Your houseplants and gardens - Yellow leaf means underwatered AND overwatered?! What a country!

[Mukhrani]

The war is ever waging. My plants are like my cat.. never allowed outside. Yet these fucks find a way.

Their latest takeover was of my catgrass... which I didnt notice as it was near the floor for said cat until the INFESTATION was entirely gross.

I nuked them to death with a combination of dryness followed by peppermint and neem oil.

Realizing their defeat they seem to have called in reinforcements from a new plant acquisition... red spider mites. Which are less ugly but much more plant devastating. Being so small they managed to spread throughout everything.

Spider mites LOVE dryness...which makes me think the bugs formed an alliance to counter my most devastating weapon against the flies.

Considering importing 600 ladybugs to fight them biologically.

I wish you best in your battle. Neem oil them to death (its stinky though).

For spider mites, order predatory mites, not ladybugs. Also once it's warm enough take your plants outside and spray them down with the hose. They hate being hit with heavy water spray, and the air movement stops fungal and bacterial problems from the wetness.

I’m declaring war on my fungus gnats. I’ve officially had enough of them flying into the nearest moist area once the plants start to dry out after waterings, which are usually my nostrils, my ears or straight into my mouth. Also there are a shit tone of them in the ginseng ficus I’m trying to nurse back into health so I’m bringing in the heavy arsenal.

I searched in this thread and found some tips for remedies, but ended up just getting what was available at the store. I got Nematodes, which are some kind of organism that are supposed to eat the larvae of the gnats but leave the plant unharmed.

I nuked all my plants with the solution today so the holocaust has begun. They should be exterminated within 14 days.

Has anyone else dealt with these assholes?

Someone already suggested pings, but I find they don't deal with fungus gnats very efficiently. Drosera (sundews) murder them at an insane rate. Get a couple and sit them in a dish of distilled water that you top up every once in a while. Never fertilize them, it will kill them. Drosera capensis is good for intermediate/cooler temperatures, Drosera 'Hercules' is great for warmer grow spaces, Drosera adelae for very hot rooms (always 60+).

 

[slide on an egg]

Do you guys have experience with anti mosquito plants? Does mint work?

 

[Anasa Tristis]

Do you guys have experience with anti mosquito plants? Does mint work?

For ambient mosquito deterrence, not so much. The mint oils need to be released and smell-able. (So crushed.) A concentrated oil applied to the skin works best. Skeeters are attracted to CO2- exhaled breath- and the scent of the mint oil masks that. Peppermint is better/stronger than spearmint.

I live in a high skeeter location. After a very rainy spring it's incredible for 12-16 weeks. (Regular rains can prolong it.) In broad daylight they'll bounce off the car hood and windows when you first pull up and park, they'll chase you from the car to the porch door and then they'll pile up on the screen after its shut. Usually by July it's better (the dragonflies and the swallows have shown up by then and make a dent) and it's just regular skeeter time when you have to avoid dense shade (like under trees), the edge and the interior of the woods, and wearing black. Unless you have a death wish you wrap up the day's outside work when the sun starts to go down. The clock is ticking there.

I've tried all kinds of stuff and the only thing that really works during a bad skeeter period is blasting myself from head to toe with Deet. During the other times I don't bother with anything unless I'm going in the woods or stirring up undergrowth on the edge of the woods.

 

[MadDisaster]

Does anyone know anything about ivy? I was given one as a gift, but after six months the entire thing went dry overnight - all the leaves were dry, stems still bendy, so I thought it might have gone dormant. How can I tell if it's dead or dormant, and how can I revive it if it's still alive?

I hate ivy; I have no luck with them. The person who gave it to me really overestimated my abilities with plants.

 

[Me•cha•ni•cal]

wandering jew lol

lol this reminded me of a meltdown someone had over a user posting a photo of their wandering Jew to the house plant subreddit

Does anyone know anything about ivy? I was given one as a gift, but after six months the entire thing went dry overnight - all the leaves were dry, stems still bendy, so I thought it might have gone dormant. How can I tell if it's dead or dormant, and how can I revive it if it's still alive?

I hate ivy; I have no luck with them. The person who gave it to me really overestimated my abilities with plants.

They don’t need a lot of water or attention, I water mine once a week. Most important thing is to keep it out of direct sunlight. I’m not sure if indoor plants go dormant in the same way as outdoor plants so I think it might be dead. But ivy is resilient so try cutting down some of the dry branches, water it once a week and keep it in a shady spot. Might be worth trying if you’re going to throw it out anyways.

Update on the great fungus gnat war of ’26: They have been defeated. It’s been about 2 weeks now since I dropped the nematode nukes. Its been a couple of days since I’ve seen or had to swat a gnat. Nematodes are definitely highly recommended

 

[Shakira Flabbergasted]

lol this reminded me of a meltdown someone had over a user posting a photo of their wandering Jew to the house plant subreddit

The plant subreddit that has the pedo flag icon instead of anything to do with plants? Doesn't surprise me lmao. If you happen to have a link or screenshots, I'd love to see the meltdown.

