To try everything Brilliant has to offer-free-for a full 30 days, visit brilliant.org/SydneyPlantGuy/ ... The first 200 of you will get 20% off Brilliant's annual premium subscription.
Lava rock is pretty available over here in the US because we often use it for landscaping and in grills too. If you look for plant stuff, it'll be more expensive to find, so look for landscaping lava rock. We also often use it as a biomedium for aquarium filters. Good bacteria loves to live on it- and it's cheaper than a lot of other biomediums like ceramic rings
It's so common here, I found a HUGE bag of grilling lava rock in a thrift store of all places. Do keep in mind quality though, some of it is gonna be finer textured than others. For example, I also recently bought a bag of lava rock meant for piling into a decorative gas fireplace, and it was WAY heavier and less porous than the charcoal rock.
I live in the south of England and have around 100 houseplants. After watching another video of yours about your aroid mixture, I repotted all of my plants. Almost all of them look tremendously better since. My Sansevieria seem to be on steroids since the repotting. My Calathea have never looked better. I had an issue with fungus gnats before the aroid mixture and now they are non existent in my home. Watering my plants is so quick and easy now, whereas before it felt like work. Everything is so much more organized and fun since discovering your channel just a few months ago. Thank you for sharing your knowledge, it's been a real game changer for me.
I ran into the same issue when researching the whole activated/non-activated charcoal thing. I ended up buying a random bag of 100% charcoal meant for the BBQ (make sure it is not briquettes or something to that effect, just plain charcoal) and I smash it up into smaller chunks (outdoors and wearing a mask) and use it for my substrate mixes. I can add a larger amount of it this way as it is much more affordable, and so far my plants seem to like it (I've been using it for over a year).
@@alexiasmith6120so long as there is absolutely no accelerant at all. So if it started out as just (untreated)wood or if you purchased a bag of charcoal which specified it was made of only wood without accelerant, it’s perfectly fine to use. If it’s for indoor plants, I’d give it a little rinse first.:)
Thank you for this video! I'm a chemist and I would like to make a small comment concerning one sentence you said in the beginning of the video. I hope this not rude and if it is, I apologize. You said it is important to have oxygen in the potting mix for the aeration. In this case, we're speaking about atmospheric oxygen (O2, which is made from two oxygen atoms bonded together, we should call it dioxigen to be rigorous). The oxygen atom in water (H2O) is bonded with the two hydrogen atoms and is not O2, so it is not available for plants and does not contribute to the aeration of water when you're rooting a cutting. I hope this comment is ok, I really like the very rational processes behind your plant care so I thought this information could interest you.
Although what you said about the oxygen being bounded to the hydrogen atoms is true, there is also dissolved oxygen in water, free to be used by every living organism
Love the video.. Just a little bit about oxygen in water.. Plants (and other aquatic life like fish) don't take away the oxygen from H2O molecules when they breathe it. Water can have dissolved oxygen gas in it, and this is what aquatic life breathes. Loose O2 molecules can stay suspended in water for very long periods of time, and can be an indicator for the suitability of water for aquatic life. Which is why water propagations need to have their water changed once a week, as the dissolved oxygen levels decrease. Often times, an aquarium air bubbler can circumvent this reduction, but it's still better to change the water instead to prevent algae build up. Hope this helps! :)
I mainly use pine bark (mulch actually, huge 50L bag for 6 bucks), perlite and lava rock. For some harder to find ingredients I go to fish and reptile stores - aquarium and terrarium stuff is great.
I don't even want to think about the time I spent watching other videos on mixing various substrates and making lists of 40% of this, 25% of that, 20% of the other thing, and 15% of something else. In the next video, another grower would use different materials in different percentages, and each felt like theirs was the best. Your approach is so much more realistic. Thanks!
bartender jan. i'll have two shots of perlite, please. thank you for this video - it's a very concise and helpful explanation of all things related to aroids and potting. 😊
Great video Jan...lotsa fun to watch. Apparently if you use a fire pit or fireplace in which you get charcoal from burnt wood you can use this as long as it doesn't have any organic matter or fats etc mixed into it. Emman (from Emman's Garden on UA-cam) does it all the time for her orchids and they thrive.
So, I know nothing about how charcoal effects plants, but I have a fishpond and I can tell you what it does for them! Charcoal is activated by adding it to salted water, which aerates the stone to literally release air bubbles when it’s saturated by water again. Non-activated means it’s unsalted and therefore, not aerated. When added to the water, it absorbs impurities and co2 and converts it to oxygen, so we add it to the final chamber of our pond filter. It helps keep the algae down and the nitrates from being too high, and in florida that’s a necessity. I’m assuming it also releases oxygen to your plants when you water, however I’m not sure of the benefits of it if it’s inactivated, beyond maybe the nitrate absorption.
