cktc
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Post by cktc on Nov 6, 2017 13:40:43 GMT -5
Does anyone keep them? Any tips?
I keep hearing about the air cleaning benefits of certain plants and would really like to get a few, but I don't have much experience with keeping plants. I have a toddler, a baby on the way and two cats, so definitely want something safe and low maintenance.
The self-watering planters intrigue me, but I'm not sure if those are better for some plants than others. Really just don't know where to start.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 6, 2017 14:23:11 GMT -5
I have several. They're all sickly and small. My mom has a tropical jungle in her house every winter after she brings them in before the frost. I kid you not. We both have banana trees. They were both Carrot's that he took to school as his "something to take care of in school" kind of deal. Hers is now over 7 feet tall. Mine is maybe a foot. I don't know how she does it.
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cktc
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Post by cktc on Nov 6, 2017 14:33:32 GMT -5
I have several. They're all sickly and small. My mom has a tropical jungle in her house every winter after she brings them in before the frost. I kid you not. We both have banana trees. They were both Carrot's that he took to school as his "something to take care of in school" kind of deal. Hers is now over 7 feet tall. Mine is maybe a foot. I don't know how she does it. I bet she's swapped them out Sick and smallness aside, do you still enjoy your plants? My goal to start would be to not kill them so I think I'd be okay if they weren't exactly thriving.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 6, 2017 14:39:16 GMT -5
I'm kind of ambivalent about them. It's nice to have something green, but it's something else I have to remember to do even if it's small (water them!) I'm not sure I'd miss them if they were gone. (Maybe they sense this! LOL) I couldn't have plants at all before a couple years ago so I'm kind of new at the houseplant thing. My previous cat would eat every plant I brought in, as in right down to the dirt. I just figured it was a cat thing, but my two new cats don't bother plants at all.
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cktc
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Post by cktc on Nov 6, 2017 15:04:02 GMT -5
Haha, I have heard that plants have feelings and like to listen to music (or at least the vineyard sort)! One of my cats always gets to flowers, even when we put them on top of the cupboards Bedrooms are off limits though and I was thinking I could try hanging plants or small shelves on the wall for other areas if she won't leave them alone.
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bean29
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Post by bean29 on Nov 6, 2017 16:04:00 GMT -5
I have a very large hoya growing in my kitchen. Pot is sitting on the floor and it is looped up over the curtain rod and over to the next window. It flowers once or twice a year. MIL has started several new plants off of it. MIL has some, my Mom has some, friends have some, DS has some of it. Original plant was "Inherited" from my Grandma over 25 years ago. It has dark green waxy leaves. I am a neglectful plant mom. This one likes to be in an east facing window, and it likes to have the soil dry out before you water it again. I also have a Snake plant that I have had longer than the Hoya and an Aloe Plant. I know aloe is non-toxic, but it is not the most attractive plant to look at. I have another Aloe on my Fireplace and something else, not sure what it is.
My MIL may be responsible for keeping my plants alive though...she has repotted them several times. DH told me to repot the snake plant recently. I don't think she is gong to take care of it for me anymore.
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Tiny
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Post by Tiny on Nov 6, 2017 16:05:41 GMT -5
As for the air cleaning thing... I think you would need a jungle (or wall of plants) in every room to accomplish anything useful. That's not to say I doubt that plants can remove stuff from the air.
I am the keeper of the plants at work. It's dry and a steady temp at work. We've got south and east exposures.
The philodendron/pothos vines seem to happy no matter how much or how little sun they get. They are pretty tolerate if no one waters them for week or two. There's also an "English ivy" and what I think is a Persian Ivy that also seem to happy no matter how much or little sun they get - but they HATE to be dry (as in dried out soil) if they do dry out - they loose leaves that never come back - so they have bare vine (and are ugly).
There's a couple of Peace Lilies that LOVE being in the office and seem to be indestructible... no matter the light or water. But, I haven't put one in the "direct sunlight for more than 2 hours a day" southern window... I suspect that would kill them.
We've also got Snake plants (they don't like the southern exposure) and spider plants (they also don't like the southern exposure). More than an 1-2 hours of direct sun light makes them unhappy.
