@@mylittlevowels I pruned down mine, cause when she dried off she won't revive, I've got nee fronds coming out now, but when they leave my little greenhouse will they survive my house? Or are they just gonna die again? 🥲
Also my kalanchoe blooms every year with no issues. Again I water it very sparingly. And it sits next to the window. It needs lots of light in order to not become leggy
I was leery of buying a Watermelon Peperomia. Even at the plant nursery, you could see some plants with leaves that were split or had a little chunk out of the edge of a leaf. It just seems that the way the leaves are shaped creates the problem. They're sort of teardrop shaped, but they also either grow where the leaf is concave or convex, which seems to put stress on the perimeter of the leaf. I have mine outside on a balcony that faces south with a lot of trees about ten feet away, so it doesn't get much eastern or western sun. So far, the leaves look fine. I AM worried about the base of the plant, though. I feel like I need to put more soil in the pot to help support the bottom where all the leaf stems go into one spot. I don't know if this is the plant's Achille's heel and might cause it to fail. Going to work on that tomorrow. A plant's gotta have a good foundation. Hate to lose it when the leaves are looking so good.
ive never had a problem with my string of pearls, i put it in with my succulents so i know when to water them. Once the pearls start shrinking and become dehydrated i know its time to water again.
The" Chinese money plant" is actually "Miners Lettuce" it grows all over B.C. in Canada and is considered a "weed" . Maybe that's why it is called a money plant! They are making money selling weeds 😊
This is not true. They look similar, but they are distinctly different. Its easier to tell in person. Miners lettuce is edible, and is somewhat lettuce-like in consistency. They do not grow on stalks like the pilea’s, and im fairly sure miners lettuce is essentially an annual, while the pilea is not. Please do your research, especially since miners lettuce is edible (and delicious) and the chinese money plant is not
Yes, we. always hear “this is an easy plant to care for” only to bring it home and end up killing it. Thank you for letting us know it's not only “me”. Btw, I've killed all my strings of…”. Pearls, heart, dolphins, turtles…etc. one minute it’s fine, next it's dying. I’m thinking It needs drier climate.
I think the trick to the Chinese Money plant might be neglect? I bought a small one for $3 at a discount shop a couple of years ago and put it in a window that gets a few hours of direct sunlight a day. I don't look at it often and tend to forget to water it. It is huge and full now.
yeah it doesnt rlly like too frequent watering from my experience / you should water it when a few of the leaves start to curl up a little then it will grow into a monster
The secret to the Chinese money plant is to cut the mama plant off once it gets tall. The babies take off and get really full. Once they get too tall, you cut them down and let the new babies take off. I've had one for years that looks beautiful.
I always find it's best to either divide and repot or propagate a plant that you've had trouble with, so that you can then experiment by putting each one in different circumstances. Basically, set up an experiment like a scientist. This is what I do with my aquarium plants because they're rather overpriced considering what little you get, and they're often just a bundle of cuttings. That said, you always pick your battles; It can be a bit too bothersome to mess with a fussy plant when life is too short and frustrating as it is.
I think this is also a good strategy as some mother plants won't be happy but their cuttings will if you grow them in your environment. I experience this when I order African violets - the babies i propagate from leaves do better than when I buy plugs from my grower. They are on the other side of my country, in a totally different climate and she grows her plants under artificial light where mine get mostly natural.
The watermelon peperomia is such a beautiful plant, but I just can't understand why the leaves come out all misshapen after a few months of owning it. It is such a tough plant. I've almost completely given up on it. I have a couple propagations going. Looking forward to seeing if starting over will help.
Oh yes, the string of pearls. Very fussy plant indeed. The secret is to keep it in dappled light or bright shade for 4 to 6 hours and also keep it a bit wetter than most succulents. Don't let it dry out for more than a day at most. It needs to be kept cool (about the same temp in your house) Also keep in mind it's a Winter grower. That helps to know that! Water it less in Summer as it does not grow then. After experimenting for a year I finally (with fingers crossed) got it to grow and look relatively pretty. Oh and it needs to be feed, it needs more fertilizer than most succulents. Feed it orchid food. That's what I give mine but only about 2 or 3 times in the fall. Try it again my friend, good luck.
Main rule for string of pearls is do not disturb. Touch the leaves and roots as little as possible and allow it to get a little root bound. Make sure it has top light. Natural light in a south facing window has always been perfect for mine. I also bottom water because they are very sensitive to humidity
I treat mine like this as well (do not disturb) and have them in a south facing window. They are flourishing! I even propagated some of them by putting another small pot next to it and placing the pearls on top the soil. Eventually, cut the stem and it's a new plant.
My string of pearls is kept outside (zone 9) all winter close to my house with plenty of indirect light. Can’t believe they both survived all winter and are blooming. Never had much luck in the house. They are under lattice. If temp is below 32 I put them in the garage. Thanks for sharing
My favourite tip for keeping a string of pearls plant is to… buy a fake one! I always buy real plants and love looking after them but I’ve just given up on trying to get a decent looking string of pearls and have ended up buying a plastic one. It looks perfect and you can’t tell because I keep it on a high shelf!
Modern problems require modern solutions. normally I hate fake plants (I think that mostly because of the way they are used) but this sounds like a frigging dope idea and a lot more environmentally friendly - a lot of energy goes into growing those plants we kill over and over again - at some point plastic does become the more eco friendly option XD
I honestly couldn’t stop laughing. The way that you presented this video was just so good. I think I laughed so much because the problems that you mention are so relatable 😂
I thoroughly enjoyed this rant…lol…and agree with most of it. But I am surprised about your comments on the String of Pearls. It’s a succulent so of COURSE it needs a lot of light and to dry thoroughly between waterings. This plant has grown phenomenally for me. Keep it full by simply winding the stems into the pot if it looks thin up top - these will quickly root. If the plant is happy the leaves do NOT fall off easily. Mine gets a lot of handling. And, by the way, it roots fast in water and it seems happy indefinitely in a watery realm. This plant grows so fast for me that I often have to trim its long stems (hence my water experiments). It sits in a south window in Ohio (USA northern temperate zone) but is not in full direct light all day. I do have a suspicion that - for a succulent - this is a somewhat heavy feeder. Not positive about that though. Also, just a shout out for the lovely tradescantia. You have it nailed BUT it grows a treat in water! I have it in a lovely purple vase to show off the purple leaves and it is happy as a clam in water and sitting in a western window. So that’s my rant. 😂. Love your videos!!! ❤
That's interesting to know about how String of Pearls do with a water setup. If I can get my hands on any cuttings, I'll give it a try in my aquaponics/riparian setups. I certainly can't keep it alive in a pot. LOL I do have that Tradescantia in a couple of aquariums. It grows well that way, as long as I keep it trimmed back so the stems don't get overly long. If I let them get too long, the stem at the base gets weak and breaks.
@@dawnt6791 Well I have to be honest, I’ve only had the string of pearls in water for a month or so which is too early to know if they can go the long haul. I’ve noticed them looking a bit pale lately but so have the ones in the pot and those greened up with some fertilizer so I hope the aqueous ones will do the same. They mainly need strong light. I cut back the Tradescantia as well. It is the nature of the beast to be fragile. Even when I grew it in landscaping in Southern California, it was fragile to handle. What a great idea to grow it in an aquarium! I may have to do that…lol. Do the leaves grow under water? (My Pepperomia obtusifolia (“baby rubber plant) grows great in water and even leafs out under water. It might be awesome in an aquarium! It’s a beast!)
THANK YOU for putting that damn Chinese money plant on this list. Ugh. I couldn’t figure out for the LIFE OF ME what I’ve been doing wrong. The bottom leaves of mine are constantly turning fluorescent green (but not in a good way). I’m DONE!! 😂😂😂
Mine lost all its leaves at the bottom so I cut the top of it off and then replanted it. I left the pot with the stem in it and it has since grown so many babies and now the pot looks awesome! it probally has about 20 babies growing in it
I would highly suggest a kalanchoe borealis instead of the supermarket variety. Treat it like a succulent and it blooms off and on the whole year. Plus it sunstresses pink.
I have a string of pearl, tradescantia and kalanchoe. All 3 are doing great! Some plants just prefer certain houses over others. I’ve had some that just wouldn’t grow well so gave them to my mom and it grew amazingly with her. 🤷🏻♀️
I live in San Diego so maybe that would explain my different experience with the String of Pearls. I've left it alone outdoors in its terracotta pot and just water every other week. It took a while (a year) for it to go from a small plant to a nicely cascading series of stems. It's been in west facing areas under shade mostly. I did notice it got super sun-stressed so I brought it indoors and set it on my west facing window sill and it reverted back to a nice bright green. It's doing great!
