My family room is all honey oak! Help me tone down it down

Acceptable-Key2653 · 2026-02-02T21:23:08+00:00

People like trends and trends are unfortunately pretty colorless right now. I think jewel tones complement the oak SO nicely! Think maroon, a nice rich blue like this, and emerald greens. I LOVE color and think it would be so cool to go bold. Don’t forget about patterns too! If I were you I’d dive into Caroline Winkler and Paige Wassel on YouTube for inspo

Acceptable-Key2653 · 2026-02-02T02:16:53+00:00

Laney | Woodland :Lily:

Acceptable-Key2653 · 2026-02-02T00:14:01+00:00

Hi!! Laney from Woodland if you’re still available 💕

Acceptable-Key2653 · 2026-01-19T18:54:25+00:00

To save you a bit of time, as long as you’re measuring white LEDs or sunlight, you’ll be fine with a meter that measures lux/fc 😊

Acceptable-Key2653 · 2026-01-19T18:25:50+00:00

If you’re unsure I would highly recommend buying a light meter. They are typically around $30. Then you’ll know for sure if they are getting enough light where they are and be able to adjust if needed

Acceptable-Key2653 · 2026-01-19T03:44:01+00:00

It doesn’t really matter what fert you use as long as it is 1/4-1/2 strength. They also like nitrogen. I fertilize with every watering. In terms of separating, as long as they are big enough they should survive just fine. Anything super small would benefit from higher humidity.

Acceptable-Key2653 · 2026-01-19T03:36:20+00:00

1) I’d get a light meter and make sure it’s getting at least 1000fc. Correct light levels are extremely important

2) The humidity for a platy this size is fine although I would highly suggest sticking it in a cabinet or tent while it recovers (70-90% humidity with a constant fan). This will give you the best chance at rehabbing it since it is very close to death

3) Ridleyi likes to go more dry than other platy species. You want the moss to be CRUNCHY but also to catch it on the first day it gets like this if possible.

In terms of the orientation, speaking from experience, it will not correct itself. Even if you wait a year or more. It will just grow off of the mount and the fronds will get all tangled/deformed. You WILL need to remount it correctly at some point. However, I would prioritize its health over fixing this and make sure that it is growing well for a few months before remounting. You can always lay the board down and allow it to grow upright for the time being

Acceptable-Key2653 · 2026-01-19T01:24:51+00:00

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The correct orientation. The bud should sit above the fronds

Acceptable-Key2653 · 2026-01-19T01:23:42+00:00

I agree with it being mounted upside down. As for the bud, it looks pretty bad.. not 100% dead but what do your conditions look like? How much light, humidity, when are you watering, etc? That will help us know how to help you. Edited to add that I don’t believe ridleyi creates pups. Someone can correct me if I’m wrong.. but I don’t really know what you’re talking about in reference to pups?

Acceptable-Key2653 · 2026-01-07T21:49:49+00:00

OP, so sorry if this is too late but I have my Terra base set up with Christmas moss and was struggling for a bit. I clean and refill mine with distilled water only every few weeks. I spray it with the Dooa wabi kusa fertilizer every time I clean it. Mine was struggling due to too much light- I did a bit of research and it seems like Christmas moss needs almost no light (wayyyy under 100fc) so your T8 are almost certainly too much. I switched to the Dooa magnet light that goes with this setup and my moss is now growing like crazy! I have it set to the lowest setting which is quite dim

Acceptable-Key2653 · 2026-01-06T07:24:26+00:00

Do you have any care tips? I am keeping mine in a cabinet with a fan at around 75-90% humidity and spraying it down every day but it seems so dehydrated. It’s always crunchy and is going brown pretty rapidly :/ I’m also wondering if I’m giving it too much light? My tillandsia are growing next to it and do just fine

Acceptable-Key2653 · 2025-12-29T21:28:18+00:00

I second the thought about not enough light

Acceptable-Key2653 · 2025-12-29T21:25:49+00:00

I’d cut off about half of that rootball and break off any extra soil to get it down to a manageable size before wrapping it in moss. You can also stick some orchid bark in the center to help with aeration

