c/botany-lovers

Why does nobody talk about how much water a Monstera actually needs?

I mean, I followed the 'let it dry out' advice for 6 months and mine barely grew, but after I started watering it twice a week in my apartment, it put out 3 new leaves in a month. Has anyone else had a plant totally defy the common care rules?

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jenny_sullivan97•1d ago

Found out some plants can 'hear' caterpillars chewing and it blew my mind

I was reading a study from the University of Missouri about how some plants, like thale cress, can sense the specific vibrations of a caterpillar eating their leaves. They then make more mustard oils to try and keep the bugs away. I mean, I knew plants reacted to stuff, but the idea they can basically 'hear' an attack is wild. Has anyone else come across other facts about plant senses that seem almost sci-fi?

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kevin218•1d ago

Bought a $40 orchid mister and it turned into a bug circus

I saw this fancy brass mister online and thought it would help my orchids. The first time I used it, a tiny spider shot out of the nozzle and landed right on my face. I jumped back and sprayed water all over my cat, who then knocked over the plant. Now I'm out forty bucks and my living room is a wet mess. Has anyone else had a garden tool totally backfire on them?

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hugobarnes•2d ago

Rant: My $40 moisture meter just saved my fiddle leaf fig from root rot

I was watering my big fiddle leaf fig on a schedule, every Friday, thinking I was being consistent. The leaves started dropping and turning yellow about a month ago. I finally bought a basic soil moisture meter for around forty bucks. Stuck it in the pot and it read 'wet' even though the top soil was bone dry. Turns out the pot wasn't draining right at the bottom. Has anyone else had a plant that looked dry but was actually soaked underneath?

2 comments

elliot_johnson•2d ago

Walking through the Denver Botanic Gardens and saw the weirdest cactus display

I was there last weekend and they had this whole section of cacti and succulents under these bright purple grow lights. It looked cool, like something from a sci-fi movie, but it got me thinking. The sign said the lights help them grow better inside. One side of me thinks, hey, if it keeps rare plants alive and lets people see them, that's a good thing. The other side feels a bit off, like we're forcing these plants to live in a fake world just for our show. It's not natural sunlight, you know? I stood there for a good ten minutes just looking at a big prickly pear under this purple glow. Where do you all stand on using fancy tech to grow plants in public gardens? Is it helping them or just making a spectacle?

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kevin218•2d ago

Showerthought: My friend called a fern a 'shade cactus' and it made me wonder about plant names.

I was helping a friend pick out a Boston fern for her apartment in Denver, and she kept calling it a 'shade cactus' because it didn't need much light. It matters because mixing up basic plant types like that can lead to giving them the wrong care. Has anyone else heard people use totally wrong names for common houseplants?

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margaret234•3d ago

Serious question, has anyone else started noticing more people just staring at plants?

I was at the big botanical garden in St. Louis last weekend, the one with the geodesic dome. I saw this guy, he must have been standing in front of a single orchid for like 15 minutes, not moving. He wasn't taking pictures or anything, just looking. I got curious and did the same thing with a fern nearby. After about 5 minutes, I started seeing details I never noticed before, the way the new fronds uncurl, the tiny hairs on the stems. It felt totally different from my usual walk-and-glance routine. I've been trying it in my own backyard now, just picking one plant and really looking at it for a few minutes. It makes the whole hobby feel new again. Has anyone else tried this kind of slow looking, and did it change what you see in your own garden?

2 comments

lucasking•3d ago

Walking through the old greenhouse at the city park, I noticed the ferns had started curling their fronds inward.

The guide said it's a sign they're conserving moisture because the automatic misters broke down two weeks ago.

3 comments

coran63•5d ago

My friend's hydroponic lettuce in Phoenix grew twice as fast as my soil setup

We both planted the same seeds 6 weeks ago, but his indoor system with liquid nutrients had full heads while mine were just sprouting. Is the initial cost of a hydroponic kit really worth it for a home grower, or should I just stick with dirt?

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robert_roberts•7d ago

PSA: I was overwatering my fiddle leaf fig for a whole year without knowing

I got a fiddle leaf fig from a local nursery in Austin about a year ago and kept giving it a cup of water every Monday. The leaves started getting brown spots and dropping, and I just thought it needed more light. Last week, I finally stuck my finger in the soil and it was completely soggy an inch down. I looked it up and realized I was drowning it by watering on a schedule instead of checking the soil. Has anyone else killed a plant by being too nice to it?

2 comments

tarac16•8d ago

My fiddle leaf fig was dying for months and I just figured out why

Kept giving it more water when the leaves got brown. My sister came over, stuck her finger in the dirt, and said 'this is swampy'. Realized I was drowning it. The pot didn't have a drain hole. How do you even fix that without killing the roots?

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kaip11•9d ago

My attempt to propagate a Monstera cutting in just water for 3 months left me with a sad, slimy root and a mushy stem.

I learned the hard way that changing the water only once a week in my dim Seattle apartment just wasn't enough to stop rot, so what's your foolproof method for water props?

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emery_craig•11d ago

I thought my new Monstera was just being dramatic but it took me a full month to realize the tap water in my building was the real problem.

