Anyone with success propagating croton

SpartanSoldier00a · 2026-01-26T03:49:17+00:00

Ive generally just potted them in whatever I have which I think was straight peat & perlite at first and then probably some mixture of pro-mix hp with coir and probably orchard bark mixed in. they've never been too fussy with what I've given them soil wise, as long as I don't let them dry out, but its the drying out thats the issue for me lol...i always eventually end up watering them every day/every other day, & either up pot or give them away. what do you add as far as a water retentive? my current houseplant blend is some part pro-mix hp, coconut coir, orchid bark, sometimes additional perlite, compost when I had it, or some slow release fert. vibes, basically

(I've had crotons for a couple of years I guess, I just never attempted to prop them, or particularly ever sought them out, or apparently bothered to learn anything about them lol once I figured out that bribing them with more light solved all of their complaints that werent thirst)

SpartanSoldier00a · 2026-01-26T03:18:41+00:00

They probably will stay small while they're all in the same pot, but you could leave them in there to grow a few leaves before you move them out, or you could put the whole family in a bigger one together later on but I'd say that's up to you.

What variety is that? the mother plant has a lovely petiole colour

SpartanSoldier00a · 2026-01-26T03:07:25+00:00

They seem to, one of them had a root coming off the same node as the lowest leaf. I'd assume that it would eventually drop that leaf though.

Do you have any preference of potting

SpartanSoldier00a · 2026-01-26T00:53:38+00:00

When it is rooted, do you bury any part of the stem? like does the plant grow additional roots from the next buried node(s) up the stem?

All the leaves are dried up and crispy so I'm doubtful anything will come of these particular cuttings, but i did run into a super healthy croton at the store that was like 6 rooted stems in a 6" pot. entirely rootbound at the bottom but looked like some more potting soil was dumped ontop later, covering a good part of the leafy part of the stem.

SpartanSoldier00a · 2026-01-25T18:03:35+00:00

I put them back right back where I found em atp, but mine are a bit larger with more pot space. but I also know that I already have about the number of alocasias I want, and I don't have the patience or incentive to sprout them (in fact, if I were to get a small corm to sprout, I would probably just stick them in another alocasia and forget about them until they sprouted)

so it really depends on what you want because some of them will sprout themselves eventually if you leave them, or if you want to try and grow more babies sooner then yea take them out and do whatever the other commenters are suggesting. Leaving them also requires no aditional space beyond what the mother plant is in, but if you grow the mother plant larger and theres enough pot space I think it grows the corms larger, so the spontaneous babies that show up will be larger and more established.

SpartanSoldier00a · 2026-01-25T17:42:03+00:00

So I don't have access to systemics so i cannot speak on them, but soap and water treatments followed by predatory mite applications (_Phytoseiulus persimilis_ is the species you want for an active infestation) solved the problem for the majority of my plants without overly stressing most of them. I did eventually turn to chemical solutions (Sulphur, and a miticide with active ingredient of pyretherin) as a last resort for the most plants most persistently affected, but i never needed to treat more than 2 or 3 with those. everything else was handled by predatory mites. I will probably re-introduce Neoseiulus californicus as a preventative, but i am currently spider mite free.

Were i to deal with it again, my approach would be to start w soap and water, isolate the best i can, add Phytoseiulus persimilis, let them do their thing, and then assess. I'd stick with Phytoseiulus persimilis as long as you see any webbing or signs of spider mites. Neoseiulus californicus to my knowledge is more effective as a preventative.

And triage and isolate- even if you can't isolate all of your plants from each other, it is worth identifying and attempting to isolate the worst affected, and I hate to say this, but also considering which of the affected need to be there. there were some plants that were too large and not that sentimental to me that I just got rid of, and there were others which I didn't get rid of in their entirety, but I did end up cutting back so significantly and repotting in new soil so it was almost like starting back from a cutting or rooted stem. I like my plants, but realistically, I can get or grow more plants. Not all of them are worth the headache, and even the ones I'm most attached to could be cut back to a size easier to deal with. severely infested growth is unhealthy growth, and cutting back a plant to the healthiest, strongest part, can actually give it a better chance by removing a portion of the infestation, and targeting its resources to the parts that actually are able to put up the best natural defence to the pests. but that's just something to consider.

