c/botany-lovers

My neighbor Carol told me my tomato cages looked sad and she was right

She pointed out I was using the wrong gauge wire for the height of my determinate varieties, so after swapping to 8-foot concrete mesh I doubled my yield this August, anyone else ever get gardening advice from a random neighbor that actually worked?

Hot take: My neighbor Bill totally changed how I look at native plant gardens

I was out front last week and Bill, he's this retired guy three houses down who grows like 40 tomato plants every year, comes over and says 'you know that manicured lawn of yours is basically a green desert'. At first I got defensive, spent hours on that lawn. But then he showed me his little patch of milkweed and goldenrod in his backyard. Said it attracted 6 different butterfly species this spring. I never thought about biodiversity in a small suburban yard like that. Has anyone here switched their garden approach and noticed more insects or birds coming around?

Overheard a guy at the garden center say something that gave me chills

I was at a greenhouse in Austin yesterday picking up some new potting soil and I overheard this older guy telling his friend that he only uses special imported soil from Japan for his rare orchids. He said he spends like $200 a year just on that dirt. It got me thinking, some folks in this hobby are going way overboard and maybe missing the whole point. Has anyone else noticed this trend of people buying into hype instead of just enjoying the plants?

Debate: should you let moss take over your lawn or fight it with chemicals?

I let moss spread across my whole backyard in Portland last spring and it looks amazing and stays green without watering, but my neighbor swears I'm just inviting slugs and rot, so which side is actually right?

Found out 80% of my snake plant rot was from using potting soil that held too much moisture

Switched to a gritty cactus mix with extra perlite three months back and the new growth is finally coming in solid - has anyone else tried straight pumice for tropicals?

That week in June when my prized Monstera nearly died from overwatering

I came home from a 4 day trip and found all the leaves drooping and two were turning yellow. I dug into the soil and found the bottom 3 inches were totally soaked. Turns out my roommate meant well and watered it twice while I was gone cause she thought it looked dry. She used a full 2 liters each time. I had to cut off 4 roots that were mush and repot it in a dry mix. Has anyone else had a plant bounce back from that kind of root rot or did I mess up for good?

My spider plant went from 2 sad leaves to 30 in 6 months after I moved it to a south window

That direct morning light made all the difference even though every care guide says bright indirect only, has anyone else found their plants actually love a few hours of direct sun?

Unpopular opinion: Those 'self-watering' pots are a total scam

Bought a set of three for $45 at the garden center. The reservoir system clogged up after two weeks. My ferns got root rot and the basil drowned. Anyone else ditch these things and go back to regular pots with saucers?

That greenhouse at the Chicago Botanic Garden has a serious air plant problem now

Went last weekend and noticed the Tillandsia collection in the tropical house is spreading like crazy onto the orchid mounts. The staff must be finding them under benches and on the paths every morning. There was one attached to a signs metal frame near the door. Anybody else see plants just taking over in unexpected spots after a wet season?

Appreciation post: my neighbor's orchid rescue from last month

Last month my neighbor Martha was gonna toss a sad orchid with roots poking out everywhere. I grabbed it and trimmed off the dead bits with some kitchen scissors. Put it in a clear pot with bark mix and it already has a new spike forming. Has anyone else saved a plant from the trash and gotten lucky like that?

Found out monstera leaves aren't actually split naturally

I was watching a plant care video from a botany channel. The guy dissected a monstera leaf. Turns out those holes and splits are from the leaf growing around itself in the bud. Not some genetic thing like I thought for 3 years. Has anyone else been fooled by how they form?

The snake plant hate got to me for years, but I finally saw the light

I used to avoid snake plants like the plague. Everyone always said they were boring and ugly, so I stuck with ferns and calatheas for about 4 years. Then my friend Sarah gave me a grown one from her office last March, and I stuck it in a dark corner of my bathroom just to be nice. Three months went by and I forgot to water it twice, but it put out three new pups and looked perfect. That's when I realized I was ignoring a plant that literally thrives on neglect while killing my finicky ones with love. Anyone else finally give a snake plant a real chance after avoiding it forever?

Met a guy at a native plant sale who changed how I think about lawns

I was at this little native plant sale put on by the county extension office last spring, just browsing for some milkweed for my backyard. This older guy, maybe 70, started chatting me up about the little bluestem grass I had in my hand. He said, 'You know, that stuff grows better when you stop babying it and just let it do its thing.' That stuck with me because I've always been the type to overwater and overfertilize everything. He told me he hadn't watered his lawn in 15 years and it was full of wild violets and clover, way more alive than my green carpet. I ended up buying 4 flats of prairie plants from his recommendation. Has anyone else had a random conversation with a stranger that totally shifted how you garden?

