c/botany-lovers

Debate: Is it better to underwater or overwater a peace lily?

My peace lily started drooping last week and I couldn't figure out why. Turns out I was watering it every 3 days when it actually needed it every 6. My friend swears by letting them go bone dry between waterings but my neighbor says that shocks the roots. Which side are you on for a fussy plant like this?

Went back to my old college greenhouse last weekend

The place used to have this huge collection of carnivorous plants but now it's mostly succulents and pothos. I counted maybe 3 sarracenia left in the bog setup we built back in 2015. Anyone else seen their old botany spots get gutted like that?

A master gardener told me I was watering my herbs wrong

I've been growing basil and rosemary on my balcony for about two years now. Last month I went to a local plant swap at the community center and this older lady who runs a herb farm just watched me watering my pots. She said I was doing it all wrong, that I should water the soil directly and avoid getting the leaves wet at all. I told her I always misted them because I thought it helped with humidity. She explained that wet leaves on herbs like basil can cause fungal spots and rot the stems. Since then I switched to a long spout watering can and only soak the dirt. The leaves look way healthier now and I haven't seen any yellow spots. Has anyone else gotten similar advice from a seasoned grower that changed how you care for your plants?

The year I started cutting my philodendron stems instead of ripping them off

Used to just yank leaves off my philodendron when they looked rough and wondered why it kept getting all scraggly. Last spring I finally started using sharp pruners and making clean cuts right above a node and the new growth is so much denser. Anyone else make the switch from the pull method and see a big difference?

Swore by bottom-watering my succulents for 2 years until a rot I never noticed wiped out 4 plants in one weekend

I used to think bottom-watering was the only way to go. Every single care guide I read said it prevents overwatering and keeps leaves dry. Then I pulled a dead echeveria out of its pot last Saturday and found the bottom inch of soil was still sopping wet from a tray soak I did 8 days prior. The roots had been sitting in moisture the whole time while the top looked bone dry. I was basically drowning them slowly. Has anyone else tried switching back to top-watering with better drainage results?

Spent $40 on a soil thermometer and it saved my pepper seeds

I planted jalapeno seeds too early last spring and they rotted. This year I picked up a cheap soil thermometer at Home Depot for $40 and waited until the ground hit 65 degrees. My germination rate went from maybe 30% to over 90%. Has anyone else had better luck timing their planting with one?

The night a jasmine plant at the local arboretum changed my pruning style forever

I was at the Smithtown Arboretum last spring and saw this massive jasmine vine that was pruned so hard it looked like a stick bush, yet it bloomed like crazy. Made me think maybe we overthink pruning and leave too much foliage. Do you lean toward heavy pruning for more blooms or do you keep it bushy for the overall shape?

Heard a kid at the nursery ask why plants have 'old leaves' yesterday

I was at Armstrong Garden Center in Pasadena picking up some mulch and this little girl pointed at a dying leaf on a ficus and asked her mom why it was 'old.' It hit me how we used to just yank off any yellow or brown leaf without thinking. Now I look at those old leaves as the plant pulling nutrients back before letting go. Has anyone else changed how they see dying leaves over the years?

Pro tip: Picked a native oak over a maple tree last spring and my yard is way happier now

I had to choose between a swamp white oak and a sugar maple for my front yard here in Champaign. The maple would have given me those pretty fall colors but the oak is supposed to handle our clay soil way better long term. I went with the oak because my neighbor told me his maple roots are already messing up his driveway after 10 years. It's been 8 months and the oak has already put on like 3 feet of new growth with zero issues. The leaves are turning a deep maroon right now which honestly looks better than a typical maple. My only worry is the acorns dropping all over the sidewalk next year - has anyone dealt with that on a street tree?

The way people prune lavender into old wood is painful to watch

I saw a neighbor butcher a 6 year old lavender bush last weekend cutting it back to the woody stems, and now it will probably never regrow, has anyone else had to stop themselves from grabbing the pruners out of someone's hands?

PSA: Check the drainage at your local botanical garden before you visit after a storm

I was at the Denver Botanic Gardens last Saturday after 3 days of rain and the tropical greenhouse smelled like a swamp because the gravel drains were totally clogged, has anyone else dealt with soggy garden paths ruining the vibe?

Serious question, did the greenhouse manager at Longwood Gardens just save me years of frustration?