All of the listed plants do like the overhead lights though - especially in the interior cubicles. The interior offices have NO natural light and the overheads are only on M-F during the day... and amount to pretty much "the rooms where plants go to die".
All of the listed plants are suppose to be good "air cleaners".
The thing with houseplants is that they get overgrown or stringy or leggy and no one wants to cut them back or start over with cuttings. As the Keeper of the Plants at work - I'm pretty merciless with scissors - when a plant gets to looking ugly or overgrown - it's time for either a Haircut or take cuttings - throw out what's left of the old plant and start over with a new "baby" or two.
There's also a couple of Arrow Leaf vines (they get ugly and started over every year). I'm trying to ween every one off the Purple Passion vine - this plant is SO cute when it's new and little (like puppies or kittens) but then they get all stringy/viney and big and tough and leathery looking. We're down to 2 pots of them - cause I hate the maintenance of starting them over (but they are SOOOOOO Cute and purple and velvety when they are new!)
At home: I have evil miniature African violets (I can't seem to kill them - and I keep propagating new ones when the old ones are big and old and not blooming anymore), a couple of peace lilies, a snake plant, and a Persian ivy. I've got a southern and west exposure at home.
WARNING some of the above plants are poisonous to dogs and cats - so do your homework OR keep the plants out of your pets reach.
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bean29
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Post by bean29 on Nov 6, 2017 16:16:38 GMT -5
As for the air cleaning thing... I think you would need a jungle (or wall of plants) in every room to accomplish anything useful. That's not to say I doubt that plants can remove stuff from the air. I am the keeper of the plants at work. It's dry and a steady temp at work. We've got south and east exposures. The philodendron/pothos vines seem to happy no matter how much or how little sun they get. They are pretty tolerate if no one waters them for week or two. There's also an "English ivy" and what I think is a Persian Ivy that also seem to happy no matter how much or little sun they get - but they HATE to be dry (as in dried out soil) if they do dry out - they loose leaves that never come back - so they have bare vine (and are ugly). There's a couple of Peace Lilies that LOVE being in the office and seem to be indestructible... no matter the light or water. But, I haven't put one in the "direct sunlight for more than 2 hours a day" southern window... I suspect that would kill them. We've also got Snake plants (they don't like the southern exposure) and spider plants (they also don't like the southern exposure). More than an 1-2 hours of direct sun light makes them unhappy. All of the listed plants do like the overhead lights though - especially in the interior cubicles. The interior offices have NO natural light and the overheads are only on M-F during the day... and amount to pretty much "the rooms where plants go to die". All of the listed plants are suppose to be good "air cleaners". The thing with houseplants is that they get overgrown or stringy or leggy and no one wants to cut them back or start over with cuttings. As the Keeper of the Plants at work - I'm pretty merciless with scissors - when a plant gets to looking ugly or overgrown - it's time for either a Haircut or take cuttings - throw out what's left of the old plant and start over with a new "baby" or two. There's also a couple of Arrow Leaf vines (they get ugly and started over every year). I'm trying to ween every one off the Purple Passion vine - this plant is SO cute when it's new and little (like puppies or kittens) but then they get all stringy/viney and big and tough and leathery looking. We're down to 2 pots of them - cause I hate the maintenance of starting them over (but they are SOOOOOO Cute and purple and velvety when they are new!) At home: I have evil miniature African violets (I can't seem to kill them - and I keep propagating new ones when the old ones are big and old and not blooming anymore), a couple of peace lilies, a snake plant, and a Persian ivy. I've got a southern and west exposure at home. WARNING some of the above plants are poisonous to dogs and cats - so do your homework OR keep the plants out of your pets reach. Huh, my snake plant is in a southeast facing window. Lots of sun. This plant flowers periodically too, so it is not unhappy where it is.
