Author: Plant Dummy

Helpful Indoor Plant Tools To Make Your Life Easier

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*I may get commissions for purchases made through Amazon links in this post.

Do you ever wonder what you should have for your plant care. Things that can make your life a lot easier, as well as your plants being a lot happier.

I have talked about some of these things in previous posts. I thought it would be good to have what I think is good to have all in one place, so here it is!

I think that there were things that I needed that I just put off for a long time. Once we got some things that we knew we needed, and had them around the house. There was a big difference in the quality of care that our plants were able to receive.

Plant Shears

I didn’t realize we needed it until we needed one for root rot and leaf issues. After using cheap scissors we realized we should probably get some plant shears to make cleaner cuts. Older, bigger paper scissors can lead to damage of your plant.

I am also not big ones like for cutting outdoor branches. I am talking about the ones that are big enough to do the job as well as look good in your plant setting or paired with your plant tools.

These pruning shears are not like the bulky ones that you would normally see for cutting outdoor plants. They have a shorter blade than normal scissors too, which allow you to get right in there. They also have 21,000+ really good reviews.

Click Here to Buy The VIVOSUN Shears on Amazon.

I may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

Small Humidifier

This is useful especially during the winter time for most people. It is hard to keep the humidity in your house up when you have a fire, or a heater going. You can’t really trade off humidity for heat, you generally will need some combination of both. This is a big problem in my house because we have a wood stove.

So what can you do ? A lot of plants also don’t do very well in the colder climates, and humidity trays only go so far. If you want a more consistent humidity, then look into getting a Humidifier.

I really like the sleek look of this humidifier. The fact that it also has a humidity gauge built into it really got my attention, while still being quiet when it is working.

Click Here To Buy The TaoTronics Humidifier on Amazon

I may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

Humidity/Temperature Gauge

It is important to have the right temperature range for house plants. But unless it’s extremely cold or dipping below the 50s. That generally won’t be too much of an issue.

However, I would bet that what most people don’t have is a humidity gauge. Most indoor plants like humidity, or a certain range at least. This paired with a humidifier is going to give you an easier time to adjust to the particular settings you need.

Luckily for us, these normally come at a cheap cost. They last a long time and it’s better than just guessing. This paired with the humidifier can give you a better idea of what your plants are experiencing in your home.

This little guy tells you what you need to know. It shows both the temperature, as well as the humidity. I liked this because it’s simple to read, gives you the ranges of the room. What I liked the most was the backlight feature, and the price point.

As well as a really decent price, especially compared to the others listed. I wouldn’t want to pay a bunch of money for something this simple, which is why I like this option.

Click Here To Buy The ThermoPro TP55 on Amazon

I may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

LED Plant Lights

Another thing that I knew that I wanted, was LED plant lights. I was fortunate enough to get some LED lights from a roommate moving and he left them for me. These were cheap sets of LED lights but they do the job, and are really adjustable for me. However I wish that I had more options, as mine only have 2 intensity settings.

But these cheap lights work, and I was happy about them. I do think that I will upgrade them eventually, and maybe have the cheaper LED in some other area of the house.

Make sure you put into consideration of the type of light the LED has. Some plants prefer certain types of light compared to others. Some plants also like more of a certain light when they are wanting to bloom.

These are very similar to the LED lights that I have. But this one has 3 light bars instead of 2, and more settings as far as intensity, light color settings/ time settings. They are a reasonable price, and have light settings for blue, red, and mixed depending what your plant requires.

Click Here To Buy These Buteny Grow Lights on Amazon

I may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

Watering Mister

These are really useful when you have a plant that you want to mist just a particular part of the plant. Like trying to get under the leaf part to the roots in particular. As well as just creating a fine enough mist in order to not have big droplets, avoiding too much buildup on the leaves and risking mold/fungus growth.

This mister is similar to the one I have at home. However this one has a longer nozzle, which is beneficial. It will allow you to get in the particular places like misting the roots of your orchid more easily. It also has a decent amount of color options.

Click Here To Buy The Ebristar Glass Mister Bottle on Amazon

I may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

I think that these things are beneficial to have. At least in making the care for your plants a bit easier. I hope that these can give you at least some sort of idea on what helped me.

As always if you have any suggestions let me know. Or if there is something that you want to read let me know as well. If you don’t want to miss out on anything you can sign up to my email list. I only use it to let people know about new things on PlantDummy, and if you want off you can easily take yourself off.

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Thank you all for reading,

-Plant Dummy

Plant Dummy’s thoughts of the day

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I have been contemplating for the last few days. On how much I need the elephant ear Alocasia. Heck, I don’t even know what kind of variety of the plant I want yet. I just know that I will get it eventually.

Photo by Macau Photo Agency on Unsplash

It is going to take some good strength to not drive down to the nursery and pick on up this next week. I know it would look good in my office, and we are just finishing it up to where I can move my desk into it.

On the other hand, the silver dragon Alocasia we picked up seems to be doing well. There is some slight new growth coming from the base of the plant. I am hoping that the area that I chose will be consistently humid enough for it. I know the lady mentioned that I should have a glass container for it to adjust, but I still haven’t gotten it (shame on me). I might get it tomorrow, there’s a 50% chance I will go get one tomorrow I promise.

