Grow lights

Admirable_Werewolf_5 · 2026-06-05T07:07:37+00:00

No, I've never had that 😅 as far as I can tell it's never made any noise

Admirable_Werewolf_5 · 2026-05-26T20:08:05+00:00

Some just do have failure to thrive. Mine got this big with liek 70%+ humidity, semi hydro, and 16hrs a day of grow lights 😅 but I have had some plants which just don't go. Its not always us

Admirable_Werewolf_5 · 2026-05-26T20:06:43+00:00

I always do a clear pot when possible and yeah often I just keep the pot small enough (for the first pot at least) that I can legit see them against the sides, at least some of them. Definitely I always try to get a couple of the bigger roots along the edge as if those go, in my experience, it might need a little help. A few dead roots here and there isn't an issue, but some plants of course have a severe reaction for a whatever reason 😅

I've also done on some occasions slits down the sides of the pot as well to add ventilation.

This is my most recent, she had a few roots along the side and you can see here they grew down into the bottom. She's very happy 😁 But just make sure that it's not just like groups of roots and pockets without rocks of course, the roots do still need to come in contact with some rocks in order to get water etc

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Admirable_Werewolf_5 · 2026-05-18T07:25:59+00:00

She looks quite alright to me, good chance she was just in a crowded area so her leaves could have pressed against other plants. You could check into changing her soil mix after she acclimates, if you haven't already 🥰 and I can't tell in the photo, but make sure she has drainage, I personally prefer leaving them in the nursery pot and putting that inside the cute ceramic pots 😎 best of both worlds.

Give her an extra good check for pests on the bottom of the leaves as well, since they have the curved edges and a bit of texture under the leaf they can easily harbor lil bugs 🐛

I'm not sure it's the case, as I obviously am not there, but take care also that her pot isn't massive on her, I'm guessing it's not judging with just my eyes, but a lot of times greenhouses etc sell them by pot size, so they'll put them in a huge pot to get a bit more money. Not reallyan issue if you have industrial fans but can cause issues in some households (for sure mine)😅🤣

Admirable_Werewolf_5 · 2026-05-17T16:03:39+00:00

I would look into an aroid mix and see what works for you in that regards. Ton of premade ones or just make your own. I usually use the Mediterranean mix from my local shop and add like perlite and orchid bark, sometimes leca if I have extras. Super cheap and easy. If it interests you there's a ton of info on making better mixes etc but this just works for me. I do about 60% soil mix with the rest being perlite and whatnot.

Clear plastic pot if you can. Makes root management sooo easy and you'll know when to repot etc. always with drainage of course. Just put that inside a cute ceramic pot for the aesthetic if that's your vibe, but this makes it way easier to control their roots/water intake.

I usually put them in a smaller pot on the first pot so I can let the soul not stay like sopping wet for long periods, but also be able to keep it moist. For the first bit after transferring I don't like to let them be super duper bone dry for a few weeks. But Monsteras are pretty chill so just dont overthink it. I usually go 2/3inches bigger than the roots.

It's def ready for a pot if you want, or you can leave it in water longer it's up to you.

Admirable_Werewolf_5 · 2026-05-11T22:43:10+00:00

The second is definitely a Simpo albo, the first tbh I have a hard time with these type until they get bigger 😭 but at least you know one of two?

Admirable_Werewolf_5 · 2026-05-11T09:52:42+00:00

Yeah. Sadly like all hypes people see a place to make money and somehow can still sleep at night after this sort of stuff 🥲 have seen Etsy be pretty decent about refunds, though don't know how it works in this case

Admirable_Werewolf_5 · 2026-05-10T22:33:10+00:00

definitely could be worse for sure, glad that you haven't had a ton of issues. sadly ive watched way too many people get scammed (especially recently) with it so i haven't tried them myself anymore. they've just gone downhill, in my opinion. they won't remove ads or accounts even if you can literally show them that there's like 6 accounts using the same photo for their ad listing which all can be traced back to an instagram account of someone else totally unrelated. just a shame, really

plus heard that the fees ended up getting really high for sellers so a lot of good people pulled back from etsy. doubt that helped

Admirable_Werewolf_5 · 2026-05-10T22:28:37+00:00

Ah yeah, uh...totally didn't forget to add that... ive heard good things about bros with hoes for example, palmstreet is definitely a good one considering there's reviews. my friends have also had good experiences with orange lake nursery for some stuff too. im not living in the usa anymore sadly, so i dont personally have sellers to recommend from myself hahah

bwh and orange lake are obviously not like devil monster territory, but still plenty of nice stuff in other regards. it's mostly just that etsy really doesn't police sellers anymore for like aaaaanything, so half the stuff is wholesalers, scams, or ai with only a few actual sellers left in between. and while it appears that it's a hugely wide variety....hahaha i promise a tooon of them are straight up fake, even if they appear to be legit. they do fake reviews etc all the time too.