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cktc
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Post by cktc on Nov 6, 2017 16:30:12 GMT -5
As for the air cleaning thing... I think you would need a jungle (or wall of plants) in every room to accomplish anything useful. That's not to say I doubt that plants can remove stuff from the air. I am the keeper of the plants at work. It's dry and a steady temp at work. We've got south and east exposures. The philodendron/pothos vines seem to happy no matter how much or how little sun they get. They are pretty tolerate if no one waters them for week or two. There's also an "English ivy" and what I think is a Persian Ivy that also seem to happy no matter how much or little sun they get - but they HATE to be dry (as in dried out soil) if they do dry out - they loose leaves that never come back - so they have bare vine (and are ugly). There's a couple of Peace Lilies that LOVE being in the office and seem to be indestructible... no matter the light or water. But, I haven't put one in the "direct sunlight for more than 2 hours a day" southern window... I suspect that would kill them. We've also got Snake plants (they don't like the southern exposure) and spider plants (they also don't like the southern exposure). More than an 1-2 hours of direct sun light makes them unhappy. All of the listed plants do like the overhead lights though - especially in the interior cubicles. The interior offices have NO natural light and the overheads are only on M-F during the day... and amount to pretty much "the rooms where plants go to die". All of the listed plants are suppose to be good "air cleaners". The thing with houseplants is that they get overgrown or stringy or leggy and no one wants to cut them back or start over with cuttings. As the Keeper of the Plants at work - I'm pretty merciless with scissors - when a plant gets to looking ugly or overgrown - it's time for either a Haircut or take cuttings - throw out what's left of the old plant and start over with a new "baby" or two. There's also a couple of Arrow Leaf vines (they get ugly and started over every year). I'm trying to ween every one off the Purple Passion vine - this plant is SO cute when it's new and little (like puppies or kittens) but then they get all stringy/viney and big and tough and leathery looking. We're down to 2 pots of them - cause I hate the maintenance of starting them over (but they are SOOOOOO Cute and purple and velvety when they are new!) At home: I have evil miniature African violets (I can't seem to kill them - and I keep propagating new ones when the old ones are big and old and not blooming anymore), a couple of peace lilies, a snake plant, and a Persian ivy. I've got a southern and west exposure at home. WARNING some of the above plants are poisonous to dogs and cats - so do your homework OR keep the plants out of your pets reach. Ah I know, NASA recommends one 6" plant per 100 sqft of living space. This TED Talk I watched suggested like 10 plants per person! That's definitely not happening, but I thought if I could keep a few plants in the bedrooms and office where we spend most of our time it might still offer some health benefit. At the very least the greenery can help with ambiance. Thanks for all the info on which plants you keep. A lot of those are ones I've been considering. It's good to know which are indestructible and which require the most care. The kitchen is south facing and gets the most sun, but the whole house is pretty light so I think should be good on that front.
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weltschmerz
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Post by weltschmerz on Nov 6, 2017 17:12:38 GMT -5
I have a very large hoya growing in my kitchen. Pot is sitting on the floor and it is looped up over the curtain rod and over to the next window. It flowers once or twice a year. MIL has started several new plants off of it. MIL has some, my Mom has some, friends have some, DS has some of it. Original plant was "Inherited" from my Grandma over 25 years ago. It has dark green waxy leaves. I am a neglectful plant mom. This one likes to be in an east facing window, and it likes to have the soil dry out before you water it again. I also have a Snake plant that I have had longer than the Hoya and an Aloe Plant. I know aloe is non-toxic, but it is not the most attractive plant to look at. I have another Aloe on my Fireplace and something else, not sure what it is.
My MIL may be responsible for keeping my plants alive though...she has repotted them several times. DH told me to repot the snake plant recently. I don't think she is gong to take care of it for me anymore.
I love Hoyas! They're very low maintenance and the house smells incredible when they bloom. My house is full of plants, including a huge palm tree that needs a Gro-Lite when I bring it indoors for the winter. I have two large aloes, as well. Every house should have an aloe plant or two. There's nothing better for sunburns, kitchen burns, constipation, heartburn and cuts.
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alabamagal
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Post by alabamagal on Nov 6, 2017 17:36:32 GMT -5
I am terrible with plants. I have 2 in my house and they are sickly looking. The temporary cat we have had for the last year eats the fronds off one so I blame him for its demise. The other one is probably my fault.
