Plant Care: Quick Fire Hydrangea

About the plant:
The Quick Fire hydrangea is easy to care for, as it's very hardy and adapts well to a variety of soil types, and blooms reliably, even after severe winters. The Quick Fire is a hardy hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata) known for its early bloom, which emerges a month or more before any other hardy hydrangea variety. The bloom clusters start in a creamy white, quickly take on a rich pink hue, and, finally, turn to a dark rosy color as autumn rolls in.

Planting Tips

The Quick Fire hydrangea is suited to grow in much of the continental United States, with a rating for USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 8. Because the plant does well in both partial shade and full sun, you can plant it in flowerbeds next to your house or in exposed gardens.

Quick Fire hydrangeas flourish in dry to normal moisture conditions and are not as dependent on water as some other varieties of hydrangea. The plant will tolerate drought conditions quite well.

Pruning:
Quick Fire blooms from new wood -- the stems that begin growing each spring. Panicle hydrangeas like Quick Fire do not need pruning every year. Once the shrub does grow too tall or becomes irregular in shape, you can cut back all branches to the ground in late winter so entire rejuvenation occurs leading into summer. Trimming branches or cutting back branches by one-third to one-half their original length should be performed after the first fall frost and up until leaves unfurl in spring.

Info source: Here 

How to care for False Aralia Plant

I recently got this plant from a friend and sort of forgot about it. I was watering it and "taking care" of it but I don't like to bring a plant into my house until I've done some research to make sure I take care of it correctly from the beginning. And of course the one time I do it the plant starts to die so now it's time to do my research and see what I'm doing wrong.

Leaf drop. Dizygotheca likes to stay put. Moving it to a new location may cause its leaves to drop. Shedding leaves may also indicate that humidity is too low. Mist the plant every morning or stand the pot on a tray of wet pebbles. Misting also helps to prevent spider mites that may invade this plant.

Pruning. False Aralia is slow-growing and doesn't need pruned unless you want to control its height. Over time, it will drop its lower leaves, revealing a single tree-like trunk. If you want, you can keep it short and shrubby by cutting it back each year. Don't be afraid to prune it to 6 inches (15 cm) from the soil level. Spring is the best time to cut it back. New offsets will grow from the base of the plant.

Repotting. Repot in spring only when it has outgrown its pot, but use the smallest container that will hold its roots. It grows best when its roots are confined. Taller plants should be potted in a heavy container to prevent toppling.

Origin: South Pacific Height: This Pacific Island native can grow to 20 ft (6 m) in the wild, but indoors this tree will slowly reach about 6 ft (1.8 m).

 Light: Bright light, no direct sun. Water: Water thoroughly and allow top 1 in (2.5 cm) of soil to dry out between waterings. Wilted leaves are a sign of overwatering.

Humidity: Moderate to high humidity.

Temperature: Warm 65-85°F, 18-29°C. Do not expose it to temperatures below 60°, which can cause leaf drop. Soil: Any good potting mix

Fertilizer: Feed every 2 weeks with a balanced liquid fertilizer (such as 10-10-10) diluted by half. In fall and winter, feed monthly.

Propagation: Seeds or stem tip cuttings. Take stem tip cuttings in spring. For best results, dip cut end in hormone rooting powder before inserting in moist potting mix. Cover with a plastic bag to raise the humidity around the cutting. Keep it warm and out of direct sunlight.

Info Source 


So it looks like the firsts things I need to do is put it a little closer to a window and mist it more. I'm thinking maybe because it was moved that is the first reason why it's a little sad. We'll see how I do!

How to care for Venus Fly Trap

venus flytrap

I recently got a Venus fly trap and it went from doing well to "dead" within a week and I was really frustrating. I'm usually really good with plants and I'm still not totally sure what happened. Long story short I left it hoping it would start some new growth. Right when I was going to bring it back to the store I saw hope; a couple of new steams. I'm leaving it but I thought I'd do a little more research.

This video is very helpful but here are some basic tips as well:

1) Put it in a bright place - 6 hours of sun a day
2) Lots of humidity! 70-80%!
3) A good idea is to put it in a terrarium, or tall vase to keep the humidity in
4) Don't try to feed it yourself with "people" food
5) Only give this plant distilled or rain water 

Rex Begonia Plant Care

Origin: Asia and India

Height: Up to 1 ft (30 cm)

Light: Bright light, but no direct sun which can scorch the leaves. Thrives under fluorescent light.