I've never had any issues either. Mine has sat on my north facing windowsill for the past 7 years, watered maybe once every 2 months during the warmer months and it flowers near constantly
Mine normally sits in a south facing window, so it gets a ton of sun, and I just treat it like a succulent. It has gotten a bit leggy indoors, but it’s bloomed several times for me now. I think the 16-hour instructions are like…if you want to trick it into blooming on a schedule. It’s how growers get them to bloom for sale, I assume. But if you don’t care, I would say just maintain it as usual and if the conditions are right, it will bloom. Mine blooms multiple times a year so idk what I’m doing right, but it’s working lol. 🤷♀️
I too have never had an issue with kalanchoe I have had many I leave them outside It does freeze here But I cover them with burlap and then when it warms up feed and water and leave in the sun/shade and they always bloom I really think they hate being in the house as I have never had success with them indoors
Your problem with string of pearls is similar to mine with sedum morganianum ‘burrito’. Although mine inexplicably grew very large in a north facing window, the slightest touch causes it to sigh and cast off its leaves 🤭 then it had an accident when it got too heavy and fell, forcing me to cut it back completely. I still love the stupid thing though, and won’t give up on it lol
Absolutely agree, i had owned all the plants u mentioned and it was a total waste of money, but i found string of pearls surprisingly easy to maintain just like a donkey's tail succulent. Cotyledon pendens is another beautiful succulent which is very easy to grow. It becomes bushy so fast and even if u neglect it will happily grow. One popular plant variety which people say its easy to grow is fittonia, but i have always failed growing it multiple times.
The Syngonium Red Arrow has been dying on me since I bought it. I have a Syngonium White butterfly that grows Like crazy and I thought the Red Arrow would be as easy to keep. It's a nightmare and I don't have the slightest idea what the problem is.
I have a very happy and vigorous maidenhair fern that’s growing at the base of a sprawling epiphyllum. It’s growing a little unevenly because it’s hard to rotate the epiphyllum without causing localized destruction.
Syngonium red arrow - I keep mine in a mix that dries qucikly (a lot of orchid bark and some cactus soil) and deep water it 1 time per week. I just allow it to stand in a water some time and then drain the pot. It lives at the bookshelf 1 meter from the window and this is a good spot.
@@SheffieldMadePlants I had a long stop in the growth for some time. I have changed the place to more sunny exposed and started with weekly nutrition - cutted away leafless long branches and plant started to grow. Try with a spot more exposed to the light
Thanks for this video! I’m glad I’m not the only one! ALL Syngoniums hate me. I have tried with many varieties. I give them everything they need and they just spit their leaves in my face. I swear I can hear them laughing at me🤬 I have given all my plants fair warning. If they don’t perform, they will be compost😉
Some Ikea fake plants are actually quite nice. I have two small palm trees and a lovely fern hidden among real plants and you can't even tell they are fakes.
The tradescantia is a dream I have had one for years and I have gifted many cuttings to people it never fails me. Every year at spring I just take cuttings and repot them and it is always beautiful
I had the same problem with the Chinese Money Plant.... what a spindly pain in the a-- !! Whats more, make sure you trash it in a plastic bag as even a leaf will propagate into a new plant.
@@SheffieldMadePlants Nor did I till I threw it in my composter..... then I decided to get a leaf and put it in water...within a few days there were water roots.
I put my Syngonium red arrow in low light on a shelf. Chunky soil, water when it just slightly droops, and she's pushing out three new leaves right now after being cut up a bunch to send cuttings to people for trades. The only problem I found is she needs to be dusted more often because of the color of the leaves, it collects a lot of dust.
My personal nightmare plant is supposed to be a “no-hassle” plant. Everyone’s favorite, Rabbits foot fern. Mine is surviving and not thriving. I can’t get good growth from it to save my life. Ironically, my mother has one in her home in roughly the same home conditions, rarely tends to it and hers is massive. 😢 lol
I've had the Red Arrow and it seemed like it is only happy in almost consistently moist soil. When I let the soil dry out, the leaves started to yellow. Also, for me, it never became large even though it frequently put out new leaves. For every new leaf, one died.
My string of pearls is doing amazing. It likes to have its tendrils wrapped around inside the pot. Make sure the points are facing up. Pop off a few pearls and sink them into the soil to fill in any empty spaces. Keep it slightly moist to touch and place it in a window with indirect light. Each day I see growth and new growth. I enjoy watching the development of its pearls and limbs which I allow to hang down. My home has humidity between 55-65%. My plants love it.
There is also crotons. I am almost convinced that these guys are programmed by the seller to start dying process the moment it leaves the store and there is no chance of saving it no matter what you do. Almost have better time with bouquet of roses instead of potted crotons 😂.
I finally got them figured out. I'm in a northern climate and keep it in a directish light area in a south window in a self watering pot. I lost quite a few ( i only bought rehab clearance ones for 1.00 due their fussiness, lol. But somehow, my last ones recovered and now look great and even have shiny leaves.
@@user-fe2or2oc3u my biggest problem is even if they survive all that, they are one of the biggest pest magnets, and I constantly have to be treating them otherwise they just die lol
I had given up on crotons, after killing so many, but my neighbor recently gifted me one so now here I am again trying to keep it alive. This is the longest I've had one (a few months) and It's putting off new leaves and haven't dropped all of it's old ones, so maybe....just maybe...
In South Africa they grow like weeds, but are definitely outdoor plants. In fact most of the plants you mentioned grow outside here, so maybe they are marketed incorrectly. Just an idea.
I use a wide shallow bowl for the string of pearl and a cactus/succulent soil mixture. Its dummied up a little on the inside and has a drainage hole. I make sure the top of the pearls is getting bright indirect light. They also get a few hours of direct sunlight and its been a year and they seem fine. The syngonium and money plant I have in a cactus/succulent soil mixture. I water them when they are dry about halfway down. They sit 3 feet from a south facing window. Its been a year and no apparent sun damage yet.
I hang mine directly in a southwest facing window and it is thriving. It's so long I had to wrap the vines and hang them over the soil as they are almost touching the floor. I've only had the plant for about a year.
Friends dad is a succulent grower and always gets really animated when speaking about string of pearls, not due to it being fickle but because it keeps spreading across his beds like a pest. He gave me some, which promptly died.
my string of pearls is struggling right now since she didn't approved the last repot. now its just a matter of time, im optimistic that it will bounce back after some time :)
Interesting how I have a complete opposite experience with raindrop and chinese money plant. I have pretty poor plant conditions, unfortunatelly, so finnicky plants usually don't survive the winter. Both of my raindrops lost a ton of leaves and look pretty pathetic, the chinese plant gives me no heartache whatsoever - it's a bit more thirsty than my other plants, so, basically, it's the one I water the most(about a 20cm pot with generic store bought all purpose soil with some perlite, will not uppot, since it would just look weird in such a massive pot, sitting on the south facing windows, but not that much light due to the design of the apartment building, in winter my aprtment is really cold so I water plants only every other week or so, this baby I watered, like, every 4 days) and it just kept on growing all through the winter. Thank god for spring, tho, I can't describe how much better I start feeling when I can see my plants waking up ☺️
Great plant therapy! I feel so much better after watching this because I own almost all of these plants and have had the same issues! Now i won't be adding "strings of anything" to my collection 😂 though I've wanted to. Thank you
You should water your peperomia from the bottom, like put the pot on a saucer of water, the roots are extremely thin and they will absorb that water right up. I also had leaves falling off and yellowing of leaves when I watered at the top but it stopped when I watered from the bottom.
My experience with kalanchoes is that if they just sit in a sunny windowsill (as sunny as you have, I've had crazy sunny and only medium sunny) they will bloom a little bit all year round, especially if they have good soil. Mine are bizarrely resilient; the parts that seem the most ready to just fall off often seem to bloom almost indefinitely (my "dead" branch only stopped pushing out flowers when I knocked it off accidentally. I dropped it in a little water on another windowsill to see what happened and the air roots exploded and now it's ready to pot by itself after just a couple weeks). Kalanchoes do well with aggressive pruning when they seem sad. It may hurt to prune away the sadness, but it will leave an elegant small tree behind that will always be green and alive and if it gets a dedicated sunny spot it will eventually bloom again.
@@SheffieldMadePlants I don't doubt it, my first one took three years of consistent windowsill life to decide it could manage more flowers. It's definitely one that has it's own personality.
I am so glad I saw this video. You said it correctly. There are nightmare plants. I have tried string of pearls, banana and in frustration I dumped them. There are certain plants that do not like a temp of 72 degrees indoors with low humidity, too little water, too much water, too much light, not enough light. Let us give up and accept the inevitable, they do not like us or the environment we live in.
OHHOHO My friend! I have that secret sauce, The one which you so desire. You'll be the indoor plant boss, you'll be the one the neighborhood will admire. Simply find the plant that tickles your fancy, Whip out your Polaroid, Noone cares, no need to be ancey. Click, flash, pfzzzzt, out it comes, Pin, tape, frame, or paste, there you have it out of the doldrums! PS: you want it to grow? Just take it down to your local film developer and have'm enlarge the picture! 😉👍
I was surprised to see string of pearls included. I have mine outside where it's mostly in shade/indirect light all day and is watered pretty much the same as most of my succulents. Only had it a couple of months but it's doing great so far, almost ready for a repot. I guess different parts of the world will vary on this, most string of plants seem to do very well here. 🤔 Probably helped a bit that the one I have was very healthy when I got it.