Last week I saw some really great looking plants for sale at Walmart for $10 and thought about replacing mine, but then I felt guilty for giving up on the ones I have. What does it say about me when I just look to replace the plants in my care every time I see a better looking one at the store?
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dannylion
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Post by dannylion on Nov 6, 2017 18:34:41 GMT -5
I am apparently unable to keep most house plants alive. I have had 2 ficus plants and a Norfolk Island Pine that have survived under my care for more than 5 years. This is a record. They are, to the best of my knowledge, nontoxic. They are easy to care for and apparently quite robust as I have not killed them yet.
Both types of plants will grow to the size of small trees, so be prepared to repot them periodically into progressively larger pots as they grow and give them new dirt once a year. I also use Miracle Gro houseplant fertilizer on mine. And water. That's it . Easy peasy.
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Post by empress of self-improvement on Nov 6, 2017 21:26:38 GMT -5
I am apparently unable to keep most house plants alive. I have had 2 ficus plants and a Norfolk Island Pine that have survived under my care for more than 5 years. This is a record. They are, to the best of my knowledge, nontoxic. They are easy to care for and apparently quite robust as I have not killed them yet.
Both types of plants will grow to the size of small trees, so be prepared to repot them periodically into progressively larger pots as they grow and give them new dirt once a year. I also use Miracle Gro houseplant fertilizer on mine. And water. That's it . Easy peasy. Well, seeing as a Norfolk Pine IS a tree, I would hope it grows to the size of a small tree. I used to have one. It actually did really well, even when cats were using it as a litterbox. Don't ask. I finally got tired of lugging it around though so I killed it off. Currently I have a 60 year old Christmas cactus that is dying, a diffenbachia that is dying, a pothos that I hate and wish was dying and some plant my friend gave me to revive. DH keeps overwatering them!!! I keep telling him to stop watering but he forgets. That's why they're all dying!!
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Tiny
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Post by Tiny on Nov 6, 2017 22:23:15 GMT -5
As for the air cleaning thing... I think you would need a jungle (or wall of plants) in every room to accomplish anything useful. That's not to say I doubt that plants can remove stuff from the air. I am the keeper of the plants at work. It's dry and a steady temp at work. We've got south and east exposures. The philodendron/pothos vines seem to happy no matter how much or how little sun they get. They are pretty tolerate if no one waters them for week or two. There's also an "English ivy" and what I think is a Persian Ivy that also seem to happy no matter how much or little sun they get - but they HATE to be dry (as in dried out soil) if they do dry out - they loose leaves that never come back - so they have bare vine (and are ugly). There's a couple of Peace Lilies that LOVE being in the office and seem to be indestructible... no matter the light or water. But, I haven't put one in the "direct sunlight for more than 2 hours a day" southern window... I suspect that would kill them. We've also got Snake plants (they don't like the southern exposure) and spider plants (they also don't like the southern exposure). More than an 1-2 hours of direct sun light makes them unhappy. All of the listed plants do like the overhead lights though - especially in the interior cubicles. The interior offices have NO natural light and the overheads are only on M-F during the day... and amount to pretty much "the rooms where plants go to die". All of the listed plants are suppose to be good "air cleaners". The thing with houseplants is that they get overgrown or stringy or leggy and no one wants to cut them back or start over with cuttings. As the Keeper of the Plants at work - I'm pretty merciless with scissors - when a plant gets to looking ugly or overgrown - it's time for either a Haircut or take cuttings - throw out what's left of the old plant and start over with a new "baby" or two. There's also a couple of Arrow Leaf vines (they get ugly and started over every year). I'm trying to ween every one off the Purple Passion vine - this plant is SO cute when it's new and little (like puppies or kittens) but then they get all stringy/viney and big and tough and leathery looking. We're down to 2 pots of them - cause I hate the maintenance of starting them over (but they are SOOOOOO Cute and purple and velvety when they are new!) At home: I have evil miniature African violets (I can't seem to kill them - and I keep propagating new ones when the old ones are big and old and not blooming anymore), a couple of peace lilies, a snake plant, and a Persian ivy. I've got a southern and west exposure at home. WARNING some of the above plants are poisonous to dogs and cats - so do your homework OR keep the plants out of your pets reach. Huh, my snake plant is in a southeast facing window. Lots of sun. This plant flowers periodically too, so it is not unhappy where it is. It might be the windows at work... The philodendron and snake plant both fried with full on southern sun - they turned yellow and died within a couple of months. We've currently got a philodendron behind a shade in the south window - and it seems very happy. I have a snake plant at home in a southern window (glass blocks) and it's very happy and also blooms. With your 'evidence' and mine - it's got to be the windows at the office (it's a tall glass clad office building).