Water: Keep soil evenly moist at all times, but be careful not to overwater because the rhizomes are prone to rot in soggy soil. Avoid getting water on leaves because they may spot.

Humidity: High humidity. Increase humidity by standing pot on a tray of wet pebbles, or use a room humidifier. Do not mist because this can cause spots to form on leaves.

Temperature: Average room temperatures 65-75°F, 18-24°C

Soil: African violet potting mix works well.

Fertilizer: Feed every 2 weeks spring through fall with a balanced liquid fertilizer diluted by half.

Propagation: Take leaf cuttings in spring or summer. Cut a healthy, medium-sized leaf with 1-2 in (2.5-5 cm) stem. Poke stem at a 45° angle in moist half-and-half mixture of peat moss and perlite. Enclose the whole thing in a plastic bag to hold in humidity. Keep the cutting in a warm spot (75-80°/24-27°) in indirect light. Leaf cuttings usually root in about 3-4 weeks, but it takes about another 4 weeks for plantlets to form. Pot up each plantlet when it has 3 leaves, and cut away the parent leaf.


Care Tips:
Provide a humid environment for the Rex begonia. To increase the humidity around the Rex begonia, fill a tray with pebbles and set the planting container on top of the pebbles. Add water to the tray of pebbles, but don't allow it to touch the bottom of the planting container.

Place the Rex begonia in an area with plenty of air circulation. Use a good-quality African violet potting mixture, and a container with good drainage holes in the bottom. Keep the plant clean. Pinch off any dead or yellowing leaves, and don't let debris gather on the surface of the container.

Water the Rex begonia whenever the top of the soil feels slightly dry to the touch. Water until the soil is moist, but don't water excessively, as Rex begonia is susceptible to rot if the soil is too wet. Water on the leaves will cause spots, so don't mist Rex begonia, and don't allow water to splash on the leaves.

Maintain the room temperature at around 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Rex begonias don't do well in cool temperatures, so don't allow nighttime temperatures to fall below 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

Feed the Rex begonia every other week, using a balanced liquid houseplant fertilizer that has been diluted to half strength. Withhold fertilizer during the winter.

Cycad/Sago Palm Plant Care

I sold a pair of shoes on Kajiji and with the money I bought this pretty. It's it a beautiful plant? Turns out this plant dates back to when the dinosaurs roamed the earth! Crazy right?! AND one plant can live up to 1000 years! It's that amazing? 

(See those sort of yellow pieces in the middle? Five new branches starting to grow!)

I thought seeing as this is such an incredible plant I would shared a bit more about it.

Here is a great video to get you started.

Common Name: Sago Palm
Scientific Name: Cycas revoluta
Lighting: Moderate to Bright Light
Water: Low

Origin: Tropical Asia

Lighting:
The Sago Palm prefers bright light, but will also tolerate moderate levels as well. Try to keep the plant near light or else new growth will dramatically lean towards the light. It also is a good idea to turn the plant slightly every couple of days to keep the plants shape.

Watering:
You should allow your Sago palm to dry out (not 100%, maybe 85%) in between waterings. If you are successful at growing cactus or succulents, you'll do well with this plant. Their watering also should follow according to the amount of light they receive. If it is placed in an area with lower light levels, you may only need to water it every couple of weeks. If matured foliage begins to yellow you are probably over watering the plant. (Take care to water the soil, not the crown of the plant which can lead to crown rot and may kill the plant).

This houseplant is pretty hardy. It doesn't seem to have a real temperature preference and do not have any humidity requirements but does prefer humidity if you can give it. During dry months, a daily misting will add some extra lift to your plant.

The only downfall to this houseplant is that they are extremely slow growers; so do not be discouraged if your plant doesn't appear to be growing. Source

Height: 
Up to 6 ft (1.8 m) indoors. Can be kept dwarfed by growing it in a small pot. Sago Palm is also popularly grown as a bonsai tree. 

Temperature:
Normal room temperatures 60-75°F, 16-24°C


Soil:
Cactus mix works well. Or combine 2 parts peat-moss based potting mix and 1 part sharp sand or perlite.

Propagation:
Seeds take months to germinate and years to grow into a tree. Everything about this plant is s-l-o-w. Mature plants grow offsets -- called pups -- that can be separated and planted into their own containers.