Another thing that I am very excited to have my own office. We I re-did the floor again, then painted the walls. Well my girlfriend mainly painted the walls because of my burnt hand. But still, I kind of helped. I really want to get in by the end of next week. The original goal was the end of this week, but that is not happening.

The new office basically is an excuse to fill it up with plants. The room gets bright shaded sun from the sunrise until about mid day where it tapers off above the house. It will be perfect I think, then I will have an excuse to buy the big guy, and probably pair it with a Monstera.

I should probably wait because someone I know said they have to work on their Monstera and would propagate me a little one. I just don’t know if I am patient enough… But two Monsteras would be better than one.

If you don’t want to miss out on what I have to say, you can sign up for my email list where you can keep up to date. If I get too annoying you can always take yourself off the list as well.

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Thank you for reading and have a wonderful day,

-Plant Dummy

How to take care of a snake plant

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Photo by Noyo Plantes on Unsplash

You know how you keep seeing snake plants also known as Sansevieria everywhere now a days? It’s impressive how popular the snake plant in particular has gotten. Let me be the first to tell you, there is a reason for this.

A lot of it has to do with the pandemic. However I personally think that the main reason would because of how easy and forgiving they are to grow. Plus you can buy them in a lot of different places. The snake plant that I have at my house I don’t think that I really have done anything to it in a long time. Which reminds me that I have a little guy to take out of the small planter it’s in and propagate it.

The part that is lighter green, and a bit shorter is about a two months of new growth.

Pot for the snake plant

Make sure that you have a pot that allows for easy draining. You want to avoid root rot, and you can always water more if needed. It’s hard to reverse root rot because of standing water. Unglazed terracotta likes to suck moisture a bit more than glazed.

A lot of people recommend unglazed terracotta because it can help take excess water out of the soil. That combined with a drain hole is most likely going to be safe with the proper soil as well.

Click to buy this Greenaholics Terracotta Pot on Amazon

I may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

Temperature range for snake plants

The typical temperature range for a snake plant is nice because it is a normal temperature range for most peoples homes. At around 60-80 degrees (F) you will see your snake plant happy.

Soil for the snake plant

One thing that was surprising to me was that the snake plant is a succulent. For fertilizing, I would recommend following the instructions per whatever brand you choose. There will be slight variations that work for one, and maybe not for the other.

Snake Plant Fertilizer – $9.99 on Amazon

This means that you can use the succulent and cactus soil blends. This is the The Succulent Cult store’s mix. When I have to change soils in the upcoming months with my snake plant I most likely will use this one. They have great reviews and a pretty decent price.

Click here to buy The Succulent Cult Store’s Organic Succulent & Cactus Soil Mix on Amazon

I may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

Light for the snake plant

You may be asking what kind of light is best for my snake plant. Usually the snake plant prefers lower levels of shaded light. They can handle higher light levels though and be fine. We keep ours in the kitchen where there are plenty of shaded windows, and it has been very happy there.

Snake Plant – Plant Dummy

Watering a snake plant

Underwatering is going to hurt the snake plant compared to over watering. Overwatering is also going to be a harder issue to solve than underwatering.

You will want to have the snake plants soil be almost dried out. You can stick a portion of your finger into the soil to check up to a couple inches at most. If the soil feels moist, it may be too soon. The amount of time between watering will also be determined on the temperature.

Issues for snake plants

Root rot I believe would be one of the most common issues one would face when it comes to the plant. Next up, would be the potential after bringing it home especially is pests. Since there are a lot of places for the little pests to hide, you should keep your eye out. And getting too cold can be another issue for your plant once it goes a bit under 55 degrees.

Toxicity Note: Please keep your snake plant out of the reach of your pets. They can cause your pet to feel sick.

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If I missed anything or got something wrong please let me know.

Thank you again for reading,

-Plant Dummy

I got the Alocasia Silver Dragon

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Finally we have it. I had ordered it about two weeks ago. And then due to the snow, I was unable to pick it up because the nursery it was at wasn’t open. But after a quick drive, and talk to the nice lady who helped me choose the best one, it’s home.

Silver Dragon Alocasia – Plant Dummy

I asked the lady at the nursery which one she recommended out of probably 50 different ones. I am not particularly experienced with any Alocasia. Which in hind site, I probably should have been better prepared for what she had said.

The lady mentioned that even though this was slightly smaller than the rest of the other Alocasias. It was one that she would pick because of the amount of leaves, and the fresh growth. Which is the lighter green leaf. Another portion looks like it is growing in as well, which is something I am excited to see.

The lady did mention that I really need to keep the humidity up, and suggested a glass tube that would be able to go around the container. Think the beauty and the beast rose. She mentioned a place to pick it up, but I have yet to get it. For now, it lives in the bathroom.

Once I read up on this Alocasia, I may release a post about what I found is good types of care for this plant. I know the basics I think now. And in all honestly, from what I can tell it seems similar to orchid care. Medium shaded light, they like humidity, like even a little more than some orchids I believe. And then they also like air flow for their root system and to be in soil that is able to drain properly, to prevent the roots from sitting in water, and getting root rot.

