Fern, for those reused boba tea cups, measure 1/3 height from the bottom, and poke 3 holes at that height, leaving 1 cm in between. It will look like this: o---o---o, You will have to water slowly so that the liquid comes to just below the holes, but having a solid bottom and openings right above the ideal reservoir height means that 1)you will never have the water reservoir come too high and 2)you can flush with a forceful stream and let the water escape through those holes, without tilting the cup or disturbing the roots. This set-up also helps save water and fertilizer because you won't have "excess" nutrient water sitting inside a cachepot, evaporating, and possibly ruining your nice ceramics with mineral etching. The outside containers can be solid or have drainage holes because all the "wet" stays inside the translucent cup. You can even use baskets, boxes, or other not-quite-watertight materials to cover your recycled take-out plastic! I find it a very convenient (and inexpensive) way to grow in semi-hydro.
The one thing I will say about pon, is that I’ve seen good results in plants that need high humidity in my VERY dry house. In the winter my ambient humidity is around 15% or lower, and I’ve found that my alocasias and harder Philos do much better in the winter when they’re in pon and have constant moisture.
Hello Fern from Puerto Rico!! Once I tried Pon, I loved it. Most of my Hoyas, Syngoniums and Alocasias are in Pon with small layer of leca for the reservoir. Enjoy!😊
ALL of my plants are in PON. And i mean ALL, string of everythings, Alocasia, syngonium, pepperomia, hoyas, monsteras etc and they are just loving it. Now they are all in self watering pots BUT i do want to give credit when its due because i do believe its the substrate they like. Im an overwatered and was killing plants left and right when in soil ! Every single video i would watch about soil was just making me buy different things here and there BUT when i tell you that pon is so simple!! And you dont need 20 things to add into it besides fertilizer !! I just assume people who dont like pon dont have kids because the amount of HOURS self watering pots and Pon have saved me is insane 😂 i used to be watering plants for 6 hours waiting for them to drain etc and now i just fill reservoir and boom done 💥 Also i have not had ONE pest issue since i changed ALL my plants into Pon !! Not ONE GNAT 😭🙏🏼 Now this is personally my amazing experience with Pon, what works for me might not work for the next and thats A-Ok !🥰
Perfectly executed content once again, I have the attention span of a squirrel hooked on crystal meth and I always watch your videos from start to finish. I feel like you do a great job !
I have been growing my pings in DIY PON plus vermiculite for the last 25 years but I didn't know it was PON, it was called Mexican ping mineral substrate.
@@LifeAsAThomas When the plants are in their summer leaf form they are in a tray of water, when in winter leaf form they are kept dry to damp depending on the species.
I think you are so right about pon. It did sound like a miracle substrate when people were talking about it non stop, but like you I did not see a big difference in using it vs soil. It all comes down to the watering. I think it is just easier to get it right when using pon. So glad to hear you discuss this. It almost seems like it is a taboo topic. Hey for you.
Yep! I will say though, some plants were dying before I switched to pon. I have no idea how anyone grows Calathea and such without pon. They are so rediculouse about watering and humidity. Most plants are fine in soil as long as the watering is right, but like you said with some plants it is really hard, if not impossible, to get right.
@@1faithchick7 I have all my calathea in soil, and everything go well here 😅 I look for the pon, because this can be interesting, but I am afraid to root rot and other problematic.
I agree with you! It’s not the pon itself, it’s the ease of maintenance and upkeep for YOU! Because at the end of the day, it does dry out and you do still have to add the water at some point! 44:33 I really just don’t understand the concept of these pots lol. I mean I get the fact that it’s less components but imo it’s more complicated. I must monitor the roots, it’s so satisfying and necessary for me that I’m switching all of my soil nursery pots to clear ones too.
Yes , I m done with fungus gnats in our home so Pon is the way to go ; I m still learning 🎉 thank you for this video looking forward to to learn more ; I m in Nevada dessert not an easy climate not all plants are make it 😢 but learning ❤🎉
Have you ever considered trying to paint the boring pon pots? I don’t really like how there’s not a lot of colorful or interesting looking pots. Maybe that could be a sit down Q&A paint video?? 😊
Hi Fern, I have about 30 of my 80 plants in Lechuza Pon, even a few orchids for the past 2 years and they all seem to be very healthy and happy in it. My hoya and my begonias also seem happy in it. I put my Thai Con in pon and mixed medium size Leca and it is doing great. I rarely flush and I fertilize all of my plants with the same food, Better Grow Orchid plus 20-14-13 along with Cal Mag and I haven't seen any bad effects. Personally, I am very satisfied with L Pon, being able to reuse it is awesome. I just soak mine in 50-50 water and 70% isopropyl alcohol. Love your videos so much!!