Fertilizer:
Feed monthly spring through fall with a liquid fertilizer (such as 18-6-18) diluted by half. Only fertilize when watering to avoid fertilizer burn. A slow-release fertilizer also works well, but I only use half the amount recommended on the package. The leaves will shrivel and dry up when it has been over-fertilized. Source

Caring too much for my Jade Plant

Ok so a while ago (I'm thinking it was well over a year) I bought some jade plants. I'll be honest I really didn't know anything about them but that I liked how they looked. I really really liked them and they were growing really well but then for some reason they started to die! I tried to bring them back but it was like they were rotting from the inside and there was nothing I could do. I managed to save a couple of small cuttings before "the death" made it's way through the whole plant. In my last plant love post you can see some picture of them, but I won't even give you an update photo because it's really rather sad. To add to it? I didn't realize these plants could turn into trees and lives for years and years! I was at an appointment the other day and there was a 10 year old jade plant there! It looked amazing!! I was sad that I totally killed mine (normally I'm really great with plants!) but now I have a new goal; to grow a tree!! I know it will take a many many years but how cool would that be? Have a plant that's growing with you! So here are my inspiration photos and for all of you that need a little Jade Plan care tips (apparently I did! I cared too much and it turns out I over watered. And leaving it in the kitchen or near fruit is not a good idea for some reason) here's the best once I've found.

Isn't this one just perfect? I'd love to have a jade plant that looked like this!

(I'd love to get to the point of being able to grow other plants off of my first plant. I love giving plants as gifts!)

The Jade Plant

(Crassula argentea)

* Light requirements - Moderate to bright.
Its recommended to provide the jade plant with direct sunlight, at least four hours daily. Keep the plant 2 - 3 inches away from window glass to avoid scorching it's leaves. The glass can act like a magnifier intensifying the sun's rays.

* Moisture requirements (spring and summer) - Let dry.
Water plant thoroughly but allow the soil to dry completely between waterings.

* Moisture requirements (winter and fall) - Dry.
Jade plants will enter a dormant growth cycle as the days grow shorter. Cut back watering during the cooler months to help prevent rot and leaf drop.

* Soil requirements - pH 6.1 to 6.5, quick draining.
A soil that is quick draining works best for these plants. A commercial mix suitable for cacti and succulents is a good, but sometimes expensive, choice. I've read that cactus and succulent soil mix contains peat moss, sand, perlite, small amounts of lime and sometimes gypsum. A quick recipe is 1/3 peatmoss, 1/3 coarse sand and 1/3 perlite. Perlite is used to help prevent water loss and soil compaction.

* Soil pH requirements - pH 6.1 to 6.5.
Jade plants thrive with a pH balance of around 6.3. A great guide to understanding and changing soil pH can be found here Soil pH - Acid Soil or Alkaline Soil - What You Need to Know.

* Fertilizer requirements - Every 2-3 months with mild succulent fertilizer. Fertilize with 10-20-10 or 5-10-5 ratio soluble plant food once every 2-3 months during the spring and summer months. Use only liquid fertilizer mixed weaker than the directions recommend. Do not fertilize from November through March, the plants dormant cycle.

* Temperature requirements - 55° nighttime and 75-80° daytime.
Jade plants seem to do well between 55° at night and 75-80° during the day. They can even hang in there when temperatures drop to 40° but it's not recommended to allow them to get so cool. They are from south Africa after all.

* Repotting - Springtime, when necessary.
It is recommended to repot in the spring time, when new growth appears. After the winter dormancy period is the ideal time.

* Country of origin - South Africa

*Latin pronunciation - Krass-yew-luh ar-JEN-tee-uh

*Life Span - Perennial

(Source)

You should really also check out the info on Jade plants on Wikipedia. There is a plant that is taller then a grown man! I think it's over 6', amazing!!

Dumb Cane (Dieffenbachia) Plant Care

This is my Dumb Plant. It started out at 7'' tall and now it's over 3 feet. 

Dieffenbachia requires moist soil, so water frequently. You may also place a tray under the pot with water in it to help in keeping the plants soil moist at all times. This houseplant also requires high humidity levels so misting daily will also help keep the Dumb Cane healthy.

This houseplant prefers to be within 5 to 8 feet of a window, but will survive lower light levels. However please caution against placing the plant anywhere near drafty areas. The Dieffenbachia also prefers temperatures above 60 F.

The Dieffenbachia contains a toxic sap thus giving the name Dumb Cane, so please keep out of reach of children or animals that may try and eat the plant. It is one of the many poisonous houseplants you may have in your home.