However that is mainly off the top of my head from the conversation I made, and about 1 or 2 googles to make sure I was not killing it at a certain point. A much deeper delve into what the Alocasia needs to prosper is much needed.

If you want to keep up to date with the things that I post, you can enter your email. I am not going to spam you, and if you want off of it, it’s very easy.

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Thank you for reading this short post about my day,

I have something in the works, hopefully for this week. I just want to make sure it is up to my standards,

-Plant Dummy

How to get your beautiful orchid to bloom more often.

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By – Plant Dummy

You know how frustrating it is when you cant seem to get your orchid to bloom? Or when you think that you are not really sure what you are doing wrong? I have been there, felt that way many of times. It’s not fun, so I wanted to tell you you what works for me.

There aren’t many things that feel as good as when you see your orchid opening up and you get the beautiful bloom that happens about once a year for about six to ten weeks. So I hope that what I have to say can help you at least a little bit in some way.

Photo by jean huysmans on Unsplash

Have you ever had issues getting your moth orchid to bloom? Or perhaps you are asking yourself if there is a way to get my orchid to potentially bloom a little more often. Now my opinion is that there is a bit of knowledge and for the plants sake, luck to be involved to have longer and potentially more frequent blooms.

If you want to entice your moth orchid to bloom, or bloom more often you are going to have to create an environment that allows for it. This means having your orchid in an optimal setting in order to maximize the potential for blooming.

Picking the right pot for your orchid

Picking the right pot is a very important part of having an orchid. Some people choose to not have a pot, and root them on pieces of wood. However for most people, you would be picking a nice pot.

The best pot for an orchid is mainly going to consist of it being able to get rid of excess water. Standing water for the orchid root system is really bad. It can lead to root rot, which can be hard to notice until later stages if the majority of roots are under sight lines. If you are looking for orchid specific containers they will normally have many holes, sometimes even on the sides. The holes allow for that drainage as well as air flow.

You can also use the holes in the sides to do root checkups to make sure they aren’t experiencing any root rot.

I personally really like a glazed pot that have designs for the holes. A shiny earthy look is something that really pops with the bloom of an orchid for me. Another type I like is a terracotta type holder, but you do have to make sure that it drains enough because a lot of regular terracotta doesn’t have holes in the sides from what I have seen.

How to choose good lighting for your orchid

A good consistent spot is going to be crucial for a moth orchid to be happy, and healthy. Moth orchids prefer indirect light as opposed to direct light. Direct light can be too much for the moth orchid and create burns on the leaves.

Photo by Maria Orlova on Pexels.com

Not enough light can also prevent the orchid from blooming, or slow blooming down. So you will want to find a good balance and adjust slightly here and there to get it perfect. Light green leaves will be a decent key to knowing if your plant is happy or not. Yellowing leaves in spots is a sign that it may be getting burned.

What Humidity and temperature does my orchid need?

When you wake up it’s cold outside, your house is a little bit colder than normal. Do ever just want to stay wrapped up in your blanket? Well that can be similar to how your orchid may feel when exposed to the wrong humidity and temperature.

The winter generally has less humidity because it is cold

For the temperature you will want to keep the area around 70 during the day and around 60 at night (55 is about as low as they will want to go). Too cold of temperatures, and constant temperatures over 90 can definitely stress the orchid out. Drastic changes in the temperature beyond like 20 degrees can also stress the plant out as well. It would not really know what is going on or how to react.

As far as humidity goes, orchids like it to be from 40%-70% humidity. This gives you some options, I honestly prefer orchids to be where there is no question of humidity, and that would be the bathroom for me. Particularly because I have a skylight that gives them plenty of indirect sunlight. If you don’t have room in your bathroom, or just don’t want them inside your bathroom, you have some options.

Tip: Air circulation is good for your plants and you. It gives you both fresh air, and gets rid of the old air. Just make sure it isn’t hurricane force wind, because that won’t be great.

One option may be a good option for you is to get a clay pot that has a humidity tray built. Or if you don’t want to transplant your orchid, you can get this humidity tray. It’s subtle, looks sleek and would go with most pots, and it’s pretty affordable.

Click here to see this tray on Amazon

Another option is a humidifier, this is for more of setting in rooms where the humidity would generally be lower but you want your plants there. This can be good if you have some plants that like higher humidity, not just orchids. These are also nice if your nose tends to get dry during the winter when you sleep, but that’s really just a bonus.

Click here to see this humidifier out on Amazon.

I may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

Watering your orchid

Another crucial part of having a healthy orchid is making sure it is watered correctly. I like misting the roots. Using a mister for watering the roots allows for you to spray the roots with less risk on having water spray into the crown. At least this is something that works for us.

You also really want to avoid getting standing water on the leaves, as well as avoiding water getting into the crown (where the leaves kind of create a cup looking area). Water standing on leaves can lead to damage, or infection on the plant.

