c/botany-lovers

My grandma told me to water my fiddle leaf fig with leftover tea

She swore the tannins would make it grow, but after a month the leaves got these weird brown spots. Has anyone else had a plant react badly to something like that?

Pro tip: I tried using leftover pickle juice on my droopy basil plant

I had a pot of Genovese basil that was looking really sad after a hot week, so I gave it about a cup of the brine from a finished jar of dill pickles. The next day, it perked right up and seemed to grow faster. I think the vinegar and salt might have helped the soil, but now I'm worried about using it too much. Has anyone else tried something weird like this on their herbs?

My orchid refused to bloom for three whole years and I almost gave up

I got this beautiful phalaenopsis as a gift in 2020 and it just sat there, growing leaves but no flower spike. I tried moving it to different windows, changing my watering schedule, and even used a special fertilizer my friend in Tampa recommended. The whole process took me until last month, when I finally saw a tiny bud after I started giving it a bigger temperature drop at night. Has anyone else had a plant that just tested your patience forever?

Appreciation post: My old grow light versus a new full-spectrum one for my indoor herbs

The old one kept my basil alive, but the new $80 light made everything grow twice as fast and the leaves got way darker. It was the difference between surviving and actually thriving. Anyone have a good light they use for starting seedlings?

That time a stranger in the Denver Botanic Gardens called my plant knowledge 'a gift'

I was taking photos of a really cool epiphytic cactus last spring when an older woman stopped next to me. She pointed at it and said, 'You know, most people walk right by this one.' We got talking for about twenty minutes about how she used to grow orchids in her bathroom. Right before she left, she looked at me and said, 'Keep learning. Noticing plants like that is a real gift.' It was just a simple thing, but it stuck with me for months. Has anyone else had a random chat with a fellow plant person that just made your whole day better?

Rant: I tried growing basil from seed versus buying a plant and the difference was huge

Last spring I started some basil seeds indoors in those little peat pots, and they took forever to sprout. I got impatient and bought a small plant from the local garden center for about $4. The store plant was ready to use in a week, while my seedlings were still tiny and weak for over a month. The bought plant just had a way stronger start and gave me leaves all summer. Has anyone else found that some herbs are just not worth the hassle of starting from seed?

My partner said my plant obsession was 'a bit much' after the orchid incident.

Last Tuesday, I spent 45 minutes at the hardware store trying to find the exact right kind of moss for a new terrarium. I was late to meet them for dinner because of it. They just shook their head and said, 'You know normal people buy a potted plant and call it a day, right?' Has anyone else's plant hobby ever caused a minor relationship crisis?

Just realized I was drowning my fiddle leaf fig after a plant shop owner in Denver told me 'it's a desert plant, treat it like one' and I cut watering to once every 3 weeks.

Has anyone else had a dramatic turnaround with a finicky plant after getting one simple piece of advice?

Rant: My prized orchid collection got hit by a surprise frost in Phoenix

I was so proud of my setup on the back patio, but a freak cold snap last month caught me off guard and turned half my blooms to mush overnight. I tried moving the survivors inside and trimming the dead parts, but I'm still losing a few more each week. Has anyone in a usually warm area dealt with this and saved their plants?

Showerthought: my entire seed-starting setup got fried during a power surge last Tuesday.

The surge protector was old and my heat mats, lights, and timer for 72 seedlings all went dark, so I had to scramble to move everything to a sunny windowsill before they damped off.

Question about starting seeds indoors in a cold climate

I tried using a cheap plastic dome tray from the hardware store versus a proper heat mat setup for my tomatoes in Minneapolis. The seeds with the heat mat sprouted in 5 days, but the ones in the cold tray took over 3 weeks and half never came up. Is the extra cost for a controlled heat source really worth it for northern gardeners?

Serious question, the big orchid show in Portland made me stop using grow lights for my phals

I was at the Oregon Orchid Society show in March and talked to a grower named Elena who had the healthiest plants there. She said she never uses artificial light on her phalaenopsis, just a bright north window, and that the lights stress them into blooming at the wrong time. I moved my three orchids away from my setup and their leaves got thicker in about 2 months. Has anyone else had a plant do better after you stopped a common practice like that?

My brother said my plant care was missing the point

We were looking at my fiddle leaf fig last week and he asked why I kept moving it around the apartment. I told him I was trying to find the best light. He just said, 'You're treating it like a piece of furniture, not a living thing. It needs a stable home.' That stuck with me. I've moved it three times in the last month trying to get it perfect. Maybe the stress from moving is worse than a bit less light. Has anyone else found their plants do better when you just pick a spot and leave them alone?

Just read that some orchids can live for over a hundred years

Found it in a book from the library about plant lifespans. That means a plant you buy today could outlive your grandkids. Who else has a plant they think will be a family heirloom?

Question about watering my fiddle leaf fig

I was in my living room in Cincinnati, talking to my friend Sarah. She saw my fiddle leaf fig and said 'you know those brown spots mean you're drowning it, right?' I'd been giving it a full cup every single day for six months. Has anyone else killed a plant by being too nice to it?

My new grow light made my pothos go totally crazy

I got a cheap LED panel from a local garden center and after two weeks, the vines grew almost a foot and started putting out leaves twice the normal size. Has anyone else had a plant react that strongly to just a light change?

PSA: That $35 soil moisture meter I bought online was a total waste of money.

It gave me three different readings for the same potted fern, so I went back to just sticking my finger in the dirt, and honestly, has anyone found a brand of these things that actually works reliably?

Showerthought: My neighbor's comment about my 'dead' hydrangea made me see it differently.

She pointed out the dried flower heads still had structure and color, calling them 'winter interest' instead of a failure. Anyone else have a plant they learned to appreciate in a new phase?

My friend in Denver kept telling me to try a grow light for my herbs, and after my basil died for the third time last winter, I finally listened and now have a full windowsill of healthy plants.

Honestly, I thought my south-facing window was enough light until she showed me her setup with a simple $25 LED panel from the hardware store, so what's a good beginner light for someone with limited space?

My cousin said my orchid care was 'like helicopter parenting' and I've been letting them dry out more between waterings.

She pointed out my phalaenopsis had soggy roots from my daily misting, so now I only water when the potting mix feels completely dry, about every 10 days.

Honestly, I just found out most 'wildflower' seed mixes sold at big box stores are mostly invasive species, not native plants at all.

My new fern collection just hit 50 different species

I was counting them up for a plant swap and was shocked to see the number. It started with a Boston fern from a garden center in Portland about five years ago. Has anyone else found themselves with a bigger plant group than they planned?

My orchid finally bloomed after I stopped watering it on a strict schedule and just checked the moss instead.

Just tried a 10-10-10 fertilizer vs a slow-release one on my hostas

The slow-release stuff from Espoma gave way more even growth over 6 weeks, while the other one burned the leaf edges. Anyone have a different brand they swear by for shade plants?

Trying to figure out why my new fern kept dropping leaves

It turned out the tap water here in Springfield is way too hard for it. I spent almost two months trying different spots and fertilizers before I tested the water. Anyone else have plants that are super picky about water?