Fern I agree wholeheartedly with you on the pon and self watering pots because I find that even my plants in soil do much better in the self watering pots 😊
I've made my own pon before, very similar to the recipe shared by Plants With Melissa, and it really does work exceptionally well. But, I always seem to go back to Lechuza Pon. The last bag I bought was huge, and they had given the option for no fertilizer, which is what I grabbed. That option doesn't seem to be on their website anymore, though. Your plants look great, Fern! Your Frydek is *chef's kiss*. 🥰
Lazy plant person here 🙋🏽♀️ most of my collection has been in pon for a few years now. I've personally never brought a self watering planter 🤭 I literally use the same inner and outer pots that I would use for my soil plants, using the outer pot as the reservoir. I do have the outer pots slightly bigger so I can peak to see where the water line is without taking the whole pot out, because who has time to be picking plant pots up to check water levels 😅🌿 I know I'm lazy
I see this method from a lot of people, this is very interesting. Do you fill the outer pot at the top or half or quater, I was afraid to do roots rots with my plants
@@Kate.g. Yeah, I just fill up/top up the outer pot. When I'm feeling on it, I'll get rid of the water and put completely fresh water in (easier to do as it's just a pot in a pot), but most of the time it's just a top up. I try and stick to a couple of inches of water but I've definitely poured way too much water in pots before (all the time really 😂) and left it and they've been absolutely fine somehow 😅 I have moss pole plants in this setup too and it's so much easier and cheaper to find normal pots/planters when needing bigger sizes 😊
@@fullmoon14_ As for why I find this method interesting, I already have clear pots, then for cleaning it is simpler as you mentioned, in the end I only have to buy Pon. I can easily clean the “water reserve” every week or two. Whereas with an expensive Lechuza type pot I wouldn't see the roots like with my clear pots and if I want to clean or change the water reserve it's much more complicated and more expensive. Thank you for you anwser 🙃 I love this type of solution, lazy, more choice and less expensive!
Hey Fern. The only issue with non hydroponic fertilizer is that it can build up. Just flush and be careful how much you’re using. I use Foliage Focus now which is nice. One bottle. Also superthrive is also supposed to work. I might try that as foliage focus is expensive. My friend uses better gro orchid fertilizer in her passive hydro and her plants are gorgeous
hearing your experience with pon has been so helpful; i love to water my plants often and love using soil, but i always wondered if pon had something my plants would be missing. i'm glad to hear your thoughts on it vs. soil!
I've used wood stakes in soil and pon, but I cover the end of the stakes with plastic bags and then tighten them in place with wire. The stakes won't rot. I also do good looking plant stakes by covering a thick bamboo stake with thick rope. I just use hot glue to wind the rope in place permanently. I don't use moss poles so this is my only method of providing support for climbing plants. I then use plant velcro or jute string to tie the plants up.
Fern I agree with your assessment that plants will grow well in either substrate , it’s up to the caregiver to choose the one that works for them. I also agree that miracle grow is so cost effective and works great for pretty much any tropicals. I add pumice in my Dyi Pon too. Lechuza is crazy expensive, here in Canada. Oh my fantastic engineering with the stakes taped to your begonia ! Love the video, great info ❤
I use soil mostly for my Aroids if i want them to climb up on moss pole, but i like pon very much, you don't need a self-watering pot if you use pon. I know it's very confortable if you use one, but you have to watch out the microsiemens value or PH value. That's the reason why i use mostly pon without self watering system just in a normal pot: i can wash out fertizer exzess very manageable. 👍
Fyi: Dollarama has all kinds of different stakes in different sizes and materials (in Newfoundland anyway). Loving the hair! I remember how short your hair was when I first started watching you! Crazy! Secret?
Hi Fern! I was so so happy to spot my ZZ plant having blooms for the first time, I have been growing it for almost 5 years. There are 3 beautiful buds, guess it’s gonna bloom this weekends💚🥰
I loved hearing your pon routine. I’ve watched other videos and it always seemed intimidating with checking levels of water and doing a lot of different steps. I think I’m going to give it a try!
I still use the DIY PON mix. It just makes economic sense. 😊I use regular fertilisers with PON. Never had a problem. I’ve used Miracle Grow too with good results.
Elho self watering pots are great. Has the inserts so you can lift it out without planning directly into the pot. Also avoids algae too. I like plants with clean look so I use clear nursery pots with decorative pots for soil growing. Pon growing self watering pots. All my brands are Elho too. They are great.
Hi Fern. I was able to get my hands on a large bag of Lechuza Pon, it was expensive but most other brands are not cheap either. I'd like something with larger pieces because what I've been using is a bit too small in my opinion. I mix some chunky perlite (not as big as yours) as well as a bit of small leca which lightens the weight. I mostly do a self watering set up with wicks because it makes my life a lot simpler. You hit the nail on the head when you said the plants are happy in Pon because they're getting more consistent watering, nothing to do with the substrate itself. This has been a great video and reassured me that I'm doing the right thing by growing in Pon.