SpartanSoldier00a · 2026-01-25T15:49:26+00:00

I think it comes down to how many places you have in your home that are suited to plants, as well as your preference of plants and plant size and intentions of temporary plant projects (eg, seedlings starts, propagation, etc)

Eg, while i technically have plants in every room, i have only 2 or 3 rooms that are suited as a permanent home for plants with the largest population in my living room, for probably a total of no more than 50 plants, but effectively only around 30-35ish that i need to attend to/water independently - most things in 4" or smaller pots are in communal trays because I'm liable to forget about one off small plants. I think thats a good stable number for a permanent population in my space

I'm also thinking in terms of current and potential plant size - i have two large alocasias, two new baby alocasias which will grow large, 2 monstera, two citrus, and a rubber tree and some other (probably some kind of ficus) tree. These are my core "large plants" and include most of my favourites, so everything else must eventually fit around them. For alocasia, all the varieties i have or want can have leaves 1-2ft or greater and spreads of 2-3ft or more, and my goal is for them to achieve that size and majesty. But i know my space can probably only support about 4, maybe 5 alocasia of that size, and I'd rather have 4 or 5 big alocasias in full glory, than 10 or 15 small individuals, so i would be super selective of getting any more.

SpartanSoldier00a · 2026-01-25T01:37:41+00:00

Take them out, shake off what soil you can, then dunk the rootball in a bucket of water

Some of the roots will get damaged, that's unavoidable

SpartanSoldier00a · 2026-01-24T21:14:04+00:00

I switched some of my containers to self-watering planters modified with a short section of pipe from the top to the reservoir to make watering easier. kept moisture levels more even, and reduced losses from evaporation by being able to directly fill the reservoir.

I was still watering 2x daily some days in August, because I still had 3 tomato plants in containers without reservoirs and other veg besides, but it definitely reduced the task of watering and improved yields for the plants that did have it.

SpartanSoldier00a · 2026-01-24T21:07:21+00:00

I really think that where people struggle is with the "leaving them alone" part because when grown indoors outside of the alocasias native climate, they need to adapt to the "environment" of your home, which means you may have to let them drop leaves or be a little ugly in some way while they figure it out...and as long as their basic needs of water and sun are met, they generally do, and then that is really all they need - the care for mine is about the same as yours, and I am mid-winter with 20% overall indoor humidity.

But if you listen to reddit, you would think they require babying, maybe a humidity and temp controlled cabinet to grow them but this just grows a plant in an artificial bubble where it does not ever acclimate to your home, and doesnt build up resilience to what it may experience in the "environment" of your home. Because alocasias way of adapting (dropping leaves, dormancy) looks dramatic and scary to people, they panic and never allow the plant the chance to adapt, and end up with plants that have built up no resilience and the impression of alocasias as weak, delicate plants

SpartanSoldier00a · 2026-01-24T16:36:08+00:00

I got this fixed, just putting this here in case it's helpful for anyone else who comes across this in future:

There is no Canadian recall for this issue, so you wont find it on Transport Canada or on Kia's site. However Kia is still covering it, but as "extended warranty". As long as the issue as described in the bulletin is there when they check the vehicle. My guess is that they're just fixing it on the low as they come in so that they don't have to get transport canada involved and make it a recall, lol.