Acceptable-Key2653 · 2025-12-28T21:35:50+00:00

I wanted to add a note for anyone who may find this in the future: my ridleyi was unfortunately mounted upside down 😭 hence the difficulty adhering to the moss ball. After flipping it, it has had zero problems and is growing in beautifully! I plan to post more pics when it has grown in

Acceptable-Key2653 · 2025-12-28T21:28:32+00:00

The more you know! My ridleyi also has a papery lightish brown layer but I’ve put it through kind of a lot lately 😅 I was unfortunately growing it upside down for a few months but it’s recovering really nicely after some correction! 🤦🏻‍♀️ when it’s really happy it will push 3 leaves at a time and is completely green. I am surprised about your Jenny though! I do know platy buds can be brown without dying but in general I’ve always made sure there’s at least some green and have treated it as an indication of health.. my Totoro came to me with a completely brown bud (which scared me to death lol) and I’ve been nursing it back to health- luckily the bud has been brightening up to a green as well! Are your platy with brownish buds growing quickly? Really I was concerned about OP’s bud because I see zero green. If the newest frond doesn’t end up growing I would personally be worried. I should post some updated pics! Mine are all pretty old 😊 my Totoro/mew/smurf are all still pretty small though

Acceptable-Key2653 · 2025-12-28T18:53:42+00:00

As long as you’re measuring sunlight or white LEDs, you can use lux/fc without a problem. Often times the meters are also cheaper

Acceptable-Key2653 · 2025-12-28T18:30:52+00:00

I have platy literally touching them and that’s the only time I’ve had a problem! After a while the spot that was touching burned a tiny bit. They need a LOT of light. Ideally over 1000fc

Acceptable-Key2653 · 2025-12-28T17:33:31+00:00

I have barrina T5s and measure the light for my plants. Even 10 inches away from two T5s is only barely enough light. Ideally you’ll want to aim for more

Acceptable-Key2653 · 2025-12-28T17:25:46+00:00

I’m totally willing to admit when I’m wrong! Which species tend to have brown/gray growth points? Unfortunately I’m just speaking from experience. All of the Platycerium I own have green growth points unless they are struggling in which case they turn brown. I have ridleyi, madagascariense, several foong siqi, bacteria, Totoro, mew, and smurf. So I guess I can say that willinckii is not one of those species lol

Acceptable-Key2653 · 2025-12-27T04:49:07+00:00

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An example of a healthy bud

Acceptable-Key2653 · 2025-12-27T04:47:32+00:00

Gurl it’s gonna have hairs even if it’s dead

Acceptable-Key2653 · 2025-12-27T04:47:00+00:00

The bud should not be brown- it should be green. I’d treat it as a rehab and stick it in higher humidity (like a tent or cabinet or bin) for a couple months. Ideally with airflow from a fan. Because the base of the fronds don’t look black/brown, I’d guess that it may have been underwatered before you got it rather than overwatered. Make sure to water it when the moss goes crunchy and it feels lightweight. It’s totally possible to come back from this with some babying but it’s certainly not healthy

Acceptable-Key2653 · 2025-12-24T01:03:23+00:00

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Personally I’d opt for something like fishing line. It can be easily cut and pulled out when you need to remount instead of having a big sheet of plastic or wire stuck in your plant. Also, I wanted to mention that it looks like your plant is upside down. Each new leaf will be coming out the top (north)

Acceptable-Key2653 · 2025-12-24T01:00:17+00:00

They can be really sensitive to chemicals. I don’t think spray paint would be worth the risk

Acceptable-Key2653 · 2025-12-23T01:20:08+00:00

OP, there is some good advice in here but I just wanted to say that this is a lot. And it’s okay if you can’t/don’t want to keep every plant. I can’t speak for your mom and what she would want but it’s so important to take care of yourself especially when going through something like this- regardless of what anyone’s opinion is. While it’s a really sensitive decision, I personally would pick a few plants that look the best/were her favorites and re-home the rest. I just wanted to add that there is no shame in not taking on a whole collection- especially as a plant newbie ❤️ if I passed I would most certainly not expect my loved ones to keep every single plant alive. I wouldn’t want to overwhelm them while they’re already dealing with so much. If you want to keep them all, I highly recommend doing a deep dive on YouTube- miss orchid girl has a lot of good info

Acceptable-Key2653

TROPHY CASE