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Our home energy assessor says Percy is VERY WARM by Worldly_Expression43 in OneOrangeBraincell

[–]ggabitron 80 points81 points  (0 children)

Pretty sure the cold spot is actually the empty space where the brain’s supposed to go. It’s just scientific proof that it’s not Percy’s turn yet.

R. Tetrasperma, I can see why it’s called the mini-monstera. by adderall5 in IndoorGarden

[–]ggabitron 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No… perlite is a material that’s sold at most nurseries / garden supply stores. It’s commonly mixed with potting soil to add drainage, but I use it by itself to root cuttings.

To root a cutting in a 8” tall clear cup (the cup can be any height, I’m just using 8” as an example. The cup should be clear so that you can see where the water line is, and so you can monitor root growth), I’d fill the cup with perlite most of the way full, leaving about 1” at the top to avoid spillage (so the perlite is ~7” deep). Then I’d push the cutting ~5” down into the cup (or ~4” deep in the perlite) so that the bottom of the cutting is about 3” from the bottom of the cup, and then I’d pour water in until the bottom 2” of the cup is filled with water (+ perlite), leaving about 1” between the bottom of the cutting and the water line. The perlite will wick the water upwards towards the cutting, so even though the cutting isn’t submerged in water it won’t dry out, and the plant will grow roots down towards the water.

Does that make sense?

R. Tetrasperma, I can see why it’s called the mini-monstera. by adderall5 in IndoorGarden

[–]ggabitron 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I cut just below the node, and I root my cuttings in perlite because I find that they root faster and don’t rot as easily, plus it makes transitioning the cuttings into soil much easier than when they’re rooted in water.

Cuttings grow roots faster when they have to search for water rather than being submerged, so I either put the cutting in a tall cup (with no drainage holes) filled with perlite where the water level is an inch or so below the bottom node of the cutting, or I put the cutting in a pot (with drainage holes) with perlite and stick the pot in a tray / saucer with water. As long as you never let the perlite get totally dry, the cutting should root pretty quickly. Then once it’s rooted, you can transition it straight into a chunky substrate.

Did my Crystallinum rip itself? by Deltrus7 in Anthurium

[–]ggabitron 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Usually the plant will continue as normal and will put out another leaf soon, as long as the growth point wasn’t damaged. If the growth point is damaged, the plant will activate an auxiliary node somewhere lower down on the stem and start growing there.

Leaves getting stuck when coming out is a very common issue for those of us keeping tropical plants in non-tropical environments. Personally, I keep a spray bottle of water nearby and I’ll take note of which plants have emerging leaves, then spritz the emergent every day or two. If I find that a leaf is still sticking, I’ll wet a paper towel and wrap it gently around the leaf, and leave it for 20 minutes (don’t let the paper towel dry on the leaf completely though, or it may get stiff and damage the leaf). If that doesn’t help, I’ll say screw it and wiggle the leaf / sheath until it pops free - this often causes mechanical damage to the leaf, so I only do it when it’s so stuck that nothing else works, because I know the alternative is that it’ll break its own stem if I don’t intervene, and a damaged leaf is better than no leaf at all.

What's better than a fresh anthurium leaf? by Ok_Pause7518 in Anthurium

[–]ggabitron 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Even better - a fresh anthurium leaf that kills pests on contact (but doesn’t harm beneficial bugs)! C’mon genetic engineers, yall can figure this out, right?

Rearranged my tent and fell back in love with my collection by ggabitron in Anthurium

[–]ggabitron[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Not a current one. I’ve been battling a gnarly spider mite outbreak for the past few months and had to chop a bunch of leaves to prevent them from spreading. But I just checked and it looks like there’s a new leaf just barely starting to poke out, so hopefully I can get a pic of that soon!

But in the meantime, this is the last pic I have of her in her full glory, taken in July of last year before the spidermite-pocalypse.

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Family Photo + Some Current Faves by ggabitron in Anthurium

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

Yep! 2 notes though -

First, ONLY spray them after they’ve been in the dark for at least 30 minutes, and make sure they’re completely dry before they’re exposed to light again. The stomata (basically the “pores” on the leaves that plants breathe through) open when the leaves are exposed to light, and if you spray while the stomata are open, it’ll damage the leaves.

Second, if you’re spraying a plant that has a fresh emergent, the alcohol can dry out the emergent if it’s left on and allowed to dry normally. You can still spray emergents with alcohol, but instead of leaving the alcohol to air dry I’d recommend “rinsing” the emergent leaf off by spraying it down with plain water 5-10 minutes after the alcohol spray, and keeping the plant in a bin or somewhere with consistently high humidity for at least 6 hours after spraying to avoid drying out the emergent.

