My thumb might be turning green :)
I know some of you have never heard the phrase so let me explain it. Having a "green thumb" means that you can successfully grow and keep plants alive. My mom has a green thumb but somehow all of the knowledge I was given as a child did not help. Almost every plant I have owned has sadly suffered a long death.
I really do love plants so I read this article and tried to stick with plants that were easy. My Ivy died, my dracaena is close to it, my bromeliad looks pretty sad....the only one still thriving is the snake and spider plants. So I spent some time researching what could possibly be going wrong and how to tell.
My Ivy...I think it just needed more water more often, it dried out between waters so I think it needed a better soil and more attention. I was able to cut the ends that were still green and put them into water....and they are growing roots. A very exciting thing to watch...well not literally, just to see the growth everyday :) After seeing that I could get some roots to grow I asked the neighbor if I could have a snip of her enormous pothos. Hopefully it grows roots as well.
It's so much more fulfilling to grow things from scratch, like my husband's spinach he is proud of. We were able to grow spinach well in Germany so we wanted to do it here when we found out that you actually grow it in the winter in Texas. Its coming along quite well in just a week and a half!
My dracaena started dying and my examination revealed that it was actually overwatered. The stalk was really soft so I dug out the roots and found that half of them were super mushy and rotted. I read that there is a little hope I could save it. I took off all the dead roots leaving the healthy ones and potted it in some moisture control soil. I had my husband drill some holes in the bottom of its pot as well to ensure it has good drainage. I haven't watered it yet, the soil came out of the bag pretty moist so I am letting it dry out a little until I give it some more. I'm hopeful it will come back to life.
My bromeliad was looking really bad but apparently that is what happens when it gives birth...yes it had a pup! Bromeliads reproduce after they flower. We bought ours with a flower already in bloom. When it started dying I just assumed it was garbage. But it actually has a small "pup" at the base that is very green and healthy. I will take off in a few weeks and replant it. I've also been giving it distilled water because I noticed a hard water residue in its cup, the base of the leaves where you water it.
Then there is my snake and spider plant, regardless of the nasty water saturated dirt I pulled them out of when I replaced it with the moisture control soil, they are thriving just fine. My husband had the job of potting them and put them in outdoor soil so I replaced them with potting soil. They didn't seem to mind but oh my goodness it was so watered down and raunchy. I'm glad he knows not to ever do that again.
We are leaning to better care for plants, its a lot of work and definitely a learning process. If you have any tips please share them with us below :) Thanks!
I really do love plants so I read this article and tried to stick with plants that were easy. My Ivy died, my dracaena is close to it, my bromeliad looks pretty sad....the only one still thriving is the snake and spider plants. So I spent some time researching what could possibly be going wrong and how to tell.
My Ivy...I think it just needed more water more often, it dried out between waters so I think it needed a better soil and more attention. I was able to cut the ends that were still green and put them into water....and they are growing roots. A very exciting thing to watch...well not literally, just to see the growth everyday :) After seeing that I could get some roots to grow I asked the neighbor if I could have a snip of her enormous pothos. Hopefully it grows roots as well.
It's so much more fulfilling to grow things from scratch, like my husband's spinach he is proud of. We were able to grow spinach well in Germany so we wanted to do it here when we found out that you actually grow it in the winter in Texas. Its coming along quite well in just a week and a half!
My dracaena started dying and my examination revealed that it was actually overwatered. The stalk was really soft so I dug out the roots and found that half of them were super mushy and rotted. I read that there is a little hope I could save it. I took off all the dead roots leaving the healthy ones and potted it in some moisture control soil. I had my husband drill some holes in the bottom of its pot as well to ensure it has good drainage. I haven't watered it yet, the soil came out of the bag pretty moist so I am letting it dry out a little until I give it some more. I'm hopeful it will come back to life.
My bromeliad was looking really bad but apparently that is what happens when it gives birth...yes it had a pup! Bromeliads reproduce after they flower. We bought ours with a flower already in bloom. When it started dying I just assumed it was garbage. But it actually has a small "pup" at the base that is very green and healthy. I will take off in a few weeks and replant it. I've also been giving it distilled water because I noticed a hard water residue in its cup, the base of the leaves where you water it.
Then there is my snake and spider plant, regardless of the nasty water saturated dirt I pulled them out of when I replaced it with the moisture control soil, they are thriving just fine. My husband had the job of potting them and put them in outdoor soil so I replaced them with potting soil. They didn't seem to mind but oh my goodness it was so watered down and raunchy. I'm glad he knows not to ever do that again.
We are leaning to better care for plants, its a lot of work and definitely a learning process. If you have any tips please share them with us below :) Thanks!