed pon. Anyways, I am talking mostly about epiphytic plants here :) To conclude, for me, some things make sense, like experiemnting with the mixes, trying to go for something that can last longer in your home, but some things, like putting mayonaise on the leaves, make no sense, as it clogs up the stomata which is a big no for the plant. I hope that clarifies it a bit :) If we made mechanical predators for example, I would say, okay, makes sense :D
@@BasiePlants Thank you for your response. I do appreciate it very much! Take care-God bless.
I wonder if calatheas is if they dry out get spider mites is because maybe the surface of the leaf is not as strong therefore the spider mites can easily suck out nutrients from the leaf and therefore can expand their population very quickly. It must have something to do with the leaf being under stress and maybe the surface layer being thinner? Also if you add 1 teaspoon of Epsom salts to your watering practice that's per gallon it's made up of magnesium sulfate. The Magnesium helps chlorophyll production and the sulfate is sulfur which years ago was the insecticide people went to in their Gardens. You would see people back in the fifties and sixties with a little pump that had yellow Sulfur powder in Spring Leaves are there green beans and cucumbers excetera to kill the bugs that were on there. A man I watch on UA-cam his channel is called Ed's orchids told me that thrips hate sulfur so since I use epsom salts most of my water and practice... I wonder if that's why I don't have a problem with thrips or spider mites? Sometimes we forget about the nutrients that are plants need. My house plants get the leftover water from my orchid soak in their nutrient solution... And that nutrient solution first has Cal Mag which is a calcium magnesium supplement... Orchids are calcium Hogs, then I put seaweed emulsion which provides hormones that help the plant grow flowers leaves Roots Etc, then Epsom salts, then micronutrients, and then most of the time an orchid fertilizer that's high in nitrogen versus phosphorus and potassium. Also on my orchids every month or so I sprinkle some pelletized lime a couple sprinkles on top of my orchids that grow in bark and clay pots... Rick of Rick's sorkin's on UA-cam talk to the better grow people that grow orchids and make orchid products here in the United States. They told him they helped provide calcium to their orchids through the pelletized lime. For some reason they can't put the calcium into their fertilizer mix... And if you use Cal Mag the calcium magnesium supplement you have to put it in the water first. I have over 70 orchids so whatever they don't drink up when they soak for 20 minutes or so... And by the way all of those ingredients are at half strength except for the Epsom salts that's a teaspoon per gallon. It doesn't matter whether you grow your orchids in bark or river or lava rock you can sprinkle the pelleted lime on top of the media. Do not use regular lime it will burn
Well, also plants send out pheromons when they are under stress and pests are attracted by them. That definitely doesn't help. But mites are everywhere - on our skin, on our eyelashes. Millions of mites, different types and so on. So no wonder they are also in the dust on the plant's leaves. Using sillica (silicone) can actually help make the leaf tougher to insect attacts as it makes the leaf itself tougher. I haven't tried it, but I believe Rick L uses it. (or used it). Some research say that one should be very careful with Epsom salts, so I think for novice growers it's not a good idea. Fertilizers like RainMix or MSU fertilizer contain both Calcium and Magnesium that are measured out by experts so you have no risk of damaging your plants. Also, I think there is special type of pumice stone that contains Calcium - I think Dustin uses it for his Paphs (but don't quote me on that)
@@BasiePlants you're right about Mites) everywhere if people say they're allergic to dust it's probably not the dust they're allergic to but the mites that live in the dust on dead skin cells that we shed. I think the only danger with epsom salts would be the overuse of it and I don't use it every time I water and I believe it was Rick that said he didn't use it all the time and I didn't mean to say if I did say I used it every time. He said you can really tell if your plant is deficient in magnesium by shining a light through the leaf I think he used a flashlight and if it's solid green then it's not low and magnesium but if you see spots that are a lighter color of green it's magnesium deficient. I think he even talked about his orchid leaves and he flicked them with his finger and said look they're like plastic they're strong and he was either talking about Epsom salts or calcium and implying that because the leaves were so tough and so strong the insects gave up trying to chew on them so to speak. Any kind of fertilizer or nutrient or supplement can be too much of a good thing. So what's that saying about orchids weakly weekly... I never used anything. Full strength it's always half strength or less... But magnesium is super important for chlorophyll production and chlorophyll is important for a plan to be able to feed itself nitrogen also helps green up a plant but nitrogen is important for the plant to grow healthy... I hope you don't think I'm trying to debate you on everything I'm just adding what I've learned and my 70 some years... and if you go to my UA-cam channel you'll see my healthy plants I'm not saying I have 100% healthy plants because sometimes I forget to water so sometimes they get lost in the crowd and everyone gets watered but one for some reason I forget! Also you're right about pheromones being given off by plants I've watched a couple programs about it on the internet and it's like they're trying to tell other members of the same plant family to toughen up because they're under attack also I believe I read that these chemicals are given off because it can call predatory insects and to help get rid of the harmful ones. And it's really easy for humans to smell these chemicals when grass is cut the smell of cut grass is the plant say I'm under attack by the lawn mower! The Plant World is a wonderful mystery where we personally make discoveries every day
This is my favorite myth and it comes from a big box store that sold plants outside... Like geraniums petunias plants like that that if you hold off water In the Heat of the day they're going to be all shriveled up and lose leaves and maybe the feeder roots are going to be dead. I told the manager that the plants needed watered they're all wilted and he said you can't water those plants while the sun shining on them because it'll kill the leaves!!!! I guess the son better not come out after it rains outside or all the leaves will die teehee.... by the way the manager said his mother told him that...