Love this video, and love me some PON! I'm in Australia and I bought a big bag of zeolite cat litter for a couple of dollars - it's amazing how many uses there are for this stuff, although it's important to make sure it's pure for PON. I think zeolite is also used for pool filtration. My biggest surprise is how well succulents do in PON (using a reservoir which I allow to dry out completely for 3-5 days before I water - still early days for me though)
Hi Fern! Thanks for sharing your thoughts on PON. I will definitely try to find the bags of zeolite and lava rock intended for snow gripping and make the homemade PON! I have been using Lechuza as well as the mix from Crystal star. I also tried a mixture of pumice and leca for some of my orchids. I thought I would mention that with those pots with the water gauge I drill two wholes a little bit above the platform that holds the water gauge. This way, you can flush the plant if desired. I also find it useful to avoid overfilling the pot with liquid over the maximum limit. It is also useful in my opinion when showering the leaves because, again, it prevent overfilling water and drowning the plant! Thanks again for sharing! 😁
Thank you so much for sharing this! I am also playing around with pon and leca and so far I’m loving it! My plants are loving it to because I am always either over or under watering but in semi hydro they are being pampered in a good way lol! Good to know I’m no the only one 💚
Oh my gosh, thank you so much for this! Totally made my morning 🥺 Really glad you enjoyed the vid and that your plants are also doing well in semi-hydro :)
Hello Fern. We've transitioned most of our collection to Semi Hydro (Lechuza Pon, Soil Ninja, Sybotanica) and self-watering pots and it's been a game changer. As for self-watering pots with soil, we have two of our large alocasias in a chunky aroid mix in SW pots and we add "grit" as a top dressing to eliminate the fungus gnat problem and it works flawlessly (and looks nice too).
I also have many pon plants in regular pots. I put a soil water gage in there to see the water level just like the ones in self watering pots. They are pretty cheep for a big pack online. It's a long thin white thing with a clear top. The red thing goes up or down based on how much water is in the pot. It can get stuck so check it every once and a while. Most of my plants are in that system so I can still use fun pots. :)
I'm the same I started pon on the pon craze because I go on holidays a lot so plants that need watering a lot used to die. All my plants are now in pon what I will say though is the closed system works better for me literary in re used jars or plastic cups and I just fill it with water to a 3rd of the jar depending on how much roots it has. I have a lot that need repotting 😂😂 im so lazy and the roots are gonna be a nightmare getting out of the jar ones I literary over halfway fill them 🤣. Probably not a good way to do it but all my plants are fine and I have a reused leopard gecko tank with a lot of them and it keeps the humidity up really nice to the point they are attaching their ariel roots to the glass and climbing around the tank .
Yay, yay, yay! DIY Pon is my new fav! :) I'm a 'chronic' under-waterer. I've got about a dozen so far in diy pon and will be switching the rest. I just have clear orchid pots with pumice in the bottom, so it's semi-hydro, and side cut-outs like yours 22:09 sitting in a cache pot to reduce algae. I absolutely LOVE just picking up the inner pots and listening to how much water drips out. If it's just a little bit, then I water. It just couldn't be more simple!! I have the 3 part G. H. fertilzer too, but haven't used it. I'm using the Schiltz? liquid 1/2 strength every time. I'm going to put all of my Calatheas in my pon too.
I really enjoy pon (also using a straight up mix that is usally for winterpreping streets, mine has all ingridients it needs). I use normal pots and coverpots for my pon setup - I just leave like 1/4 - 1/3 of the bottom of the pot full of water and my plants love it. Never had an issue with root rot except when I forgot a plant for too long and the roots dried up. Love the low maintanence. The only issue I can think of is rinsing the pon before use. Mine is always very dirty (I mean its made for the streets so no wonder) so a lot of heavy sandlike water comes out when cleaning. Since this should not be put into the sink (it settles, builds up and can lead to clogged pipes), I have to go to a friends garden to wash my pon. Can highly reccomend and I try to get as many plants into pon as possible for less efford. Plants I can't get the soil off good enough or that are already in soil for a long time, I don't transit. But small plants get into water right away and as soon as I see growth, they are getting into pon. Ah, and I also use glass vesseles or other cute things for pon without drainage. Didn't have an issue with the plants sitting in water nor mineral buildup this far. But I also have to note that my no drainage plants are planted into pon very small and therefore grow waterroots and outgrow their small home in like 6 months. And my pon is very clean before it put it in no drainage since rinsing it after is impossible. In growing season I fertilise every watering - pon as much as soil. I don't make a difference, since my soil and pon are both unfertilised. (I am sorry for possible mistakes, not used to writing english 😅)
I had a feeling id be coming home to a Fern upload, and i got myself a blackbean burger to enjoy while i watch and im so glad i was right 💚 Also a few minutes in, can i just say your hair is looking amazing!
When I worked in the greenhouse (years ago) there wasn't a lot of choices for fertilizer, so we used Miracle grow.... And I just kept using it at home, too, for indoor and outdoor plants. Jump forward 30 years and I do buy other brands... But I still always have Miracle grow and cycle that in. So don't feel bad you use Miracle Grow! It's a solid choice. The OG of fertilizer.