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msventoux
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Post by msventoux on Nov 6, 2017 22:34:44 GMT -5
I’ve always loved Boston ferns in theory. In reality I kill them in short order and they make a horrible mess. I have 4-5 various other houseplants now and they’ve survived the longest of any of my attempts, probably around 4 years or so. To be honest I’m a bit sick of them. It’s one more thing to take care of. It might be okay if they were lush, gorgeous plants but they’re all kinda stunted or goofy looking.
Plants are one of those home or lifestyle goal things that sound so great-cleanses the air, soothes the soul, satisfies the eyes, etc. And for me, my plants don’t really tick any of those boxes. I’d like to get rid of them but feel bad about throwing them out since they’ve managed to survive this long. And every time I get rid of all my plants I get more a few months later while assuring myself that things will be different this time.
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weltschmerz
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Post by weltschmerz on Nov 6, 2017 23:06:27 GMT -5
Snake plants? I had to look it up. I've heard them referred to as Mother-In-Law tongues. Nothing will kill those suckers.
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weltschmerz
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Post by weltschmerz on Nov 6, 2017 23:11:37 GMT -5
If you get a Hoya (Wax Plant), DO NOT cut off those long naked tendrils. Those are needed for the plant to bloom.
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bean29
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Post by bean29 on Nov 7, 2017 4:40:10 GMT -5
My Hoya tends to “Hide” the flowers-they often are underneath the valance or on the back side of the leaves to the window. You know to look for flowers by the smell. I fertilize mine occasionally but not consistently.
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toomuchreality
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Post by toomuchreality on Nov 7, 2017 7:58:34 GMT -5
I do well with outdoor plants. But the only indoor plants I've had any luck with are philodendrons. I have south facing windows which have a covered balcony on the outside, so not a ton of sun. And until recently they've always had to be kept on top of my entertainment center (maybe 6 ft high), to keep them away from my ferrets, who LOVED to dig in the dirt.
If any part of a plant starts looking sickly, or yellow, I chop it off, so it doesn't sap all the nourishment from the rest of the plant. I also shorten the long viney parts. I make starts with the parts I cut off. I'd rather have fuller looking plants than super long thin, bare looking plants, or plants that look sick.
I only have 2 plants (1 is pretty large). That's enough for me. I'm not good at keeping track of multiple watering schedules.
Good luck to you!
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Nov 7, 2017 13:05:16 GMT -5
Can’t have them. DH’s cat eats them then throws up.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 7, 2017 13:09:53 GMT -5
I love house plants. Love the Hoya. It's easy and pretty but I don't like the odor when it flowers. Boston ferns, beautiful but I kill them. Just remember overwatering is the biggest houseplant killer. I have been hooked on all these different kinds of Begonias lately. I guess this means I'm old as I have always thought of them as old lady plants. The Home depot here gets some pretty nice and reasonably priced house plants.
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cktc
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Post by cktc on Nov 7, 2017 13:55:27 GMT -5
I love house plants. Love the Hoya. It's easy and pretty but I don't like the odor when it flowers. Boston ferns, beautiful but I kill them. Just remember overwatering is the biggest houseplant killer.I have been hooked on all these different kinds of Begonias lately. I guess this means I'm old as I have always thought of them as old lady plants. The Home depot here gets some pretty nice and reasonably priced house plants. I tend to forget to water so that shouldn't be an issue, unless pregnancy brain gets in the way and I forget that I've already watered. I paid my mortgage twice last month Online plant shopping has me stymied. Home Depot and Walmart garden centers are advertising a very limited selection of house plants online and of those mentioned, only snake plant is in stock which is the mildy toxic to cats one. I'll have to check them out in person and maybe try a local nursery too.