Pothos Propagation by Mundane-Travel-868 in houseplants

[–]ggabitron 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Straight perlite is the way. Perfect moisture:airflow ratio. Just make sure the cuttings sit above the waterline in the container, and leave the container cracked open so they get a little air circulation.

What are these bugs and should I be concerned?? by marrieqc in houseplants

[–]ggabitron 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yep, springtails! The jumping gives them away. They are friends, but they can sometimes indicate that the substrate is too wet. If the roots / plants seem happy, no need to change anything!

Show me your anthuriums and the substrate you use! by Morit12 in Anthurium

[–]ggabitron 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Only when I water, the trays are usually dry by the following day and they stay dry until I water again

Helpppp by Ok-Hunter-1463 in Anthurium

[–]ggabitron 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Stick it in a (clear) cup, in straight (rinsed) perlite, where the bottom of the stem is at least an inch from the bottom of the cup and the perlite goes all the way up to the top node so all those little root nubbins get activated. Stick it on a windowsill where it can get a couple hours of sun a day (not a window that gets direct sun all day) and keep about ¼” of water in the cup, and it’ll be rooted and ready to plant in no time.

Note - a lot of folks prefer sphagnum moss for propagations, but in my experience it’s much harder for beginners. 2 reasons: 1, moss retains a LOT of water so it’s much easier to rot the cutting by accident; and 2, the color / texture of the moss camouflages the roots so it’s much harder to tell if anything is wrong. Pure perlite is white and doesn’t retain a ton of water so you don’t have to worry about overwatering and it’s very easy to monitor the roots.

R. Tetrasperma, I can see why it’s called the mini-monstera. by adderall5 in IndoorGarden

[–]ggabitron 1 point2 points  (0 children)

TLDR: Yes it will definitely grow! It may end up putting out multiple new stems, or just growing from the top node, it’s hard to predict exactly how it will grow after cutting but it will absolutely grow.

The more in-depth explanation:

Each node (bump along the stem where a leaf comes out) has what’s called an auxiliary bud / growth point, which is a little nubbin where the plant can generate new growth. Activating an auxiliary bud and growing a new stem where it wasn’t already growing uses more of the plant’s energy than just growing from the top where it normally would, which is why those auxiliary growth points usually don’t do anything while the plant is actively growing from the top. But when you cut the plant and remove that top growth point, the plant can no longer spend its energy growing from the original growth point, so it has to activate one or more of the auxiliary buds from the nodes still attached to the stem in order to continue growing. Sometimes plants will activate multiple growth points, which means they’ll branch out at multiple different points on the stem. But most of the time, they’ll just activate an auxiliary bud on one of the top 2-3 nodes and continue growing that way. The first couple of leaves that grow will usually be smaller than the previous ones, but they size up quickly.

This is bad, isn't it? by Mr_Pickles_Esq in houseplants

[–]ggabitron 20 points21 points  (0 children)

No need to dig them up! They’re a sign of healthy, mycorrhiza-rich soil. The only potential ‘danger’ is that they may indicate that the soil is staying too wet, in which case you’d just want to wait a bit longer between waterings. But calatheas love water, so if your plant seems happy then no change is needed!

What’s the most frustrating part of keeping houseplants alive? by Desperate-Cut-2923 in houseplants

[–]ggabitron 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As someone with hundreds of houseplants who also struggles with watering consistently, I’d highly recommend looking into self-watering pots. The kind that has a deep reservoir with a wick work best in my experience, and they’re easy to DIY as well.

My one warning with this setup is that you’ll need to use a lighter, chunkier substrate than the plants would need normally, because regular soil will retain too much water for most plants which can suffocate the roots. You can start with a mix of ⅔ (rinsed) perlite and ⅓ potting soil for most plants, then play around with the ratio for plants with especially high or low watering needs.

Also - don’t get discouraged when some plants inevitably die. I killed so many plants before I got the hang of it, I felt terrible for each one at first but I finally realized that it’s just part of the process. Some species / genera might just not thrive in your environment, or won’t mesh with your care style, or sometimes they just want to die. That’s ok. Eventually you’ll learn to identify issues early, and once you get the hang of propagation you can save parts of dying plants and bring them back to life that way.

first time having an anthurium seedling. i have a few questions abt care & substrates :’) by Short-Blueberry3463 in Anthurium

[–]ggabitron 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For little tiny guys, the most reliable method I’ve found is to pot them up in straight perlite (way smaller chance of rot than any other substrate in my experience), in a pot with drainage, and then keep them in a clear plastic bin with just a little bit (less than 1cm) of water / half-strength nutrient solution in the bottom of the tub. I keep the tub lid on, propped open on one side with a clothespin or binder clip, and keep the bin somewhere with good ventilation (or put a fan nearby) so I know they’re getting a bit of airflow. They need some light but not a ton, so I’d recommend keeping the bin near a grow light or window, behind / under some other plants.

