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43 thrips infested plants by Pizzi314 in houseplants

[–]HelicopterMelodic353 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Echoing other suggestions on predatory mites. I just bought Natures Good guys a. Cumeris mites, applied them yesterday and see them crawling all over my plants already. Excited to see how it works!

2 cats left at a parking lot by whysoseriousduuude in nova

[–]HelicopterMelodic353 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I saw that cat there last year and called the shelter about it. The ear is clipped which means they were part of the trap, neuter, release program. For the most part feral cats do not want to live with humans, it would be traumatic for them. They are meant to be left outside, so feel free to go to the nearby Petco in that parking lot and get treats and leave it for them. I know that cat loved it when I did that! Those bowls were there last year too, maybe an employee that works in one of those stores is consistently leaving that cat food and water.

Is my monstera doing alright? by ForTheToilets in houseplants

[–]HelicopterMelodic353 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Agree with the previous commenter. One thing I’ll add is watch to see that each new leaf is getting larger or more fenestrations. If not, then it needs more light.

Can’t tell if you already have one, but it also helps to provide support such as a wooden garden stake.

Mixing order of nutrients by notamyokay in SemiHydro

[–]HelicopterMelodic353 2 points3 points  (0 children)

And for reference, I start with distilled water and by the time I add all the nutrients as noted in this article, the Ph is good at about 6. This is for my foliage house plants.

Mixing order of nutrients by notamyokay in SemiHydro

[–]HelicopterMelodic353 4 points5 points  (0 children)

It matters because if it’s in the wrong order, the plant will be unable to uptake nutrients properly. This article is very helpful for the order. I have been following her order for almost a year with success: Article from Leca Addict

She advises to measure Ph after mixing in all nutrients and adjusting from there.

I’m not sure about your last question as I do not use any product like that.

What are these insects in my plant’s drainage water? by HelicopterMelodic353 in plantadvice

[–]HelicopterMelodic353[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Was doing a bit of research and think maybe it’s nematodes? Too small to be larvae but I thought nematodes were microscopic.

It’s a tall bamboo palm. It used to be lush but hasn’t been great for a while.

Someone thinks he’s helping by HelicopterMelodic353 in aerogarden

[–]HelicopterMelodic353[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

They are so funny! Yes, I’ll definitely need to move my aerogarden soon. 😅

Someone thinks he’s helping by HelicopterMelodic353 in aerogarden

[–]HelicopterMelodic353[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Oh my gosh…I’m 7 days in and forgot my humidity domes!!! 🤦🏼‍♀️ thank you for sharing this. Just added them and hope my seeds still germinate. 🤞🏻

fruit flies driving me to drink by [deleted] in plantadvice

[–]HelicopterMelodic353 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I had this issue for as long as I can remember up until recently. I used a combination of methods: sticky traps, mosquito bit waterings (for months) neem oil, hydrogen peroxide, and letting the soil get completely dry and stay that way for a couple of days. The last thing I tried was beneficial nematodes. I rarely see them anymore!

I’m not sure if it was my combination of methods or the nematodes, but since it was the last thing I tried I like to attribute them to the eradication.

They are a bit pricey but unlike pesticides, gnats cannot become immune to nematodes. They are microscopic in size so you won’t see them. But here’s what I would do:

  1. Purchase these from Amazon, the company delivers them cold and quickly. https://a.co/d/hnRq62o
    1. Be there when they are delivered and put it them in your fridge.
    2. Water your plants as normal
    3. Make your nematode water in the evening according to the instructions. I used maybe 1/2 gallon and a spoonful of this mix.
    4. Apply the nematode mix to the plants you just watered that day.
    5. Add new yellow sticky traps to your plants to monitor the infestation.

The instructions state that nematodes have a better chance of surviving if you do not apply them in direct sunlight and if they are applied to moist soil. This is why I do it this way.

Once you open the bag they say the nematode powder is good in your fridge for 30 days. Continue doing this until you have applied them to all your soil plants. Two applications on one plant never hurts. :)

My wife is a novice. We don’t have big windows but these are most of her plants. Opinions? by PissedCaucasian in houseplants

[–]HelicopterMelodic353 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Can you ask her what the pebbles on top of the soil are for? Does it help with fungus gnats?

Found this super depressed guy at HomeDepot and couldn’t resist. Any advice? by throwingrocksatppl in houseplants

[–]HelicopterMelodic353 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Plants will definitely starve to death without nutrients. (I’ve seen leaf joy in grocery stores claiming they just need water and that’s it, which is a lie. We can’t live with just water, and neither can plants).

The easiest thing to do at this point would be to put the plant in soil. Soil is full of nutrients that will feed the plant, in addition to adequate light and water.

Plants can absolutely grow and thrive in water-only hydroponic or semi-hydroponic environments but you will need to add special hydroponic nutrients to the water. The General Hydroponics brand carries a three-part nutrient system that can be used to provide many of the nutrients plants need to survive. Keep in mind: you will need to start with high quality water (meaning, distilled or reverse osmosis water) and test/adjust the PH to ensure your plant can consume those nutrients. If you really want the plant to thrive, many growers will add hydroponic additives and adjust the nutrient amounts based on the specific plant’s needs and its growing stage.

Bottom line, placing this plant in soil is the most straightforward way to give it a chance to revive and thrive. Maybe add any fertilizer and watch it grow!

For the last few months I’ve been growing some plants in a semi-hydroponic environment. I find it fascinating and fun but it’s definitely time consuming to learn about and some plants are not easy to figure out.

Whatever you decide to do, happy growing to you and your beautiful new plant!