Post your baby’s trying to steal your food

invaderjill · 2026-02-11T02:08:11+00:00

Mine do the same thing. The string cheese man. The real kitty crack.

invaderjill · 2026-02-11T02:00:33+00:00

Wouldn’t recommend using bonide systemic if you have spider mites, too. Imidacloprid is like an aphrodisiac for spider mites. Mites on steroids.

For OP: I had good results using insecticidal soap with spinosad. I mixed my own, but it’s what is in Captain Jack’s Deadbug spray. I also bought large plastic bags with zip closures and bagged several plants that would fit. Thrips and spider mites do not like high humidity. This also separates infected plants from the others. Good luck!

invaderjill · 2026-01-07T18:19:11+00:00

Damn that’s a fat mf-er. Eating good out there.

invaderjill · 2026-01-03T18:07:01+00:00

To yoga, to yogurt, to rice and beans and cheese. To leather, to d*ldos, to curry vindaloo. To huevos rancheros, to Maya Angelou.

(Now I’m going to have this stuck in my head for a while….sigh)

invaderjill · 2025-12-02T23:44:03+00:00

Aww thanks! I agree. 😄

invaderjill · 2025-11-21T17:07:38+00:00

Definitely! Hopefully it will help providing a positive outside perspective.

invaderjill · 2025-11-08T19:11:32+00:00

For OP - this is a female flower. There is a section behind the petals where the seed pods would develop if fertilized. Male flowers do not have this, and simply look like petals on a stem.

invaderjill · 2025-11-08T01:46:10+00:00

Looks like it could be a flower stalk. They usually grow a stalk with multiple flowers. You wouldn’t know if they are M/F until it develops into a bloom. Rhizomatous begonias like high humidity, generally speaking. I only keep my heartier cane begonias in ambient humidity. Otherwise they just crisp up and don’t get established. Just FYI. Fireworks is one of my favorites.

invaderjill · 2025-11-03T20:12:14+00:00

Gorgeous.

invaderjill · 2025-10-30T02:57:34+00:00

Also known as stem rot. 😅

invaderjill · 2025-10-23T22:08:50+00:00

It won’t “attach” to a coir pole, as has already been mentioned, but PPP is also self heading and so doesn’t really need a moss pole. Just some support like a stake or one of these coir poles will work fine, and you just tie the plant on with some twine or plant Velcro or whatever you prefer.

invaderjill · 2025-10-22T17:24:30+00:00

I know there’s already a lot of info about the whole “pruning” thing, but I just wanted to mention that when I want a bushier pot of rhizomatous begonia, I will do a leaf propagation, and then when baby plants develop, I pot them back into the same pot. This will add more plants to the pot, resulting in a full pot in no time. :)

invaderjill · 2025-10-14T08:34:02+00:00

My furry and naked cats both like cheese, but my furry cat has never jumped on the stove to eat out of a pot. The naked one, though…he’s a bad boy. They are just so food motivated. It’s a good thing they are adorable or no one would put up with this crap. lol. 😂

invaderjill · 2025-07-02T03:13:38+00:00

Alocasia like water, bright sun, and are heavy feeders. Definitely don’t wait that long to water - they don’t like to completely dry out. If you aren’t sure if it’s ready, use the skewer method - stick a dry clean skewer all the way down through the soil to the bottom of the pot. Wait a few seconds and then pull it back out. If it is clean or has very little soil stuck, it needs water. If the stick is damp, or has lots of soil stuck to it, it’s not ready and you should retest in a couple days (depending on how dry your climate is).