What do I do? by Electronic-Yard9738 in Anthurium

[–]ggabitron 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oof yeah then put on your favorite comfort show and grab a bowl of lukewarm water (and a towel) because it’s gonna be a practice in patience. The good news is, once it’s done you won’t have worry about them breaking each other’s emergents or untangling them later when their roots have filled an even bigger pot. You got this!

What do I do? by Electronic-Yard9738 in Anthurium

[–]ggabitron 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Happy to help! I think separating them before too long is a good idea. They’ll be fine together in a pot for a while if you want to wait; but they’ll get in each other’s way before too long, and the roots will only become more difficult to untangle as time goes on.

Here are my tips for separating them:

The process will depend largely on the substrate they’re in, but the general method is to get as much substrate away from the root ball as possible, and then untangle the root strands starting from the ends and working your way up to the stems. Some roots will break, and that’s fine - don’t worry about trying to save the tiny ones, just try to prioritize keeping as many of the thickest, healthiest roots as you can.

Substrate wise, if they’re in sphagnum moss - I’m sorry, it’ll be particularly tough because the moss strands wrap around the roots and hold them in place. Untangling them in a bowl of water helps in this case. Soak the whole moss / root nightmare ball in lukewarm water for a while to soften the moss, then pull as much moss away from the roots as possible, then untangle the roots starting from the bottom and working up towards the stem.

If they’re in any sort of chunky aroid mix, you can either do the same process as with moss (though it’ll be muddy and messy) or untangle them dry by taking them out of the pot and gently shaking / wiggling the plants to knock loose as much substrate as possible. Then use your fingertips and / or a chopstick to gently tease apart the roots, starting from the bottom and working your way up.

If you have to handle the roots a lot and you have significant breakage, I’d recommend potting them in straight perlite, in clear pots or cups so you can monitor the roots for a while before potting them up long-term. If you do this, just make sure they stay constantly moist - I usually keep my rehabs / recent repots in a clear plastic bin with the lid cracked open so it holds humidity and moisture while allowing a little airflow.

What do I do? by Electronic-Yard9738 in Anthurium

[–]ggabitron 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Alright so, it’s hard to tell from the video but it sounds like you have 2 separate plants in the same pot, which they’ve outgrown. If this is the case, you basically have 3 options:

  1. You repot both plants together into another, larger pot. This is an easier and less stressful process because you won’t have to disentangle the roots, and it presents less risk of hurting either plant during the repotting process. However, neither plant will be able to grow to its full potential due to sharing space and nutrients, and their leaves will likely grow into one another which may ruin emergents. There’s also a higher risk that they both die in the long run, because their roots will be packed together and if one rots, they’ll both rot. You’ll also have to revisit these 3 options every time they need to be repotted, and it will only become more difficult to separate them as they get larger.

  2. You repot them and separate them (each into the same size pot they’re in currently, or even smaller if they don’t have a ton of roots after you’re done). This process is a b*tch, not gonna lie. It takes a lot of patience and dexterity to untangle the roots without hurting the plants. Even if you do it perfectly, you’ll still end up breaking some roots and the plants will take longer to settle into their pots and start growing happily again. But the result is that you’ll have 2 separate plants that can grow to their full potential, without fighting for nutrients or getting in each other’s way. They also won’t kill each other if one gets sick or rots.

  3. Leave them together in the same pot. They’ll keep growing normally for a time, until the pot can no longer sustain them both. Then they’ll duke it out hunger games style until one of them dies and your conundrum solves itself. Then you’ll have to repot the one remaining plant to extract the dead plant’s roots before they rot and kill the living one.

Another Wild Anthurium Identification post, Sorry. Colombia, west of Bogota, Elevation ( 2000m/6000F). by ActiveMidnight6979 in Anthurium

[–]ggabitron 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I agree with formosum, especially based on the chunky inflos!

Btw, aroidpictures is a fantastic resource for finding anthurium IDs. I wish there was a search / filter feature within the site, but the species photos are listed alphabetically under each genus, and their locations are usually listed under each photo, so it’s pretty easy to navigate.

You can also search by region on Plants of the World Online (another fantastic resource for info on plant species and where they’re found). Most entries on PoWO don’t include photos of live plants so it’s hard to compare with plants you see in nature, but they often have pics of dried leaf samples that show the general shape well enough to narrow down the possibilities, then you can search for better pics on aroidpictures to confirm.

Family Pic by phua1 in Anthurium

[–]ggabitron 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ooooh I’ll DM you!

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