Common varieties of the Dieffenbachia include the Exotica Compacta, Australian, Tropic Marianne, Paradise, Camille and Tropic Snow.

Source

Norfolk Pine (Araucaria heterophylla) Care

I was at my favorite garden center and they had all of there Christmas plants and arrangements on sale and I saw a beautiful Norfolk Pine arrangement. It also has two other plants with it (that I am yet to figure out what they are!) and it's just so pretty! It also came in this fabric sort of pot that's made from recycled plastic bottles! It was $60 but I got it for $14 which I am very excited about.

I read up a little about this plant and so far so good, but here's some info, for you and for me, on this wonderful plant.

It makes me feel like I'm in the forest having this plant. I love it!

Known botanically as Araucaria heterophylla, the plant is native to Norfolk Island in the South Pacific between Australia and New Zealand.

Watering:
Water then the first inch of the soil is dry. Water enough to get run off through the drainage holes and discard of that water.

Lighting:
Although the Norfolk Island pine will adapt to bright indirect light, the plant will look its best with a couple of hours of direct sunlight daily. Five feet from a window is as far as you should try if you wan the plant to get larger. If the light source is coming from just one direction, you'll want to rotate the plant a quarter turn weekly to keep it from tilting toward one side.

Humidity: 
What is most challenging for the typical home gardener is giving this plant the high relative humidity it needs. Norfolk Island pine thrives at 50 percent relative humidity, yet it is not unusual for the average house to drop to 15 percent during the winter heating season, unless steps are taken to increase moisture in the air. Running a humidifier will increase the comfort of people and plant and is the most effective way to adequately raise the humidity.

It's suggested to mist the plant every day to really help the plant thrift (I've been doing that and so far so good! It's looking great and lush.)

Fertilizer: 
When the plant is growing, feed with a fertilizer formulated for indoor foliage plants. It is not unusual for the plant to be in a period of rest during the winter months, at which time there is no need to fertilize.

Growth/Height:
When given proper care, the Norfolk Island pine will outgrow most indoor spaces, not surprising when you consider that it can reach up to 200 feet tall in its native habitat!

Info Source

Prayer Plant Care

Prayer plants prefer moderate to low indirect light levels. If the leaves on your plant begin to curl and turn brown, your plant is receiving too much light. Providing this plant with too much direct sunlight can burn the foliage.

Prayer plants require moist but not soggy soil. This houseplant also is one of the few houseplants that does not like its soil to dry out between watering, so try to keep the soil consistently moist at all times.

The biggest need for this houseplant is humidity. It requires high humidity levels to flourish, so a daily misting will go far. If the tips of the foliage begin to brown your plant may not be getting the humidity it needs. By providing high humidity levels, you help in ensuring beautiful flowers bloom. This plant is also very temperamental when it comes to temperature changes. It prefers a range of 65 to 80 degrees, however it does not like fluctuations in temperature. Do keep it away from drafts.

Source

Also I found this very helpful:

Tips:
If the tips of the leaves are turning brown or curling up, the plant is getting too much light. Another cause for brown tips can also be the chlorine found in tap water. Use filtered water or let water sit for 24 hours before watering the plant.

A daily misting can help provide the plant with the humidity it needs that may not be present in your home. You can also set a container of water near the plant, the evaporating water will give the plant some added humidity.

Amarylis Plant Care

Source

I was at the MCC on a thrifting trip around Manitoba and I got two of these plants! I didn't really know what they were when I got them but the lady there tried to explain them to me but I thought either way for $1 each I couldn't really go wrong. 

Like every time I get a new plant; I took pictures right away and starting looking up care instructions. And of course then is started on this post! So here's what I found on this wonderful plant! 

Quick Tips:

• Planting Period:  October until the end of April.
• Flowering Period:  Late December until the end of June.
• Flowering time is 7-10 weeks.
• Larger bulbs produce more flowers.
• Always store un-planted bulbs in a cool place between 40-50 deg. F

When it's blooming:

A blooming amaryllis does NOT need to sit in a bright room or sunlight. Heat & light causes the bloom to wither. Blooms may last several days to a week. Be careful to not let the pollen get on fabrics - it can stain some cloth.