Watching you inspired me to make my own potting area and have my different substrates in bins, it’s SO CONVENIENT. But my deck is a mess, had to buy another broom 🧹
I'm with you! Quick draining chunky mix for most of my plants! I even used it in 2 baby ferns that needed some help with their root system and viola! They are doing beautifully! I end up watering them twice a week, but I love tending to them.
36:46 absolutely heavenly! I need all of my plants to drain this way!! Beautiful! I have a lot of smaller pots. For example 4", 6" and some 8" pots of basic pothos and Philodendrons. I seem to get root rot frequently. It's been better but still not as great as I'd like. I'm hoping that I can use some of the information in this video to help my plants be happy and healthy. 😊
sending love from the States...I learn so much from you and you get credit for every moss pole I make and grow my Airoids on...I created 20ish over our long New England winter and it kept me sane!...thanks a million for sharing your hobby and learning experiences!...x
Haha the styling and theme of the intro and your presentation is growing as successfully and beautifully as the plants. The content and information is 10/10 too but dang you did it in style!
I am learning so much from your videos. I like that you make everything make sense to how plants work and what they need. I live in the states and l am just starting to get into paying better attention to my plants. I also love learning about all the different types of plants. Keep up the good work 😊😊😊😊😊
Hi Jan :).... Your plants are looking so stunning.....those roots are just as amazing.....Looking forward to a mix video again....I have all my seperate ingredients so this will give me the motivation to mix and start some long needed repots! Thanks for all your hard work...your channel always brings so much joy :)
Hi great informative video and nice done - definitely enjoy watching you having fun with the process. I recommend using fern fiber for propagation - i have been doing all my propagation in fern fiber with close to 100% success (including tip cuttings- I notice you have problems with these) - I use straight fern fiber on a heat mat in high humidity - would be fine without the heat (just a bit slower) but humidity impt - so maybe in the cabinet. Much easier as no messy frequent water changes.
I love the creativity in this video! Like how you showed each potting amendment in reverse every time you would talk about it. Definitely leveling up the content!👏🏽
32:54 to 33:16 is so relevant.. and I keep telling everyone - this what we should learn from plants! And to grow the roots and keep them happy, and the results will follow. I'm a succulent grower from Mumbai, India now developing a flair for aroids. The potting mix I combine looks so similar, and it works with my climate and care habits. This video is spot on! 👍🏼
This is great, you explained everything so well so I learned so much. I'm a little bit obsessed right now with making my own aroid mix. A very good excuse to be playing in the dirt.🌋🏖🌅🌱
What an excellent and professional tutorial Jan! I have learned so much from you! The only Alocasias I have right now are Frydeks. Thanks to you and your chunky mix tips, all 3 Frydeks are thriving! Mine never went dormant during winter and all are sporting at least 6-7 huge leaves each with constant new leaves still coming. No signs of older leaves dying off. My goal is FRYDEK TREES...no 3 leaf Frydeks in this house. Thank you! ❤🙌🌳
Your video is very educational. In glad my ingredients are not very far from yours. I reside in a tropical island. We may have similar conditions. I use chuncky pearlite, charcoal, coco chips, vermiculite and peat mix for my potting mix. I use the smaller perlite for smaller plants. I just change the ratio depending on the type of plant im potting. Oh and I also sometimes use those round brown rocks that looks like LECA.. i think it is LECA but its called Orchid Rocks here...
Fantastic video as always! Because I listen to your videos on the iPad and my husband doesn’t know any plant terms he now says node with your accent. Don’t get me wrong, I adore your accent but it made me chuckle.
Hello from Buffalo, New York , really great information as is in all of your videos, big fann of you and AJ's. Thank you for making these great videos to help me in my plant journey. God bless Scott
I love this, thank you so much!! Very informative and structured really well. Definitely have learnt more from watching this, which made me think things in perspective about my plants and mixes. Luv it!
I use lightweight expanded clay Pebbles more as a soil amendment than I do as a growing medium. I do find them as well as perlite as a rooting medium quite helpful because then I can just add them to a chunky growing mediums
I found this video super helpful. The info for the mix of smaller plants will help me with my smaller syngoniums. I also realized I was using too much of a chunky aroid mix for my alocasia purple sword.
This is the best potting mix video ever!!! Ive been trying to figure out what mix to use for my plant plugs as I only have super chunky mixes for my large houseplants. I’ve also been trying to find a super fast draining mix for my plants on moss poles. Thank you so much!!! My only issue now is trying to find a good mix for my poles so that they don’t dry out too fast. My poles dries much quicker than my mediums.