I was at Longwood Gardens last Saturday and the greenhouse supervisor saw me trying to prune my ficus at home like a pine tree. She flat out told me "you're cutting off all the energy pathways, stop treating it like a Christmas tree." Made me switch to thinning cuts instead of heading cuts overnight. Has anyone else had a random expert totally rewrite how they care for a specific plant?

Hot take: The botanist I met told me my watering schedule was killing my succulents

She said I was drowning them every 5 days, so I cut it to once a month and now they actually thrive. Has anyone else had a pro call out their basic routine like that?

Unpopular opinion: I used to hate ferns but a talk with a park ranger flipped me

I always thought ferns were boring filler plants until I hiked in Muir Woods last month and a ranger explained how some ferns have been around since the dinosaurs. Now I have three different varieties in my shady backyard and they add way more texture than I expected. Any fern fans here with suggestions for a hardy species that can survive a Minnesota winter?

My neighbor the master gardener told me I was pruning my roses all wrong

She came over last April and showed me how I was cutting too close to the bud, leaving those stubs that invite disease. Now I leave a quarter inch above the outward-facing bud and my bushes are way fuller. Anyone else had an old-timer correct their technique?

My Monstera Lost 3 Leaves After I Moved It - Was It the Light or the Stress?

I repotted my monstera two weeks ago and moved it to a brighter window, and now three leaves have yellowed and dropped. Is this just transplant shock, or did I cook the roots with too much direct sun? I'm leaning toward light burn since the damage showed up fast, but my neighbor says I probably overwatered after the move. Anyone else killed a plant by trying to improve its spot?

I finally figured out why my monstera was sulking for 8 months

Turns out I was watering it like a pothos instead of a jungle plant. Switched to soaking the pot once a week instead of light misting and got three new leaves in 4 weeks. Anyone else have a plant that bounced back after you changed one simple thing?

Had to choose between a standard potting mix and making my own blending peat, perlite, and vermiculite last weekend

I was repotting about 8 houseplants and my local nursery was out of the pre mixed bags I usually grab. Decided to try mixing my own and went with a 2-1-1 ratio of peat, perlite, and vermiculite. So far the drainage seems way better on my pothos and snake plant, but my fern looks a little stressed. Anyone else notice a big difference when they switched to custom mixes?

My best garden day in 3 years happened last Thursday

I walked out at 6 AM and found my tomatoes had all ripened overnight, about 15 pounds worth. The lady next door came over with a basket of her own cukes and we traded on the fence line. I grabbed a handful of basil and made caprese salad right there on the patio table. Has anyone else had a single morning where everything just works?

Hit 5,000 deliveries last Tuesday and it felt weirdly huge

I was just checking my app stats after a long shift and saw the number 5,000 pop up... never thought I'd actually care about a milestone like that. Has anyone else hit a random number that made them stop and think about how much time they've put into something?

Spent $40 on a moisture meter and it showed me I was drowning my peace lily

I kept seeing yellow leaves on my favorite plant and thought it needed more water, so I watered it even more. The meter read 'wet' for over a week straight after I stuck it in the soil. I stopped watering completely for two weeks until it read 'dry', and now new green leaves are finally coming in. Has anyone else had a plant that looked thirsty but was actually the opposite?

My entire greenhouse collection got root rot in the wet spring of 2019, and I had to start over from cuttings.

Warning: My coworker called her pothos a 'succulent' and I had to bite my tongue...

She was showing off her plant in the breakroom and said it only needed water once a month because it's a succulent. I gently told her pothos are tropical vines and like more frequent water, showing her my own that I water weekly in my Denver apartment. It matters because calling everything a succulent can lead to over or under watering. Has anyone else had to correct a basic plant category mix-up?

My aloe vera was getting brown spots until I moved it away from the window in my kitchen

I read online that direct afternoon sun can actually burn them, so I put it on a shelf about 6 feet back and the new growth is totally green now. Has anyone else had a plant that hated the spot you thought was perfect?

Shoutout to the guy at the plant swap who asked about my watering can

I was using a big metal can for all my indoor plants, and he pointed out the mineral spots on my maidenhair fern's leaves. He said, 'You know that's from tap water, right?' I switched to rainwater for my ferns a month ago and the new growth looks perfect. Anyone else have a plant that's super picky about water?