PSA: The botanical garden in Portland is overrun with invasive weeds

I visited the Hoyt Arboretum last weekend and was honestly pissed off. I spotted English ivy choking out a whole section of native ferns near the visitor center. For a place that charges $12 entry, you'd think they'd pull that stuff. I spent 20 minutes yanking some myself before a ranger told me to stop. Has anyone else noticed this getting worse at public gardens?

My bonsai tree dropped half its leaves overnight and I nearly cried

So I've been growing this little juniper bonsai for about 8 months now. It was doing fine until last Tuesday when I walked into my apartment and saw like 60% of the needles just scattered on the windowsill. I thought I killed it for sure. Turned out I moved it closer to a heating vent during that cold snap and the dry air shocked it. I moved it back to a cooler spot and gave it a light misting every morning. Four days later it's already putting out new green tips. Has anyone else had a plant freak out from a small location change like that?

A funny thing happened with my Venus flytrap this summer

I've been growing carnivorous plants for about 10 years now. This year I decided to try giving my Venus flytrap some distilled water instead of tap water like I always did. Within 2 months the thing grew TRAPS almost double the normal size. I had no idea the minerals in tap water were holding it back that much. Has anyone else seen a big change just from switching water sources?

My orchids taught me a lesson about overwatering yesterday

I was in my kitchen repotting a phalaenopsis and noticed the roots were all mushy. Turns out I had been watering it twice a week when it really only needed once. Has anyone else dealt with root rot from being too eager with the watering can?

My neighbor laughed at my dead ficus and i finally listened to her watering advice

Had to change my whole watering routine after that greenhouse tour in Exeter

Last month I went to the Exeter Botanical Gardens spring open house. One of the volunteers there showed me how they water their ferns from below using shallow trays. I had been misting my indoor plants twice a day for years and still got brown tips. Switched to bottom watering about three weeks ago and my fronds are already looking way greener. Has anyone else found a better way to water their sensitive plants?

My big debate: misting plants vs bottom watering for humidity

I always misted my calatheas twice a day for YEARS thinking I was giving them perfect humidity. Then last month I stuck a hygrometer next to them and saw the humidity barely moved past 50% after a misting. Tops of the leaves got wet and the soil stayed dry underneath. Now i'm wondering if bottom watering is actually better for keeping roots hydrated without rotting the crown. Has anyone else found that misting is basically just making the leaves look pretty but doing nothing real?

Hit 50 houseplants last week and it finally broke me

I was just counting up my pots for a watering schedule and realized I own 50 individual plants now. That number hit me hard because three years ago I swore I'd never go past 10. My kitchen windowsill is a total jungle and my partner keeps finding new leaves on the floor every morning. Has anyone else crossed a plant count that made you stop and rethink your whole setup?

Is it better to grow cuttings in water or straight into soil? I've got a strong opinion now

I've been propping plants for about 3 years now, and I always thought water was the safest way to go. You can see the roots, change the water weekly, watch for rot. But last spring I decided to run a little test with my pothos and coleus cuttings. I took 10 cuttings from the same mother plant and put 5 in water, 5 directly into moist potting mix. The water ones rooted fast, no doubt, but when I transplanted them to soil after about 4 weeks, nearly half of them went into shock and dropped leaves. The soil ones took a little longer to show growth, maybe 6 weeks, but once they took off they were way more robust and never had that transplant struggle. Has anyone else tried both methods and found a clear winner for certain types of plants? I'm curious if it's just my specific setup or if this holds true for others.

Vent: Everyone calling every vine a 'philodendron' now

I swear I saw three posts in a row last week where people were calling pothos and syngoniums philodendrons. Its not that hard to tell them apart if you just look at the leaf shape and growth pattern. My aunt had a real heartleaf philodendron in her kitchen in Detroit for 20 years and I can spot the difference from across the room. Has anyone else noticed this getting worse or am I just yelling at clouds?

That time I killed my venus flytrap by giving it tap water

I was watering my plants in my apartment in Portland and used straight tap water on my venus flytrap like I do with everything else. After about two weeks all the traps turned black and the whole thing just gave up. Has anyone else accidentally killed a sensitive plant by not checking the water type first?

Caught my neighbor talking to his tomato plants like they were his kids

I was out on my balcony last Tuesday morning, having coffee, and I could hear him clear as day in his yard next door. He was saying stuff like, 'Alright, you three on the end, you're looking a bit pale, let's get you some food,' and 'Susie, you're growing so fast, good job.' He had actual names for them. I always figured plant talk was a quiet, private thing, or maybe just for fun. But he was totally serious, having a full conversation. It made me look at my own basil on the windowsill differently. I started just saying a quick 'good morning' to it when I water it, and I swear it's less droopy. Maybe there's something to giving them a bit of direct attention, not just water and light. Has anyone else tried giving their plants a bit of verbal encouragement and noticed a change?