I have a nightmare plant, the dieffenbachia. It takes up a lot of space and grows tall until it flops over looking ugly. It likes to shed its lower leaves, or maybe that’s my fault. It’s one of the deadliest houseplants so handling it is a pain. Mine has gotten spider mites on two different occasions and the crevices at the nodes make it so hard to completely wash away the mites. The only thing good is that it won’t die from low light, under-watering, overwatering or poor soil.
I have a string of turtles and it’s my easiest plant. I forget about it for weeks at a time and give it a little water. It was a 3.5 inch pot and now it’s eight pots that take two shelves on my plant shelf. It’s really fragile, but I just don’t touch it. Sometimes I touch it and part of the vine falls off, but I just stick it back into the soil and it becomes another plant. I bury it more than five nodes deep and it grows very sturdy after that.
I have pileas. First one grew so leggy. I call her the Mother plant because she has given me pups. When she got so tall and leggy I chopped her up 💇♀️ I propagated her head and now I have 4 pileas total. I love her no matter how weird she grows. I’m also experimenting with light with all four of them. One is in bright shade, another in a south facing window, two in north facing window with a grow light. I’m watching to see where its happiest. 😊 Also, I got a little discouraged when you mentioned String of pearls. I bought two recently 😅 I hope I can keep them alive and happy.
I have 5 Kalanchoe…the first one my g-daughter gave me. I still have it blooming…August will be 2 years now. No lie. I just keep them in In direct bright light and trim off dead flowers and it alternates stem blooming. I love mine!!!!!
Yes peperomiodes grow tall and naked at the bottom but the pups come up and cover the stems. I’d suggest buying a larger more established plant. And water when it hits the dry mark. And it needs a lot of bright indirect light.
Another easy way is to chop its top - new plant that will root from the top part and the stem will bush out more. But AMEN on the watermelon peperomia, I can’t grow it!
Lol sorry dude, u know more abt plants than I ever will but I had zero issues with the Chinese money plant and string of pearls. Location might be an issue. I'm in Adelaide, Australia. My Chinese money plant was an impulse buy as a kokedama. It was hanging in my undercover porch till the shell rotted away. I replanted it in a pot. My dog ran over it and broke it. I jammed the broken bits in a pot of soil, now I have 3 plants, all huge and full. My string of pearls is hanging in my backyard. My parrot keeps flying into the hanging beads, climbing up and plucking the beads and ripping out the stems. I planted all the ripped out stems in a decorative planter (woman face, hair = hanging plants) and put it in my bathroom. It got so thick I had to replant. I underwater and overwater these plants constantly, they are impossible to kill. I can't advise you unless its treating them like shit😂
I’ve never had a problem with Kalanchoe! In a conservatory they flower every year. It’s simply a natural daylight cycle they require in order to flower. My conservatory gets down to 5 degrees centigrade in winter.
for some weird reason that I don't know..I am the best growing and keeping growing string of pearls. all the string ..but anything alocasia, dracaena or poinsetia, will die.
I was surprised to see Kalanchoe on this list because I've had no problems with mine as a beginner with plants. It made sense after you talked about its need for darkness though, because I live in Sweden where there's definitely no lack of darkness during the winter :)
I have a kalanchoe that is possessed. On cloudy days, he'll stretch skyward so much, he'll flop over. I named him Gumby like the claymation character. He gets a ton of sunlight since I live in Alabama and it's a southwest window.
I had one in my hair salon for years. It never stopped blooming and people were always amazed. It makes sense now, it would've been It total darkness when we closed up each night. Needless to say when I took it home it never bloomed again 😂
I don’t understand it… mine get no more darkness than any of my other plants and they continue to bloom for me. I live in Maryland and they are in southern windows
I'm in the Alps and the sun doesn't rise above our mountain in the winter so our Kalanchoe lives quite happily with low light but not zero light. I was worried that it wouldn't flower but now we get morning sun and it has a decent clump of buds appearing.
I have wondering Jew & their purple cousins and they have been growing fantastic, the trick is to grow then outside, like a cobbled sandstone wall or your backyard.
I’ve had issues almost with all the plants in this video!! What the heck? I thought it was me!! Hahaha!! The string of pearls and the Chinese money plant I have is love to show you!! It’s a big stick with a few leaves!! Omg! The string of pearls is pretty sad too! 😢I tossed the watermelon one ugh!!
I knew someone who bought a string of something plant and all the beads fell off on the car ride home. They did propagate the fallen leaves, but it took several years to get a plant that fills a 3 inch pot.
Love this vid. I’ve been really struggling with my money plant, it is juvenile and puts out a new leaf, begins to show a new growth, and then the first leaf falls off. I’ve never been able to keep more than one leaf 😭 so glad it is not just me
My money plant was beautiful (grew up from tiny sapling) and one week it lost all leaves but one. I gave it a chance, did bot change anything, just waited and now it returned to previous glory :)
I feel like my money plant just wants to be left alone. As long as I keep it close to a window with good ventilation and water it very scarcely, she's fine.
Re: kalanchoe, I kept mine on a windowsill for years and for several of those years, I don't remember how many - four, maybe? - it didn't bloom. And then BAM, one year, it did! I was so excited! Same spot, same light conditions. Perhaps my watering habits had become different, but I certainly wasn't following any crazy lighting schedule.
I have a Pilea Peperomoides, a Kalanchoe and a Schefflera Arboricola. Funny thing is they all thrive, but I found this channel trying to understand why all my other plants constantly die on me.
This is odd. I’ve never had difficulties with string of pearls, it has gone through a lot. Massive heatwave in a closed environment, drought up to 6 months and no matter what it would not die. It stayed and grew healthy even though it was abused like crazy
I feel so seen with this video title! ❤ Had 3 X string of pearls and gave up, just can't keep it alive at all. Now I have a string of turtles and that little guy is happy and thriving (he's in a bathroom on the window ledge with a frosted window)
I’m on my second Pilea and it’s dying just like the first. Thanks for the recommendation on the Peperomia Rain drop for an alternative because I really like the look of the round leaves. Also your Pilea is goals to me!!
Hilarious!!!!!!!!!!! You are saying it so serious and it is serious and true, however it is strangely amusing!!!!!! I have had a few on the list which I no longer (checked out) have!🤣🤣🤣
I received a Kalanchoe ("WIndow Thrill") as a gift for my new job in Oct and then we went remote during office renovations from Jan-Apr. My plant stayed at the office neglected and the flowers died. I took it home and put it in the windowsill all summer long and waited. To my surprise, it bloomed again in the late fall/early winter, and it's still blooming today. Bright orange and going crazy! It's probably the opposite cycle of what is expected but I enjoy the flowers. :)
String of pearls is the only plant my wife and I have been defeated by so consistently. We don't even try anymore. We struggled with some ferns and overcame the challenge, almost killed a hoya and now it's its own little jungle, and all kinds of other minor mishaps. String of pearls though, never again
For me my baby tears was the most difficult plant I've used so far. I bought it online which was a mistake because its a sensitive plant. It died within a couple days of shipping, but the seller luckily sent me a brand new one. It's been a couple months and its very very picky, but I think the best care tip I have for it so far is really really really good drainage
armed with Be Your Own House Plant Expert by D. G. Hessayon ( 1976) most houseplants are reasonably easy to care for There is no substitute for vigorous research, study and vigilant care... except maybe fake plants made of plastic and fabric
I was so relieved to see Kalanchoe on the list. I got one after easter for cheap discount after the holiday. I tried for two years to get it to bloom, then decided to just chuck it. Was not worth all the annoyance to me.
I have two of them right next to each other... One is perfect and blooming all the time and the other one only fights to keep one little flower and gets more and more crispy leafes... What a confusing plant.
Glad im not alone!! I was given a baby money plant from a friend (her motherplant was huuuge) and thought easy breezy... well NOT so much. I did almost everything for the darn plant, next to giving it a lullaby story every night and singing to it. Ungreatful b*(&%%... So it was a gonner after a lot of trial and mostly errors! And ivy....ghad!! Dont get me started with that snowflake of a plant. It just dies in my home after a while. No matter what i do, or place it.
I hate watermelon peperomia,I’ve had so many die on me,they take so easy from the leaves but it’s keeping them alive is the problem! I have lots of hanging baskets of string of pearls growing outdoors (south Australia) under protection and in bright light,I tend to top them up with soil when the top starts looking bare,they seem to send out more new growth! You are so right about the syngonium red arrow as well,tried everything with no success!
My leopard kalanchoe mother of thousands is my favorite plant! I’ve had 3 generations! Planty 2.0 died unexpectedly, but not before creating Planty 2.2 which is now a happy 2.5ft tall!! (A little taller because he curved and refuses to straighten out) I’m moving off to college in a month so I wanted to make some babies that would fit in my dorm room. I am now looking after Planty 2.2.1, 2, & 3. 2.2.1 is doing amazingly and is about 4” tall!! I’ve yet to see them flower, but this is the easiest plant I’ve ever cared for. Water once a week ideally, but you can go as long as 3 weeks and it’ll still be a-okay. It likes a lot of sun so south facing window or outdoors, but it also does okay in lower light conditions! I’ve yet to see mine flower but I was told by the person that gave it to me that it would take a few years, and that theirs flowers every year with no human intervention (we live in San Diego so there’s definitely not any 16h no sunlight opportunities). Maybe the leopard kalanchoe is the one exception to this rule of finicky flowering!