So cute you hugging that begonia. I love mine in pon it’s just easier and I like the mixture you found. Lechuza pon is too expensive but if you make your own it works just as well💚
I make my own selfwatering pots with just a nurseery pot, a cotton wick from amazon (or cut a microfiber cloth in strips) and a cover pot. You just have to get the nursery pot to not sit in the bottom of the cover pot, either it fits perfectly and rest on the rim or you can put something in the bottom to prop it up (upside down small plastic tub, peace of pvc pipe, ..), I also have 3D printed rings that work as a adapter between the rim size of nursery pot and cover pot. I don´t rinse or flush my pon, put I often top water to refill the reservoir which sort of flushes it anyway. at least when I don´t use fertilizer. also like you say algae does not harm the plant, but it also uses up nutrients. If it has a reservoir I would clean it when ever it´s too dirty and you can rinse the pon with 3% hydrogen peroxite to kill the algae, but I don´t really care and don´t have much algae problem myself.
Hi fern. I have all my 75 plants in your diy pon mix for 2 years now & still loving it! I just add porous clay from pet smart. Also small & larger pumice. 💖
Hi Fern !! Thank you so much for this video, I was really thinking about pond lately, or just low maintenance subtracts, it’s so easy to feel overwhelmed and really want to upgrade my substrat game 😩✨
In winter I struggled with plants who were in pon, the water in the reservoir is cold as its winter so it eventually led to so much root rot so I hope you don’t move your whole collection to pon. Most of us don’t use cabinet nor have a warm plant room for pon so I like soilmix for that reason. Its versatile and way cheaper than pon, self watering pot and the whole shbang of having to pH balance it does add up after a while and becomes pricey.
I don’t use pon but I’ve been growing my plant collections in a pumice/bark mix which are then placed in large cake trays that are constantly filled with a bit of water. It worked well for my nepenthes, begonias, hoyas, and the more thirsty orchids.
Thank you so much for making this video! I’ve been wondering about pon for a while and I’ve honestly been a bit intimidated 😅 but imma give it a go with my Hoya and see how they like it
Your Frydek is gorgeous! I just put 3 plants in the Naked Root Pot. 2 plants only in Bonsai Jack Gritty mix and my Alocasia Cuprea is in my Molly’s Aroid, Tree Fern and Bonsai Jack Gritty mix. I have no clue how the Cuprea will do, but it’s exciting because he is always thirsty!!!!!
I certainly don’t think you’re doing anything “wrong”, especially if your plants are happy, and it works for you! And unpopular opinion…. Miracle gro is one of the most popular plant foods for a reason… it works! And so affordable yield wise compared to many others
The plant community often shames everyone for using common products like big box store soil or miracle gro fertilizer, but honestly... they're everywhere because they work. A lot of stuff that you can find in chain grocery stores is so generalized for every plant ever that there's no reason to feel bad for using miracle gro. If it works, it works!
My syngoniums have exploded since putting in pon! That’s one plant I have watering issues with & pon has helped with that on the other hand I had a white wizard in pon and it was getting beautiful variegation but the leaves were tiny.. could’ve been multiple things though.
Hi Fern! I'm wondering how long ago you started using the miracle grow? I started out in pon with shultz and had good results.. I then changed it to add silica cal mag and superthrive foliage pro. And actually had a couple of plants die in the beginning. I have thought maybe this is all unnecessary myself! But you're the first person I have come across that's even touched on this.. I use regular lachuza.. but have started to add my own with it. Lachuza is a bit dense. Your looks great! If I were you, I would just keep doing yours!❤ from Winnipeg 🇨🇦
I use plastic pipes for Electric wires in walls. I live in Sweden and they are cheap.Sometimes I put adhesive plastic sheet around them to look like wood
You can flush non net pots by just filling them up and emptying them out which is what I do. I've never used pon only leca in clear glass vessels. I don't mind the alge if it means I can see the roots. I also flush once a week and change the nutrient solution and myco, I've heard that the ph can get weird otherwise. I don't have that many plants though and I might be doing more than necessary but it's what's been working for me so 🤷♀️. I'm too scared to try not flushing or decreasing the frequency at this point anyways 😅.
I'm putting more and more stuff in pon for the ease of use, though i find the plants react worse if they do go dry than ones in soil? I'm using Soil Ninja, they do a coarse and fine mix and i find them both really good (anthuriums love the coarse one!) but they're UK/EU only. Cheaper than lechuza and always in stock too haha
I added perlite to my CSN and it just winds up working its way to the top of the pot.. so I don’t bother anymore. I use a plastic clear pot and use my clear vases as a “cover” pot with a water reservoir.. Thanks for this great video! Kisses to the girls 🐶🐶❤❤ Also unless the self watering pots have an insert its a big pain to repot.. And I don’t boil my pon all the time I just rinse it and use it again
I m using Lechusa pon it is very expensive; also I have some Leca I had mixed them in some plants ; learning how to feed them fertilizer ,very little inf up there specifically in something less expensive for the long term ; so just limited in how many plants to get because of the long cost to maintain . 😅
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Fern, for those reused boba tea cups, measure 1/3 height from the bottom, and poke 3 holes at that height, leaving 1 cm in between. It will look like this: o---o---o, You will have to water slowly so that the liquid comes to just below the holes, but having a solid bottom and openings right above the ideal reservoir height means that 1)you will never have the water reservoir come too high and 2)you can flush with a forceful stream and let the water escape through those holes, without tilting the cup or disturbing the roots. This set-up also helps save water and fertilizer because you won't have "excess" nutrient water sitting inside a cachepot, evaporating, and possibly ruining your nice ceramics with mineral etching. The outside containers can be solid or have drainage holes because all the "wet" stays inside the translucent cup. You can even use baskets, boxes, or other not-quite-watertight materials to cover your recycled take-out plastic! I find it a very convenient (and inexpensive) way to grow in semi-hydro.
