A Time To Grow

Plants: A Lesson In Patience

Plants have taught me that there is beauty in the waiting. There is beauty in the stillness. And that waiting, that stillness is all just leading up to something new and beautiful. Eventually all that work that was done in quiet moments will pay off.

I genuinely cannot ever recall a time or period in my life where I would have considered myself a patient human. Even as a little kid, I remember my mom telling me that “patience is a virtue.” Admittedly, I have always been about instant gratification. In the past this tendency has played a key role in my failures as a plant parent. I would tend to pick up a succulent at the grocery store determined this time to keep it alive. But, inevitably, I would end up forgetting about the plant entirely. Or, if not entirely, then for long enough periods that there was no bringing it back.

Now, I will admit that I do tend to be on the forgetful side. But really the problem was lack of patience. I wasn’t seeing my desired outcome (growth, blooms, whatever) within the first week and I would grow bored. But when COVID hit and I had nothing but time to sit and watch a plant grow I figured it was a good time to start again. I started with two little succulents and decided to use all my new spare time to actually educate myself about how to keep them alive. They’re actually still sitting on my windowsill! But once I was confident that I could keep them alive, I started truly enjoying them. I started getting joy out of them simply being there. And, when they did eventually start putting out new leaves, it was the best feeling ever.

Notice that when I actually put the time and effort into understanding what they needed – instead of just winging it based on preconceived notions – that’s when they started thriving. And now, dozens of plants later, that’s still true. When I give them what they need they will eventually grow something new and beautiful. It might take a while, but that wait is just giving the plant the time it needs to grow. That time isn’t wasted. Just like your plant, you deserve that time too. As humans, we all have different requirements in order to thrive. And we all have different rates of growth. Take the time to learn and understand what your specific needs are. What do you need to thrive? And, just like with your plants, be patient with yourself. If you’re doing the work your new growth is inevitable.

Beginner Series: Golden Pothos

Welcome back! Over the upcoming weeks I’ll be doing a series on plants that are perfect for the beginner plant parent. If you’ve ever thought to yourself that you have a “black thumb”, chances are that you either simply need to learn the ropes on a heartier plant (please, stop starting out with succulents. Please.), or you didn’t have the correct information/conditions to help your plant thrive. First rule of plants: Not all plant care is created equal. Just like humans, different plants have different requirements to keep them happy!

This week I’m going to start out with information on Golden Pothos aka Devil’s Ivy. Pothos come in dozens of varieties but the Golden is definitely the heartiest and easiest to care for. Before we get into details here’s a quick run down of what I love about these beauties:

Tolerate almost any light condition
Bounce back quickly from missed waterings
As a vining plant they’re incredibly versatile. Hang it from a basket, train it to climb, or simply let it hang freely from your shelf or bookcase.
Given the right conditions, you’ll get an endless supply of beautifully variegated green and gold leaves (hence its name, Golden Pothos)

Plant Vocab: Variegation

Really variegation is a fancy word for leaves that are more than one color. Simply put, its a mutation that causes a lack of chlorophyll (the green pigment) in some parts of the leaves and not others.
Below are some examples, taken from my own Golden!

As you can see, variegation looks different on every leaf!

Care Instructions

Light

As mentioned above, Golden Pothos can adapt to almost any light condition including low light. However, it will grow more slowly and lose its variegation to return to a solid green color. Bright, indirect light is recommended for a thriving Pothos. I keep mine about 15 feet from a southern facing window and it does great! However, I will be investing in some grow lights come fall.
Pothos don’t like direct sunlight as their leaves are prone to sunburn.

Watering

These guys are pretty low maintenance. The best thing you can do is to let the soil dry out completely in between waterings. An easy way to gauge this is to take a chopstick and stick it about halfway up into the soil. Pull it out and if its clean, its time to water. If you get any soil, give it another few days and check again.
I would also recommend bottom watering your Pothos (aka butt chugging. Just don’t Google it that way.) Bottom watering is super easy! You just need to make sure your plant is in a pot with drainage holes. Simply fill up a sink or bathtub with about 2-3 inches of water and set your plant in it! You can also use a deep drip try if you have one (this is what I use.) Depending on the size of the plant leave it for about 20-60 minutes. This allows the plant to take up exactly the amount of water it needs and no more. Its a great way to ensure you’re not under or over watering.

General Upkeep and Other Info

Yellowing, unhealthy leaves can indicate a problem with watering (either too much or too little.) But Pothos leaves will become old and die off on their own. When you see these leaves, just pluck them off as close to the vine as possible. Its best to prune them off to allow the plant to put its energy and nutrients towards new, healthy growth.
Golden Pothos have been classified as toxic to both dogs and cats by the ASPCA. So, if you have fur babies, make sure to keep your Pothos far out of reach. If your fur babies can’t be trusted to stay out of things, I would recommend avoiding this plant all together.

I hope this was helpful and has encouraged you to start your own Pothos journey! I’m excited to continue this series and bring you more plants that even a self proclaimed black thumb can keep happy and healthy!

Fuzzy Roots? Don’t Panic.

Earlier today I was doting over my Monstera andansonii as I often do as it sits directly next to my desk. Out of curiosity I pulled it out of its decorative pot to see if I could get a peek at any root action through the grow pot drainage holes. I immediately panicked! I had no idea you could see the life of a plant flash before your eyes but there I was. It sure enough had some nice little roots emerging from those drainage holes but there was something different about these roots. They were white and fuzzy! Now, as I’ve mentioned, I’m still very new to the plant game. My love for them started toward the beginning of the COVID lock down about 3 months ago. I have only heard the horror stories of root rot and other fungal infections. So, when I saw white fuzz, I immediately assumed it was rot. I jumped to my favorite plant group on Facebook to get advice on helping this baby out. It was kindly pointed out to me that what I was looking at was not rot or any kind of fungus but a plant structure that helps keep the plant happy and thriving. Root hairs!

I’m sure (or, at least I hope) that I’m not the first plant newbie to go through this. So, that’s what this post is for! Below, I’ll outline what these little hairs are and how they benefit your plant. I’ll also share some information on root rot and how to properly identify it.

Root Hair

Fine, white, tubular hairs that grow laterally from the root. (See picture below)
Increases root surface to allow your plant to soak up as much water and nutrients as your plant needs.
Also helps the plant anchor in the soil.
Only survive for a few days and won’t ever turn into roots themselves.
Leave them alone! They’re incredibly delicate.
May not be as long and obvious on all plants. Don’t panic if you can’t see them!

Root Rot

Causes roots to become dark and mushy. (See picture below)
Roots may fall off if touched.
Healthy roots may vary in color but will be firm to the touch.
Typically caused by prolonged exposure to water (i.e. lack of proper drainage) or fungus.
May be a cause of drooping or yellowing leaves.

I hope this has helped you grasp a basic understanding of root health and what to look for! Thanks for reading.

My Hope

Hello there! I’ve started this blog with the hopes that it will someday be the resource that I wanted when I bought my first plant. There is so much information out there and my goal is help compile that information into an easy to understand, user friendly platform. Make no mistake, I am not and will never claim to be the most knowledgeable. But, I’d love for you to follow along and learn right along side me.

My other hope is to promote self care through plants. Like so many others, my love for plants begin at the start of the COVID lockdown. I found plants to be a beautiful thing to put my energy towards. When I couldn’t go do the other things I love, my plants were there. ARE there. They give me exactly what I put into them. I believe they have more profound meaning than just looking nice on a shelf. I would love to share some of these thoughts with you and share how they are shaping my mental health.