I was about to give up after trying filtered water, a new spot, and a different fertilizer, but switching to distilled water for two weeks finally got it to push out a new leaf.

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linda_murphy•11d ago

I finally looked at my old plant photos from 2015 and the difference is crazy

I was cleaning out my phone and found a folder of pictures from my first apartment's balcony garden. Back then, I had maybe five basic plants like a spider plant and a sad little basil. Now, in 2024, that same space is packed with over thirty different things, including a monstera that's taller than my kid. The big change was joining this online group about three years ago and seeing what other people were growing. I started trying stuff I never would have thought of before, like a string of pearls or a fiddle leaf fig. Has anyone else had a space totally transform just from getting ideas here?

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david_hayes•12d ago

Found a weird cactus in the desert near Tucson

I was hiking in Saguaro National Park last Tuesday and spotted a cactus I'd never seen before. It was about two feet tall with these strange, twisted arms and bright pink flowers. I took a picture and spent the whole evening trying to ID it. Turns out it was a rare, native species called a Cochise pincushion cactus. I had no idea they grew in that specific area. Has anyone else come across one of these in the wild?

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benlewis•13d ago

Just realized I was wrong about talking to my plants

For years, I'd chat with my indoor jungle every morning, thinking it helped them grow. Then last fall, I read a study from the University of Florida that found no real proof it does anything. I felt a bit silly, so I stopped and focused on getting their light and water perfect instead. Honestly, my fiddle leaf fig looks better now than it ever did when I was talking to it. Has anyone else given up on a plant care habit they thought was essential?

2 comments

mason_craig34•13d ago

Question about the new native plant policy at Miller State Park

I was hiking the main trail at Miller State Park last weekend and saw they've removed all the non-native butterfly bushes from the visitor center garden. A ranger said it's to protect local pollinators, but my friend thinks losing those blooms hurts the overall insect population. What's the better move for a public space like that?

2 comments

olivia_hernandez•14d ago

Spent $75 on a 'rare' orchid that turned out to be a common grocery store type

I saw an ad online for a 'rare blue phalaenopsis' and got really excited. The seller said it was a special hybrid and charged me $75 plus shipping. It arrived looking okay, but after a few weeks, I realized it was just a dyed white moth orchid you can get for $20 at any supermarket. I feel pretty silly for not asking more questions first. Has anyone else gotten tricked by a plant listing that seemed too good to be true?

3 comments

umac71•15d ago

My friend in Portland said my plant photos were just 'green blobs' and told me to get closer and focus on one leaf.

Now I shoot everything from about six inches away, and my Instagram feed finally looks like I know what I'm doing, but does anyone have tips for a good, cheap macro lens for a Canon Rebel?

3 comments

christophermurphy•17d ago

Hot take: The plant swap at the community center almost ruined my whole collection

I brought home a beautiful philodendron from the swap in Greenville, and within a week, I found spider mites on three of my other plants. I had to isolate everything and treat them with neem oil for a solid month. Does anyone have a good quarantine routine for new plants?

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sandragonzalez•18d ago

My neighbor's sad rose bush came back to life in one month

I saw it every day and it was just a few brown sticks with maybe two leaves. He said he started giving it a special food for roses and more water, like a full gallon three times a week. After about four weeks, it had over twenty new green leaves and three pink buds. Has anyone else had a plant look dead but then get better fast?

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rileyw57•20d ago

My neighbor's peony bush taught me a weird trick about watering

Last week, I noticed her plant in Cincinnati was way fuller than mine, so I asked her secret. She told me she only waters the base, never the leaves, and does it before 8 AM. I tried it for 5 days and the buds on my plant are already twice as big. Does this base-only rule work for other flowers like roses, or is it just a peony thing?

3 comments

tessadixon•22d ago

Choosing between a new grow light and a weekend plant market trip

I had a $150 budget last month and had to pick between buying a fancy new full-spectrum LED panel for my indoor herbs or spending the money on a ticket to the big plant market in Portland. I went with the market, thinking I'd just get a few common plants. But walking around, I saw a guy with a table of weird air plants I'd never seen before. He explained how they take in water through their leaves, not roots. I bought three for $40 total and hung them in my bathroom window. They're doing great with just a weekly misting. It made me realize sometimes the best gear is just more knowledge and seeing things in person. Has anyone else found a cool plant by just going to a local event instead of buying more stuff online?

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jesse290•22d ago

My neighbor in Portland swore by watering her ferns with leftover tea

She said the tannins made them thrive, so I tried it on my Boston fern for about two months. It ended up with these weird brown spots all over the fronds, and I had to repot it with fresh soil. Has anyone else had a plant care tip from a friend totally backfire?

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noah914•22d ago

My local garden club meeting got a little too real last spring

We were touring a member's greenhouse in Tacoma when someone pointed out a rare orchid and the whole group just froze, staring at it for a full ten minutes in silence. The host finally said, 'Okay, we can move on now,' and it felt like breaking a spell. Does anyone else's plant group get weirdly intense about a single specimen?

3 comments