Heyy fern!! Your hair is getting so long, it’s gorgeous!!
Thank you!! 🫶💞
She looks like Fairy Princess 😊
Ever since getting into caring for plants I noticed my hair growing more. I wonder if it’s a thing lol
I was PONdering about this the other day. Thanks! 😀🥰🪴
The one thing I will say about pon, is that I’ve seen good results in plants that need high humidity in my VERY dry house. In the winter my ambient humidity is around 15% or lower, and I’ve found that my alocasias and harder Philos do much better in the winter when they’re in pon and have constant moisture.
Hello Fern from Puerto Rico!! Once I tried Pon, I loved it. Most of my Hoyas, Syngoniums and Alocasias are in Pon with small layer of leca for the reservoir. Enjoy!😊
ALL of my plants are in PON. And i mean ALL, string of everythings, Alocasia, syngonium, pepperomia, hoyas, monsteras etc and they are just loving it. Now they are all in self watering pots BUT i do want to give credit when its due because i do believe its the substrate they like. Im an overwatered and was killing plants left and right when in soil ! Every single video i would watch about soil was just making me buy different things here and there BUT when i tell you that pon is so simple!! And you dont need 20 things to add into it besides fertilizer !! I just assume people who dont like pon dont have kids because the amount of HOURS self watering pots and Pon have saved me is insane 😂 i used to be watering plants for 6 hours waiting for them to drain etc and now i just fill reservoir and boom done 💥 Also i have not had ONE pest issue since i changed ALL my plants into Pon !! Not ONE GNAT 😭🙏🏼 Now this is personally my amazing experience with Pon, what works for me might not work for the next and thats A-Ok !🥰
Fern, you're a saint!
I'm impressed with how you handle the hecklers/haters regarding your laddle and giggles and whatever else. Bless you 🙌🏽
Perfectly executed content once again, I have the attention span of a squirrel hooked on crystal meth and I always watch your videos from start to finish. I feel like you do a great job !
Loving the fit, very 90's vibes ✌🏽
I have zero plants in pon, but always down to learn!
Oh I know! Reminds me when I was in high school to a T!
I have been growing my pings in DIY PON plus vermiculite for the last 25 years but I didn't know it was PON, it was called Mexican ping mineral substrate.
Interesting. Do you have them in a water reservoir?
@@LifeAsAThomas When the plants are in their summer leaf form they are in a tray of water, when in winter leaf form they are kept dry to damp depending on the species.
The lazy way is just the human way of doing things, ain’t nobody got time for all that lol - thank you for sharing your way of doing things! ❤
And you stay on top of their needs because you are using pon. Thereby the plant loves the pon
I actually love the algae! Makes it look more natural and green! 🌱🪴🍃💚
Your variegated Frydek is looking gorgeous 💕 Great video 😀🇨🇦
Thank you! 😊
I think you are so right about pon. It did sound like a miracle substrate when people were talking about it non stop, but like you I did not see a big difference in using it vs soil. It all comes down to the watering. I think it is just easier to get it right when using pon. So glad to hear you discuss this. It almost seems like it is a taboo topic. Hey for you.
Yep! I will say though, some plants were dying before I switched to pon. I have no idea how anyone grows Calathea and such without pon. They are so rediculouse about watering and humidity. Most plants are fine in soil as long as the watering is right, but like you said with some plants it is really hard, if not impossible, to get right.
@@1faithchick7 I have all my calathea in soil, and everything go well here 😅 I look for the pon, because this can be interesting, but I am afraid to root rot and other problematic.
I agree with you! It’s not the pon itself, it’s the ease of maintenance and upkeep for YOU! Because at the end of the day, it does dry out and you do still have to add the water at some point!
44:33 I really just don’t understand the concept of these pots lol. I mean I get the fact that it’s less components but imo it’s more complicated. I must monitor the roots, it’s so satisfying and necessary for me that I’m switching all of my soil nursery pots to clear ones too.
Yayyy!! Making a coffee and sitting down to hear your thoughts on pon 🥰
hope you enjoy Natasha 🫶☕️
Yes , I m done with fungus gnats in our home so Pon is the way to go ; I m still learning 🎉 thank you for this video looking forward to to learn more ; I m in Nevada dessert not an easy climate not all plants are make it 😢 but learning ❤🎉
Have you ever considered trying to paint the boring pon pots? I don’t really like how there’s not a lot of colorful or interesting looking pots. Maybe that could be a sit down Q&A paint video?? 😊
That sounds like a lot of fun :D
I think your multiflora is so pretty. I love the wavy edges. It looks really cool. 🌿✨ Thanks Fern 💚🦋
Hi Fern, I have about 30 of my 80 plants in Lechuza Pon, even a few orchids for the past 2 years and they all seem to be very healthy and happy in it. My hoya and my begonias also seem happy in it. I put my Thai Con in pon and mixed medium size Leca and it is doing great. I rarely flush and I fertilize all of my plants with the same food, Better Grow Orchid plus 20-14-13 along with Cal Mag and I haven't seen any bad effects. Personally, I am very satisfied with L Pon, being able to reuse it is awesome. I just soak mine in 50-50 water and 70% isopropyl alcohol. Love your videos so much!!