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weltschmerz
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Post by weltschmerz on Nov 7, 2017 15:19:44 GMT -5
I love house plants. Love the Hoya. It's easy and pretty but I don't like the odor when it flowers. Boston ferns, beautiful but I kill them. Just remember overwatering is the biggest houseplant killer. I have been hooked on all these different kinds of Begonias lately. I guess this means I'm old as I have always thought of them as old lady plants. The Home depot here gets some pretty nice and reasonably priced house plants. I love it. It smells like baby powder. And the droplets of nectar are incredibly sweet.
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weltschmerz
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Post by weltschmerz on Nov 7, 2017 15:24:13 GMT -5
I really like the curly Hoya, or Indian Rope Plant. I had a lovely one, but the cat broke it.
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WholeLottaNothin
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Post by WholeLottaNothin on Nov 7, 2017 15:29:02 GMT -5
I have a very large hoya growing in my kitchen. Pot is sitting on the floor and it is looped up over the curtain rod and over to the next window. It flowers once or twice a year. MIL has started several new plants off of it. MIL has some, my Mom has some, friends have some, DS has some of it. Original plant was "Inherited" from my Grandma over 25 years ago. It has dark green waxy leaves. I am a neglectful plant mom. This one likes to be in an east facing window, and it likes to have the soil dry out before you water it again. I also have a Snake plant that I have had longer than the Hoya and an Aloe Plant. I know aloe is non-toxic, but it is not the most attractive plant to look at. I have another Aloe on my Fireplace and something else, not sure what it is.
My MIL may be responsible for keeping my plants alive though...she has repotted them several times. DH told me to repot the snake plant recently. I don't think she is gong to take care of it for me anymore.
I love Hoyas! They're very low maintenance and the house smells incredible when they bloom. My house is full of plants, including a huge palm tree that needs a Gro-Lite when I bring it indoors for the winter. I have two large aloes, as well. Every house should have an aloe plant or two. There's nothing better for sunburns, kitchen burns, constipation, heartburn and cuts. Constipation?
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WholeLottaNothin
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Post by WholeLottaNothin on Nov 7, 2017 15:31:21 GMT -5
I am apparently unable to keep most house plants alive. I have had 2 ficus plants and a Norfolk Island Pine that have survived under my care for more than 5 years. This is a record. They are, to the best of my knowledge, nontoxic. They are easy to care for and apparently quite robust as I have not killed them yet.
Both types of plants will grow to the size of small trees, so be prepared to repot them periodically into progressively larger pots as they grow and give them new dirt once a year. I also use Miracle Gro houseplant fertilizer on mine. And water. That's it . Easy peasy. Well, seeing as a Norfolk Pine IS a tree, I would hope it grows to the size of a small tree. I used to have one. It actually did really well, even when cats were using it as a litterbox. Don't ask. I finally got tired of lugging it around though so I killed it off. Currently I have a 60 year old Christmas cactus that is dying, a diffenbachia that is dying, a pothos that I hate and wish was dying and some plant my friend gave me to revive. DH keeps overwatering them!!! I keep telling him to stop watering but he forgets. That's why they're all dying!! I tend to kill them with kindness as well. At my DH's urging, I bought a tiny succulent at Aldi a few months ago for like $2 or $3. It has done really well. I have to keep myself from watering it all that much, which is helping. My mom just repotted it for me. It is the first plant I haven't killed off in a long time.