To get the kalanchoe to bloom, treat it like a holiday cactus - put a box or bucket right over it for those 18 hours (12 hours for a christmas cactus). Tape over any seams if you use a box, to make sure no lights gets through, but it's much easier than trying to find a new spot that you can put it!
I think the secret to most plants is just finding the right spot for them. I've had my tradescantia nanouk for about a year now and it was miserable everywhere until I put it in my east facing bathroom window and now it's thriving. Same with my Chinese money plant, which was down to 3 leaves until I put it closer to the window. Didn't change anything else about the care, but the right spot did the trick.
Thank you for putting out this PSA! I’m at the point in my plant journey where I am recognizing that at some point, someone went into the wild and decided a certain plant could be sold to folks as something that could thrive indoors. Mostly this is true, but sometimes these super popular houseplant ‘darlings’ are really just not suited to houseplant life, and it’s always hard to avoid the really attractive foliage of a plant that’s just never gonna be happy. I think your message is an important one to counter the sellers who don’t care about the longevity of a plant in your collection. It’s like Fast Fashion for plants! Can confirm tradescantia love to be garden plants more than house plants (at least zebrina, Purple Heart, blue sue, pale puma, silver plus… larger leaf and sturdy varieties) I have several in the ground outside (USA zone 7b) that die completely back every winter, and then explode and have Garden Wars with each other every summer. I also have bunches in pots that are happy and full outside all summer. I bring them inside for winter as even a mild frost destroys the succulent like leaves - they dislike it inside and usually get very pale and leggy since I don’t have the space to give them the intense light they were used to outside, but at least they survive another year 😊
I just discovered this video, but I wanted to comment, as others have about theirs, about my Kalanchoe plants. I have two different ones in my crowded corner of the room (windows face W-SW) in a too-small pot, a medium pot and a glass of water where I put pieces of stem that fall off. They grow there if I keep the water up. I have flowers blooming from those as well. Each winter, all in the window getting as much light as there is outside, direct in the afternoon, I get little orange and pink bouquets like crazy. They're my winter flowers. I don't do anything but throw some water into the pots once a week or two and keep the leaves from touching the window when we have a frost. Sometimes the soil in the larger pot goes really dry, but I just water it and hope for the best and it's been good for years. They also sometimes get water mist from when I spray other plants. I used to spray them deliberately but have held off as much lately.
Ha ha. I love your humor when telling us which plants not to buy. I don't have any in my home that was on that list. I will admit I always wanted a string of pearls, but I read they are toxic. I have a 3 year old great granddaughter, so I would not buy that plant. I really gravitate toward the plants that are easy to take care of. Thanks for your plant advice. Have a blessed day.
For me it was AGLAONEMA pink star variety.. 1 leaf with dark brown spots within 24h of bringing it home. Next day 2nd leaf. Now it's been 5 days and I've lost 4 leaves, and the top ones plus the bud are not looking great either. I re-potted it into better soil and watered it with spring water. I changed it's place from sunny room to a more dark room and it's still dying. The temperature is right, ampunt of light was exactly as it should be but since these are living things you never know. Soooo, yeah. It's dying. I'm also failing with orchids for some reason despite having grow lights. My Maranta is doing great, tho. I guess it's Maranta's only from now on lol.
Call me lucky, but I got my Kalanchoe to bloom super easily. I kept it oustide during the summer, and when autum came, I just brought it inside, left it by the balcony door (full glass door), and watered it when the soil got dry. In 2 months it flowered like never before
Seriously... how do people have all these problems with these plants? Gardening is literally all about mimicing a plant's native environment. Maybe just start with that, instead of trying to make the plants adapt to a different environment than what they evolved in... & you won't be so "stressed out".
I feel much better now about my Chinese Money Plant and Watermelon Peperomia which both struggled and eventually karked it. I have a string of pearls plant that is doing well, but it is outside (in Sydney Australia - where Summer is warm and humid). Thanks for your informative videos. You pack in a lot of information and get right to the point.
I get where you are coming from. But this also isn't good advice. The number one thing ive learned about plants is this: You cannot bring any plant into your home with the goal of doing only want you want with it. You have to focus first on what the plant needs and move from there. Your string of pearls was fragile because it wasn't getting full sun and they hate humidity. You did what you wanted and not what the plant needed. Easy care and difficult care plants are decided only by your home environment. So there aren't any nightmare plants, just owners without proper growing conditions. I have all these plants besides the syngonium. All my plants are fine.
i used to have syngoniums, and i learnt the _hard_ way that i shouldn’t keep it too flourishing; its roots are invasive and it grows too quickly, as it’s more like a beast/monster than a plant. i had to kill it before it could wreak havoc on my walls. ironically, my kins always praised me for caring for such huge plants back when it was still around
I live on the East coast of Australia and the house we bought had Syngonium White Butterfly everywhere! It went up ALL the wooden fences.... attached & covered itself to brick walls & worked itself into the roof.... even wrapped itself along the side of the house and pushed it's way under the metal runners for glass-sliding doors and under the carpet!! I have never seen such a voracious plant. It's all gone now leaving it's aerial root markings everywhere!!!! What a pest!!!
Afraid I must disagree about the kalanchoe. Mine grows like crazy in a south window and flowers easily with no special treatment. I let it dry thoroughly before I soak. They get big and heavy so I use terra cotta pots. Really not a complicated plant, they just like a lot of sun.
Thanks for that. I've killed 2 string of pearls. They die slowly. I keep seeing people posting on FB showing lush full plants and then want to try them again. Good to know it is just a finicky plant.
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All kind of ferns that I've ever owned: 💀💀💀
Hahaha yes maidenhair fern took one look around my house, said “nah” and immediately started to brown 😂
oh, me too! I can't even grow the blasted things outdoors!
@@mylittlevowels I pruned down mine, cause when she dried off she won't revive, I've got nee fronds coming out now, but when they leave my little greenhouse will they survive my house? Or are they just gonna die again? 🥲
The Maidenhair Fern... I wanna know who this plant works for cos nah
@Giya Victoria some people report success putting them in bathrooms because they need so much humidity
Also my kalanchoe blooms every year with no issues. Again I water it very sparingly. And it sits next to the window. It needs lots of light in order to not become leggy
👍👍👍
I was leery of buying a Watermelon Peperomia. Even at the plant nursery, you could see some plants with leaves that were split or had a little chunk out of the edge of a leaf. It just seems that the way the leaves are shaped creates the problem. They're sort of teardrop shaped, but they also either grow where the leaf is concave or convex, which seems to put stress on the perimeter of the leaf. I have mine outside on a balcony that faces south with a lot of trees about ten feet away, so it doesn't get much eastern or western sun. So far, the leaves look fine. I AM worried about the base of the plant, though. I feel like I need to put more soil in the pot to help support the bottom where all the leaf stems go into one spot. I don't know if this is the plant's Achille's heel and might cause it to fail. Going to work on that tomorrow. A plant's gotta have a good foundation. Hate to lose it when the leaves are looking so good.
Good luck 🤞
ive never had a problem with my string of pearls, i put it in with my succulents so i know when to water them. Once the pearls start shrinking and become dehydrated i know its time to water again.
I wasn’t giving mine enough light at the top 🤦🏼♂️
I love your humor man 😅 and thanks for the tips!
Thanks for watching 😁
Syngonium are literally the easiest plants! I'd treat it for pests or maybe try self watering.
Other varieties are. This one is a struggle though
Mine grow like weeds.
The" Chinese money plant" is actually "Miners Lettuce" it grows all over B.C. in Canada and is considered a "weed" .
Maybe that's why it is called a money plant! They are making money selling weeds 😊
Wow didn’t know that!
This is not true. They look similar, but they are distinctly different. Its easier to tell in person. Miners lettuce is edible, and is somewhat lettuce-like in consistency. They do not grow on stalks like the pilea’s, and im fairly sure miners lettuce is essentially an annual, while the pilea is not. Please do your research, especially since miners lettuce is edible (and delicious) and the chinese money plant is not
I love your honesty. I watch so many plant channels that make me feel like a moronic failure
Oh dear!
Yes, we. always hear “this is an easy plant to care for” only to bring it home and end up killing it.
Thank you for letting us know it's not only “me”. Btw, I've killed all my strings of…”. Pearls, heart, dolphins, turtles…etc. one minute it’s fine, next it's dying. I’m thinking It needs drier climate.
Yes! Me too 😂
I think the trick to the Chinese Money plant might be neglect? I bought a small one for $3 at a discount shop a couple of years ago and put it in a window that gets a few hours of direct sunlight a day. I don't look at it often and tend to forget to water it. It is huge and full now.
Nice!
😂 ✨the secret is neglect✨
yeah it doesnt rlly like too frequent watering from my experience / you should water it when a few of the leaves start to curl up a little then it will grow into a monster
The secret to the Chinese money plant is to cut the mama plant off once it gets tall. The babies take off and get really full. Once they get too tall, you cut them down and let the new babies take off. I've had one for years that looks beautiful.