Fern I agree wholeheartedly with you on the pon and self watering pots because I find that even my plants in soil do much better in the self watering pots 😊
I've made my own pon before, very similar to the recipe shared by Plants With Melissa, and it really does work exceptionally well. But, I always seem to go back to Lechuza Pon. The last bag I bought was huge, and they had given the option for no fertilizer, which is what I grabbed. That option doesn't seem to be on their website anymore, though. Your plants look great, Fern! Your Frydek is *chef's kiss*. 🥰
Lazy plant person here 🙋🏽♀️ most of my collection has been in pon for a few years now. I've personally never brought a self watering planter 🤭 I literally use the same inner and outer pots that I would use for my soil plants, using the outer pot as the reservoir. I do have the outer pots slightly bigger so I can peak to see where the water line is without taking the whole pot out, because who has time to be picking plant pots up to check water levels 😅🌿 I know I'm lazy
I see this method from a lot of people, this is very interesting. Do you fill the outer pot at the top or half or quater, I was afraid to do roots rots with my plants
@@Kate.g. Yeah, I just fill up/top up the outer pot. When I'm feeling on it, I'll get rid of the water and put completely fresh water in (easier to do as it's just a pot in a pot), but most of the time it's just a top up. I try and stick to a couple of inches of water but I've definitely poured way too much water in pots before (all the time really 😂) and left it and they've been absolutely fine somehow 😅 I have moss pole plants in this setup too and it's so much easier and cheaper to find normal pots/planters when needing bigger sizes 😊
@@fullmoon14_ As for why I find this method interesting, I already have clear pots, then for cleaning it is simpler as you mentioned, in the end I only have to buy Pon. I can easily clean the “water reserve” every week or two. Whereas with an expensive Lechuza type pot I wouldn't see the roots like with my clear pots and if I want to clean or change the water reserve it's much more complicated and more expensive. Thank you for you anwser 🙃 I love this type of solution, lazy, more choice and less expensive!
Hey Fern. The only issue with non hydroponic fertilizer is that it can build up. Just flush and be careful how much you’re using. I use Foliage Focus now which is nice. One bottle. Also superthrive is also supposed to work. I might try that as foliage focus is expensive. My friend uses better gro orchid fertilizer in her passive hydro and her plants are gorgeous
hearing your experience with pon has been so helpful; i love to water my plants often and love using soil, but i always wondered if pon had something my plants would be missing. i'm glad to hear your thoughts on it vs. soil!
I've used wood stakes in soil and pon, but I cover the end of the stakes with plastic bags and then tighten them in place with wire. The stakes won't rot. I also do good looking plant stakes by covering a thick bamboo stake with thick rope. I just use hot glue to wind the rope in place permanently. I don't use moss poles so this is my only method of providing support for climbing plants. I then use plant velcro or jute string to tie the plants up.
Fern I agree with your assessment that plants will grow well in either substrate , it’s up to the caregiver to choose the one that works for them. I also agree that miracle grow is so cost effective and works great for pretty much any tropicals. I add pumice in my Dyi Pon too. Lechuza is crazy expensive, here in Canada. Oh my fantastic engineering with the stakes taped to your begonia ! Love the video, great info ❤
I use soil mostly for my Aroids if i want them to climb up on moss pole, but i like pon very much, you don't need a self-watering pot if you use pon.
I know it's very confortable if you use one, but you have to watch out the microsiemens value or PH value. That's the reason why i use mostly pon without self watering system just in a normal pot: i can wash out fertizer exzess very manageable. 👍
Fyi: Dollarama has all kinds of different stakes in different sizes and materials (in Newfoundland anyway). Loving the hair! I remember how short your hair was when I first started watching you! Crazy! Secret?
Drooooling over that Frydek
Hi Fern! I was so so happy to spot my ZZ plant having blooms for the first time, I have been growing it for almost 5 years. There are 3 beautiful buds, guess it’s gonna bloom this weekends💚🥰
I loved hearing your pon routine. I’ve watched other videos and it always seemed intimidating with checking levels of water and doing a lot of different steps. I think I’m going to give it a try!
I put 99% of my plants in fluval and they all love it. No matter the genus. No gnats 😊❤
I still use the DIY PON mix. It just makes economic sense. 😊I use regular fertilisers with PON. Never had a problem. I’ve used Miracle Grow too with good results.
Elho self watering pots are great. Has the inserts so you can lift it out without planning directly into the pot. Also avoids algae too. I like plants with clean look so I use clear nursery pots with decorative pots for soil growing. Pon growing self watering pots. All my brands are Elho too. They are great.