Edit: Thread tax below. I had to go buy a watering can today and couldn't help picking up this cute little jellybean sedum. It seems like the nursery mix they have him in is too moist, hence the moss. He'll need to be replanted in a well-draining succulent mix soon, but for now I'm leaving him alone so I don't cause too much stress all at once. Please ignore my etiolated echeveria in the back; she's in the process of gradual acclimation to new light conditions and she isn't looking her best.

 

[one_time_user]

Do you guys have experience with anti mosquito plants? Does mint work?

Not talking about like hiking but for your own yard man, mosquito buckets are a miracle. Not even joking. I have 1/3 acre yard and did 6 around the area and except for dawn and dusk got bit maybe once a day normally and just a couple during rain season.

I have the buckets and screening for the tops from last year but have already ordered dunks for this year and it's going to snow again.

I usually spend a portion of each summer day outside crying to the dog ,please go pooh please go pooh. now I have the yard lit up like the Berlin wall at night.

 

[Me•cha•ni•cal]

The plant subreddit that has the pedo flag icon instead of anything to do with plants? Doesn't surprise me lmao. If you happen to have a link or screenshots, I'd love to see the meltdown.

Finding something funny that you’ve once seen on Reddit is next to impossible. I think the houseplantcirclejerk were the ones making fun of them. They do however have an entire section about their stance on offensive plant names on their wiki.

Spoiler: The banner for the houseplant subreddit

Jesus fucking Christ I really don’t miss Reddit.

 

[Imp]

Three of my orchids are re-blooming! Well, one is blooming, two are budding. I don’t think number 4 has or will have buds. I believe one of them is second time re-blooming. It's about time to put them outside for the summer but I'm going to leave them on my kitchen table while they're blooming. I'll get pics when they are fully at it.

Also in plant survival good news: my red laceleaf maple did survive on the really negligent care I gave it last year. Here's to hoping we get some more regular rain this year. My peach tree bloomed and I should be able to reach it to get some peaches before the birds and squirrels eat all of them. My dock is torn up and I have to scramble overland to reach it. Last year I was still wobbly on my new knees and didn't venture into nature at all but this year, with the help of some hiking poles, I can get around my yard.

My monstera is all leggy and scraggly and sad. It needs a new pot and then I want to try to get it to grow up instead of making vines but I'm not sure how to achieve that.

 

[BeardedWall]

Update from the frontlines.

The chemical warfare has gone well. No spider mites are seen.. no webbing seen either. The problem is those bastards can go dormant.. so the nuking by oil continues.

I have a Drosera on the way.. the final solution for the remaining fungal gnats. Thank you for the recommendations.

I realized I didnt discuss the plants themselves.

I secretely love two of them more than the others so those I will mention. The first is my Plumeria.. which is relatively new only having had it for a couple years. It threw a major tantrum at dropped all its leaves from being touched. It does this regularly so I am used to its tantrums.

The other is an ugly tiger bark ficus I found for $3 in a home depo cast off pile. I got it in highschool and didnt know what it was. Ive kept it with me for 24 years. Its ugly, and always will be having started life so maimed (and 10 years of me not knowing what it was) but we are starting to look "bonsai like". The ficus dropped some leaves and looks "crunchy" from the mite bites.. but is starting its spring growth.

 

[SpiceyHuman]

Not a plant per say, but related.

Found this at a flea market for .50 today.
He now lives on my kitchen counter guarding my succulents.

 

[glioblastoma multiforme]

They don’t need a lot of water or attention, I water mine once a week. Most important thing is to keep it out of direct sunlight.

Agree apart from the direct sunlight, I have one I bought circa 2019 as a small plant that now reaches the floor from a high shelf and has never been in direct sunlight.

Bit worried about it now, some of the ;leaves are turning brown on entire strands. I got two new kittens a while back and anything dangly is a toy t othem. I've caught them pulling at it. Concerned they might have damaged it which would be a massive shame cos its so big now that its a huge feature of the room its in.

They've also dstroyed my monstera, leaves are too much fun apparently.

Three of my orchids are re-blooming! Well, one is blooming, two are budding

Well done!! Two of mine are too, Though I have 7 so maybe its less of an achievement. I've been keeping orchids since 2009 and still not worked out the patterns. The kitttens also knocked a lot of them off the windowsill multiple times which I doubt had helped matters, I need to top them up with some more orchid potting medium.

I generally spray mine a few times a week from a bottle with a small amount of orchid food.

Also I think @Lichen Bark (? its not coming up to tag you) recommended putting the quarantined ones with mealybugs in an airtight bag for a few days. I did this last year and it seems to have worked. Those ones aren't thriving but I imagine it takes time to recover from a years long infection.