Thanks so much, I didn't think about the pests, molds, etc, that might be coming in with bagged soil. I have been adding a bunch into it, but I'm still using it as a base. I'll move everyone over to a custom mix in the coming months. ❤ Canada
Watching your your video helped me to understand and learn more with mixing, drainage and oxygen to my indoor plants as a starter. Thank you much love from PNG😍❤
Afaik horticultural charcoal gets cooled rapidly with water. This causes it to form many small bubbles, increasing surface area and such water and especially nutrient retention. For most non-aroids (and some aroids too, like caladium) really appreciate a mix of just coco peat and perlite, about 1:1. Even my more succulent-y plants like my hoyas and my jade plant really like it, but I let them dry out quite a bite between waterings...
Wonderful video, great info. Is the "black volcano rock" you referred to Fluval Stratum? It is from volcanos, looks a lot like caviar. It is amazing for many uses. I found it when pink princess cuttings were super slow to root. Put them in stratum, not only do cutting root quickly, but it also helps fight root rot. Everything roots faster in it. More people are starting to use it as their substrate when cuttings are at plant stage. I have a few plants in it, I don't think it's what I want to grow in, I prefer a mix much closer to yours. But, I'm still new to plants, trying many things. I love your videos, you have helped this plant newbie so much. Thank you!
Jan loved the video and since getting in the US GT Foliage solution my plants are looking so much better. I’ve been mixing lately pon, tree fern and perlite to very good success but I do want to try the orchiata. Love your set up💚
thank you so much for all the information! I would like to ask two things: 1- when repotting do you preserve the original medium or changes it all? 2- what do you do with obsolete substrate? it goes to the trash or can we reuse it somehow? thanks a lot and greetings from brazil. im just starting my urban jungle here :) the channel is helping a lot!
Fantastic video very informative as always. The tree fern fibre is a game changer for me, I am rooting, and growing Hoya in it, as well as some rather expensive ( expensive for me) seedling Anthuriums they 💚 it the roots are amazing and grow so quickly!
Greetings from Seattle, US Horticultural charcoal is not entirely the same as grilling charcoal. most grilling charcoal have flammable agents/properties added into them. Unless you know how the charcoal is made, It's best to keep using Horticultural Charcoal. Great videos and Thank you for constantly sharing.
I LOVE Buddy Stone! It's like pumice but made from recycled glass from landfills. It's great for aroid mix and also as LECA. I'm in the US so I'm not sure if it's available in other countries but check it out. A bag that is the size of my torso weighed less than 5 pounds and was around USD 30.
Jan....🥰💖 WHAT A BRILLIANT VIDEO!.👍.. I LOVE IT!!..😍💞.. For a new plant Lover ( like me..😊. I'm hoping to be a better one!..💓💚 ), this Video is soo Inspiring!!..🤗.. I really enjoy watching this Video because..Your Intro is so LOVELY!..😍.. and because..not only You shared your Experiences and Experiments but You also Explained all of the infos/ tips of Aroid Mix in a sequential Understanding!.. It's GREAT!!..👍😍.. ( I'd say, this Video will influence all of us to Understanding ( Loving ) our own Plants much more!!.😊💞. Happy Growing!!..💚🤗 ). I really APPRECIATE this video!.. You are GENIUS!!..🥰.. Jan...😊 Thank you soo much for sharing this Inspiring Video!. ( I like the COLOUR and the TEXTURE of your Burle Marx Variegata leaves!.😍..). Your Plants are so GORGEOUS!.🥰.. WELL DONE!!. A NICE BOND!!..😀💞💓💐🌈🌸🥰💚🤗👍...
Great video. Everything made sense. I have been killing my plants and it breaks my heart. Glad I stayed till end. I buy premium potting mixes from bunnings and you are right been getting gnats and root rot.
Thanks for the brain download, so much interesting and informative content. For those in the UK & Europe Soil Ninja is excellent to buy substrate from.
Thank you, that was really enjoyable to watch and very informative. I will definitely be making my own potting mix in the future, I always have problems with potting mix which is in large bags from the store.
Adorei! ❤ Vou procurar os ingredientes aqui no Brasil, espero encontrar a maioria. A dica do final, para não usar terra foi sensacional também. Obrigada por compartilhar seu conhecimento 😊
I believe orchid bark is pine bark that eas treated so it can be used as a potting medium. It might depends on what the wood chips might be treated with. It could cause some ph imbalances. I have never used wood chips so can’t speak from experience though :)
🌱🥂💚 I would be a regular at your " plant bar" 😹 Great set up you have organized there. Thanks again for the esthetic, informative, easy to follow video!😻
It's quicker to read a few comments than to watch a video and be disappointed: in this case, the comments are intelligent and helpful and so, I will be watching this video and learn more. From Canada with love.