Hi Fern. I was able to get my hands on a large bag of Lechuza Pon, it was expensive but most other brands are not cheap either. I'd like something with larger pieces because what I've been using is a bit too small in my opinion. I mix some chunky perlite (not as big as yours) as well as a bit of small leca which lightens the weight. I mostly do a self watering set up with wicks because it makes my life a lot simpler. You hit the nail on the head when you said the plants are happy in Pon because they're getting more consistent watering, nothing to do with the substrate itself. This has been a great video and reassured me that I'm doing the right thing by growing in Pon.
Love this video, and love me some PON! I'm in Australia and I bought a big bag of zeolite cat litter for a couple of dollars - it's amazing how many uses there are for this stuff, although it's important to make sure it's pure for PON. I think zeolite is also used for pool filtration.
My biggest surprise is how well succulents do in PON (using a reservoir which I allow to dry out completely for 3-5 days before I water - still early days for me though)
Hi Fern! Thanks for sharing your thoughts on PON. I will definitely try to find the bags of zeolite and lava rock intended for snow gripping and make the homemade PON! I have been using Lechuza as well as the mix from Crystal star. I also tried a mixture of pumice and leca for some of my orchids. I thought I would mention that with those pots with the water gauge I drill two wholes a little bit above the platform that holds the water gauge. This way, you can flush the plant if desired. I also find it useful to avoid overfilling the pot with liquid over the maximum limit. It is also useful in my opinion when showering the leaves because, again, it prevent overfilling water and drowning the plant! Thanks again for sharing! 😁
Love your thoughts on pon! Thanks for sharing!😊
HAHA when you pulled out the giant begonia it made me lol 😂
coming out with a small tree (struggling..)
Thank you so much for sharing this! I am also playing around with pon and leca and so far I’m loving it! My plants are loving it to because I am always either over or under watering but in semi hydro they are being pampered in a good way lol! Good to know I’m no the only one 💚
Oh my gosh, thank you so much for this! Totally made my morning 🥺 Really glad you enjoyed the vid and that your plants are also doing well in semi-hydro :)
Hello Fern. We've transitioned most of our collection to Semi Hydro (Lechuza Pon, Soil Ninja, Sybotanica) and self-watering pots and it's been a game changer. As for self-watering pots with soil, we have two of our large alocasias in a chunky aroid mix in SW pots and we add "grit" as a top dressing to eliminate the fungus gnat problem and it works flawlessly (and looks nice too).
As for fertilizers in semi-hydro, we use liquid fertilizers that are suited for all substrates (year round) with great results.
I also have many pon plants in regular pots. I put a soil water gage in there to see the water level just like the ones in self watering pots. They are pretty cheep for a big pack online. It's a long thin white thing with a clear top. The red thing goes up or down based on how much water is in the pot. It can get stuck so check it every once and a while. Most of my plants are in that system so I can still use fun pots. :)
I'm the same I started pon on the pon craze because I go on holidays a lot so plants that need watering a lot used to die. All my plants are now in pon what I will say though is the closed system works better for me literary in re used jars or plastic cups and I just fill it with water to a 3rd of the jar depending on how much roots it has. I have a lot that need repotting 😂😂 im so lazy and the roots are gonna be a nightmare getting out of the jar ones I literary over halfway fill them 🤣.
Probably not a good way to do it but all my plants are fine and I have a reused leopard gecko tank with a lot of them and it keeps the humidity up really nice to the point they are attaching their ariel roots to the glass and climbing around the tank .
Yay, yay, yay! DIY Pon is my new fav! :) I'm a 'chronic' under-waterer. I've got about a dozen so far in diy pon and will be switching the rest. I just have clear orchid pots with pumice in the bottom, so it's semi-hydro, and side cut-outs like yours 22:09 sitting in a cache pot to reduce algae. I absolutely LOVE just picking up the inner pots and listening to how much water drips out. If it's just a little bit, then I water. It just couldn't be more simple!! I have the 3 part G. H. fertilzer too, but haven't used it. I'm using the Schiltz? liquid 1/2 strength every time. I'm going to put all of my Calatheas in my pon too.
Thanks for sharing your diy PON routine Fern!
What a lovely plants 🪴
Like it
My friend thank you for good sharing
Have a good relationship
Lazy Plant Parents UNITE! 😂
I really enjoy pon (also using a straight up mix that is usally for winterpreping streets, mine has all ingridients it needs). I use normal pots and coverpots for my pon setup - I just leave like 1/4 - 1/3 of the bottom of the pot full of water and my plants love it. Never had an issue with root rot except when I forgot a plant for too long and the roots dried up. Love the low maintanence. The only issue I can think of is rinsing the pon before use. Mine is always very dirty (I mean its made for the streets so no wonder) so a lot of heavy sandlike water comes out when cleaning. Since this should not be put into the sink (it settles, builds up and can lead to clogged pipes), I have to go to a friends garden to wash my pon.
Can highly reccomend and I try to get as many plants into pon as possible for less efford. Plants I can't get the soil off good enough or that are already in soil for a long time, I don't transit. But small plants get into water right away and as soon as I see growth, they are getting into pon.