If you are interested in a mister you can check this one out on Amazon which comes in different colors. These are low cost but tend to last if you use care. They look a lot better than a plastic spray bottle in my opinion. The nozzle is elongated allowing for you to get the mist where you want it.

Click here to buy the mister on Amazon

I may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

Tip: Overwatering is more dangerous to your orchid than underwatering. I think of it like adding salt to a dish. You can always add more salt, but if you add too much salt at the beginning the dish is ruined.

Choosing proper soil and fertilizer for your orchid

Choices, choices, choices. There are almost too many choices when it comes to choosing a medium for an orchid. You will want to avoid just random potting soil. Various brands produce specific orchid potting mix.

Usually these mixes contain some variance of bark size, which will allow for easy draining of the water. It might also contain some moss or pearlite as well.

At my house, we have I think 7 orchids off the top of my head. Currently we are using the “Miracle-Gro; Orchid Potting Mix Course Blend”. We haven’t noticed any issues as far as stagnant water or root rot with it. They also give a pretty helpful reminder on the back of the bag. It is also really affordable.

As far as fertilizer or “plant food” my girlfriend and I have been using “Miracle-Gro Orchid Plant Food Spikes” and I haven’t noticed any negative effects. I really like it because like the potting mix, it reminds you when you should be using it. Both of these are pretty affordable.

If you want an Orchid potting mix, and fertilizer without having to make it yourself. Check the “Plant Care Bundle” out on Amazon. Look at some reviews and see if it’s for you. Like I said, this is what we are currently using, and I can’t complain yet.

Click here to see the “Plant Care Bundle” on Amazon

I may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

I really hope that this article can help you become more confident on your green thumb abilities. Most of this is trial and error. Figuring out how your plants react to things and reading the situation. You will be able to figure out what your plant needs in no time.

If you have any questions or if I got something wrong please let me know.

As always, thank you for reading

-Plant Dummy

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References and Citations:

Light, the key to successful blooming. (2016, March 27). Retrieved February 18, 2021, from https://www.aos.org/orchids/additional-resources/light-the-key-to-successful-blooming.aspx

Old Farmer’s Almanac. (n.d.). Orchids. Retrieved February 18, 2021, from https://www.almanac.com/plant/orchids

Best Plants to Keep in the Bathroom

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By – Plant Dummy

Have you ever felt groggy and irritated in the morning? I am taking a wild guess and saying the answer is most likely yes. What if there were things that you could implement in your life that not only looks good, but has a function as well.

I wanted to put together a list of plants that aren’t terrible to take care of that also help with something in the bathroom that has to do with either convenience, or functionality to you. I actually ask myself quite often if my plants are happy and in the best place. So I hope that this can help you in your decision making. This is my list of plants that should be in your bathroom.

Air plants

Photo by Michael Walter on Unsplash

Whatever you decide to stick your air plant to, most likely it will be happy. If it looks a little dry, maybe give it a little drink of water by dipping, or misting it. These cheap almost impossible to kill in a bathroom plants are perfect if you want to add a little bit of flavor to the room. They are really nice because they don’t need soil to survive which gives you a ton of options.

I really like the natural look on some natural wood, or maybe a cool decorative item that needs a top piece. Whether you need a tiny piece or a couple of bigger pieces, you can’t go wrong.

I may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

I personally really want to get the Spanish moss for my bathroom and have it mounted on a small piece of wood. I have to keep my eye out for what I need.

Monstera Delicioco

Photo by chris panas on Unsplash

Considering that the Monstera is native to Central America, warmer humid places should be alright for the Monstera to thrive in.

These plants like indirect sunlight, and a pot that allows for drainage. They generally tend to love the extra humidity compared to the rest of the house. Quite a bit of indirect sunlight is preferred for them, so if you have a skylight or window, they can get indirect light from, that would be ideal.

They can grow pretty big, as you can tell in the picture. So for me they are an eye catcher for sure. Give a smaller one some time and it will be on it’s way to looking like a proper Monstera.

I may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

Bonus: Eucalyptus

Photo by Heather Mount on Unsplash

Okay, okay I know that this technically isn’t a houseplant that you typically would grow indoors. Most people think of big trees, but hear me out okay? I didn’t know this until recently. People tend to put eucalyptus branches, or leaves hanging from the behind of the showerhead. The mist and the scent from the eucalyptus helps with congestion and overall feeling. I think it is beneficial to most and would look nice to all.

There are some smaller eucalyptus bushes that people sell online at different vendors. I am not sure on how often you would be able to trim it to hang fresh pieces in the shower.

I love the smell of eucalyptus. It has a minty, fresh scent with a bit of honey. Usually people associate the smell with a relaxing feeling, and being able to breathe better.

How do you know when to get new eucalyptus? It is suggested to get new ones once the scent weakens and you no longer feel the benefits.

If you aren’t sure where to get your hands on some really good quality and nice priced eucalyptus branches. I would suggest to check out BotanticaFleur on Etsy They have over 2000 almost all 5-star reviews, and are just about to hit 20,000 sales overall. This is not a sponsored link. I want to make that clear, I just think that they have a good quality product that people are really loving. They are a good price, and they will look perfect hanging in your bathroom. I am endorsing it because I think the product is good to have!