Thank you so much for this video, the best I've found on how to choose the appropriate mixes for my plants. ❤ I'm prone to underwatering, so I guess super chunky is not for me right? 😅 I've yet to kill any of my plants due to root rot.
I loved this video so much I bought all of the products and made a small plant aroid mix and a medium/large plant aroid mix. I re-soiled all of my plants except 2 that I had recently(2 weeks ago) re-soiled with Miracle Grow Tropical Soil. My plants are already looking better. I would love to know if I can re-soil my Monstera Thai Constellation and Philodendron Ring Of Fire with the chunky aroid mix even though I just re-soiled them 2 weeks ago? Love your UA-cam Channel!
Hi Jan, wonder have you ever explored combining your aroid mix with wicking rope for self watering convenience? if you have tried, how was your experience? I have my monstera thai constellation on aroid mix, and I am exploring to set it up as self watering (adding a wicking rope through the mix at halfway point and having a water reservoir below)
Very helpful information! What kind of plant was with the chunky mix pole not moss? I have one and have no idea what is .Love your videos and new space, it is beautiful.
I know you had to move out of your apartment, and it probably seemed like a pain in the ass at the time, but this new home is serving you (and Brett) very, very well! :)
Hello from Ontario Canada! 🇨🇦 LOVED this video so much that I subscribed! Very informative! Just starting to make my own mixes and getting rid of all my potted soil in existing plants! Question...what do you think about adding worm casings for added nutrients?
Would you ever pot straight from propagation seedling in water to moss poles? I have about 10 monstera cuttings which are in water with secondary roots and ready to go, but after watching this I'm wondering if you would put them in different mix for a while before moving to the pole?
To try everything Brilliant has to offer-free-for a full 30 days, visit brilliant.org/SydneyPlantGuy/ ... The first 200 of you will get 20% off Brilliant's annual premium subscription.
Is this offer still open???
Love the bar-keeping intro, so creative! 😂❤
All those years of working as a bar tender finally came in handy haha :D
Yes! So fun, I loved the little syngonium garnish. Permanent intro maybe?? Lol
More a Bark-eeping Intro haha
Agreed - very clever!
@@sydneyplantguy I want to tell you a bar tender 😊 please can u write for us what u mixing because you mix a lot THX
the best part about this is that he was holding the scoop and still used his hands to grab each ingredient.
habits :D
Lava rock is pretty available over here in the US because we often use it for landscaping and in grills too. If you look for plant stuff, it'll be more expensive to find, so look for landscaping lava rock.
We also often use it as a biomedium for aquarium filters. Good bacteria loves to live on it- and it's cheaper than a lot of other biomediums like ceramic rings
It's so common here, I found a HUGE bag of grilling lava rock in a thrift store of all places. Do keep in mind quality though, some of it is gonna be finer textured than others. For example, I also recently bought a bag of lava rock meant for piling into a decorative gas fireplace, and it was WAY heavier and less porous than the charcoal rock.
I live in the south of England and have around 100 houseplants. After watching another video of yours about your aroid mixture, I repotted all of my plants. Almost all of them look tremendously better since. My Sansevieria seem to be on steroids since the repotting. My Calathea have never looked better. I had an issue with fungus gnats before the aroid mixture and now they are non existent in my home. Watering my plants is so quick and easy now, whereas before it felt like work. Everything is so much more organized and fun since discovering your channel just a few months ago. Thank you for sharing your knowledge, it's been a real game changer for me.
Omg that made my day!!! Thanks so much for your comment :) happy growing!! :)
I love in east of England. Where do you recommend getting all the 'soil' from please?
I ran into the same issue when researching the whole activated/non-activated charcoal thing. I ended up buying a random bag of 100% charcoal meant for the BBQ (make sure it is not briquettes or something to that effect, just plain charcoal) and I smash it up into smaller chunks (outdoors and wearing a mask) and use it for my substrate mixes. I can add a larger amount of it this way as it is much more affordable, and so far my plants seem to like it (I've been using it for over a year).
Can I use regular charcoal? Since I made a fire almost every day in my back porch and have plenty of charcoal
Thanks for sharing :)
@@alexiasmith6120so long as there is absolutely no accelerant at all. So if it started out as just (untreated)wood or if you purchased a bag of charcoal which specified it was made of only wood without accelerant, it’s perfectly fine to use. If it’s for indoor plants, I’d give it a little rinse first.:)
@@alexiasmith6120 You can use charcoal meant for aquariums
You want to use natural lump charcoal, not the little formed briquettes.