When it's starting to grow:

Water your amaryllis thoroughly right after you plant it (or repot it), and allow the soil surface to dry a bit before watering it again. Place it in a warm spot to stimulate root growth. A sunny spot is best. If you try to rebloom your amaryllis in dim light conditions, the flower stalk will grow long and your amaryllis will be more prone to breakage or tipping. Wait until the first flower has opened to move the plant to a location with subdued light and cool temperatures to preserve the flower as long as possible. 

(This is mine. It's coming along. It already has one new leaf so that's a good sign!)

There is a lot to this plant and it has different care all throughout the year so it's a little hard to condense info about it; so if you want to read more about this great plant go here and here! Oh and here!  

Devil's Ivy Plant Care

Native to: Solomon Islands
Growing Habits: A low growing vining plant generally not over 18" tall unless grown on a pole. Vines can reach 10 feet in length.
Flowers: No
Temps: Normal indoor temps
Humidity: Not critical
Lighting: Low, indirect light

When you first bring home a new Golden Pothos plant that was purchased from the local garden center, the plant will have an over abundance of leaves due to the excellent lighting conditions of the greenhouse. In the home or office environment lighting is not as good, so the Golden Pothos will naturally shed leaves during the acclimation process. Don't be to alarmed if your new Golden Pothos plant sheds 20 or 30 leaves during its first month at its new home.

 

Golden Pothos can be kept virtually anywhere in the home or office. If there is enough light to read by, you can grow a Golden Pothos in that location. About the only place a Golden Pothos won't thrive is full hot sun and total darkness.

Check the soil of a new Golden Pothos every few days for watering until you become familiar with the plants needs. When the surface soil has dried about 1/2" down it's time to water. Usually once a week. Water thoroughly all the way around the plant until water runs from the drainage holes. Excess water should be removed to help prevent root rot. Golden Pothos is not finicky about water quality, so regular tap water will be just fine.

Propagating Pothos is really easy. When the vines become unmanageable, trim them back to any where you like. The vines can be easily rooted in water or vermiculite.

Source

Indoor Fern Care

Choose the right soil for your fern. If you have an epiphytic fern (a fern that grows in a tree), you should plant it in a coarse soil that allows water to drain more easily. If you have a terrestrial fern (a fern that grows in the soil), you can plant it in ordinary potting soil found at your local retailer.

Put your fern in a plastic container or other container with a sufficient drainage system. It's important to allow for drainage, so avoid solid containers like clay pots without holes in the bottom. This will allow for better moisture levels, mimicking the humidity that ferns are used to.

Set your fern in an area of the house that will allow it to get indirect sunlight for about four hours daily. Too much direct sunlight will dry it out or even burn the leaves, so it's better to place it in a partially shaded area. Room temperature should be between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

Water your fern fairly regularly, but be aware that these plants can be overwatered. Stick your finger in the soil to test whether your fern needs to be watered. If it's fairly moist, then you may skip watering for the day. If, however, it feels slightly dry, then add water directly to the soil (making sure not to pour over the leaves) until it becomes evenly moist. If you notice black roots, reduce the amount of water you pour, as this is an indication of overwatering.

Add plant fertilizer with equal parts nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium (for instance, a 20-20-20 mix) once monthly between March and October. If you notice the foliage colors turning lighter green, then you may want to get a mixture with more nitrogen. Avoid feeding your fern during the winter months. However, it is a good idea to mist it during the winter.

Inspect your fern periodically for diseases. Typical signs of disease include yellowing and withering of leaves, as well as drooping of foliage or brown spots on the leaves. If it seems that your fern has a disease, spray it with an insecticidal soap.

Source

Goldfish Hypocerta Care

Source

Native to: Brazil
Growth habit: When young the plant grows upright. As it ages it will tend to trail.
Flowers: Yes, orange flowers that look like a gold fish.
Temperature: Normal indoor temps
Humidity: Not critical.
Pests: Watch for aphids or mealy bug.
Lighting: Full light to part shade

Watering: When the soil is dry to the touch water thoroughly, likely once or twice a week 

Flowering: If you want your plant to flower it needs to be in direction full light. 

Propagating: Take cuttings and put in water or vermacompost.
  

Cyclamen Plant Care

I recently bought a very sad cyclamen plant but I figured I could nurse it back to health. It was only $3 (in comparison to the $10 it usually is) so I thought it was a cheap risk. So as usual, I'm out looking for how to care the best for my plants. Here's what I found about this plant. So far I have 2 flowers growing and lots of new growth for leaves so that's very exciting!