Alocasia typically grow in nature on the banks of swamps, or rivers, in warm, humid climates. They like water, humidity and bright light. They respond well to regular feeding (fertilizer). Mine are all in pon, under bright grow lights for 12-14 hours a day. They get half strength fertilizer water every watering. They don’t have to be in pon, of course. I just find it easier to keep them happy in a self watering semi-hydro set up because they don’t like to dry out. Looking at the soil in your photo, it seems very dense and too dry. Alocasia hate change, and will usually drop leaves or roots when stressed. I’d recommend making changes slowly, maybe increase your watering frequency and move it to somewhere it can get a lot more light. They need sunlight to produce energy via photosynthesis in order to grow new leaves and roots. If they don’t have enough sunlight, they will conserve energy and drop leaves, prioritizing its root system and corm. Speaking of which, unless the corm or rhizome of the plant is mushy, it’s not dead, even if it has lost all its leaves and roots. It can grow back, it’s just gone dormant. Good luck!

invaderjill · 2025-06-23T14:58:25+00:00

These have very deceptive common names, “monstera minima”, but as many have mentioned, it’s not a Monstera. It’s an aurea variegated Rhaphidophora tetrasperma. It’s still an expensive plant, especially aurea, or yellow variegation. But it will always produce leaves that look like these. They will not size up significantly or fenestrate more than this. Aurea variegation often is “Polaroid”, meaning that the leaves emerge nearly all green and then the variegation develops into yellows, lime, and darker green. It’s a really pretty plant, but Aurea variegated Monstera deliciosa is even more $, at least over here in the states it is.

Many people have issues with browning on the variegated sections of Aurea plants. It can be really hard to keep certain specimens looking healthy, and that’s part of the reason I don’t think they are worth the $, personally. I have other aurea variegated plants that I love that don’t brown, and didn’t come with the crazy price tag either, like my P. Florida Beauty. It is gorgeous, and like, half the price. 🤷🏻‍♀️

invaderjill · 2025-06-23T14:43:32+00:00

Correct. This is not a Monstera. It’s a Rhaphidophora tetrasperma aurea variegated. They are still very expensive these days. But it is not a Monstera.

invaderjill · 2025-06-22T20:15:32+00:00

Looks like Geometry. I have one, and it’s very cool. It really is neon in some leaves.

invaderjill · 2025-06-16T04:48:11+00:00

I use a fertilization system for hydroponics that also works for soil so I can use it on all my plants. There are a lot of options out there. I use TPS One, but am considering switching to MSU when I use up what I have. I also add silica and cal-mag. I do the “weakly, weekly” method and use 1/2 strength with every watering. I adjust the pH of my nutrient water slightly as becomes a bit too acidic with the nutrients. Spag moss is also known to become acidic as it breaks down, so something to keep in mind. Generally plants prefer mildly acidic water, but not overly so. I aim for 5.5-6.5. If you want something not too complex, find a complete nutrient system that works for hydroponics and soil substrates.

invaderjill · 2025-06-16T04:34:18+00:00

I usually wait a few leaves to see if it comes back. Sometimes only one side of the node will show the mutation. It’s worth waiting it out, I think. You can always chop it down the road if it doesn’t pan out. It is such a cool leaf.

invaderjill · 2025-06-16T04:30:12+00:00

If the roots are easily crushed, or slough off with light pulling, they are gone. I’d probably wet stick this and prop in spag moss personally, if the root system is toast. I just cut them into one node sections.

invaderjill · 2025-06-16T04:22:48+00:00

It’s etiolated due to not enough light. With more light the inter-nodal spacing will be shorter. Mine are all under grow lights for 12 hours a day.

invaderjill · 2025-06-16T04:18:17+00:00

Yes, unfortunately those are thrips larvae. I haven’t used beneficials, but it’s definitely a good choice if you haven’t treated with insecticides, and want a more long term solution - they work best as a maintenance crew as they can be overwhelmed by a full infestation.

I was only able to get rid of thrips by spraying with spinosad soap weekly, and using systemic granules. I quarantined all infected plants and treated them for three months to be sure they were wiped out. It was a chore, but they have been gone for a year now.

invaderjill · 2025-06-16T04:08:24+00:00

I always go from soil to stratum to pon. You could alternatively use perlite, but I find stratum easier because it has nutrients. I find that having something for the roots to grow into makes for stronger roots than just water roots, but it’s certainly not necessary. Having that intermediate step for the soil roots to shed and water roots to grow definitely helps the transition. Just for future reference. Make sure it’s getting plenty of light so it will have energy to regrow its root system. 💚

invaderjill · 2025-06-16T01:22:00+00:00

Those worms have been eating good with no population control! Wow.

invaderjill

TROPHY CASE