Mine too yes
I always find it's best to either divide and repot or propagate a plant that you've had trouble with, so that you can then experiment by putting each one in different circumstances. Basically, set up an experiment like a scientist. This is what I do with my aquarium plants because they're rather overpriced considering what little you get, and they're often just a bundle of cuttings. That said, you always pick your battles; It can be a bit too bothersome to mess with a fussy plant when life is too short and frustrating as it is.
That's a nice tip
I think this is also a good strategy as some mother plants won't be happy but their cuttings will if you grow them in your environment. I experience this when I order African violets - the babies i propagate from leaves do better than when I buy plugs from my grower. They are on the other side of my country, in a totally different climate and she grows her plants under artificial light where mine get mostly natural.
Oh that watermelon peperomia!! Sadly, it was the first plant I bought. It not only died a horrible death but killed my confidence along with it. 😂
Oh no hate it when that happens
same ! I like this plant but she hates me, she was root rot very quickly and never thrived for me ! semi succulent plants are not easy !
Same. Those plants are ridiculous.
I got one and it's doing great with little to no effort.
The watermelon peperomia is such a beautiful plant, but I just can't understand why the leaves come out all misshapen after a few months of owning it. It is such a tough plant. I've almost completely given up on it. I have a couple propagations going. Looking forward to seeing if starting over will help.
Oh yes, the string of pearls. Very fussy plant indeed. The secret is to keep it in dappled light or bright shade for 4 to 6 hours and also keep it a bit wetter than most succulents. Don't let it dry out for more than a day at most. It needs to be kept cool (about the same temp in your house) Also keep in mind it's a Winter grower. That helps to know that! Water it less in Summer as it does not grow then. After experimenting for a year I finally (with fingers crossed) got it to grow and look relatively pretty. Oh and it needs to be feed, it needs more fertilizer than most succulents. Feed it orchid food. That's what I give mine but only about 2 or 3 times in the fall. Try it again my friend, good luck.
Main rule for string of pearls is do not disturb. Touch the leaves and roots as little as possible and allow it to get a little root bound. Make sure it has top light. Natural light in a south facing window has always been perfect for mine. I also bottom water because they are very sensitive to humidity
Good shout thanks 👍
I tried that, but it didn't work, I have to poke my finger in the soil to see if it is dry so they will get touched.
@@jac4RUclips they get wrinkled when thirsty, so you don't need to do that
I treat mine like this as well (do not disturb) and have them in a south facing window. They are flourishing! I even propagated some of them by putting another small pot next to it and placing the pearls on top the soil. Eventually, cut the stem and it's a new plant.
My string of pearls is kept outside (zone 9) all winter close to my house with plenty of indirect light. Can’t believe they both survived all winter and are blooming. Never had much luck in the house. They are under lattice. If temp is below 32 I put them in the garage. Thanks for sharing
My favourite tip for keeping a string of pearls plant is to… buy a fake one! I always buy real plants and love looking after them but I’ve just given up on trying to get a decent looking string of pearls and have ended up buying a plastic one. It looks perfect and you can’t tell because I keep it on a high shelf!
Now that’s a great hack 😁
Probably the best alternative!
Modern problems require modern solutions. normally I hate fake plants (I think that mostly because of the way they are used) but this sounds like a frigging dope idea and a lot more environmentally friendly - a lot of energy goes into growing those plants we kill over and over again - at some point plastic does become the more eco friendly option XD
I honestly couldn’t stop laughing. The way that you presented this video was just so good. I think I laughed so much because the problems that you mention are so relatable 😂
Glad you liked it 😁
I thoroughly enjoyed this rant…lol…and agree with most of it. But I am surprised about your comments on the String of Pearls. It’s a succulent so of COURSE it needs a lot of light and to dry thoroughly between waterings. This plant has grown phenomenally for me. Keep it full by simply winding the stems into the pot if it looks thin up top - these will quickly root. If the plant is happy the leaves do NOT fall off easily. Mine gets a lot of handling. And, by the way, it roots fast in water and it seems happy indefinitely in a watery realm. This plant grows so fast for me that I often have to trim its long stems (hence my water experiments). It sits in a south window in Ohio (USA northern temperate zone) but is not in full direct light all day. I do have a suspicion that - for a succulent - this is a somewhat heavy feeder. Not positive about that though. Also, just a shout out for the lovely tradescantia. You have it nailed BUT it grows a treat in water! I have it in a lovely purple vase to show off the purple leaves and it is happy as a clam in water and sitting in a western window. So that’s my rant. 😂. Love your videos!!! ❤
Thank you! I guess I've not got bright enough light in my house for it. A grow light is probably needed. That's interesting about the Trad!
That's interesting to know about how String of Pearls do with a water setup. If I can get my hands on any cuttings, I'll give it a try in my aquaponics/riparian setups. I certainly can't keep it alive in a pot. LOL
I do have that Tradescantia in a couple of aquariums. It grows well that way, as long as I keep it trimmed back so the stems don't get overly long. If I let them get too long, the stem at the base gets weak and breaks.
@@dawnt6791 Well I have to be honest, I’ve only had the string of pearls in water for a month or so which is too early to know if they can go the long haul. I’ve noticed them looking a bit pale lately but so have the ones in the pot and those greened up with some fertilizer so I hope the aqueous ones will do the same. They mainly need strong light. I cut back the Tradescantia as well. It is the nature of the beast to be fragile. Even when I grew it in landscaping in Southern California, it was fragile to handle. What a great idea to grow it in an aquarium! I may have to do that…lol. Do the leaves grow under water? (My Pepperomia obtusifolia (“baby rubber plant) grows great in water and even leafs out under water. It might be awesome in an aquarium! It’s a beast!)
THANK YOU for putting that damn Chinese money plant on this list. Ugh. I couldn’t figure out for the LIFE OF ME what I’ve been doing wrong. The bottom leaves of mine are constantly turning fluorescent green (but not in a good way). I’m DONE!! 😂😂😂
😂
Mine lost all its leaves at the bottom so I cut the top of it off and then replanted it. I left the pot with the stem in it and it has since grown so many babies and now the pot looks awesome! it probally has about 20 babies growing in it
Yes! This is the secret. Cut that mama plant down and let the babies take off.
I was thinking the exact same thing 😂
I would highly suggest a kalanchoe borealis instead of the supermarket variety. Treat it like a succulent and it blooms off and on the whole year. Plus it sunstresses pink.
Thanks for the tip!
I have a string of pearl, tradescantia and kalanchoe. All 3 are doing great! Some plants just prefer certain houses over others. I’ve had some that just wouldn’t grow well so gave them to my mom and it grew amazingly with her. 🤷🏻♀️
Sounds great!
I live in San Diego so maybe that would explain my different experience with the String of Pearls. I've left it alone outdoors in its terracotta pot and just water every other week. It took a while (a year) for it to go from a small plant to a nicely cascading series of stems. It's been in west facing areas under shade mostly. I did notice it got super sun-stressed so I brought it indoors and set it on my west facing window sill and it reverted back to a nice bright green. It's doing great!
Sounds cracking 👍
Funny to read how people struggle with certain plants. I got kalanchoe to rebloom without issues, I don't like them, so probably why it did so well.
Must be 😂
I've never had any issues either. Mine has sat on my north facing windowsill for the past 7 years, watered maybe once every 2 months during the warmer months and it flowers near constantly
My kalanchoe is also blooming with no help from me. I have a very dark apartment with only west facing windows. So that might be part of the solution.
Mine normally sits in a south facing window, so it gets a ton of sun, and I just treat it like a succulent. It has gotten a bit leggy indoors, but it’s bloomed several times for me now. I think the 16-hour instructions are like…if you want to trick it into blooming on a schedule. It’s how growers get them to bloom for sale, I assume. But if you don’t care, I would say just maintain it as usual and if the conditions are right, it will bloom. Mine blooms multiple times a year so idk what I’m doing right, but it’s working lol. 🤷♀️
I too have never had an issue with kalanchoe I have had many I leave them outside It does freeze here But I cover them with burlap and then when it warms up feed and water and leave in the sun/shade and they always bloom I really think they hate being in the house as I have never had success with them indoors
I love the informative ness of your content, and the dry humour in its delivery. I’ve been learning a lot, thank you 🌱
Excellent thank you 😊
Your problem with string of pearls is similar to mine with sedum morganianum ‘burrito’. Although mine inexplicably grew very large in a north facing window, the slightest touch causes it to sigh and cast off its leaves 🤭 then it had an accident when it got too heavy and fell, forcing me to cut it back completely. I still love the stupid thing though, and won’t give up on it lol
Great perseverance 😁
Absolutely agree, i had owned all the plants u mentioned and it was a total waste of money, but i found string of pearls surprisingly easy to maintain just like a donkey's tail succulent. Cotyledon pendens is another beautiful succulent which is very easy to grow. It becomes bushy so fast and even if u neglect it will happily grow.
One popular plant variety which people say its easy to grow is fittonia, but i have always failed growing it multiple times.
That's interesting. My fittonia is very happy despite being neglected
My Cotyledon pendens is also a lush and happy camper! What a gorgeous plant!
My fittonia-I was in love with her and she just died and I don’t know why.
@@ChessieChess she needs lots of water...well at least here in the tropical climate.
