c/botany-lovers

18

sage_rodriguez•17h ago

Unpopular opinion: transplanting seedlings at night is better than morning but nobody talks about it

I spent 2 years losing half my tomato transplants every spring before a greenhouse worker at the farmer's market asked why I was moving them at 7 AM instead of after sunset. That night I tried it with my peppers and the wilt was almost zero compared to my usual morning routine. Is there a real science reason for this or am I just getting lucky with the weather patterns?

22

the_river•2d ago

Was totally wrong about that weird moss terrarium trend

My sister brought me this little jar with moss and rocks last spring and I thought it was just a dust collector. But after 8 months of watering it like twice total, it's somehow greener and fuller than half my actual houseplants. Has anyone else had a closed terrarium totally outgrow expectations like that?

17

rileygonzalez•2d ago

That bottle of fish emulsion I left open in my shed actually made my ferns grow faster than any store brand fertilizer

I forgot about it for 3 months and when I finally used it the leaves turned dark green in just a week. Has anyone else had better luck with old or expired plant food?

16

lisa_brown•18d ago

Rant: My neighbor's maple tree changed color 3 weeks early this fall

I've watched that tree for 12 years and it always turned in late October, but this year it went bright red by the first week of October right after that long drought in August. Has anyone else noticed their local trees shifting their fall colors earlier over the last few years?

14

jamie64•18d ago

Went to the Atlanta Botanical Garden last weekend and totally flipped on native plants

I used to think native plants were just boring green stuff that you couldn't do anything with. Like why would I want a plain old oak tree when I could have a Japanese maple? But then I walked through the native plant section at the Atlanta Botanical Garden and saw this patch of purple coneflowers and goldenrod mixed together. It looked wild and messy but also kind of perfect, like a painting. The volunteer there told me those plants support like 20 different types of bees and butterflies, way more than any exotic flower. I counted like 8 bees on one plant in two minutes. Now I'm ripping out my front yard English ivy and putting in a native pollinator patch. Has anyone else had that moment where a public garden changed your whole view?

9

the_abby•19d ago

Had to choose between a greenhouse kit and building my own from scrap wood last spring

I went with the scrap wood route and saved about $400, but spent 3 weekends straight trying to get the frame level on my sloped backyard in Portland. Has anyone else tried the DIY route for a small grow space and regretted not just buying a prefab?

6

grant.margaret•19d ago

Just got my first bloom from a cutting I almost tossed

I took a random cutting from a pothos at my dentist's office 8 months ago, stuck it in water, and forgot about it. It finally grew a new leaf with white variegation I didn't know it had. Has anyone else had luck with cuttings from unexpected places?

5

leog68•20d ago

My peace lily drooped for two weeks before I realized the pot had no drainage holes

Bought a nice ceramic pot from a garage sale for five bucks, transferred my plant last month, and only noticed the solid bottom when I pulled the dead root ball out and saw the layer of swampy water sitting there like a science experiment. Anybody else ever kill a plant just by being too cheap to check the hardware?

0

scott.grace•24d ago

Had to pick between a moss pole or a trellis for my monstera

My monstera started getting too tall and leaning all over the place about 2 months ago. I went with a moss pole because I figured it would root into it and climb like in the wild. The roots haven't really grabbed on yet, just wrapped around the pole a bit. Has anyone had better luck getting their monstera to actually latch onto one of these things?

16

the_river•26d ago

TIL it took me 45 minutes to debug a fern that was just thirsty

I spent nearly an hour checking my Boston fern's soil pH, light exposure, and even repotting it because the fronds were drooping something awful. Turns out I just forgot to water it for three days straight and it was being dramatic, not dying. How long have you folks spent chasing a plant problem that had a dead simple fix?

22

karenlee•26d ago

50 houseplants in one room: organized collection or chaotic disaster?

I hit exactly 50 houseplants in my living room last week and it made me wonder - am I a serious collector or just someone who can't say no at the garden center? My philodendron brasil alone covers half a wall, but my African violets are crammed on one shelf. On one hand, diversity keeps things interesting and I've learned so much about different care needs. On the other, maybe focusing on 10 or 15 favorites would give each plant better light and attention. What number makes a collection feel like a hoard versus a hobby to you all?

15

diana_park•28d ago

For two years I watered my orchids wrong and ruined 8 of them

I used to dump ice cubes on my phalaenopsis every week because I read it online. Last month I repotted one and found all the roots were dead and mushy from rot. A guy at the local nursery in Austin told me orchids need lukewarm water and good drainage not ice. Now I soak them for 15 minutes once a week and the new roots are growing like crazy. Has anyone else fallen for this ice cube trick and lost plants?

23

derekcarr•28d ago

Saw a lady at the Denver Botanic Gardens talking to her monstera like it was her kid

I was there last Saturday checking out the tropical house and this woman was sitting on a bench next to this huge monstera, whispering to it for like 10 minutes straight. Not in a weird way, more like she was telling it about her day. I kinda get it though, I talk to my pothos at home when nobody's around. Anyone else find themselves chit-chatting with their plants?