Background Info
The florist cyclamen is derived from Cyclamen persicum, a Mediterranean plant. In nature it goes dormant during the summer months, comes into growth as cooler, damper weather starts, flowers in autumn, winter or spring, and goes dormant again as the summer becomes warm. Cyclamens grow from tubers that are round and rather flat. The tubers are the storage organs that keep the plants alive during their summer dormancy.

Temperature
These plants like temperatures around 20C during the day and around 10C during the evening.   (I'm going to see how this plant does in my 25C house and let you know if it can handle it!)



Watering
Water your cyclamen plant only when the soil is dry to the touch, but to not leave the plant in this dry state so long that it shows visible signs of not being watered, such as droopy leaves and flowers. When you water the plant, water from below the leaves so that the water does not touch the stems or leaves. Water on the stems and leaves can cause them to rot.

Lighting
Cyclamen like bright light but do not need direct light. Put your plant near a east/west window, but not directly in a south facing window.

Fertilize
Only fertilizer once every 1-2 months with water soluble fertilizer mixed at half strength. When cyclamen get too much fertilizer, it can affect their ability to rebloom.

Dormancy
After a cyclamen blooms, it will go into a dormant state. Going into a dormant state looks very much like the plant is dying as the leaves will turn yellow and fall off. It is not dead, just sleeping. With proper cyclamen plant care, you can help it through its dormancy and it will rebloom in a few months.

When taking care of a cyclamen after blooming, allow the leaves to die and stop watering the plant once you see the signs that the leaves are dying. Place the plant in a cool, somewhat dark place. You can remove any dead foliage, if you would like. Let sit for 2 months.

Time to Rebloom
Once a cyclamen has finished its dormant period, you can start to water it again and bring it out of storage. You may see some leaf growth, and this is ok. Make sure to completely soak the soil. You may want to set the pot in a tub of water for an hour or so, then make sure any excess water drains away.

Check the cyclamen tuber and make sure that the tuber has not outgrown the pot. If the tuber seems crowded, repot the cyclamen to a larger pot.

Once the leaves start to grow, you can resume normal cyclamen care and it should rebloom shortly.

For a bit more info here's another great site.

Nerve Plant Care

Pinch your plant. Pinch stems regularly to keep plant bushy and full. Also pinch off any small flower spikes that may appear, because they are insignificant and will weaken the show of leaves.

Mist it. This tropical beauty loves to be misted. Give it a fine spray of tepid water every morning to provide the moist air it craves. Or, place the pot on a tray of wet pebbles to raise the humidity around it.

Repot in spring every couple years to refresh the soil. Nerve Plant has shallow roots, so you can keep it in a small pot.

---

Origin: Peru


Height: Up to 6 in (15 cm)


Light: Low to medium light. Grows well under fluorescent light.


Water: Keep soil constantly moist, but not soggy. Plant will collapse if it dries out.


Humidity: High humidity. Grows best in terrariums.


Temperature: Average room temperatures 65-75°F, 18-24°C

Source


Soil: Peat-based potting mix that holds moisture well.


Fertilizer: Feed every 2-3 months spring through fall with a balanced liquid fertilizer.


Propagation: Take stem cuttings in spring and insert them in moist potting mix. They propagate easily in a warm, humid environment, rooting in about 2-3 weeks

DIY Plant Tower

So I decided that I was going to make a plant tower. I had all these plants all over my house, all that did well in filtered light so a tower was a great option for them. I bought this tower for outside in the summer but I thought this might work out really well.

I don't do a lot of DIY posts, but I'd like to, so I'm giving it a go!

Step 1- Find a potter that will work for you.

Step 2 - Gather all your plants and pick a space (easy to clean after) to do this project.

Step 3- Make sure you have heaps of soil, fill each layer of the tower to 3/4 full of soil, leaving room for putting in the plants.

Step 4 - Pull out your plants from their pots and start planning them into the first/bottom layer of the tower. Place the plants close to the edge of the potter (when you add the next tower layer on top it makes it easier to not smoosh your plants and you can adjust their placement when the tower is all stacked).

Step 5- Take out the rest of your plants and continue on in the next layers. Make sure you work with the colours of the plants to get the best contract and combination you can. If some plants are too tall for the tower cut them down and propagate them to plant in the tower once they have grown roots.

Step 6 - Stack the tower and repeat with each layer. When you get to the top layer you will want more plants then you used for the other layers. I found that I thought I had enough but I had to purchase a few more plants.

