New Soil For 2014, My Plants Are Very Happy

 

I had put this off a little longer then I wanted too but finally got a big bag of soil for these poor plants.  I got all but a few done in 3 days but lost my ump to do the remaining 4 or 5.  You don't realize how many you have until you're changing soil. I was pleasantly surprised to see good roots  on some of the cutting I had recently put in dirt. It is so fun to see how the roots looks, sometimes you have a big plant you expect to have lots and they don't.   I also moved things around a little, trying to make some more walk room in the my "plant area", I am still hoping to get some out of that room and put around the house but light rules.  So they stay where they are for now.  I need to make some hanging planters for the plants that can hang, that wold make a little more room but with me that will just make me get more plants.

I have some cutting for my mother-in-law, she lost a lot of her plants when she moved. So I thought I would be the good daughter-in-law and help her replenish her stock.  I don't know when we will be making a trip across state lines but I hope to have some ready to go when we do.   A local friend on mine is supposed to come pick up some Spider Plants from my last batch of babies that are in soil and ready to go, but she is a busy person and hasn't come yet.  I have some new Spider babies in water so I need the room, cause they don't stay in the water too long.

      This is just half of what I cut off, I am worried about the main Spider Plant cause it doesn't seem to be growing the babies as fast as it did last year. But it is still early in the year so we will see. I may end up having to keep some of these babies. 

My Ficus Tree Is Growing Good

I really love this Ficus Tree, not only because I started it from a small cutting but it is so much like an outdoor tree that it really brings an outdoor feeling inside.  

I have seen videos about how to prune these trees but I never have. I would like to try and start another tree to give to my mother in law since her died ( hers was the one I got my cutting from) and maybe one for myself too.

I moved it next to the fish tank in the living room, I have been trying to spread my plants around the house since most are in one room.  I was worried because there wasn't much direct light  where I placed it.    However I was hoping the light from tank and opening the curtain around 2pm would give it enough light.  

We have since moved the fish tank so the plant got moved too but it seemed to be fine where it was.  I have heard Ficus Trees need lots of light but I have found that to be hogwash.  Mine does just fine in low-light areas.    

My False Aralia Hasn't Taken Its Winter Break.

Before winter started I began to worry about this plant, it was getting tall and stringy.  I moved it up off the floor hoping to make fill out on the bottom.  I thought if it wasn't stretching up to get light the plant grow more leaves around the base.     Will reading about the False Aralia I found out it likes humidly and they suggested putting a water tray under it.  One like you would use for a Bonsai Tree.

So I got a planter saucer from a pot that is bigger then the one it is currently in, had my son go outside and gather up small rocks.  I also had some left over yellow aquarium rocks.  I washed all the rocks and put them in the saucer, then placed the False Aralia's pot (without its saucer) in the bigger saucer with rocks.    When you put water in the rocks you do not want the water to touch the plants pot. If it sits in too much water you will have rotting problems.  

This has made my plant fill out, its looks good and healthy now. I recommend you do it for your False Aralia.

Tips:  If you are going to be watering the plant do not put water in the rocks until after you do. If you put water in the rocks then water your plant you could end up with to much water in the rocks.  

I check the rocks everyday (or have my son do it), keep water in there.  Fill even if your not watering your plants.

Moving With Plants

I have got some plants from people that were moving, side note: I would never give away my plants because I was moving.  But this brings up how hard it is to take your plants with you. I have never moved "out of town" so my "not giving them away" may change if I had to move further then the other side of town.   It took many trips in the car to get all my plants from the old house to the new house. This was because I have big, medium and small plants so they all couldn't be crammed into the car at one time, at least not without breaking them.

During my move I lost 2 of my plants, I think the first is called a "Hen & Chick", it just up and died within a week of moving.  It could of been from being left in the hot/warm room for a day or from the shock of moving. I had also transplanted it to a new and different kind of pot about a month before moving.  I don't think it really liked the new pot I put it in. I was planning on putting it back in a pot like it was before I transplanted it but it died before that happened. 

I had a Hen & Chick plant a while ago and killed it too, so it could just be that this type of plants doesn't like me. That can happen.

The next one I lost was my Gold Fish Plant, I am pretty sure that is the name of it. It is called that because the flowers look like Gold Fish. with this one I don't think I can really blame the move on its demise. It was not looking to good before we thought about moving.