1

sagelane•29d ago

Found a wild black walnut tree on my hike last Saturday and picked up 40 nuts

I was out on the Blue River Trail near my place when I spotted this massive black walnut tree loaded with fallen nuts. Spent like 45 minutes gathering them up, got my hands all stained brown from the husks. Now I'm trying to figure out how to cure them properly for eating, never done it before. Anyone here process their own black walnuts and got tips on getting the husks off without dyeing everything?

24

logan_white59•29d ago

Can we talk about planting milkweed in the wrong spot?

I always thought just putting milkweed anywhere in my yard was fine for monarchs, but a master gardener in a Facebook group explained the specific sun and wind conditions they actually need. Now I'm digging up my whole patch and relocating it after learning that shady spots can mess up their whole migration cycle.

24

wendygarcia•1mo ago

The neighbor who tried to prune my maple tree with hedge clippers

My neighbor across the street decided to give my 15-year-old sugar maple a 'haircut' last Tuesday while I was at work, hacking off 4-inch diameter branches with hedge clippers and leaving jagged stubs everywhere. I came home to find sap bleeding out of those cuts and bark ripped down the trunk from the weight of the branches tearing as they fell. How do you gently tell someone their 'help' just cost you a tree that might not recover for 3 seasons?

4

james_ross•1mo ago

That moment I realized I was drowning my pothos for 2 years straight

My pothos in the living room kept getting yellow leaves no matter what I did. I was watering it every 3 days like clockwork because I thought that was the safe bet. Then my neighbor who works at a greenhouse in Austin told me to actually stick my finger in the soil before watering. Turns out the bottom half was soaking wet the whole time and I was basically giving it a bath every week. Anyone else have a plant they almost killed with too much love?

14

lily89•1mo ago

Found a weird fungus in my greenhouse after that rainstorm last June

I live near Portland and we got that crazy rainstorm last June that dumped 4 inches in two days. A week later I found this orange slimy stuff growing on the soil of my ferns. Turns out it was a type of slime mold called dog vomit fungus. I freaked out at first but then learned it's actually harmless and helps break down organic matter. Now I just leave it alone when it shows up instead of trying to nuke it with chemicals. Has anyone else dealt with surprise fungi popping up after heavy rain?

21

lee_ward54•1mo ago

Noticed my snake plant doubled in size after I moved it 3 feet away from the window

For 6 months it barely grew until I shifted it by the east-facing door and suddenly got 4 new leaves in 8 weeks, anyone else have a plant surprise them like that?

22

evaperez•1mo ago

I finally listened to my aunt about pruning my monstera in March

She told me to cut it back hard before spring growth and I was scared I'd kill it, but now it put out 5 new leaves with fenestrations bigger than my hand - anyone else have a plant that needed brutal honesty to thrive?

19

avery_nelson•1mo ago

Fought with splitting houseplant stems for years using wooden stakes, now I switched to bamboo skewers and zip ties

I used to jam thick wooden dowels into pots and tie plants with string that either rotted or cut into stems, but after a Monstera leaf snapped off last spring I started using $2 packs of bamboo skewers from the grocery store plus soft zip ties. Has anyone else found a random household item that works way better than the stuff marketed for plants?

8

pat_perry•1mo ago

Met an old guy at the community garden who changed how I see weeds

I was pulling out dandelions at the garden near my apartment last spring, and this older guy named Joe just sat down on the bench nearby. He pointed at a patch of clover and said, "you know that's free fertilizer, right?" He spent the next 20 minutes showing me how the roots break up clay soil and bring up nutrients for the veggies. It totally flipped my view on letting some "weeds" stay - has anyone else had a surprise lesson from a stranger like that?

20

spencer_bell•1mo ago

Vent: My fiddle leaf fig died after I followed that fancy watering schedule

I was at the local nursery in Boulder last Saturday and the owner told me to water my fiddle leaf fig every 5 days with distilled water, no exceptions. Three weeks later the leaves started browning and dropping off, and when I looked closer the roots were totally waterlogged. Has anyone else had better luck just ignoring the rules and checking the soil with your finger instead?

9

jordan464•1mo ago

Had to pick between native wildflowers and a grass lawn in my front yard

Finally ripped out my dead grass patch in Denver last spring and couldn't decide between a full wildflower bed or keeping a small lawn strip. Went with the wildflowers because I was tired of watering, and now my HOA sent me a warning letter about weeds. Anyone else deal with homeowners getting mad over native plants?

30

simonm67•1mo ago

My greenhouse buddy at the garden center called me out on watering wrong

This old guy at the local nursery in Portland told me I was drowning my succulents. He said I was watering like they were thirsty petunias instead of desert plants. I cut back to once every 10 days and stopped misting the leaves completely. Now they actually keep their color instead of going mushy. Anyone else get told they were way off on something basic like that?