Some of my bulbs are up. Next year I'm giong to disregard the advice of spacing them because every wild patch I see has tons very close together whereas mine are ust randomly spaced and lonely looking.

Going away in May so got to resist the garden centre til after that. Probably for the best, I always come out £100 poorer and am running out of space for plants both inside and outside.


Finally, I am somehow, I htink, managing to kill a pothos. Its in a space that gets little ligtht. I soaked it forgot about it, then went away for 5 days before Christmas so I think being kept in water that whole time did it in. We'll see. There's still some green leaves so maybe there\s hope.

 

[Me•cha•ni•cal]

Agree apart from the direct sunlight

Most important thing is to keep it out of direct sunlight

We agree then. Ivy likes it dark!

I almost killed one of my plants (a calathea I think?) this week by moving it to a window spot while spring cleaning. The plant that used to stand there was getting to big and blocking all the natural light coming in through the window so I figured I’d put a smaller one there instead. Three days later all the leaves were curled up and hanging low. Moved it back to its old spot and within 2 days it was back to normal!

I think maybe my ginseng ficus doesn’t like it bright either because when I think about it, it started dropping leaves right after I moved it to a brighter spot. I moved it to a darker spot so hopefully it likes it better there.

I got two new kittens a while back and anything dangly is a toy t othem

Ivy is toxic to kitties, please keep the plant out of their reach. I had mine in hanging pots so that my cat couldn’t reach them.

Some of my bulbs are up. Next year I'm giong to disregard the advice of spacing them because every wild patch I see has tons very close together whereas mine are ust randomly spaced and lonely looking.

How exciting! What bulbs did you plant?

 

[glioblastoma multiforme]

Ivy is toxic to kitties, please keep the plant out of their reach. I had mine in hanging pots so that my cat couldn’t reach them.

I've rerouted it so they can't get to it anymore. Didn't know it was toxic to them, dodged a bullet there, I'd be inconsolable if something I did hurt them.

How exciting! What bulbs did you plant?

I have daffodils and tulips. I forget the varieties but I chose a range to have ones that flower from early spring to late. We had horizontal hail yesterday so most of them look miserable but here's the least bad ones.




Does anyone know the reason they say to plant bulbs x inches apart? It just ends up with random flowers, espeically when you have varieties thsat flower at different times. Will anything bad happen if I cram them in, as long as I get some good nutrients into the soil?

 

[an_actual_reptilian]

Mother fuckin spider mites. Dead Bug spray aint doin shiit. My roses are a sufferin.

 

[BeardedWall]

Mother fuckin spider mites. Dead Bug spray aint doin shiit. My roses are a sufferin.

Bonide Captain Jack's Neem Oil is what I nuked them with. Seems to have worked. Unless you already used it just make sure the roses can take it and you can take the smell

Stuff stinks.

 

[big pauper]

Finding something funny that you’ve once seen on Reddit is next to impossible. I think the houseplantcirclejerk were the ones making fun of them. They do however have an entire section about their stance on offensive plant names on their wiki.

Spoiler: The banner for the houseplant subreddit

Wyświetl załącznik 8727575

Jesus fucking Christ I really don’t miss Reddit.

How the fuck is the story of the wandering jew anti-semitic it's a folk tale about why there are jews in europe

the person who told me it was called wandering jew was a fucking jew

 

[Me•cha•ni•cal]

~1 month update

-4 month update. I think I see a difference? What worries me it that it drops leaves like crazy. They go brown at the tip or simply just fall off. But there are new little shoots on the branches as well.




Please help me trouble shoot!
-Could it be root rot? Should I repot it?
-Am I not watering it enough? (Right now it’s once/week). The gnats are long dead and gone, but I did water it less while exterminating them. I’ve bought some plantfood and hope maybe some nutrients will help it along.
-Im not sure if I should place it closer to the window. I moved it to try to mitigate the leaf shedding but with no luck. All my other ficuses prefer window spots, should I move it back?

Spoiler: Peekaboo

Whoever had this before me sawed it at some point leaving a little stump, finally found a good use for it

 

[tack så mycket]

Does anyone know the reason they say to plant bulbs x inches apart? It just ends up with random flowers, espeically when you have varieties thsat flower at different times. Will anything bad happen if I cram them in, as long as I get some good nutrients into the soil?

I'd like to know this too. I planted loads of daffodils in the autumn, obediently following the directions on the packets to space them out, and now that they've come up they look a bit stupid and awkward, all standing around on their own. I've already decided that this autumn I'm just going to cram them in cheek by jowl and see what happens.
The other question I have is, what are you supposed to do over winter with pots that you've planted bulbs in? Can you just leave them standing around in the open, or should you put them in a sheltered spot?

 

[an_actual_reptilian]

Check out my harvest. Strawberry butt.