Thank you for this video! I'm a chemist and I would like to make a small comment concerning one sentence you said in the beginning of the video. I hope this not rude and if it is, I apologize. You said it is important to have oxygen in the potting mix for the aeration. In this case, we're speaking about atmospheric oxygen (O2, which is made from two oxygen atoms bonded together, we should call it dioxigen to be rigorous). The oxygen atom in water (H2O) is bonded with the two hydrogen atoms and is not O2, so it is not available for plants and does not contribute to the aeration of water when you're rooting a cutting. I hope this comment is ok, I really like the very rational processes behind your plant care so I thought this information could interest you.
Thank you for clarifying :) appreciate it :)
Although what you said about the oxygen being bounded to the hydrogen atoms is true, there is also dissolved oxygen in water, free to be used by every living organism
Love the video.. Just a little bit about oxygen in water.. Plants (and other aquatic life like fish) don't take away the oxygen from H2O molecules when they breathe it. Water can have dissolved oxygen gas in it, and this is what aquatic life breathes. Loose O2 molecules can stay suspended in water for very long periods of time, and can be an indicator for the suitability of water for aquatic life. Which is why water propagations need to have their water changed once a week, as the dissolved oxygen levels decrease. Often times, an aquarium air bubbler can circumvent this reduction, but it's still better to change the water instead to prevent algae build up. Hope this helps! :)
I mainly use pine bark (mulch actually, huge 50L bag for 6 bucks), perlite and lava rock. For some harder to find ingredients I go to fish and reptile stores - aquarium and terrarium stuff is great.
I don't even want to think about the time I spent watching other videos on mixing various substrates and making lists of 40% of this, 25% of that, 20% of the other thing, and 15% of something else. In the next video, another grower would use different materials in different percentages, and each felt like theirs was the best. Your approach is so much more realistic. Thanks!
Thank you:)
bartender jan. i'll have two shots of perlite, please.
thank you for this video - it's a very concise and helpful explanation of all things related to aroids and potting. 😊
Thank you!! :)
I really didn't expect to watch the whole thing but here I am at the end. Very helpful though thank you!
Thanks :)
Great video Jan...lotsa fun to watch. Apparently if you use a fire pit or fireplace in which you get charcoal from burnt wood you can use this as long as it doesn't have any organic matter or fats etc mixed into it. Emman (from Emman's Garden on UA-cam) does it all the time for her orchids and they thrive.
This was so helpful! You have definitely inspired me to stop using store bought soil and start making my own!!
Happy growing :)
My OCD loves how neat ,tidy & organized this is
Genius. X Thank you. The most comprehensive information on the Internet.
So, I know nothing about how charcoal effects plants, but I have a fishpond and I can tell you what it does for them! Charcoal is activated by adding it to salted water, which aerates the stone to literally release air bubbles when it’s saturated by water again. Non-activated means it’s unsalted and therefore, not aerated. When added to the water, it absorbs impurities and co2 and converts it to oxygen, so we add it to the final chamber of our pond filter. It helps keep the algae down and the nitrates from being too high, and in florida that’s a necessity. I’m assuming it also releases oxygen to your plants when you water, however I’m not sure of the benefits of it if it’s inactivated, beyond maybe the nitrate absorption.
That makes a lot of sense !! Cheers :)
I just made my very first moss pole yesterday. It was so fun. Thank you
Happy planting :)
Watching you inspired me to make my own potting area and have my different substrates in bins, it’s SO CONVENIENT. But my deck is a mess, had to buy another broom 🧹
I'm with you! Quick draining chunky mix for most of my plants! I even used it in 2 baby ferns that needed some help with their root system and viola! They are doing beautifully! I end up watering them twice a week, but I love tending to them.
Love it chunky !!!
36:46 absolutely heavenly! I need all of my plants to drain this way!! Beautiful! I have a lot of smaller pots. For example 4", 6" and some 8" pots of basic pothos and Philodendrons. I seem to get root rot frequently. It's been better but still not as great as I'd like. I'm hoping that I can use some of the information in this video to help my plants be happy and healthy. 😊
Thanks for the long, comprehensive video Jan!
Your channel + SwedishPlantGuys is all anyone ever needs when it comes to plants! 😊
Thank you :)
the intro is just soo cool! the shaker and wine glass haha
Thanks :)
sending love from the States...I learn so much from you and you get credit for every moss pole I make and grow my Airoids on...I created 20ish over our long New England winter and it kept me sane!...thanks a million for sharing your hobby and learning experiences!...x
Thank you :) happy growing !!
OMG!!! Seriously the BEST video! Thank you for being so thorough and also for being so EXTRA!!!
Thanks :)
Your plants are all so beautiful & now I know why. Gotta use your cocktail recipe!
Haha the styling and theme of the intro and your presentation is growing as successfully and beautifully as the plants.
The content and information is 10/10 too but dang you did it in style!