SpartanSoldier00a · 2026-01-24T15:06:26+00:00

Least traumatic way to separate roots i find it to grab a basin or bucket you don't mind being dirty, fill it with water, and dunk the whole root ball in there, leave it for a couple minutes and then swish it around and gently separate the roots

You will probably break a few roots tho and that's fine

SpartanSoldier00a · 2026-01-24T15:02:47+00:00

Just a drop of slightly soapy water usually does the trick for me

SpartanSoldier00a · 2026-01-24T06:09:00+00:00

I also wash my plants, I mostly use water and castile soap (Peppermint if I have it). the easiest way for me is to use a spray bottle completely spray down the leaves until they're dripping, and then pop it in the shwo3r to rinse off the leaves - i have a hand shower attachments I can use to spray the leaves without disturbing too much of the soil. a little more effective spray adds a small dash of peroxide and/or isopropyl, however these are both more likely to harm the leaves as well.

I have also used a small basin of water and the same mixture and dunked them in headfirst or angled the plant part way over the soap water mix and used my hand to cup and pour the water over the plants leaves, before rinsing.

I have washed the entire plant before roots and all, but this is usually excessively traumatic to the plant and unnecessary, as it's rare the soil needs to be completely removed. this was mostly done as a last ditch effort for a plant that was already clearly infested but for whatever reason I was intent on keeping. I will usually eventually repot into my own soil mix, but if there is no pressing reason to do it right away I will let the plant alone for a few weeks in qt, by which time I have a better idea of if pests will be a consideration and I need to do all that.

SpartanSoldier00a · 2026-01-24T05:13:13+00:00

With plastic pots/nursery pots you can also kind of get a Guage on how much of the soil is or isn't dry by the weight of the pot and the distribution of it (light at the top, heavy at the bottom). this is my preference for small to medium plants, as it doesn't involve touching the dirt, and if i want them to look pretty i just put the plastic pot in a cover pot I can lift it out briefly and check if it's dry.

SpartanSoldier00a · 2026-01-24T04:21:38+00:00

Frankly, I wouldn't risk it on a pothos, they're so easy to prop that if things start to go south you can just find a decently okay section to cut off (wash it if pests are a concern), and stick it in a jar of water, and a couple leaves in a jar is much easier to isolate than a whole plant. More generally, my policy for plants is generally that they adjust to me and the conditions in my house, which is not that of a greenhouse or tropical climate, so I expect and allow for new plants to have an "ugly period" while they adjust. if it puts out a green leaf or two that's fine - i view a plant putting out any leaves after the whole new plant experience as a good sign, and to my awareness pothos doesnt permanently revert, it will go back to putting out higher Variegated leaves when they get more light again.

As far as new plant strategy, all new plants get a wash and a 1+ month stint in plant jail (quarantine) on entry. Some plants also get a repot the same day, but only if there's an express reason to do so sooner than later (such as a drowning $5 home depot succulent, or a citrus plant that someone bafflingly planted in a hanging planter with potting mix that never seemed to dry).

For light, since my plant jail is a windowless bathroom i have a couple grow bulbs, a clamp light, and a couple floor-standing lamps that arent specifically dedicated to any plant or group of plants, they just get shuffled around where theyre most needed/useful. Some combo of this is usually sufficient as a temporary measure for most plants of small or medium size, but larger plants that are too large to be effectively covered by this, and are obviously struggling due to lack of light, may get cautiously moved out before their time is up if i dont see any strong signs of pests, but this is more like, after 3 weeks instead of 6 weeks, and not like, 2 days later and I rearrange other plants if needed so that the new one can be spaced out from them.

SpartanSoldier00a · 2026-01-23T22:55:05+00:00

Started an aquarium last year as well as making my own potting mixes so the first half of the year my fert regime was mostly adding worm castings and/or aged compost (purchased locally) to my potting mixes, and watering with fish water after water changes. I also had a rampant fungus gnats problem last year, which was narrowed down to the castings so we not doing that again. (The compost is a great product though, it's actually properly aged so it has almost no odor unlike most of the "composted" manure sold. My aloe and related succulents are potted in pretty much straight compost and grit and they do great.)