Oh yes, water on leaves is a good myth too. I mean, it won't burn them. In summer, we get rain all the time and then bright sun right after. Outdoor plants don't mind it one bit.
In a case where a plant has been under-watered for some time , is there a chance that the plant could still survive? Like is there a way that it could be watered and not get any root rot?
Yes. Water little, but more frequently. It happened to me last summer because I didn't predict the importance of cover pots with NO drainage holes (since all hoyas are in net pots) and the water would flow away immediatly after I watered, and moss didn't have the chance to soak anything up. Very fast, some started to lose the firmness in the leaves. So, I removed the cover pot, and watered them - since the net pot was exposed, the potting mix would dry within a day. I sprayed them daily with rainwater+algamic and made sure the mix is also slightly moist.
@@BasiePlants ok. Thank you so much.
My favorite myth dealing with orchids that I heard from an orchid grower is to add mortar that is stuck to Old used bricks and that will add calcium to your orchids! Or the one my orchids don't need extra calcium because there's lots of calcium in my water. Well we can absorb the calcium in our water because we have a stomach orchids don't have a stomach so they cannot absorb the calcium in the tap water! And I don't know how much calcium they're getting out of old brick mortar! If you want to help your orchids out Orchid Growers better grow here in the United States produce a fertilizer for orchids but they can add calcium to it because of the chemistry that happens when you combine that calcium with the nitrogen phosphorus and potassium in their Orchid fertilizers. They actually use pelleted lime on their orchids. They sprinkle a couple inches of the pelleted lime on top of their orchids or when they repot in my potting mix. And those are the experts that's the way to provide usable calcium to any plant especially orchids... They said it doesn't disturb the pH for the Orchid and besides that if you use a calcium magnesium liquid fertilizer it's chelated with iron so the Orchid can readily absorb the calcium and you don't have to worry about the pH. I use it with my nutrient solution but it has to be added first before with seaweed emotion and the commercial orchid fertilizer and usually I use the one with higher nitrogen... I would never use fish Emulsion especially in the house it stinks but the seaweed emulsion solution I use does not stink it's made by a company called Alaska and my orchids love it... every once in awhile I add a tea bag to some warm water if it looks like the Orchid is struggling to grow new Roots after root damage because the tannins in the T help stimulate root root growth like in the wild... The funny thing is I think it's dendrobiums prefer green tea... and someone I watch on UA-cam his channel is called Rick's orchids says street light a porch light can disrupt your orchids and cause them not to bloom they need to completely rest at night
Rick has a great channel and wonderful videos. I hope he is feeling better now. I try not to mix fertilizers because it can have negative effect as you said. So that is why I like my premade one, with calcium and all. I thiink it depends what is the source of nitrogen and RainMix doesn't have urea-sourced nitrogen.
@@BasiePlants I use the calmagic brand of calcium magnesium supplement and it says to add it first to the water. I then put in the seaweed emulsion, the micronutrient solution, the Epsom salts and then finally the better Gro brand of orchid food with the first number nitrogen being higher and then sometimes with the middle number higher and every once in awhile I have a Miracle Grow fertilizer that has the third number higher. I soaked my orchids in that for 20 minutes or half an hour and a couple times if the orchids are dried out a little bit too much any of it looked a little poorly I would let them soak overnight. I have a big storage container that holds about 4 or 5 gallons of water and they soak in that. Then I take them out put them on a tray and let the ceiling fan dry them out because I always do a foliar feeding while I'm watering them also so whatever nutrient solution I'm using I pour on the top and bottom leaves while they're soaking. But you can't leave that water in between the leaves or in the crown or it'll rot so that's why I moved them to a tray where the ceiling fan blows on them. Then I moved them back true the bay window or my bedroom take care and I admire you so much especially because English must not be your first language... I took French and Latin in high school and admire anyone who can speak and read fluently in a language that's not their native tongue! You're one really smart guy
There is a large gap of understanding plant health which you find more of in the typical outdoor garden community. The biggest misconception for me is terms like “low light” “easy care” cause plants to go into windowless bathrooms or succulents never get watered
Yes, that is true. That is why the generalization isn't a good thing. I often times look at photos in the groups and I can't say 100% for sure what caused some of those issues. But a lot of people seem to be very confident and they give all sorts of advice. Low light, easy care are definitely big misconceptions.