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NastyWoman
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Post by NastyWoman on Nov 7, 2017 19:45:37 GMT -5
As for the air cleaning thing... I think you would need a jungle (or wall of plants) in every room to accomplish anything useful. That's not to say I doubt that plants can remove stuff from the air. I am the keeper of the plants at work. It's dry and a steady temp at work. We've got south and east exposures. The philodendron/pothos vines seem to happy no matter how much or how little sun they get. They are pretty tolerate if no one waters them for week or two. There's also an "English ivy" and what I think is a Persian Ivy that also seem to happy no matter how much or little sun they get - but they HATE to be dry (as in dried out soil) if they do dry out - they loose leaves that never come back - so they have bare vine (and are ugly). There's a couple of Peace Lilies that LOVE being in the office and seem to be indestructible... no matter the light or water. But, I haven't put one in the "direct sunlight for more than 2 hours a day" southern window... I suspect that would kill them. We've also got Snake plants (they don't like the southern exposure) and spider plants (they also don't like the southern exposure). More than an 1-2 hours of direct sun light makes them unhappy. All of the listed plants do like the overhead lights though - especially in the interior cubicles. The interior offices have NO natural light and the overheads are only on M-F during the day... and amount to pretty much "the rooms where plants go to die". All of the listed plants are suppose to be good "air cleaners". The thing with houseplants is that they get overgrown or stringy or leggy and no one wants to cut them back or start over with cuttings. As the Keeper of the Plants at work - I'm pretty merciless with scissors - when a plant gets to looking ugly or overgrown - it's time for either a Haircut or take cuttings - throw out what's left of the old plant and start over with a new "baby" or two. There's also a couple of Arrow Leaf vines (they get ugly and started over every year). I'm trying to ween every one off the Purple Passion vine - this plant is SO cute when it's new and little (like puppies or kittens) but then they get all stringy/viney and big and tough and leathery looking. We're down to 2 pots of them - cause I hate the maintenance of starting them over (but they are SOOOOOO Cute and purple and velvety when they are new!) At home: I have evil miniature African violets (I can't seem to kill them - and I keep propagating new ones when the old ones are big and old and not blooming anymore), a couple of peace lilies, a snake plant, and a Persian ivy. I've got a southern and west exposure at home. WARNING some of the above plants are poisonous to dogs and cats - so do your homework OR keep the plants out of your pets reach. Ah I know, NASA recommends one 6" plant per 100 sqft of living space. This TED Talk I watched suggested like 10 plants per person! That's definitely not happening, but I thought if I could keep a few plants in the bedrooms and office where we spend most of our time it might still offer some health benefit. At the very least the greenery can help with ambiance. Thanks for all the info on which plants you keep. A lot of those are ones I've been considering. It's good to know which are indestructible and which require the most care. The kitchen is south facing and gets the most sun, but the whole house is pretty light so I think should be good on that front. Woohoo, I am NASA and TED talk compliant with a few plants thrown in as a buffer just in case. Now I am not very consistent in taking care of my plants so I do need to occasionaly replace a very sorry looking poor thing
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cktc
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 19, 2013 22:15:31 GMT -5
Posts: 3,202
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Post by cktc on Nov 7, 2017 20:10:48 GMT -5
Wow I'm impressed @nastywoman! How many plants do you keep?
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NastyWoman
Senior Associate
Joined: Dec 24, 2010 20:50:37 GMT -5
Posts: 14,893
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Post by NastyWoman on Nov 7, 2017 20:29:54 GMT -5
Wow I'm impressed @nastywoman! How many plants do you keep? Anywhere between 15 and 20. Depending on the state of the plants and when they are on sale. When I was still young and silly (that young is a very long time ago) I had over 100 of them in a much smaller place than I have now. And I kept them alive too. My green thumb must have died off with old(er) age
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weltschmerz
Community Leader
Joined: Jul 25, 2011 13:37:39 GMT -5
Posts: 38,962
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Post by weltschmerz on Nov 8, 2017 0:29:34 GMT -5
I love Hoyas! They're very low maintenance and the house smells incredible when they bloom. My house is full of plants, including a huge palm tree that needs a Gro-Lite when I bring it indoors for the winter. I have two large aloes, as well. Every house should have an aloe plant or two. There's nothing better for sunburns, kitchen burns, constipation, heartburn and cuts. Constipation? Yes, absolutely. Taken internally, aloe juice can have a soothing effect. Juice with aloe latex — which contains anthraquinones, or natural laxatives — may further help with constipation. However, you should keep in mind that there are some safety concerns with aloe latex. Taking too much of a laxative may make your symptoms worse. www.healthline.com/health/digestive-health/aloe-vera-juice-for-ibs#benefits2www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-607-aloe.aspx?activeingredientid=607
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