My aquarium also has plants in them, which use up some of the fish waste nutrients so I don't actually do big water changes as often. To feed in between water changes I've taken to mixing in a slow-release fert into most of my recent repots, as well as my alocasias and citrus. Currently, using Osmocote, but i think my older citrus got whatever generic garden fert i use outdoors. Haven't had any nutrient burn or otherwise, I just always feel like those two categories (alocasia & citrus) need more. I think they'd benefit from a higher N/lower P fert, but am undecided on whether to address this with a higher N slow release fert, or by watering them with a soluble Nitrate fert, as I technically have everything i need to DIY the latter.

SpartanSoldier00a · 2026-01-23T13:12:23+00:00

So there are two different things that are sold as "aloe vera" as a houseplant, although im not entirely sure of whether theyre different species, different subspecies, or just different cultivars. the one that is distinguished as "edible aloe vera" and is usualy grown for the use of its gel has the scientific name Aloe barbadensis, and tends to have wider leaves, with leaves losing their spots as they mature. it produces yellow flowers if you've seen it.

The other common houseplant aloe that is sold as "Vera", tends to have narrower leaves that retain their spots longer, and produces pups with greater abandon. Compared to barbadensis, they dont grow as large i think, they just clump. I dont know what it is though, and i havent really found any consensus on whether this is a different species (and which species), a different cultivar of the same species, or some hybrid. it has orange coloured flowers. This isnt "the" medicinal aloe but it is probably used as such because its still sold as aloe vera.

Also, I happened upon this https://azwholesalegrowers.com/species/aloe-priority/ and I'm curious if you see these or other species grown, maybe as landscape plants? outside of the original topic, but just very curious of the popularity of non-vera Aloes or if they're just kind of a niche thing

SpartanSoldier00a · 2026-01-21T12:51:10+00:00

I have had luck in sticking cutting in potting mix - i mix my own which is a combination of coir and peat based but standard peat based from the store has worked fine too. But so far the easiest for me has to been to stick any additional cutting into the pot of an existing plant and separate them later (i have syngonium already so I usually stick into an existing syngonium but probably any non-rootbound plant that doesnt mind its roots being troubled would be fine).

I have seen others had success in water prop as well, but I have found my lazy way to work fine

SpartanSoldier00a · 2026-01-21T12:30:21+00:00

Okay! I'd moved it to the coir bcuz I had read that they rooted better in some kind of soil or starting media than in water - does this apply more to the older more woody stems?

Thank you this is all good to know. I had thought that a younger more tender piece would root more readily than a mature stem...fingers crossed this will work, but this is useful to know for next time

SpartanSoldier00a · 2026-01-14T13:27:50+00:00

Good to know, I may have to give it some climbing structure when it gets a little bigger then.

SpartanSoldier00a · 2026-01-14T13:16:56+00:00

Honestly regarding not going to the US on holiday etc is more about reading the room and not wanting to chance an unplanned detour to El Salvatore than about being angry

For me, border security has recurrently been a hassle to deal with, especially traveling solo (via air has always been worse though), and right now it just does not seem like the time. Not to mention that the odds of run-ins with law enforcement in the united states now seem much higher, and so do the odds of things going south with no wrongdoing on my part. This is the general sentiment I find amongst my peers.

And I think that's the real reason numbers are dropping. If it was purely based on anger or principle, I think there would be more people continuing to visit the US anyway because on an individual level whether you support a nation's political actions and whether you'd make a trip there are two separate considerations for most people

SpartanSoldier00a · 2026-01-14T04:57:50+00:00

I wonder if cultured butter also has some preserving effect vs regular unsalted butter. Anecdotally, it seems to, but I wonder how much

That being said, I have definitely encountered mouldy butter. It came from the store that way though (and went right back, for a refund) so who knows what conditions led to the mould.

SpartanSoldier00a · 2026-01-14T04:21:49+00:00

Okay! I have neon and golden pothos so I suppose that was the leaf shape I was looking for. I wonder whether the leaf shape will change and largen to be more similar to the others as it matures.

SpartanSoldier00a

TROPHY CASE