English Ivy

English Ivy – Plant Dummy

I love a lot of different kinds of Ivy. English Ivy which I may be biased for right now is a great choice for the bathroom.

It looks great hanging, and loves the humidity. You could even string it along something if you wanted to give more of a climbing look to it. Like maybe if it were on the shower wall wanting to climb up, or over.

One thing that I recommend with English Ivy is making sure it stays controlled, and personally for me, inside. Once English Ivy starts growing outside, it can be very hard to stop.

That is my only fair warning when it comes to this plant. It is a gift because it is so hard to kill. Especially in preferred environments but from my own personal experience it can be very hard to get rid of unmaintained Ivy outside.

English Ivy likes a pot that can drain. To be watered thoroughly, and for it’s soil to dry to about a little bit past your first knuckle. They like temperatures around 60 degrees, a little bit cooler or warmer is okay for them as well. Another nice thing about English ivy is that propagating is pretty easy, and you have a decent amount of options to choose from with tip, or the stem trimmings.

Keep an eye out for spider mites, a lot of times when you bring an ivy home from the store. It could have some spider mites, just be prepared. It isn’t a huge deal check this out if you want some pointers on how to deal with pests.

I may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

Phalaenopsis orchid (Moth orchid)

Photo by Nicodemus Roger on Unsplash

The moth orchid is beautiful with other plants, or stand alone. Originating from humid climates makes having it in the bathroom a no brainer. They bloom normally once a year, but even when they aren’t bloomed they look elegant. There are a bunch of ways you can root them, whether it is in a pot that drains well, or rooted on a piece of wood. It really depends on what kind of look you want to go for.

Moth orchids don’t require too much light which is typically nice for a bathroom. They enjoy shaded light. You can mist the root system to water it, which is what we do at my house. I like the misting method because it lessens the risk of getting water into the crown (where the leaves join in the middle). Don’t let the roots sit in water because that will lead to root rot.

It is important to pick out the right type of pot for your orchid. Just make sure that it is able to drain properly. Or you could even avoid the whole pot thing and mount it on a piece of wood. However, that can be a bit more tedious and in my opinion harder to make look nice.

You can check out other common orchid issues here if you are curious to learn more.

Boston Fern

Photo by Lisa Moyneur on Unsplash

Let me ask you. Where do you normally see ferns? If you don’t know, the answer would be typically in the woods and in humid areas. Ferns in general typically thrive in humid conditions. This makes them a wonderful plant to have added to your bathroom collection.

Boston ferns in particular like really humid places, and shaded indirect light. Think of a forest floor with a bit of light peaking through the canopy. This indirect light supplemented with some mist on the leaves because of the humidity in the bathroom makes the ferns happy.

Make sure your Boston ferns soil is consistently damp. I remember my fern started yellowing and it was most likely because a lack of humidity, or not enough water. Ferns don’t look good when they are starting to yellow, they look sad. Make sure they get enough water.

Similar to ivy, because there is a lot of surface area to these plants. You have to keep an eye out for pests. These pests can be tricky to see sometimes such as spider mites because they are so small. Make sure you know how to spot and treat these pests properly. I really tried to take my time with that article so I hope it can help you.

I may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

Thanks for reading:

If I there are any plants that you think should have had an honorable mention, let me know down below. I would love to hear your ideas of what plants go best in the bathroom!

I only want to suggest things that I like myself, or think would be nice to have.

Thank you again for reading,

Plant Dummy

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Building a Community

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I wanted to release something else about plants before I released this one. However I burned my hand over the weekend, and had this already typed, so I figured I would release this while I heal because I can’t type very well at the moment. I hope this is a good enough read from me for the weekend.

I think about Involving people more with Plant Dummy in some way is what currently is on my mind. Realizing that I love my plants, and other people love their plants is something that I think all of us have in common with one another. I don’t see why it couldn’t be a thing in some sort of context, but finding the right way of doing it is eluding me at the moment.

Never having built an online community, it makes me curious of the best ways to do so. I know that I want to be able to feature what people are excited about, in a way that other people will get excited about as well. What’s the point of sharing something that no one will see? At least that’s my perspective on that. Having a community that learns and you can see the progress or something that has helped them would be exciting to me.

One of the ideas that I have would be to feature someone’s plant on the front page for a week and on the Instagram. I love being able to share my posts on Instagram because it seems like the plant world can be so much more focused. Right now on the blog it seems like I am in an ocean of blogs trying to build my island or something. Which is kind of exciting to me because it has a lot of unknowns.

If you want to check out some more of my home pictures, and what I think looks awesome you can check out the Instagram as well

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If you are interested in seeing my list of easy succulents you can check it out here as well! https://plantdummy.com/2021/02/11/easy-care-succulents-that-look-great/

Anyways, I have been constantly doing research of different things that I could be doing, and improving on. Which honestly I won’t be able to genuinely tell for a long time and that is okay with me. But I think that this is a constant process, with an importance in sticking with it. Realizing that a lot of people fade out of the interest. I feel like if I start fading out of the interest in a particular area, I may slightly expand towards another. For me thinking of different possibilities is important to stay creative and share interesting content.