The Syngonium Red Arrow has been dying on me since I bought it. I have a Syngonium White butterfly that grows Like crazy and I thought the Red Arrow would be as easy to keep. It's a nightmare and I don't have the slightest idea what the problem is.
It's lost on me too
I think maidenhair Fern should be on this list!
There’s a lot that should be 😅
Agree! I love the look of it so much but could never keep any alive for long! Some things we just have to love from a distance.
I'm still struggling
I have a very happy and vigorous maidenhair fern that’s growing at the base of a sprawling epiphyllum. It’s growing a little unevenly because it’s hard to rotate the epiphyllum without causing localized destruction.
That’s the only plant I’ve killed. I kept it for a while but it very slowly declined, way too fussy.
Syngonium red arrow - I keep mine in a mix that dries qucikly (a lot of orchid bark and some cactus soil) and deep water it 1 time per week. I just allow it to stand in a water some time and then drain the pot. It lives at the bookshelf 1 meter from the window and this is a good spot.
I do pretty much the same but no joy 🤷🏻♂️
@@SheffieldMadePlants I had a long stop in the growth for some time. I have changed the place to more sunny exposed and started with weekly nutrition - cutted away leafless long branches and plant started to grow. Try with a spot more exposed to the light
Thanks for this video! I’m glad I’m not the only one! ALL Syngoniums hate me. I have tried with many varieties. I give them everything they need and they just spit their leaves in my face. I swear I can hear them laughing at me🤬
I have given all my plants fair warning. If they don’t perform, they will be compost😉
Too right 😂
Interesting. I find syngoniums extremely easy, a lot easier than for example philodendron. They grow as fast as a pothos.
@@AcrylDame Same here, though I haven't seen the red one he talked about. Should be interesting if it ever crosses my path.
LOL I hear you. Now that I have a compost bin, it's definitely a viable threat against fussy and/or demanding plants.
@@dawnt6791 I find that it is more lowlight tolerant than the albo or the pink ones.
The string of pearls is a nightmare - I looked up RUclips advice from experts but it knew I was it’s poison - I bought a fake - love it 😂❤
👌
Yes the plastic Ikea version is very pretty and easy to maintain, when it gets too dusty I simply wash it under a tap 😂
Genius
Some Ikea fake plants are actually quite nice. I have two small palm trees and a lovely fern hidden among real plants and you can't even tell they are fakes.
The tradescantia is a dream I have had one for years and I have gifted many cuttings to people it never fails me. Every year at spring I just take cuttings and repot them and it is always beautiful
They sure are easy to prop!
I have about ten recently potted props and noone to give them to lol i need to stop 😂
I had the same problem with the Chinese Money Plant.... what a spindly pain in the a-- !! Whats more, make sure you trash it in a plastic bag as even a leaf will propagate into a new plant.
Oh I didn't know you could prop by leaf
@@SheffieldMadePlants Nor did I till I threw it in my composter..... then I decided to get a leaf and put it in water...within a few days there were water roots.
I put my Syngonium red arrow in low light on a shelf. Chunky soil, water when it just slightly droops, and she's pushing out three new leaves right now after being cut up a bunch to send cuttings to people for trades. The only problem I found is she needs to be dusted more often because of the color of the leaves, it collects a lot of dust.
She's in a plastic pot too, and I bottom water. :)
Good shout thanks 😊
My personal nightmare plant is supposed to be a “no-hassle” plant. Everyone’s favorite, Rabbits foot fern. Mine is surviving and not thriving. I can’t get good growth from it to save my life. Ironically, my mother has one in her home in roughly the same home conditions, rarely tends to it and hers is massive. 😢 lol
I've had the Red Arrow and it seemed like it is only happy in almost consistently moist soil. When I let the soil dry out, the leaves started to yellow. Also, for me, it never became large even though it frequently put out new leaves. For every new leaf, one died.
Good to know thanks
I wouldn't have a String of _____ if someone gifted it with a monthly payment. 🤔 well, how much are we talking 🤑
Thousands 😂
The string of pearls plant i had was an absolute nightmare! I feel ya 😮💨
Thank you 😅
My string of pearls is doing amazing. It likes to have its tendrils wrapped around inside the pot. Make sure the points are facing up. Pop off a few pearls and sink them into the soil to fill in any empty spaces. Keep it slightly moist to touch and place it in a window with indirect light. Each day I see growth and new growth. I enjoy watching the development of its pearls and limbs which I allow to hang down. My home has humidity between 55-65%. My plants love it.
Sounds great!
There is also crotons. I am almost convinced that these guys are programmed by the seller to start dying process the moment it leaves the store and there is no chance of saving it no matter what you do. Almost have better time with bouquet of roses instead of potted crotons 😂.
Amen to that!
I finally got them figured out. I'm in a northern climate and keep it in a directish light area in a south window in a self watering pot. I lost quite a few ( i only bought rehab clearance ones for 1.00 due their fussiness, lol. But somehow, my last ones recovered and now look great and even have shiny leaves.
@@user-fe2or2oc3u my biggest problem is even if they survive all that, they are one of the biggest pest magnets, and I constantly have to be treating them otherwise they just die lol
I had given up on crotons, after killing so many, but my neighbor recently gifted me one so now here I am again trying to keep it alive. This is the longest I've had one (a few months) and It's putting off new leaves and haven't dropped all of it's old ones, so maybe....just maybe...
In South Africa they grow like weeds, but are definitely outdoor plants. In fact most of the plants you mentioned grow outside here, so maybe they are marketed incorrectly. Just an idea.
1:44 maybe it’s being choked in that tiny pot, maybe it’s not getting enough water, or maybe it’s sick and needs medicine (yes plants can get sick)
I have a Chinese money plant, string of pearls, and a syngonium red arrow that are thriving near my south facing window. 😅
Nice!
Good for you, care to divulge your secrets
I use a wide shallow bowl for the string of pearl and a cactus/succulent soil mixture. Its dummied up a little on the inside and has a drainage hole. I make sure the top of the pearls is getting bright indirect light. They also get a few hours of direct sunlight and its been a year and they seem fine.
The syngonium and money plant I have in a cactus/succulent soil mixture. I water them when they are dry about halfway down. They sit 3 feet from a south facing window. Its been a year and no apparent sun damage yet.
I hang mine directly in a southwest facing window and it is thriving. It's so long I had to wrap the vines and hang them over the soil as they are almost touching the floor. I've only had the plant for about a year.
I have had the WORST time with Chinese money plants!! They are literally the worst!
Friends dad is a succulent grower and always gets really animated when speaking about string of pearls, not due to it being fickle but because it keeps spreading across his beds like a pest. He gave me some, which promptly died.
😅
my string of pearls is struggling right now since she didn't approved the last repot. now its just a matter of time, im optimistic that it will bounce back after some time :)
Interesting how I have a complete opposite experience with raindrop and chinese money plant. I have pretty poor plant conditions, unfortunatelly, so finnicky plants usually don't survive the winter. Both of my raindrops lost a ton of leaves and look pretty pathetic, the chinese plant gives me no heartache whatsoever - it's a bit more thirsty than my other plants, so, basically, it's the one I water the most(about a 20cm pot with generic store bought all purpose soil with some perlite, will not uppot, since it would just look weird in such a massive pot, sitting on the south facing windows, but not that much light due to the design of the apartment building, in winter my aprtment is really cold so I water plants only every other week or so, this baby I watered, like, every 4 days) and it just kept on growing all through the winter. Thank god for spring, tho, I can't describe how much better I start feeling when I can see my plants waking up ☺️
I know exactly what you mean. My winter conditions aren't great either. Weird your Raindrop struggles so much. Mine would survive an apocalypse!
Great plant therapy! I feel so much better after watching this because I own almost all of these plants and have had the same issues! Now i won't be adding "strings of anything" to my collection 😂 though I've wanted to. Thank you
Thanks for watching 😁
You should water your peperomia from the bottom, like put the pot on a saucer of water, the roots are extremely thin and they will absorb that water right up. I also had leaves falling off and yellowing of leaves when I watered at the top but it stopped when I watered from the bottom.
I think I was bottom watering. I’m a BWer!
String of Dolphins are more forgiving. Mine spent 2 years outside and now lives happily inside under grow light
My experience with kalanchoes is that if they just sit in a sunny windowsill (as sunny as you have, I've had crazy sunny and only medium sunny) they will bloom a little bit all year round, especially if they have good soil. Mine are bizarrely resilient; the parts that seem the most ready to just fall off often seem to bloom almost indefinitely (my "dead" branch only stopped pushing out flowers when I knocked it off accidentally. I dropped it in a little water on another windowsill to see what happened and the air roots exploded and now it's ready to pot by itself after just a couple weeks). Kalanchoes do well with aggressive pruning when they seem sad. It may hurt to prune away the sadness, but it will leave an elegant small tree behind that will always be green and alive and if it gets a dedicated sunny spot it will eventually bloom again.
Mine just never flowered for years 🤷🏻♂️
@@SheffieldMadePlants I don't doubt it, my first one took three years of consistent windowsill life to decide it could manage more flowers. It's definitely one that has it's own personality.
My mom is real good with a string a pearls, the trick is she forgets it’s there and it only gets rainwater.
Congratulations on hitting 100K subscribers!
