The Plant Thread

[Taffeta]

Mother and I went to the garden centre to get hanging basket plants last week.

And came home with some of them (I have been madly looking after them as well with the horrible weather ><) but also came home with Bethan.

Bethan (proper official name for the variety) is a Streptocarpus, which sounds horrible but it's not, really. It's a very pretty form of primrose plant with purple flowers. And it was sitting in the basket plant section. And it kind of ended up coming home with us.

I was looking at adding another succulent to my house plants, but not a full blown leafed plant. Still, here we are. She's a 100% indoor plant though given UK weather. She wouldn't like it out there.

I don't have a picture of mine yet, I only just repotted her in a new pot yesterday, but this is the variety:

https://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/streptocarpus-bethan/classid.2000035795/

[BlackCurtains]

Ooh, nice! Congrats on the new family member

Well, my rattlesnake plant is as good as dead and the bird's nest fern doesn't seem to be doing well either... but with that one I think I'm overwatering it. The leaves are a sickly yellow with some brown spots. The spiders are okay, bonnie spider has only three leaves left after Aster got to it. The little one seems to be fine and healthy.

I've had bad experiences keeping plants alive in the past. I even managed to kill an aloe plant. So I guess I'm lucky any one of them made it. I think the next time I buy a plant, I'm going to get an established one. I'd still like a parlor palm and some snake plants.

[Lady Frostbite]

I bit the bullet and ordered tomato seeds! While I was going to try to go for Indigo Rose, I came across these ones called Blue Bayou which is another 'blue' tomato that looks close to purple/black. Once they arrive, I'll get sowing!

[Taffeta]

I'm still on plant sitting duty, but the baby plants are mostly coming along nicely in the greenhouses. They're not proper greenhouses, just plastic ones, so I have to be creative with fleece if the night is going to be cold.

My alstromeria were delivered this morning, which is good. Got them into pots already though I want to put them in the rockery/garden when they're a bit bigger. I have two or three there already but want a different colour to fill the gap.

I keep being visited by wasps in my room. Queens looking for nesting space have found the fuchsias wintering on my windowsill, and I keep having to throw them out. Sigh.

Poinsettia is growing nicely after I cut her back the other month. It was a messy business then but she looks better for it. A lot of new growth coming. I want to take back a couple more of her branches too, to let the small leaves underneath have light. I'd also like her to stop dropping dead leaf bits on my bed when she thinks I'm not watching. I swear, if plants can be passive aggressive about stuff, this one really is xD.

[Ponyfan]

Here's this week's pics of the mints.  Mint 2 looks like it's growing backwards, but I think it's just trying to grow towards where the most light is since it's brighter outside than inside.

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Mint 1


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Mint 2


Ponyfan

[Beth3346]

some of the bushes i ordered came yesterday. i need to plant them today but it's supposed to rain. they're saying hail is possible which is making me worry for my new plants.

[Marshie]

I ordered two succulents from Leaf and Clay last night; I ordered a graptoveria fred ives and an aeonium kiwi!! I love their colors so much and I'm excited to get them in the mail! I'm also going to order some grow lights and make a little succulent cart in my room.

[Ponyfan]

I looked at plants today at Walmart and didn't see anything that grabbed me.   There were several blank spaces though where plants should have been. 


Ponyfan

[Beth3346]

i planted the bushes that came yesterday. so far we got a little rain but there may be storms overnight. i hope they'll be ok. i have more to plant tomorrow.

[BlackCurtains]

Well. I think everything is dead except Ben and the little spider plant. Curly spider would have probably done okay if Aster didn't eat most of it. I'm bummed I really wanted them to survive. But this is how it usually is with me and plants. I can take care of any animal, but plants are just... not animals.

I would still like a snake plant or two and a parlor palm (how long have I been saying this?) but with my money situation and wanting to get bigger, more established plants next time, I don't know when I can get any.

[Ponyfan]

Here's this week's pics of the mint plants.  I realized today that they are almost a year old now.  I bought Mint 1 in May of last year. I think I bought Mint 2 in June.

Mint one isn't looking as healthy as usual.  I don't know if it's just the lighting or if I'm doing something wrong. I've pulled several dead stems off of both plants.

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Mint 1

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Mint 2

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This is a top down pic of Mint 2.  The big dead looking brown part in the center was part of the original plant.  There's still a lot of new growth growing from the sides though.  I wonder if the plant has regenerated so many times that the original part of the plant is dead and what's growing now are the newer parts of the plant?

Is it safe to use the dish soap spray on indoor plants? I haven't used it since I brought the mints inside before winter started.  I've noticed little gnats or something have been coming out of the plants when I water them so I want to use the dish soap spray, but would it evaporate off the plants enough if they are indoors?

BC, I'm sorry your plants died. 


Ponyfan

[Taffeta]

I don't know what ingredients are in US dish soap, but I use washing up liquid (our equivalent) on plants in a spray with water or in a bottle with water and it doesn't hurt the plants. I mostly use it for aphids though with my fuchsia now that the weather is a little better I have put her outside and the 5 degree night temperatures also seem to be taking care of the bug problem. Don't know what your temperatures are like right now

I need to take a photo of the baby plant greenhouse. Discovered yesterday that I seem to have some extra nemesia as there are flowers in more than one colour in two of the pots. Not complaining at all

[Lady Frostbite]

My tomato seeds have sprouted!!!

[brightberry]

Well. I think everything is dead except Ben and the little spider plant. Curly spider would have probably done okay if Aster didn't eat most of it. I'm bummed I really wanted them to survive. But this is how it usually is with me and plants. I can take care of any animal, but plants are just... not animals.

I would still like a snake plant or two and a parlor palm (how long have I been saying this?) but with my money situation and wanting to get bigger, more established plants next time, I don't know when I can get any.

awww! I'm sorry that's going on.  I've also lost a lot of plants in the beginning.  But the survivors are still around to this day.  I also figured out that pushing tall sticks into the soil can discourage kitty because mine also offed a few.

My tomato seeds have sprouted!!!

Hooray!

[BlackCurtains]

Thanks for the tip I'll try that. I'm afraid to leave the spider plant in the window because Aster can get to it.