10 Things a houseplant lover can do while shelter-in-place
My Alocasia Albo Variegata
The situation with COVID-19 is confusing; how the states and the country handling this pandemic is even more puzzling. Do we have shelter-in-place or stay-at-home order? Even Texas Governor is afraid to call it so because of how obsessive people are regarding individual freedom. Unfortunately, if you think this is about your freedom, you may end up paying a heavy price for it or even worse, causing other people to be sick or die. Again, some people simply don't care until shit hits the fans for them. I am trying to be a responsible human being, stay home until things settled down. If you couldn't handle the boredom, I would quote from a TV show I watched lately, "You need more hobbies!"
Admittedly, it's challenging to deal with the idea of being trapped at home. However, realistically, I am swamped, more so than when I could go out. Since I am not able to schedule photo shoots, my income is affected, and I will have to work ten times harder to compensate for that. I believe one thing most plant lovers would agree with me is, staying home doesn't mean we have a lot of free time. Taking care of hundreds of plants and helping them thrive is no easy task.
Here are a few things I am doing or planning to do while not going out.
Planting from seeds or bulbs
Have you tried planting seeds or bulbs? Spring is the perfect season to do so in Texas before the weather gets too warm. To reduce your trips to the grocery stores, you can try sprouting in the jar or grow salad greens in your flower pots. They are relatively fast growers, and you will be able to enjoy fresh veggies in no time!
Amaryllis I planted a few years ago, it has rebloomed multiple times.
I did propagate my plants in the Winter, but seriously, it took forever, as if they were in a coma. Propagating in Spring is so satisfying! Plants like Pothos and Philodendrons grow so fast they probably can use a cut. Most of my cuttings grow roots within a week. If you propagate your plants now, when the quarantine order is over, you will have some lovely houseplants that you can gift to your friends and family to remind them how much you love them.
3. Repotting your plants
Honestly, I have always lazy with repotting my plants. Often, I look at my plants and thinking, "you can wait..." How can you tell your plants need repotting? In my opinion, it is simple; if the plant growth slowed down, it probably needs repotting. If you are doing a good job taking care of your houseplants, they will grow big and fast, and soon they will outgrow their pots and need a sized up. Pest is another excellent reason for repotting. Sometimes, it feels impossible to get rid of the gnats, mealy bugs, or spider mites, repotting is one of the effective solutions you can try. Although I don't consider it to be critical, sometimes when I repot my plants when the roots are growing out of the drainage holes. Repotting them will help them to be healthy and grow into a bigger plant.
4. Organize your plants
Not sure if you had noticed, light changes depending on the season. If you have big windows and use natural light for your plants, it is probably time to move things around and reorganize them based on their sizes and their needs for light. I am trying to tell myself, the benefit of rearranging my plants is, I may end up with extra space for new plants, even though it has become quite impossible.
5. Add a pole
I love aroids, particularly Philodendron and Monstera. However, most of them are vining plants, and the longer they grow, the smaller the leaves became. One essential thing to do to counter that is to add a moss pole, bamboo stakes, or a trellis. I started adding moss poles and bamboo trellises for my plants a few months ago. Since then, they became happier, have been growing faster, and putting out much larger leaves. It's so satisfying to see your plants thrive and show you their full potential!
My Adansonii has grown so much after attached to a moss pole.
6. Get rid of pest
If you are deeply in love with houseplants and buying them frequently, you are very likely to have pest issues. From the less harmful bugs like gnats to deadly spider mites, scales, or mealybugs, we want none of them! As someone who has been working from home for years, I have the benefit of keeping an eye on my plants. I look at them closely and check on them regularly. Bugs don't usually attack all your plants at once. The earlier you catch them, the more chances you have to get rid of them before it became too late... like our pandemic situation. Other than observing your houseplants, it's essential to use products like Systemic, as long as you are not allergic to the pesticide. Stay-at-home order gives us a chance to get closer to our plants and give them better care that they deserved.
7. Experiment with semi-hydroponics
Monstera Standleyana in Leca
You know how much you hate gnats and bugs hiding in your soil. If you are tired of dealing with pests in your soil, maybe it's time to try semi-hydroponics. Last year, I converted some plants into semi-hydro using Leca. Some plants like it and some plants didn't. My Prayer plant did great in Leca. I was able to save a snow queen pothos from root rot, and it's now live happily in semi-hydroponics. Even though you don't have to deal with pests, you do have to clean the cachepot regularly. If your cachepot starts to grow mold, you may run into the root rot problem as well.
8. Research your plants
To me, collecting houseplants is not just about owning them; it is essential to help them grow and thrive as best as possible. Unfortunately, studying plants was not what I had when I was in school. Luckily, we have so many websites and YouTube videos that provide ample information on how to take care of our houseplants. Take advantage of your free time during this stay-at-home order and watch all the plant care videos! Your plants will benefit from it!
9. Documenting your plants
I have tried plant journaling both on paper and digitally. The experience of writing and doodling on paper was soothing. The benefit of doing it electronically is efficiency. When I did it on my iPad, I could easily add pictures, notes, and search for the plants. Documenting my plants was such a fun process; it helped me to understand my plants better, to keep a regular watering schedule for them, and to observe their growing pattern. If you have an iPad, the app, Goodnotes is a great one to use for journaling. You can add a yearly calendar into each page and highlight the day when you water or fertilize your plants. It makes it so much easier for tracking your plants' watering needs.
10. Support nurseries
I put this on the last one because I know many of my friends are on furlough or being laid off. If you are doing ok financially, maybe this would be an excellent time to buy your dream plants. You are staying home and have all the time in the world to baby that new favorite plant. You can find some great deals on the Buy and Sell Facebook groups, or reputation online websites. Websites like Steve's Leaves, BWH Plant Co, and Gabriella Plants have great options, and they ship the plants so well that your dream plants will arrive Instagram ready! On a side note, you do want to be extra cautious when opening your packages. From what I heard, the COVID-19 virus is capable of surviving on a cardboard box for more than 24 hours. Please make sure to wear gloves or wash your hands thoroughly after handling your packages.