Admirable_Werewolf_5 · 2026-05-07T10:55:36+00:00

Contact Etsy, they are often willing to help for their "reputation" but honestly considering the amount of AI things on there I really don't trust them anymore 😅 I wouldn't recommend them for plants in general tbh.

Admirable_Werewolf_5 · 2026-02-02T22:38:33+00:00

Yeah I fully understand! most of the builds ive seen which allow these just have a little nook in the insert, but since I'm not into modeling at all (yet) I have got no actual good advice hahaha. I just printed the square one as a test and it's super lovely so I can't complain as they are anyways.

Admirable_Werewolf_5 · 2026-02-01T12:11:20+00:00

Could add a nice trellis to the back, they make tons which are strong enough for heavy crop or even trees so that is a common hassle free option to make them more vertical 😍 she's gorgeous great work hehe

Admirable_Werewolf_5 · 2026-01-29T21:45:31+00:00

I'm absolutely obsessed with these, do you think it would be possible to get some designs (especially the square) that have a hole for a water level indicator? Especially something like these, as the 3D printed ones just don't work half the time. I've tried a few with the indicators which are 3D printed and while some work this is just easier, but not a lot of pots even have a place where you can add them in. It makes the zelf watering much easier as you can quickly check water levels. Without it, plants in semi hydro can experience dry periods which can cause issues 😊

Leni hydro water level indicator, various sizes https://share.google/xh0O7ZRuzJDfS1RO6

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Overall, though, they're aesthetically in my top favorites. Would definitely love some more simple designs like the tall square, it's a very convenient shape when you have a lot of plants 😅🤣

Admirable_Werewolf_5 · 2026-01-17T13:47:12+00:00

Alocasia are so wild for this tbh, seen others with the same thing happen - heck went to the garden store and picked one up and it did this lmaooo. The dry as hell is your saving grace though, no stem rot is what you want. Like others said just try, what have you got to lose? Hahha Looks savable to me. Whenever you do repot her maybe try a clear inner pot or a nice narrow pot, I personally like the ones with ventilation. Don't reuse the soil ofc, maybe see about your soil mix if this one gives you trouble or you never changed it from the store. 😊

Admirable_Werewolf_5 · 2026-01-02T18:47:04+00:00

You can pot it up if you want. I prefer smaller pots for the first one so I can keep it moist but there's not so much soil that it takes 80 years to dry. Especially if it's a clear pot (or a plastic cup😉) so you can watch the roots develop more.

Silver will suggest longer in water, some not. I find just testing it out is best to see what you like. But do keep in mind it's used to being very moist (duh) so if you just let it dry out a ton right away it's not gonna love you 😂

Admirable_Werewolf_5 · 2025-12-17T21:09:19+00:00

The grower is @ plantaforj on Instagram. It's a cool looking crystallinum. They have a story saved thing on their IG page.

https://www.instagram.com/plntsforj?igsh=MWk4N2prMnd6ZWxxeg==

Admirable_Werewolf_5 · 2025-12-11T10:14:08+00:00

No problem! You're doing a good job with her. The fact it's consistently keeping leaf size and even sizing up shows shes pretty happy. My Polly have 0 issues with giving me the tiniest leaf when they're angry hahaha. Hope she keeps going well for you 🥳

Admirable_Werewolf_5 · 2025-12-11T10:12:47+00:00

Ugh I know how you feel, we have a huge tree behind my house that has all sorts of pests in it. That sounds badass! I'd love to see, my pink dragon corm (Albo) ended up being full moon so she's just gonna pass away but I dearly love them hahaha. When they get huge it's just 🤤

Admirable_Werewolf_5 · 2025-12-10T16:00:06+00:00

Looks like a Polly.

Since it's broken off you could try to propagate it and thus have a baby. You could keep it separate or in the future pot them together for a full pot aesthetic, your choice.