@@BasiePlants There is definetly a gap of trained skills in the 'houseplant' community and the content being produced has a lot general advice especially those apps (yikes). However, there are more opportunties arising for those us of skilled and trained (botanist, horticulturist, etc) to share that knowledge and shine a light on more experienced growers, gardeners, etc. Especially my favourite Hoya collectors that are more shy with social media.
@@frasercook5823 Oh the apps are useless 😂 The ID apps, apps to check the amount of light (particularly misleading) and yes, while there is some value to generalized advice to someone who is starting over, we should definitely be very careful with what we say.
I don't think that people boil fish heads to make fertaluzer. I think they ment when they change water in their fish tanks, that the old poo water works as a fertaluzer. I like to use aquarium water for most of my plants.
I looked it up now - they use fish parts & guts, submerge them in water, and use that emulsion after about 6 months. It is supposed to provide plants with quick nitrogen boost. I am definitely skipping that, even if it's proven to be good. Aquarium water is good too :)
@@BasiePlants Ew. That does sound 'delightful!'
@@lisacampbell9257 Exactly 😂 It might be the best thing in the world, but my plants are definitely not getting it. I have to draw a line somewhere 😂
I think the thing about the fish and making fertilizer from it is the American Indians taught the pilgrims to put the fish heads in the hole they planted the corn seed to pumpkin seed and the green Bean seed in because it provided nitrogen. And the reason they planted those what they called the three sisters together is because the corn grew tall and the green beans were able to grow up the corn stalk and the pumpkins grow on the ground under the corn and the beans which enabled them to grow three crops in one space. Back in those days it was hard to clear land to grow Garden so this was a great Labor saver... And the fish had provided nitrogen is it rotted in the ground. I don't care how they make fish emulsion fertilizer I'm not using it cuz it stinks to high heaven and I just wonder how much bacteria is growing with those dead fish!
By using fish tank water you not only help your houseplants but you help your fish. When you first set up a fish tank there are bacteria that can eat the urine but no bacteria can eat so to speak and get rid of the nitrogen. So the only way to keep your fish healthy is to take out water once a week and replace it with fresh water. So instead of putting all that good fertilizer... Nitrogen... Down the drain music for your plants so you'll have healthy plants and healthy fish
Miro goes mythbusting - ok, gonna be interesting...
Miro opens research and goes through abstract - NOW WAIT A MINUTE YOU!...
LMAO
😂
One more thing - fresh cut flowers. Who knows what comes with them from outside or from a floral shop? For many of my fellow plant collectors it is like a TABOO forever.
Oh, pests can definitely come in on cut flowers. But again, they can come in on us as well as we go outside and come back in. I guess it's something you have to accept. If you want to have plants, you will have pests. But I definitely don't have any cut flowers ever. My mom likes cut roses but once I saw a vase full of cut roses that she picked and the buds were filled with aphids. Good grief 😂
Mayonnaise??? I am dead. That is hilarious.
Add a few more things and maybe it can be a sandwich. xD
@@BasiePlants LOL. Maybe some tulip bulbs. I heard the Dutch ate them during the "hunger winter" during German occupation.
@@teensymarie a good thing they didn't eat daffodil bulbs because they are poisonous
If my plants arrive I a poor mix or a tiny pot they get repotted.
Same!
❤️
People who buy orchids as gifts, don't anticipate keeping them that long and those researchers know that.
Indeed. Most are bought as potted plants because they can stay in bloom for 3 months or more which is longer than any cut flower. Then they discard them. A lot of hotels do this too.
Yeah, of course you should water you orchids with ice cubes... because orchids come from an area where ice regularly occurs. 😧 It's not like most orchids come from tropical regions and aren't adapted to ice-cold temperatures....😑
Maybe we should try ice on all of our plants? 👀 After all, what did all the people know telling us to keep the water at ambient temperature...
Haven t you heard from the popular ice cube rains in the tropical forrests …
I Wonder why the study wasn t longer. But by the looks of the roots altogher I guess the orchids ends were near - no matter the watering method 😓
Obviously the experiment wasn't done to see if ice harm the plant over a Year's. Of time or so or to see if it harm the roots the experiment was just to see if the bloom lasted longer or was cut short if you put ice on. But we who don't throw are orchids away after it blooms want to know more that's for sure
I'm in my seventies and a long time ago maybe in the 80s or the 70s they suggested using ice cubes for hanging baskets so the water wouldn't drip everywhere
I dont believe them. Thanks for your thought.
Agreed 100