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Since getting my fiddle leaf fig in April 2020, he Since getting my fiddle leaf fig in April 2020, here's a report on when new leaf buds were initiated: ▪️ May 14, 2020: 2-leaf ▪️ July 6, 2020: 3-leaf, with spider mites ▪️ August 10, 2020: 2-leaf ▪️ October 2, 2020: 2-leaf ▪️ January 15, 2021: ?-leaf (can't tell how many leaves will come out since the bud just started to open) - Light: starting in July, I've been using a small grow light shining at the top most leaves - seeing roughly 800 FC for 12-14 hours a day. Natural light levels are 200-400 FC most of the day in its current location - this would be rather weak and most of the lower leaves would likely have died off within a few months (but I have lost three of the lowest leaves so far - totally fine with it as the plant is growing well). The sun never shines directly on the plant - I'm only mentioning this to say what MY light situation is - if you can give your fiddle 3-4 hours of direct sun, that would be excellent as long as you can keep up with watering. - Watering: whenever I saw that the soil was dry to a depth of 3-4 inches, then I watered. I don't keep track of exactly how often that is because watering is easier if you just observe the soil and water when the soil has reached the desired dryness. - Fertilizer: every time I watered this plant, I mixed in a 3-1-2 fertilizer at the recommended strength. There's no danger of burning because I know my light levels are driving the plant to grow. - Link in profile: fertilizer info and why 3-1-2 is the no-brainer NPK ratio for most tropical foliage houseplants. ~ ~ #houseplantjournal #houseplants #plants #urbanjunglebloggers #houseplantclub #plantdad #plantobsession #plantparenthood #greenthumb #foliage #fiddleleaffig #ficuslyrata #largeplants #FicusFriday #fiddleleaffigfriday #fertilizer #plantcare
#tbt why did my plants grow so well in my old hous #tbt why did my plants grow so well in my old house? 2️⃣ Skylight - basically a huge softbox for pleasantly lit photos and ideal "bright indirect light" for plants. This was the last photo I took of this space before my parents moved. - But the memories are forever recorded in my book. ~ ~ #houseplantjournal #houseplants #plants #urbanjunglebloggers #houseplantclub #plantdad #plantobsession #plantparenthood #greenthumb #foliage #laddershelf #plantshelfie #shelfie #chasinglight #Dieffenbachia #snakeplants #sansevieria
Hoya kerrii progress: two months ago, I repotted m Hoya kerrii progress: two months ago, I repotted my Hoya kerrii and put her into Ikea Greenhouse Cabinet. She got the prime real estate - top row, receiving 1000 foot-candles of light for 12 hours. - The newest 4 leaves all grew nice and large just from the time of being in the cabinet. - 2️⃣ Two years ago, the first set of leaves to grow on this plant were domed shape and much greener as a result of the lower light levels at my old house: under the skylight, getting 1 hour of direct sun through a window (about 5000 foot-candles) and 200-300 foot-candles indirect light the rest of the day (this would be great light for any lower light plant but only "enough to survive" for the kerrii) - Whenever I look through old photos of my plants, it's nice to find a visual anchor (*) like a particularly nice leaf - helps to see the progress! ~ ~ #houseplantjournal #houseplants #plants #urbanjunglebloggers #houseplantclub #plantdad #plantobsession #plantparenthood #greenthumb #hoya #hoyakerrii #waxplantwednesday #waxplant #growth #glowup #plantgrowth #plantgoals
Tillandsia ionantha: sometimes they form a multi-g Tillandsia ionantha: sometimes they form a multi-generational clump, but sometimes the mother dies. - I try not to have strict expectations on my plants - they don't have to be perfect in order to be loved and appreciated. - Trying your best with care doesn't mean your plants will look perfect forever, it means they'll do the best they can in your environment and grow/die according to Nature. - Link in profile: air plant care (guidance for "trying your best") ~ ~ #houseplantjournal #tillandsia #tillandsiatuesday #tillandsialover #airplantlove #airplantsofinstagram #airplants #indoorplants #houseplants #plants #growth #glowup #airplantcare #plantcare #plantlove
Long term Monstera observations: - The oldest leav Long term Monstera observations: - The oldest leaves (lowest ones along a vine) are the first to die off. I don't try to prevent it as it is a reality of life: every leaf I had on Day 1 was gone by Day 1744. - More complex leaves (with more fenestrations) will come out with favorable conditions: ▪️Good light: the diagram in 2️⃣ gives a visual explanation of these light observations - my light situation here was 200-400 foot-candles most of the day plus about 2 hours of late evening sun. "Bright indirect light" doesn't mean avoid the sun entirely, it means avoid *prolonged* exposure - two or three hours is totally fine for a monstera. ▪️Vines affixed to a trellis: look closely and you'll see a light green metal trellis. For more details, just Google "monstera trellis" and you'll find my article. ▪️Time: each new leaf has an opportunity to be more fenestrated than the previous. That means you have to wait for each new leaf to grow before seeing different patterns. Be patient and prioritize light. - Link in profile: more resources on my monstera journey (care, trellis, etc) ~ ~ #houseplantjournal #houseplants #plants #urbanjunglebloggers #houseplantclub #plantdad #plantobsession #plantparenthood #greenthumb #foliage #glowup #growth #monstera #monsteradeliciosa #aroid #MonsteraMonday
Happy National Houseplant Day! If you want your sn Happy National Houseplant Day! If you want your snake plants to grow well, make sure their indirect light levels are above 100-200 foot-candles most of the day (that's not as far from a window as you might think) - "Thrives in low light" should really be thought of as "dies slower and less noticeably than other plants". - Sure, lots of people say it's great in low light, but they don't announce when they end up throwing away the sad looking plant. - Aim for "best possible" light and your plants will do their best. ~ ~ #houseplantjournal #houseplants #plants #urbanjunglebloggers #houseplantclub #plantdad #plantobsession #plantparenthood #greenthumb #foliage #leaflove #sansevieria #snakeplant #indoorplants #SansevieriaSunday #plantcollection
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