Step 7 - Clean up everything and decide on where you want to put your tower (you should have done this before you made the tower, but hey, that's alright!)

Step 8- Enjoy your tower!

I found the best plants to use for this are:
- Devil's Ivy
- Ferns
- African Violets
- Club Moss
- Nerve Plant
-Wondering Jew
- Angel Wing Begonia

I have three different types of ferns in my tower and I mist them (and the club moss and nerve plant) every day, a couple of times a day and they just love it!

Hope you found this helpful, and I'd love to see any plant projects you've done!

Kalanchoe Plant Care

Water: Water kalanchoe only after the top 2 to 3 inches of soil has dried. Avoid over-watering the plant, as it will quickly succumb to root rot.

Light: They prefer full sun but will also do well in a situation with very high light. If grown for very long without enough light, they become leggy and weak.

Temperature: They are perfectly happy in the same temperatures that we like indoors, but can tolerate temperatures down to around 50º.

Humidity: Since they are succulents, they do not need as much humidity as most houseplants. They do well with average indoor humidity.

Soil: A fast-draining soil is important. The kind that is sold for cactus is ideal.

Grooming: Only to remove dead leaves or flowers. If the leaves get dusty, clean them with a gentle shower of water. 

Propagated: Like all succulents, they are propagated by cuttings. Take stem cuttings in spring or summer and allow them to dry for several days (large cuttings for a week or two) before putting them into well-drained potting soil. Water sparingly and do not cover the plants to raise the humidity. They rot very easily if over-watered.

Club Moss Care

 I had a really hard time finding useful information on Club Moss but between on all the sites I went to here are the basics you need to know. 


Latin name: Selaginella species
Common name: Spreading Club Moss
Climate: Tropical rainforest climateMinimal temperature: 16-18°C (60-64°F)
Optimal temperature: 26-28°C (78-82°F)
Recommended place: mid-shade, no more then 2 hours of direct light per day.
Height: 20 cm (7.8 in.)Flower color: multicolor
Repotting: every 36 months (3 years)
Origin territory: South America

Water: These can be mounted on tree fern or grown in baskets and thus require frequent, drenching water applications.

Note: I have my Club Moss in a plant tower with lots of tropical plants and ferns and I mist it twice a day. It's keeping it's beautiful bright color and looks to be doing well!

A little surprise from my zz plant

I bought this plant as soon as I saw it. A friend of mine has one and it's just so beautiful. It's a prehistoric plant and has handled so much but is still is around so it interests me even more because of it's resilience.

It's supposed to be a slow grower but I read that it can handle any lighting condition but the closer it is to the light the more it will grow. I thought I'd give that theory or thought a try so I put it about 2 feet from the window. Two months went by and nothing really happened (that I could see) but then one morning when checking on all my plants, for watering, I noticed all of this new growth. In total there were 6 new stalks coming up!! I couldn't have been more thrilled and went crazy taking picture. The stalks are now fully grown but still have a lighter green colouring to them (I'll take some pictures of that soon) and now, over the weekend, I spotted another stalk coming up.

I love getting to see things grow and know that I did a part to help it along. If you're looking for a great house plant try and get yourself a zz plant.

Aloe Care

I love Aloe Vera plants. My mom always had one in the house ever since I can remember. I love them for their health and medicinal benefits but I also love them for how cool they look.

For some reason my Aloe Vera plant has started to wilt a little. I’m concerned that it’s starting to die for some reason so I figured it was time to get busy and figure out what’s wrong.

My first attempt was a transplant and adding some compost to the soil. I gave it a few weeks, almost a month now but it seems to still be struggling along. So what’s the next thing for a girl to do? Turn to the internet! I like to know as much as I can on all the plants I own so I can care for them the best and most accurate way possible (my plants are like my babies).

So after doing some searching here’s some basic information on the Aloe Vera plant:

“The Aloe Vera's care needs are just that of a cactus. It thrives in bright light so keep it within 5 feet of a east or west facing window. This houseplant also just like the cactus tolerates very infrequent watering. You will only need to water this plant once every 2 weeks.

This houseplant can grow very big, very fast. If the plant begins to outgrow its pot, like it probably will, you may simply transplant sections and place it in another pot with dirt. The plant also does not appear to be very picky about its soil type either.”

Pretty basic right? I’m not too sure what I’m doing wrong, my guess is over watering.

Do you have a plant horror story or any suggestions for me? I’d love to hear them!