Thank you so much 😀
I am so glad I saw this video. You said it correctly. There are nightmare plants. I have tried string of pearls, banana and in frustration I dumped them. There are certain plants that do not like a temp of 72 degrees indoors with low humidity, too little water, too much water, too much light, not enough light. Let us give up and accept the inevitable, they do not like us or the environment we live in.
Amen to that 😁
OHHOHO My friend! I have that secret sauce,
The one which you so desire.
You'll be the indoor plant boss, you'll be the one the neighborhood will admire.
Simply find the plant that tickles your fancy,
Whip out your Polaroid, Noone cares, no need to be ancey.
Click, flash, pfzzzzt, out it comes,
Pin, tape, frame, or paste, there you have it out of the doldrums!
PS: you want it to grow? Just take it down to your local film developer and have'm enlarge the picture!
😉👍
That’s what I’m missing!
I was surprised to see string of pearls included. I have mine outside where it's mostly in shade/indirect light all day and is watered pretty much the same as most of my succulents. Only had it a couple of months but it's doing great so far, almost ready for a repot. I guess different parts of the world will vary on this, most string of plants seem to do very well here. 🤔 Probably helped a bit that the one I have was very healthy when I got it.
Sounds like you've got a nice climate for it
I have a nightmare plant, the dieffenbachia. It takes up a lot of space and grows tall until it flops over looking ugly. It likes to shed its lower leaves, or maybe that’s my fault. It’s one of the deadliest houseplants so handling it is a pain. Mine has gotten spider mites on two different occasions and the crevices at the nodes make it so hard to completely wash away the mites. The only thing good is that it won’t die from low light, under-watering, overwatering or poor soil.
I have a one year old kalanchoe that is just flowering again, without being in the dark for 16h, it was in a west facing window. I live in Barcelona.
Nice!
I have a string of turtles and it’s my easiest plant. I forget about it for weeks at a time and give it a little water. It was a 3.5 inch pot and now it’s eight pots that take two shelves on my plant shelf. It’s really fragile, but I just don’t touch it. Sometimes I touch it and part of the vine falls off, but I just stick it back into the soil and it becomes another plant. I bury it more than five nodes deep and it grows very sturdy after that.
I have pileas. First one grew so leggy. I call her the Mother plant because she has given me pups. When she got so tall and leggy I chopped her up 💇♀️ I propagated her head and now I have 4 pileas total. I love her no matter how weird she grows. I’m also experimenting with light with all four of them. One is in bright shade, another in a south facing window, two in north facing window with a grow light. I’m watching to see where its happiest. 😊
Also, I got a little discouraged when you mentioned String of pearls. I bought two recently 😅 I hope I can keep them alive and happy.
I was thinking of doing that to mine too. What happened to the body? Did it regrow a stem?
I have 5 Kalanchoe…the first one my g-daughter gave me. I still have it blooming…August will be 2 years now. No lie. I just keep them in In direct bright light and trim off dead flowers and it alternates stem blooming. I love mine!!!!!
Sounds great 👍
Yes peperomiodes grow tall and naked at the bottom but the pups come up and cover the stems. I’d suggest buying a larger more established plant. And water when it hits the dry mark. And it needs a lot of bright indirect light.
Yeah it's some pups at the bottom. The main stem is just too talk and lanky now
Another easy way is to chop its top - new plant that will root from the top part and the stem will bush out more. But AMEN on the watermelon peperomia, I can’t grow it!
Lol sorry dude, u know more abt plants than I ever will but I had zero issues with the Chinese money plant and string of pearls. Location might be an issue. I'm in Adelaide, Australia. My Chinese money plant was an impulse buy as a kokedama. It was hanging in my undercover porch till the shell rotted away. I replanted it in a pot. My dog ran over it and broke it. I jammed the broken bits in a pot of soil, now I have 3 plants, all huge and full. My string of pearls is hanging in my backyard. My parrot keeps flying into the hanging beads, climbing up and plucking the beads and ripping out the stems. I planted all the ripped out stems in a decorative planter (woman face, hair = hanging plants) and put it in my bathroom. It got so thick I had to replant.
I underwater and overwater these plants constantly, they are impossible to kill. I can't advise you unless its treating them like shit😂
Sounds like a madhouse 😂. Your climate is probably helping for sure!
I’ve never had a problem with Kalanchoe! In a conservatory they flower every year. It’s simply a natural daylight cycle they require in order to flower. My conservatory gets down to 5 degrees centigrade in winter.
👍👍
for some weird reason that I don't know..I am the best growing and keeping growing string of pearls. all the string ..but anything alocasia, dracaena or poinsetia, will die.
What’s your secret?
I was surprised to see Kalanchoe on this list because I've had no problems with mine as a beginner with plants. It made sense after you talked about its need for darkness though, because I live in Sweden where there's definitely no lack of darkness during the winter :)
That'll do it 😁
I have a kalanchoe that is possessed. On cloudy days, he'll stretch skyward so much, he'll flop over. I named him Gumby like the claymation character. He gets a ton of sunlight since I live in Alabama and it's a southwest window.
I had one in my hair salon for years. It never stopped blooming and people were always amazed. It makes sense now, it would've been It total darkness when we closed up each night. Needless to say when I took it home it never bloomed again 😂
I don’t understand it… mine get no more darkness than any of my other plants and they continue to bloom for me. I live in Maryland and they are in southern windows
I'm in the Alps and the sun doesn't rise above our mountain in the winter so our Kalanchoe lives quite happily with low light but not zero light. I was worried that it wouldn't flower but now we get morning sun and it has a decent clump of buds appearing.
I have wondering Jew & their purple cousins and they have been growing fantastic, the trick is to grow then outside, like a cobbled sandstone wall or your backyard.
I've not got the weather for em ☹️
I’ve had issues almost with all the plants in this video!! What the heck? I thought it was me!! Hahaha!! The string of pearls and the Chinese money plant I have is love to show you!! It’s a big stick with a few leaves!! Omg! The string of pearls is pretty sad too! 😢I tossed the watermelon one ugh!!
Glad it’s not just me 😂
I knew someone who bought a string of something plant and all the beads fell off on the car ride home. They did propagate the fallen leaves, but it took several years to get a plant that fills a 3 inch pot.
Ouch 😬
Love this vid. I’ve been really struggling with my money plant, it is juvenile and puts out a new leaf, begins to show a new growth, and then the first leaf falls off. I’ve never been able to keep more than one leaf 😭 so glad it is not just me
Happens all the time in my house 😅
My money plant was beautiful (grew up from tiny sapling) and one week it lost all leaves but one. I gave it a chance, did bot change anything, just waited and now it returned to previous glory :)
Same with mine! I have mine for like three years now, it's so sensitive... But still surviving somehow haha
I feel like my money plant just wants to be left alone. As long as I keep it close to a window with good ventilation and water it very scarcely, she's fine.
With how tricky some houseplants can be, I wonder how many people buy one, have it die on them and conclude that they can never grow anything ever
Wouldn't surprise me ☹️
Re: kalanchoe, I kept mine on a windowsill for years and for several of those years, I don't remember how many - four, maybe? - it didn't bloom. And then BAM, one year, it did! I was so excited! Same spot, same light conditions. Perhaps my watering habits had become different, but I certainly wasn't following any crazy lighting schedule.
I’m amazed you were so patient with it 😂
I've had TWO string of pearls go balls-up now... I THOUGHT IT WAS ME!!!
You're not alone!
I have a Pilea Peperomoides, a Kalanchoe and a Schefflera Arboricola.
Funny thing is they all thrive, but I found this channel trying to understand why all my other plants constantly die on me.
Hopefully I can help there 😁
This is odd. I’ve never had difficulties with string of pearls, it has gone through a lot. Massive heatwave in a closed environment, drought up to 6 months and no matter what it would not die. It stayed and grew healthy even though it was abused like crazy
I feel so seen with this video title! ❤
Had 3 X string of pearls and gave up, just can't keep it alive at all.
Now I have a string of turtles and that little guy is happy and thriving (he's in a bathroom on the window ledge with a frosted window)
Ooo nice 👍
How many 3 yo children have you chucked in your bin? 😂😂😂
😅
I’m on my second Pilea and it’s dying just like the first. Thanks for the recommendation on the Peperomia Rain drop for an alternative because I really like the look of the round leaves. Also your Pilea is goals to me!!
Honestly it’s a bit of mess
Hilarious!!!!!!!!!!! You are saying it so serious and it is serious and true, however it is strangely amusing!!!!!! I have had a few on the list which I no longer (checked out) have!🤣🤣🤣
😂
I received a Kalanchoe ("WIndow Thrill") as a gift for my new job in Oct and then we went remote during office renovations from Jan-Apr. My plant stayed at the office neglected and the flowers died. I took it home and put it in the windowsill all summer long and waited. To my surprise, it bloomed again in the late fall/early winter, and it's still blooming today. Bright orange and going crazy! It's probably the opposite cycle of what is expected but I enjoy the flowers. :)
Very nice 👌
String of pearls is the only plant my wife and I have been defeated by so consistently. We don't even try anymore. We struggled with some ferns and overcame the challenge, almost killed a hoya and now it's its own little jungle, and all kinds of other minor mishaps. String of pearls though, never again
For me my baby tears was the most difficult plant I've used so far. I bought it online which was a mistake because its a sensitive plant. It died within a couple days of shipping, but the seller luckily sent me a brand new one. It's been a couple months and its very very picky, but I think the best care tip I have for it so far is really really really good drainage
Nice plant when you get it right!
armed with Be Your Own House Plant Expert
by D. G. Hessayon ( 1976) most houseplants are reasonably easy to care for There is no substitute for vigorous research, study and vigilant care... except maybe fake plants made of plastic and fabric
I was so relieved to see Kalanchoe on the list. I got one after easter for cheap discount after the holiday. I tried for two years to get it to bloom, then decided to just chuck it. Was not worth all the annoyance to me.