Thank you :)
I am learning so much from your videos. I like that you make everything make sense to how plants work and what they need. I live in the states and l am just starting to get into paying better attention to my plants. I also love learning about all the different types of plants. Keep up the good work 😊😊😊😊😊
i always learn so much! your a great teacher you make things easy to make and use.
Thanks :)
What a brilliant video. I enjoyed every moment. So easy to understand. Looking forward to more tutorials.
Thank you :)
Hi Jan :).... Your plants are looking so stunning.....those roots are just as amazing.....Looking forward to a mix video again....I have all my seperate ingredients so this will give me the motivation to mix and start some long needed repots! Thanks for all your hard work...your channel always brings so much joy :)
Thank you so much :)
Hi great informative video and nice done - definitely enjoy watching you having fun with the process. I recommend using fern fiber for propagation - i have been doing all my propagation in fern fiber with close to 100% success (including tip cuttings- I notice you have problems with these) - I use straight fern fiber on a heat mat in high humidity - would be fine without the heat (just a bit slower) but humidity impt - so maybe in the cabinet. Much easier as no messy frequent water changes.
I love the creativity in this video! Like how you showed each potting amendment in reverse every time you would talk about it. Definitely leveling up the content!👏🏽
Thank you :)
32:54 to 33:16 is so relevant.. and I keep telling everyone - this what we should learn from plants! And to grow the roots and keep them happy, and the results will follow. I'm a succulent grower from Mumbai, India now developing a flair for aroids. The potting mix I combine looks so similar, and it works with my climate and care habits. This video is spot on! 👍🏼
Thank you :) happy growing !:)
This is great, you explained everything so well so I learned so much. I'm a little bit obsessed right now with making my own aroid mix. A very good excuse to be playing in the dirt.🌋🏖🌅🌱
Jan, thank you so much for such an in depth video! I’m looooving the new space and enjoying “ hanging out” in your courtyard with you! ✨🪴✨
Thank you Jill :)
Yup, another seminar. Comprehensive. Thanks
Thank you for the information ❤❤❤!😊good to see you again take care sending love 😘🥰🌱🌿🪴🪴🪴
Thanks :)
Hello from Denmark. Really enjoy watching your videos...🙂
What an excellent and professional tutorial Jan! I have learned so much from you! The only Alocasias I have right now are Frydeks. Thanks to you and your chunky mix tips, all 3 Frydeks are thriving! Mine never went dormant during winter and all are sporting at least 6-7 huge leaves each with constant new leaves still coming. No signs of older leaves dying off. My goal is FRYDEK TREES...no 3 leaf Frydeks in this house. Thank you! ❤🙌🌳
Amazing !! So glad so hear you’re getting good results :)
Your video is very educational. In glad my ingredients are not very far from yours. I reside in a tropical island. We may have similar conditions. I use chuncky pearlite, charcoal, coco chips, vermiculite and peat mix for my potting mix. I use the smaller perlite for smaller plants. I just change the ratio depending on the type of plant im potting. Oh and I also sometimes use those round brown rocks that looks like LECA.. i think it is LECA but its called Orchid Rocks here...
Fantastic video as always! Because I listen to your videos on the iPad and my husband doesn’t know any plant terms he now says node with your accent. Don’t get me wrong, I adore your accent but it made me chuckle.
:D
This is a very important video! I’ve been watching your videos for a long time and I’d say every newbie with plants needs this video!
Thank you :)
Hello from Buffalo, New York , really great information as is in all of your videos, big fann of you and AJ's. Thank you for making these great videos to help me in my plant journey. God bless
Scott
i really enjoy how u show each ingredients by hand as you talk and it show how each media works together. thnx so much for these tips!!!
Best intro! 🍸🌱❤ I appreciate your potting mix information and I want your outdoor potting station!
I love this, thank you so much!! Very informative and structured really well. Definitely have learnt more from watching this, which made me think things in perspective about my plants and mixes. Luv it!
I use lightweight expanded clay Pebbles more as a soil amendment than I do as a growing medium. I do find them as well as perlite as a rooting medium quite helpful because then I can just add them to a chunky growing mediums
Sounds like a great idea :)
I found this video super helpful. The info for the mix of smaller plants will help me with my smaller syngoniums. I also realized I was using too much of a chunky aroid mix for my alocasia purple sword.
Yes. Shaken not stirred
This is the best potting mix video ever!!! Ive been trying to figure out what mix to use for my plant plugs as I only have super chunky mixes for my large houseplants. I’ve also been trying to find a super fast draining mix for my plants on moss poles. Thank you so much!!!
My only issue now is trying to find a good mix for my poles so that they don’t dry out too fast. My poles dries much quicker than my mediums.