Again thank you for reading,

-Plant Dummy

Sometimes you just don’t know

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Obviously I am very new to this. But sometimes it surprises me what posts get views and what don’t. Or what posts get likes and what don’t. You may think you wrote the best yet, but it isn’t received as well as one that just came super easy to you.

It’s fun to try to see what people will like. Or maybe I am just bad at guessing. I just know I have been having fun trying to come up with ideas, and learning along the way. Sometimes it scares me though if someone who is really into plants looks at my blog and I get something wrong. That is why I try to always make a note of saying that if I got anything wrong, to please let me know.

This last article I wanted to be sure on the succulent names that I had so I looked in depth of the pictures to make sure that is what I had. But I still feel like there is a possibility that my Echeveria picture may be a slight variation of something else. Please let me know if I am wrong. I know it’s a stupid thing to worry about because it can just be changed and doesn’t hurt anyone.

My Echeveria succulent plant.
The Echeveria of Doubts

I guess we all have certain things that we worry about for little reason. Maybe it will change, maybe it won’t. But there is one thing that I got from that worry. It makes me more confident on the things I am able to write about because I don’t want to look dumb, and I don’t want to give the wrong information. So I try to research with resources that are trustworthy, or back up my ideas with other evidence of why.

That’s just my thought of the day. I am happy, I was able to write and use a lot of my own pictures today! I will hopefully be able to add more of my own in the future.

Thank you for reading!

-Plant Dummy

Easy Care Succulents That Look Great.

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*Disclaimer – I may get a small commission from affiliate links in this post. I want to recommend things that I think are beneficial and worth getting, adding to the post quality.

Honestly, I think that there are a lot of cool succulents that you can get in the store, garden shop, or your local Facebook plant dealer. They shouldn’t be too hard to take care of, but I wanted to show my favorites and perhaps suggested ones that I would look out for.

The Hens and Chicks succulent:

Hens and Chicks – Plant Dummy
Referral link for succulents box
Check out the variety!

I wanted to use this picture because I thought it would showcase the prettiness of the succulent, but also demonstrate the heartiness and fight the plant has. This was taken today from the side of my house. Yes I know I need to weed, but its been winter and cold.

However I forgot this had even existed to be completely fair as I had a couple growing last year, and thought I accidentally killed it when I cleared the area. There is another pup next to a different one, but that didn’t look as pretty because I think some bugs got into it. I may have to get that pup and bring it inside soon.

Hens and Chickens grow alright in bad soils and horrible conditions. This is because they normally grow in mountain climates. However, they will do best and have a preferred temperature of around 70 degrees. Which is around what most people keep their indoor areas at.

Zebra Haworthia

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Zebra Hawathia – Plant Dummy

The Zebra succulent is a pretty common succulent to get in a pack from the store. They may be common, but they look really beautiful and striking when they get wider.

These guys are a bit more particular than the Hens and Chicken, as they don’t seem to do as well in the cold. However unless you are keeping the house below freezing you should be fine. When looking for a spot for this succulent, you should look for a place where it can get some indirect sun.

if you keep your house hotter, you will need to water them more often. But still they don’t require too much water.

You will want to wait until the soil is pretty dry, because Zebra plants won’t do good if you over water them. If you under water the Zebra plant it will usually make the leaves look kind of saggy. You also will want to soak the soil all the way through, then wait until it feels dry again before watering. Don’t worry if it isn’t growing enough for your liking. These take a lot of time to gain some growth.

Echeveria Succulent

Echeveria – Plant Dummy

There are so many different types of this plant it will have you amazed (150 types). There is a hue of color that would make anyone happy. That is probably one of the reasons they are so popular.

You will want to have the Echeveria in a pot that will allow for drainage, as you will want to avoid having moisture stick around for too long, because they are desert plants. This is good for you though because if you plan on keeping them inside, like the other ones. I would assume they would be warm enough.

The Echeveria plants are also slower growing plants. You can’t expect them to grow over night, or even over the month much. Patience is key for succulents. As long as you aren’t killing them, you are doing something right. Watering succulents properly is one of the more important things in keeping them growing healthy. for the Echeveria you will want to make sure that you keep from over watering. You can do this by letting the soil get dry before you water again, allowing for the roots to have a break, remember these are used to desert like conditions.

Bonus to the Echeveria: is that like a lot of other succulents. They produce pups, which you can propagate. This is like getting a bonus for doing a good job.

Burro’s tail

Photo by María Álvares de Carvalho

I have a Burro’s tail, and it wouldn’t be plant dummy if there wasn’t a nice looking plant that can be in a basket and hang.

Burro’s tail, Donkey tail, or Sedum Morganianum. Whatever you prefer to call it, is pretty darn easy to grow. It also looks wonderful spilling over the pot/ basket it is being held in.

These things are pretty hard to kill, so as long as you are keeping a decent eye on when to water it, and being careful to just focus on watering the soil in a pot that allows for drainage. You should do alright. You will however want to be careful when you move the plant. The leaves are going to want to come off easily. Just try to avoid it. I personally think that losing at least one is most likely inevitable unless you are sliding it.