So many people on here saying theirs flowers all the time 🤷🏻♂️
I have two of them right next to each other... One is perfect and blooming all the time and the other one only fights to keep one little flower and gets more and more crispy leafes... What a confusing plant.
Glad im not alone!! I was given a baby money plant from a friend (her motherplant was huuuge) and thought easy breezy... well NOT so much. I did almost everything for the darn plant, next to giving it a lullaby story every night and singing to it. Ungreatful b*(&%%... So it was a gonner after a lot of trial and mostly errors! And ivy....ghad!! Dont get me started with that snowflake of a plant. It just dies in my home after a while. No matter what i do, or place it.
Hehe lullaby
I hate watermelon peperomia,I’ve had so many die on me,they take so easy from the leaves but it’s keeping them alive is the problem! I have lots of hanging baskets of string of pearls growing outdoors (south Australia) under protection and in bright light,I tend to top them up with soil when the top starts looking bare,they seem to send out more new growth! You are so right about the syngonium red arrow as well,tried everything with no success!
Thanks for sharing 👍
My leopard kalanchoe mother of thousands is my favorite plant! I’ve had 3 generations! Planty 2.0 died unexpectedly, but not before creating Planty 2.2 which is now a happy 2.5ft tall!! (A little taller because he curved and refuses to straighten out)
I’m moving off to college in a month so I wanted to make some babies that would fit in my dorm room. I am now looking after Planty 2.2.1, 2, & 3. 2.2.1 is doing amazingly and is about 4” tall!!
I’ve yet to see them flower, but this is the easiest plant I’ve ever cared for. Water once a week ideally, but you can go as long as 3 weeks and it’ll still be a-okay. It likes a lot of sun so south facing window or outdoors, but it also does okay in lower light conditions!
I’ve yet to see mine flower but I was told by the person that gave it to me that it would take a few years, and that theirs flowers every year with no human intervention (we live in San Diego so there’s definitely not any 16h no sunlight opportunities).
Maybe the leopard kalanchoe is the one exception to this rule of finicky flowering!
Maybe 🤷🏻♂️
To get the kalanchoe to bloom, treat it like a holiday cactus - put a box or bucket right over it for those 18 hours (12 hours for a christmas cactus). Tape over any seams if you use a box, to make sure no lights gets through, but it's much easier than trying to find a new spot that you can put it!
Why didn’t I think of this 😅
I’ve never heard of this light restriction. I have had several for years and they bloom fine as long as they have sun
Mine blooms too and I do nothing 🤷🏼
I think the secret to most plants is just finding the right spot for them. I've had my tradescantia nanouk for about a year now and it was miserable everywhere until I put it in my east facing bathroom window and now it's thriving. Same with my Chinese money plant, which was down to 3 leaves until I put it closer to the window. Didn't change anything else about the care, but the right spot did the trick.
Thank you for putting out this PSA! I’m at the point in my plant journey where I am recognizing that at some point, someone went into the wild and decided a certain plant could be sold to folks as something that could thrive indoors. Mostly this is true, but sometimes these super popular houseplant ‘darlings’ are really just not suited to houseplant life, and it’s always hard to avoid the really attractive foliage of a plant that’s just never gonna be happy. I think your message is an important one to counter the sellers who don’t care about the longevity of a plant in your collection. It’s like Fast Fashion for plants!
Can confirm tradescantia love to be garden plants more than house plants (at least zebrina, Purple Heart, blue sue, pale puma, silver plus… larger leaf and sturdy varieties) I have several in the ground outside (USA zone 7b) that die completely back every winter, and then explode and have Garden Wars with each other every summer. I also have bunches in pots that are happy and full outside all summer. I bring them inside for winter as even a mild frost destroys the succulent like leaves - they dislike it inside and usually get very pale and leggy since I don’t have the space to give them the intense light they were used to outside, but at least they survive another year 😊
I think you’re right. Thanks for sharing
I just discovered this video, but I wanted to comment, as others have about theirs, about my Kalanchoe plants. I have two different ones in my crowded corner of the room (windows face W-SW) in a too-small pot, a medium pot and a glass of water where I put pieces of stem that fall off. They grow there if I keep the water up. I have flowers blooming from those as well. Each winter, all in the window getting as much light as there is outside, direct in the afternoon, I get little orange and pink bouquets like crazy. They're my winter flowers. I don't do anything but throw some water into the pots once a week or two and keep the leaves from touching the window when we have a frost. Sometimes the soil in the larger pot goes really dry, but I just water it and hope for the best and it's been good for years. They also sometimes get water mist from when I spray other plants. I used to spray them deliberately but have held off as much lately.
Ha ha. I love your humor when telling us which plants not to buy. I don't have any in my home that was on that list. I will admit I always wanted a string of pearls, but I read they are toxic. I have a 3 year old great granddaughter, so I would not buy that plant. I really gravitate toward the plants that are easy to take care of. Thanks for your plant advice. Have a blessed day.
Glad you enjoyed the vid thanks
For me it was AGLAONEMA pink star variety.. 1 leaf with dark brown spots within 24h of bringing it home. Next day 2nd leaf. Now it's been 5 days and I've lost 4 leaves, and the top ones plus the bud are not looking great either. I re-potted it into better soil and watered it with spring water. I changed it's place from sunny room to a more dark room and it's still dying. The temperature is right, ampunt of light was exactly as it should be but since these are living things you never know. Soooo, yeah. It's dying. I'm also failing with orchids for some reason despite having grow lights. My Maranta is doing great, tho. I guess it's Maranta's only from now on lol.
Call me lucky, but I got my Kalanchoe to bloom super easily. I kept it oustide during the summer, and when autum came, I just brought it inside, left it by the balcony door (full glass door), and watered it when the soil got dry. In 2 months it flowered like never before
Nice 👌
Seriously... how do people have all these problems with these plants?
Gardening is literally all about mimicing a plant's native environment. Maybe just start with that, instead of trying to make the plants adapt to a different environment than what they evolved in... & you won't be so "stressed out".
I feel much better now about my Chinese Money Plant and Watermelon Peperomia which both struggled and eventually karked it. I have a string of pearls plant that is doing well, but it is outside (in Sydney Australia - where Summer is warm and humid). Thanks for your informative videos. You pack in a lot of information and get right to the point.
Thanks 😊
I get where you are coming from. But this also isn't good advice. The number one thing ive learned about plants is this: You cannot bring any plant into your home with the goal of doing only want you want with it. You have to focus first on what the plant needs and move from there. Your string of pearls was fragile because it wasn't getting full sun and they hate humidity. You did what you wanted and not what the plant needed.
Easy care and difficult care plants are decided only by your home environment. So there aren't any nightmare plants, just owners without proper growing conditions. I have all these plants besides the syngonium. All my plants are fine.
Very nice video! I've had the same issues with watermelon peperomia😢 Thank you for giving some alternatives to these difficult varieties.
Glad it was helpful!
I can't believe i ever felt guilty about killing these plants. I had no idea they were so intent on dying anyway.
It's the plant!
i used to have syngoniums, and i learnt the _hard_ way that i shouldn’t keep it too flourishing; its roots are invasive and it grows too quickly, as it’s more like a beast/monster than a plant. i had to kill it before it could wreak havoc on my walls.
ironically, my kins always praised me for caring for such huge plants back when it was still around
Wow 😮
Yes the oversized root systems they can develop are absolutely insane.
I live on the East coast of Australia and the house we bought had Syngonium White Butterfly everywhere! It went up ALL the wooden fences.... attached & covered itself to brick walls & worked itself into the roof.... even wrapped itself along the side of the house and pushed it's way under the metal runners for glass-sliding doors and under the carpet!! I have never seen such a voracious plant. It's all gone now leaving it's aerial root markings everywhere!!!! What a pest!!!
Totally agree,I regard sungoniums as pests,they're invasive. And all varieties revert to the 2 horned devil.
Chalanchoes are little assholes😂 Never bloomed again in my house whwn i was a kid
Afraid I must disagree about the kalanchoe. Mine grows like crazy in a south window and flowers easily with no special treatment. I let it dry thoroughly before I soak. They get big and heavy so I use terra cotta pots. Really not a complicated plant, they just like a lot of sun.
👍👍
Agreed
Thanks for that. I've killed 2 string of pearls. They die slowly. I keep seeing people posting on FB showing lush full plants and then want to try them again. Good to know it is just a finicky plant.
I know right I get the jealously too