Great to see your updated aroid mix today as I’m ordering my monthly supplies from Amazon tomorrow. Thanks for sharing Jan!
Thanks so much, I didn't think about the pests, molds, etc, that might be coming in with bagged soil. I have been adding a bunch into it, but I'm still using it as a base. I'll move everyone over to a custom mix in the coming months. ❤ Canada
This video is what we needed!! Great video idea! Super informative super fun & super engaging!
Thank you :)
I really enjoyed this video, one of your best. Love to see you supergluing the bark into bigger pieces. Did make me laugh.
Haha !! Thanks :)!
Soooooo glad I ran across this video. I love the idea of making up your own mixtures.
Happy growing :)
I would love to hear how your poles with tree fern fiber are going, after you have had time to observe the pros and cons, of course!
Watching your your video helped me to understand and learn more with mixing, drainage and oxygen to my indoor plants as a starter.
Thank you much love from PNG😍❤
Happy growing :)
"Shaken, not stirred" 😂😂😂 I'm here for it!
Afaik horticultural charcoal gets cooled rapidly with water. This causes it to form many small bubbles, increasing surface area and such water and especially nutrient retention.
For most non-aroids (and some aroids too, like caladium) really appreciate a mix of just coco peat and perlite, about 1:1. Even my more succulent-y plants like my hoyas and my jade plant really like it, but I let them dry out quite a bite between waterings...
Love your little Scoop trick!!!!! Very good info. Tks.
LMAO I'm definitely asking for a syngonium garnish next time I order a drink 😂❤
That should be standard at every aroid mix bar :P
Wonderful video, great info. Is the "black volcano rock" you referred to Fluval Stratum? It is from volcanos, looks a lot like caviar. It is amazing for many uses. I found it when pink princess cuttings were super slow to root. Put them in stratum, not only do cutting root quickly, but it also helps fight root rot. Everything roots faster in it. More people are starting to use it as their substrate when cuttings are at plant stage. I have a few plants in it, I don't think it's what I want to grow in, I prefer a mix much closer to yours. But, I'm still new to plants, trying many things. I love your videos, you have helped this plant newbie so much. Thank you!
I think so :)
Jan loved the video and since getting in the US GT Foliage solution my plants are looking so much better. I’ve been mixing lately pon, tree fern and perlite to very good success but I do want to try the orchiata. Love your set up💚
Thank you :)
thank you so much for all the information! I would like to ask two things:
1- when repotting do you preserve the original medium or changes it all?
2- what do you do with obsolete substrate? it goes to the trash or can we reuse it somehow?
thanks a lot and greetings from brazil. im just starting my urban jungle here :)
the channel is helping a lot!
Could you do a video on pots and plant containers,please? This video was so great and informative. I appreciate you .
HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT POT - let's talk about pot sizes (it's easier than you might think)
ua-cam.com/video/Jiq-WDM8PTg/v-deo.html :)
Fantastic video very informative as always. The tree fern fibre is a game changer for me, I am rooting, and growing Hoya in it, as well as some rather expensive ( expensive for me) seedling Anthuriums they 💚 it the roots are amazing and grow so quickly!
The see through pot was a great visual aid
That intro alone made me subscribed. Love a dirty potting mix, martini.😂
Greetings from Seattle, US
Horticultural charcoal is not entirely the same as grilling charcoal. most grilling charcoal have flammable agents/properties added into them. Unless you know how the charcoal is made, It's best to keep using Horticultural Charcoal.
Great videos and Thank you for constantly sharing.
Thanks for clarifying :)
I LOVE Buddy Stone! It's like pumice but made from recycled glass from landfills. It's great for aroid mix and also as LECA. I'm in the US so I'm not sure if it's available in other countries but check it out. A bag that is the size of my torso weighed less than 5 pounds and was around USD 30.
I have used charcoal from the fire pit & wood stove in plant mix, and I put it in my compost, I am new to aroids so have not tried it yet.
Jan....🥰💖 WHAT A BRILLIANT VIDEO!.👍.. I LOVE IT!!..😍💞.. For a new plant Lover ( like me..😊. I'm hoping to be a better one!..💓💚 ), this Video is soo Inspiring!!..🤗.. I really enjoy watching this Video because..Your Intro is so LOVELY!..😍.. and because..not only You shared your Experiences and Experiments but You also Explained all of the infos/ tips of Aroid Mix in a sequential Understanding!.. It's GREAT!!..👍😍.. ( I'd say, this Video will influence all of us to Understanding ( Loving ) our own Plants much more!!.😊💞. Happy Growing!!..💚🤗 ). I really APPRECIATE this video!.. You are GENIUS!!..🥰.. Jan...😊 Thank you soo much for sharing this Inspiring Video!. ( I like the COLOUR and the TEXTURE of your Burle Marx Variegata leaves!.😍..). Your Plants are so GORGEOUS!.🥰.. WELL DONE!!. A NICE BOND!!..😀💞💓💐🌈🌸🥰💚🤗👍...
