The Plant Thread

[Ponyfan]

Here's this week's pic of the mint plants.  Mint 1 has been hiding some long, healthy runners from me. I found them today.

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Ponyfan

[BlackCurtains]

They both look really good!

I thought I would show you guys a before and after a soaking for Ben.

Before, this was last night.

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And this morning.

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Maybe I wait too long between them. He can go for a while before needing it again. It's like one day I look over and, oops, Ben needs water.

I did have to cut off two stems that had gone brown halfway and the leaves on the ends were dead. I still want to get some plant food. Also, there was some yellow fuzz on the topsoil. I assumed it was fungus so I peeled it off.

[Taffeta]

So long as the leaves haven't shrivelled up, plants are remarkable for reviving when they're watered. But yeah, if they flop like that it probably means it's a good idea to increase the frequency a bit

My spider plants have very fleshy roots so don't need as much water, but I'm on seedling watering duty a lot at the moment. I had one more unexpected seedling germinate right before christmas, and it opened its leaves on Christmas day. This is not the normal behaviour of morning glories, but w/e.

[Lady Frostbite]

I put my lucky bamboo out of its tube and stopper as the stopper had mould growing on it  So I got a single-stem glass vase and popped it in. I was worried the root ball at the bottom would make it too thick to go in, but a bit of a squeeze and we're through! Now it can have regular water updates and I can watch the roots grow!

[Ponyfan]

I still struggle with how much and how often to water the mints.  Right now I water them every 2-3 days.  I've tried watering every day and that seemed to overwhelm them a bit while they're inside as the water pooled underneath them really quickly.  Then I tried watering from the bottom and almost killed Mint 1 because it got too dry at the top.   They're still nice and green though.


Ponyfan

[Ponyfan]

Ben looks great. 

Here's this week's pics of the mint plants.  I think Mint 1 has really grown.  There are a lot of dark green leaves.


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Mint 1


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Mint 2


Look what I found growing in Mint 2's pot, a baby mint.

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Ponyfan

[BlackCurtains]

Aw, baby mint!

[Taffeta]

Speaking of  baby plants, a sixth morning glory seedling has sprouted in the pots on my windowsill...

[Ponyfan]

Here's this week's pic of the mints.  They'll look a little different next time you see them because I took some of the dead parts off.

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Mint 1



Mint 1 got some extra pics this week because I wanted to show off how it's growing.


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Look at this long runner that is trying to climb close to the bbq skewer. When you look at it straight on instead of at an angle it looks like it's climbing up the skewer.

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This is one huge runner that has come out of the pot, curved all the way around and runs back in to the pot. I thought it was 2 tangled together but it's actually 1.



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Mint 2

I told my mom I was planning on getting more plants when they start coming out in the spring and she asked me if I was going to buy more mints.  I told her I will buy something different next time.

Ponyfan

[BlackCurtains]

I recommend Basil! Your mints look great

Ben needs another soak. I had to close his window because the wind was so harsh yesterday, it was blowing all his leaves off. I should do the cat grass today too. When I get my money I'm going to buy a parlor palm and a "bonnie" spider plant (the curly kind).

[Lady Frostbite]

I had moved my 25p lucky bamboo into a slim vase I bought that replicates the stand it used to sit in but without the silicone stopper, as it was growing mould ... and it loves it!!! It's grown a BUNCH of new white roots! I'm so happy it's happy with its new home 

[Taffeta]

One baby morning glory decided to climb on the spider plant today so they now have canes to grow up. They're not growing as quick as they would if it was spring/summer but they're heading upwards still. I will try and get a photo at some point.

The plants downstairs have moved into the sitting room and Mum says it doesn't look as bad as she thought. It gave me a chance to clean up the begonia for dead leaves and trim back the Sabrina fuchsia as well.

[BlackCurtains]

I think Ben is dying

You remember when I mentioned parts of the stems were brown? Well, after his last soak, the back half of stems all have dying leaves. I looked closer today and the main stem is completely brown! Here are some pics I took.

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Is there anything I can do?

[Taffeta]

Looking at the state of the leaves, you may end up having to take those branches off...

Are they at the back as in not getting any light, or are they near any kind of heating where they might have overheated?

My poinsettia - especially in the winter - is ruthless about branches if they don't get light. She's got one at the moment which I am going to have to take off, I think. The leaves have all wilted and the stem has shrivelled, though the plant itself is still growing and putting out new shoots towards the light. If Ben is still growing, it may be the plant prioritising its resources to the sunnier branches.


But I did find this page, I don't know if any of it is helpful:

https://growing-basil.org/brown-basil-stems/

(I think this a safe external link, cannot guarantee re adverts)

[BlackCurtains]

According to that article it might be from the cold. But you would think the leaves and stems in the front would be affected. It could be lack of sunlight since those back leaves don't get much.  Maybe a combo of both? Ben hasn't flowered so I don't think it's the end of its life.

I looked around and found an article that said to trim about three inches off each brown stem.

edit: Wait a minute!!! What are these bumps?

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