Aloe Vera

Photo by Jude Smart on Unsplash

Look, Aloe has made it once again as a strong contender in the plant world. I don’t pick it for just no reason though. For me I think that I choose Aloe because of the factors that it is pretty hard to kill, looks pretty, and has uses for skin, as well as eating if prepared properly.

My sister and I were talking the other day, and she was wondering how she was killing her Aloe plant. She wrote it off as just being a dead plant. In the next few weeks, it started showing signs of life and was once again happy to be back as well. They are pretty amazing plants.

You will want to pick a pot that allows drainage so the soil can dry out and give it the feeling of it’s natural habitat. Indirect sunlight is preferred for the Aloe Vera. Indoor temps that are comfortable to humans are going to be comfortable to the Aloe as well. Just try to keep it above 55, and below 80 degrees. When you water, make sure that you get the soil watered. Then allow for the soil to dry out before watering again. For succulents you really want to avoid root rot, and by allowing for the soil to dry, you are taking a precaution.

If you are unsure of what kind of succulent you should get. You can get a sample pack. They are generally pretty cheap, and normally have some easy to care for succulents inside of them. If you want to browse a cool place that has a pretty big variety of sample packs and you live in the U.S you can check out SucculentsBox.com

The succulents are placed at a pretty good price as well. Similar to what I would pay at a store, but I get a bigger option which is really refreshing. Below is my referral link, so if you want to just check it out I think you would like the variety too. They are really cool.

Referral link to Succulents Box
Plant Dummy Referral

Another nice thing about SucculentsBox.com is their policy for quality. If your plant gets really damaged or there is something really wrong with it they cover a lot of issues from root rot to visible damage to pots/planters even infestations. That was something that I was curious about when I first read up on this company because I wasn’t sure how they would offer it, because obviously there can be issues when it comes to shipping a plant.

Bonus tip: Okay this really isn’t a bonus tip, I just wanted to mention again how important it is to get your watering down for succulents. Don’t drop water in the middle of your succulent, or else you are going to get some issues. Don’t use the pot as a bucket for water, let it drain and get dry. Avoid root rot by allowing the soil to dry out.

Thank you for reading the article, it means a lot. If there is anything that should be updated please let me know. I really do try to get accurate information and useful information. – Plant Dummy

Citations:

(n.d.). Retrieved February 12, 2021, from https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/cacti-succulents/burros-tail/burros-tail-care.htm

Old Farmer’s Almanac. (n.d.). Aloe Vera. Retrieved February 12, 2021, from https://www.almanac.com/plant/aloe-vera

Common Indoor Plant Pests -How to Identify, and Eliminate

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*Disclaimer – I may get a small commission from affiliate links in this post. I want to recommend things that I think are beneficial and worth getting, adding to the post quality.

There are a lot of different things that can hurt your plants. Pests being one of them. Being aware of those things will benefit you in the long run. This is a list of the more common pests that you may encounter with having indoor plants.

I hope that this article helps you identify, and potentially save you some trouble in the future. I really don’t like pests, I personally find them gross. So I hope for your sake you don’t run into them anytime soon.

Spider mites:

“Taro (Colocasia esculenta): Aphids and spider mites” by Plant pests and diseases is marked with CC0 1.0

Personally I have had spider mites once before, and they are no fun to deal with. If you have one that exists, then there are probably 10 more that you aren’t aware of. Especially if you start seeing webbing in more than just one spot.

How to spot them: You will usually notice them by either having small little strands of silky web, or tiny little spots on the top part of the leaves because a bugs gotta eat. They look like little specks and on close inspection they kind of look like a slight brown/reddish with 8 legs hanging out on their web.

Once you start seeing more of their webbing then you know there most likely is more than just a couple of them. Also for the sake of your other plants, keep some distance so that they aren’t able to spread to other ones as they try to exchange plants to one that won’t be treated with whatever you decide.

Getting rid of Spider mites: I personally tried putting the plants that were infected outside during the summer and at day time. I don’t know why I did that, but I heard from someone that they can leave and be outside. It seemed like that worked for a minute, but that could also just be coincidence. However what did actually work pretty effectively was the combination of soap water misted on the leaves (it is recommended to use insecticidal soap, or a neem oil extract) and sitting outside.

Neem oil can be a longer term solution for spider mites and some other plant pests. You can check organic neem oil out on Amazon, it is a good price and should last a very long time.

For stronger plants, some may recommend that you can spray the plant with just plain water at first. I would also consider this before reaching for the chemicals, sit the plant outside after on a nice day, and see what that may do to help your issue.

Note: Just make sure that if you are misting your plants, that your plant is okay to be misted with whatever you are putting on it. You don’t want to accidentally stress your plant more than it already will be.

Soft scale insects:

“Ants tending a colony of soft scales on a leaf in a landscape” by Plant pests and diseases is marked with CC0 1.0

What soft scale insects do: If you look closely, there will be little bumps around the middle of the leaf/ stems of the plant because that’s where the nutrients for them are most abundant. Those bumps are small little soft scale insects. They basically eat the life out of plants because… Well obviously they have to eat to live.