Thank you for this video!!
I really can benefit from it.
Wonderful! Thank you! I’d love to watch you set up a pole with planter, please?
Check out my moss pole playlist :)
Great video. Everything made sense. I have been killing my plants and it breaks my heart. Glad I stayed till end. I buy premium potting mixes from bunnings and you are right been getting gnats and root rot.
Thanks for the brain download, so much interesting and informative content. For those in the UK & Europe Soil Ninja is excellent to buy substrate from.
Thanks for sharing :)
Thank you, that was really enjoyable to watch and very informative. I will definitely be making my own potting mix in the future, I always have problems with potting mix which is in large bags from the store.
Thanks :)
Adorei! ❤ Vou procurar os ingredientes aqui no Brasil, espero encontrar a maioria. A dica do final, para não usar terra foi sensacional também. Obrigada por compartilhar seu conhecimento 😊
Just came across you online when researching the best potting mix for Anthurium .
Wow... Thank you. ❤🙏
Happy growing :)
Hello,
Can I use spaghnum moss instead of microfibre for my moss pole filling?
Thank you and have a nice day
Most if my poles are filled with sphagnum moss :)
Loved the video, already have a list on order, I can hear my plants giving a “sigh” of relief to get out of the soggy soil mix❤
Happy growing :)
Thank you for great information. Can orchid bark be substituted with wood chips?
I believe orchid bark is pine bark that eas treated so it can be used as a potting medium. It might depends on what the wood chips might be treated with. It could cause some ph imbalances. I have never used wood chips so can’t speak from experience though :)
🌱🥂💚 I would be a regular at your " plant bar" 😹 Great set up you have organized there. Thanks again for the esthetic, informative, easy to follow video!😻
Thanks for breaking everything down like you did; great info!
This is very helpful and inspiring!
Thanks:)
It's quicker to read a few comments than to watch a video and be disappointed: in this case, the comments are intelligent and helpful and so, I will be watching this video and learn more. From Canada with love.
Thank you so much for this video, the best I've found on how to choose the appropriate mixes for my plants. ❤ I'm prone to underwatering, so I guess super chunky is not for me right? 😅 I've yet to kill any of my plants due to root rot.
I loved this video so much I bought all of the products and made a small plant aroid mix and a medium/large plant aroid mix. I re-soiled all of my plants except 2 that I had recently(2 weeks ago) re-soiled with Miracle Grow Tropical Soil. My plants are already looking better. I would love to know if I can re-soil my Monstera Thai Constellation and Philodendron Ring Of Fire with the chunky aroid mix even though I just re-soiled them 2 weeks ago? Love your UA-cam Channel!
I loved this. Thanks for innovative new content that helps us grow better!😊
Thanks :)
Hi Jan, wonder have you ever explored combining your aroid mix with wicking rope for self watering convenience? if you have tried, how was your experience? I have my monstera thai constellation on aroid mix, and I am exploring to set it up as self watering (adding a wicking rope through the mix at halfway point and having a water reservoir below)
I personally haven’t :) i usually top water :)
I use Jan's mix and use self watering pots as I can't keep up with watering. Chunky mix is fine with self water pots with wick
Always informative like always.. and oh, you look great with an apron on. 👍🏼
Cheers :)
Great video and I love your new potting set up. I may have to clear out one of my guest rooms and make it a potting room.
Thank you :)
Very helpful information! What kind of plant was with the chunky mix pole not moss? I have one and have no idea what is .Love your videos and new space, it is beautiful.
Thank you so much for this video. Very helpful
Glad you liked it :)
I know you had to move out of your apartment, and it probably seemed like a pain in the ass at the time, but this new home is serving you (and Brett) very, very well! :)
I was a blessing in disguise :)
Hello from Ontario Canada! 🇨🇦
LOVED this video so much that I subscribed! Very informative! Just starting to make my own mixes and getting rid of all my potted soil in existing plants!
Question...what do you think about adding worm casings for added nutrients?
Hello I am very excited that I have found your channel ❤.
I have watched this can I ask do you ever use soil? I am in the UK.
Hi Jan, may I ask where you get your clear plant containers from?
Bunnings :)
Thanks, Jan! Your video is so informative by the way. I've learned a lot.
Would you ever pot straight from propagation seedling in water to moss poles? I have about 10 monstera cuttings which are in water with secondary roots and ready to go, but after watching this I'm wondering if you would put them in different mix for a while before moving to the pole?
Yes I pot them straight from water into aroid mix + moss pole