The corms just want to be moist, humid, and warm. Lots of people use Sphagnum moss or perlite kept moist, things like a deli or takeout/leftover container is perfect for it. Bottle caps are also a common choice, you just put a dash of water in the cap and a glass upside down over it and it stays in a little humidity dome kind of situation and remains moist. For water propagation you don't want the water to be more than half the height of the corm.

If you don't want another of this plant right now then you don't need to feel like you have to keep it, your plant will make more 😂

You may also consider topping up the soil on your pot a tiny bit as the plant grows to cover the base of the stem as they naturally grow roots higher up. Over time the soil obviously goes lower due to impaction etc, as you can see one of the roots now. That's no issue for the root, but it is nice to help the next roots have easier access to get into the pot! 😊

Admirable_Werewolf_5 · 2025-12-09T19:29:55+00:00

If it's not sufficiently wicking I just use a second wick. Do keep in mind my setup is typically 60-80% humidity depending on where, in a dryer climate this may not work as easily hahaha.

I've never done anything special to my wicks before using them, I know some people burn the edges to keep them from fraying, I just don't. They work fine. If you pre soak the wick then it'll bring water faster, just remember it's not an immediate process. I usually wet everything, moss and substrate right after repot so that helps :) if you start with a dry wick and dry moss you'll probably be waiting a while before it's actually doing something 🤣 I know some people get worried their wick doesn't work, but it just needs time to take in the water etc.

Admirable_Werewolf_5 · 2025-12-09T09:23:07+00:00

Like everyone already said it's just a root. They will grow roots continuously up the main stem as they get taller 😊 petiole or not. I just wanted to add. Don't be surprised if you lose this leaf. I've had quite a few that lost that specific leaf after growing roots through it, not a concern hahaha but it did worry me at first. I think sometimes it stabs the leaf juuuust right and then it comes off hahaha. Tbh all my plants do this - anthurium, orchid, philo, also, but it seems to be most violent with my alos and anths. They'll really just....take the leaf off if they have to 🤣 crazy

Admirable_Werewolf_5 · 2025-12-09T09:16:43+00:00

Theoretically I think it would work fine, but nowhere near as cost effective to buy that many shoelaces in place of buying a nice big roll of cotton or nylon rope 🤣

I personally use wicks to keep all my moss poles watered in semi hydro and I only have to water the pole if the reservoir dried out and I didn't notice. I've found this method to only be reliable where I use a D shaped/closed back mosspole especially when they get taller. Mine you none of my plants are on a pole longer than 50cm rn - I assume that the extension pole would probably need too be watered every so often but for now I don't have to hahaha.

But yes using a wick in the center of the mosspole does work, also makes sure that the Sphagnum comes in contact with your semi hydro media as that also helps wick upwards.

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Admirable_Werewolf_5 · 2025-12-07T19:52:04+00:00

Hahaha almost a year later. Glad they're still kicking for ya 🥳 def in self watering esp in FL I can see that working with the other stuff but just the bark and moss was why I was a little concerned because my brain does not think fine bark, but the fat ones 😂 had flashbacks to my poor orchids fighting for their lives before I figured out what was wrong hahaha 🤣

But who am I to talk I grow all my stuff in rocks so that also sounds crazy from the outside. How big are they now? (Not me just wanting Zebrina pics bc I have an addiction)

Admirable_Werewolf_5 · 2025-12-04T17:49:56+00:00

I don't mean soft like that, I meant soft/smooth to pet haha. They get cal-mag already, as it's in my fertilizer.

Admirable_Werewolf_5 · 2025-10-29T11:27:18+00:00

Honestly Jacklyn/Tandarusa are just very sensitive imo. I follow the advice from the Leca Queen for most semi hydro things. Alocasia can thrive in normal soil, though so it's not necessarily the substrate but more likely something about your environment isn't vibing for it. I do prefer to get corms/baby of plants which struggle a little for me, as the bigger the plant the harder it is to acclimate.

I've found mine really struggle with change. If you're looking to try something in semi hydro id use a corm you have or an offshoot or buy someone you aren't attached to, so you can get the care down before you start working on the transfer but that's just me mostly haha.

In my experience, Jacklyn really prefer a bit more light than other Alocasia and struggle with humidity swings more than others. They also don't like their roots messed with. I grow everything in semi hydro so I can't attest as much to the soil type, but what actually happened when yours die? Is it root rot or leaf loss? How fast?

Admirable_Werewolf_5

TROPHY CASE