Identifying them: The soft scale insects which vary in colors create little brown spots, or generally discolored spots. These spots seem to be a little bigger than the spider mite spots because they are a bit bigger.

There are soft, and hard scale insects. However the ones that are going to be more of an issue for indoor plants is going to be the soft scaled critters. Unless you are taking your plant outside, and it has a chance to pick one up out there, you probably won’t have to deal with them.

Getting rid of soft scale infection: when you find yourself infected with these annoying creatures. You will want to get your plant away from the other plants to prevent spreading. Then you may want to try the similar approach to the spider mites. Water, and rinsing the plant off if you are able to (considering the plant type) to get the majority of these suckers, no pun intended… Off of your plant. After that, you may want to scrape off any of the ones you can see away from your plant.

Another approach if you must, and they just aren’t going away naturally would be to step it up a bit. This would of course be using indoors insecticidal soap. You want to make sure that this would be the appropriate action depending on your plant. Making sure that the type of insecticide won’t be too harmful to your plant. If worse comes to worse, you may lose your plant, and I don’t want that, but sometimes they are too far gone, so just make sure you are giving your plants the attention they deserve.

Mealybugs (yes it’s one word):

“Croton: Mealybugs” by Plant pests and diseases is marked with CC0 1.0

Mealybugs are another type of scale insect, however this one seems to be talked about in a league of it’s own, and from what I can tell has a slightly different way of identifying, as well as a slight way in difference that you may want to treat it.

How do you identify a mealybug? Well first off this bug has a weird wax that seems like a powder on its body generally. This weird wax can almost look like little strands of white fiber on your plants leaves. They generally are found hanging out on the underside of the plant leaf as well.

Just like the rest of these pests, they like eating the plant. That is why they are there, so you can probably count on there being some marks of them feeding. Whether it be little spots, yellowing or death of a leaf at first.

Getting rid of Mealybugs: there is an interesting method of treating these pests can be using a cotton swab and some alcohol on the infestation by dabbing it on. No not your favorite whiskey, you will want to use some rubbing alcohol, this will help with smaller problems. For bigger problems we will want to do like what we did for the other types of soft scale, and use some insecticidal soap, or maybe some neem oil to see if that works.

Again, I would like for you to read if you have to use that type of soap because the wrong one can potentially give harm to your plant.

Aphids:

“Eggplant (Solanum melongenae): Aphids” by Plant pests and diseases is marked with CC0 1.0

In my opinion aphids are one of the least ugly pests on this list, however they are equally as annoying. But good thing for you is that they are easily identifiable as well as pretty easy to kill.

Identifying Aphids: Aphids have fat bodies, and skinny heads. They like to crawl around on the plant grazing upon its juiciness.

They are generally greenish in color, however they can have a white tint to them as well. However some Aphids are able to fly, so don’t be surprised if you see a pair of wings. Aphids can grow on the droppings that the Aphids leave behind which is what some people tend to see as the first introduction to the Aphid infestation.

Fun fact: Aphid droppings are called honeydew, because it is sweet. Sometimes it will even attract some ants to come by and eat it.

How to deal with Aphid invaders: Making sure you are paying attention to your plants is a common theme here. Once you notice them you have to make a judgement call of how bad it is. If there are only a few, you may be able to use neem oil or an insecticide soap. 

But for people who want to try something natural, you could look into using a water vinegar spray. I personally never have had the issue of Aphids, but I have seen in different areas where it can be suggested. Make sure your plant can handle that though, as vinegar can be strong.

General notes: I understand you can’t be watching your plants all the time, but if you keep at least somewhat of an eye out this will help with reducing the pain you may have in the future. Either from an infestation, or maybe just general issues with your plant. I know that when I had issues with my plants, it has been because I either neglected them for too long, or didn’t keep enough of an eye on them to see who was moving in on them. I just noticed that preventative care is better than reactive care, and it tends to be a lot easier.

And as always, if you believe there is something that needs to be changed, please let me know. I am more than willing to look into it and improve the article. I don’t want to spread any false ideas, thank you for reading.

Reference/supplemental information gathered:

Scale insects – indoor plants. (n.d.). Retrieved February 08, 2021, from https://extension.umd.edu/hgic/topics/scale-insects-indoor-plants#:~:text=Heavily%20infested%20plants%20should%20be,for%20use%20on%20indoor%20plants.

Scott, O., Scott, J., & Williamson, J. (2018, August 08). Common houseplant insects & related pests. Retrieved February 08, 2021, from https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/common-houseplant-insects-related-pests/

Mealybugs – indoor plants. (n.d.). Retrieved February 08, 2021, from https://extension.umd.edu/hgic/topics/mealybugs-indoor-plants

Aphids. (n.d.). Retrieved February 08, 2021, from https://entomology.ca.uky.edu/ef103#:~:text=Aphids%20are%20soft%2Dbodied%20insects,undersides%20of%20tender%20terminal%20growth.&text=Saliva%20injected%20into%20plants%20by,a%20few%20aphids%20are%20present.