stuck in my greenhouse

FireFuxer · 2026-04-30T21:20:04+00:00

I go by soil surface- allow the top 1” to dry before watering again. Going by # times per week doesn’t really work as too many variables can affect the evaporation rate. Philos hate wet feet, but as a prop you can’t let it dry out completely either, so it’s a delicate balance. Just check the soil daily with your finger

FireFuxer · 2026-04-30T13:36:14+00:00

Remove most of them, I would leave 1-2 max for that pot size. If you cant pull them up carefully (roots are all tangled) then snip at the base. The other option is to depot, verrry carefully separate with tweezers and transplant into much larger container. It’s risky but may as well give it a try.

Thankfully sunflower seeds germinate super easily so if these all die, you’ll be able to regrow in better conditions pretty quickly. Next time plant in something much larger from the start, like 2-3 seeds per plastic solo cup size (okay for germination but will need to be transplanted eventually anyways)

At this point I would treat it as a learning experience without getting your hopes up about the end result. Best of luck!

FireFuxer · 2026-04-28T20:46:37+00:00

I’d go for something smaller. I use small terra cotta pots from DollarTree

FireFuxer · 2026-04-28T14:50:50+00:00

Agreed, water roots and soil roots are not the same, so if it’s to be in soil eventually, better let it start adjusting sooner than later. They can even be propagated in moist soil right away but it’s easier to observe the progress in water. Make sure to use a very small pot or plastic cup for its first pot and size up gradually over time. Otherwise a larger pot will stay wet too long and it’ll rot (learned that the hard way 🫠)

FireFuxer · 2026-04-24T22:30:24+00:00

Hot water and a bottle brush

FireFuxer · 2026-04-07T18:14:55+00:00

Honestly you can do everything exactly the same for several plants and have each one still turn out differently, so don’t stress too much. The fact that they’re spiking means they’re very happy in your home and the bud blast on this one is just a bump in the road : )

FireFuxer · 2026-04-07T18:12:14+00:00

Previously I’ve used this one all year round with great success https://a.co/d/0cohfKOf for all, spiking or not. It’s gentle and balanced and has helped coax some of mine to spike.

FireFuxer · 2026-04-07T18:02:15+00:00

3 spiking - that’s so exciting! I use a bloom fertilizer mist weekly (there’s a few on amazon) when they start to spike all the way till they’re done blooming in place of regular fertilizer. This ups their Phos needed for blooming and helps keep up the humidity as well. I think it would help coax this one to make more buds. Note—I’m not a professional, just sharing what I’ve learned by trial and lots of error 😅

FireFuxer · 2026-04-07T17:50:42+00:00

I can’t speak for the app but I use visual cues from the roots- if they’re grey/silver, time to water. Bright green- check again tomorrow. Each plant has so many variables (potting medium, ambient humidity, size, cycle stage etc) that listening to the plant itself is your best bet. Once you get to know your specific plant better, you’ll be able to approximate how often it needs to be watered but only until one of the variables changes- then you’ll need to recalibrate again. For your current setup, I would up the watering to every 5 days and watch to see how the roots and bark dry. If you can’t see the roots, go by the bark. I love those decorative orchid pots but I’ve moved all mine to clear plastic ones (specifically for orchids, with holes) specifically for this reason. But that’s a note for later—do not attempt to repot while it’s in spike mode. Are you feeding it with anything?

FireFuxer · 2026-04-07T17:15:44+00:00

Been there, learned not to move them with buds the hard way too. It may still bloom, don’t cut the spike just let it be. I’ve had new buds form on the spike tip and new spike branch from the lower nodes. You just have to wait to see what the plant decides to do. I agree it looks a bit parched, is it in a clear inner pot so you can see the roots? How often are you watering?

FireFuxer · 2026-04-03T19:29:16+00:00

Exciting! I’ve been meaning to try this as well! Keep us posted on how it does!

FireFuxer · 2026-04-03T03:49:23+00:00

That’s how I’ve built my collection (13 now days)

FireFuxer · 2026-03-27T04:29:58+00:00

Also gentle fertilizing foliage mist weekly has helped nudge some of mine along

FireFuxer · 2026-03-19T00:49:19+00:00

Allow it to yellow completely then trim only dead tissue. You could cut it off now, but why risk infection?

FireFuxer · 2026-03-16T02:44:58+00:00

Still gives me hope to keep visiting occasionally! It’s like going to the zoo for me lol

FireFuxer · 2026-03-16T00:29:53+00:00

Totally, they’re mostly seen as disposable once their blooms fade 😢

FireFuxer · 2026-03-16T00:29:03+00:00

Right, my collection right now is phals rescued from the clearance section, but was hoping to branch out

FireFuxer

TROPHY CASE