Ah, and I also use glass vesseles or other cute things for pon without drainage. Didn't have an issue with the plants sitting in water nor mineral buildup this far. But I also have to note that my no drainage plants are planted into pon very small and therefore grow waterroots and outgrow their small home in like 6 months. And my pon is very clean before it put it in no drainage since rinsing it after is impossible.
In growing season I fertilise every watering - pon as much as soil. I don't make a difference, since my soil and pon are both unfertilised.
(I am sorry for possible mistakes, not used to writing english 😅)
I had a feeling id be coming home to a Fern upload, and i got myself a blackbean burger to enjoy while i watch and im so glad i was right 💚 Also a few minutes in, can i just say your hair is looking amazing!
When I worked in the greenhouse (years ago) there wasn't a lot of choices for fertilizer, so we used Miracle grow.... And I just kept using it at home, too, for indoor and outdoor plants. Jump forward 30 years and I do buy other brands... But I still always have Miracle grow and cycle that in. So don't feel bad you use Miracle Grow! It's a solid choice. The OG of fertilizer.
Yes! My mom uses Miracle Grow and all her plants do way better than mine with my fancy fertilizers…🥹😂
I remember when you used socks to cover your jars to prevent algae. I always thought that was a cute idea.
Excited for this! I see so many variations on diy pon, and I'm always interested in seeing videos about it ❤😊
So cute you hugging that begonia. I love mine in pon it’s just easier and I like the mixture you found. Lechuza pon is too expensive but if you make your own it works just as well💚
Wooo FERN
so many new videos, love it
I make my own selfwatering pots with just a nurseery pot, a cotton wick from amazon (or cut a microfiber cloth in strips) and a cover pot. You just have to get the nursery pot to not sit in the bottom of the cover pot, either it fits perfectly and rest on the rim or you can put something in the bottom to prop it up (upside down small plastic tub, peace of pvc pipe, ..), I also have 3D printed rings that work as a adapter between the rim size of nursery pot and cover pot.
I don´t rinse or flush my pon, put I often top water to refill the reservoir which sort of flushes it anyway. at least when I don´t use fertilizer.
also like you say algae does not harm the plant, but it also uses up nutrients. If it has a reservoir I would clean it when ever it´s too dirty and you can rinse the pon with 3% hydrogen peroxite to kill the algae, but I don´t really care and don´t have much algae problem myself.
If you do try luchza remember it has fertilizer in it. Or order it specially without fertilizer.
Omg! That begonia is stunningly beautiful
Hi fern. I have all my 75 plants in your diy pon mix for 2 years now & still loving it! I just add porous clay from pet smart. Also small & larger pumice. 💖
Praise the houseplant chaos! 😂🎉
Hi Fern !! Thank you so much for this video, I was really thinking about pond lately, or just low maintenance subtracts, it’s so easy to feel overwhelmed and really want to upgrade my substrat game 😩✨
In winter I struggled with plants who were in pon, the water in the reservoir is cold as its winter so it eventually led to so much root rot so I hope you don’t move your whole collection to pon. Most of us don’t use cabinet nor have a warm plant room for pon so I like soilmix for that reason. Its versatile and way cheaper than pon, self watering pot and the whole shbang of having to pH balance it does add up after a while and becomes pricey.
FYI Litter box scoops work great.
That begonia is so gorgeous!!
Yayy another fern planty video!! ✨💐🪴🥰
Loved this video, Fern !
I don’t use pon but I’ve been growing my plant collections in a pumice/bark mix which are then placed in large cake trays that are constantly filled with a bit of water. It worked well for my nepenthes, begonias, hoyas, and the more thirsty orchids.
Thank you so much for making this video! I’ve been wondering about pon for a while and I’ve honestly been a bit intimidated 😅 but imma give it a go with my Hoya and see how they like it
My sister has been visiting so I missed a few videos.
I don’t use any pon but I would like to put my Hoya in them.
Thank you for the video.
Fern Amazon does have the self watering pot with the full inter pot that you can pull out and see the roots
I use succulent mix for all mine, they love it. Especially my alocasias Frydek.
Keep using the ladle!
Your Frydek is gorgeous! I just put 3 plants in the Naked Root Pot. 2 plants only in Bonsai Jack Gritty mix and my Alocasia Cuprea is in my Molly’s Aroid, Tree Fern and Bonsai Jack Gritty mix. I have no clue how the Cuprea will do, but it’s exciting because he is always thirsty!!!!!
Canadian girly here, Crystal Star Nursery has a amazing pon mix (mineral magic mix)
they also have the best clear plastic pots in all sizes
I certainly don’t think you’re doing anything “wrong”, especially if your plants are happy, and it works for you!
And unpopular opinion…. Miracle gro is one of the most popular plant foods for a reason… it works! And so affordable yield wise compared to many others
Pon has fertilizer in it. They work the same in my experience. Nice plants
Fern, I use the mesh wire for a lot of plants. Give it a try.😊
I swear, Miracle Grow Fertilizer is the secret sauce 🧡🌿
I reuse the pon without boiling it, unless its a severe case of root rot... saves me time and I haven't had any plants died after doing it..
Great video, im gonna repot my frydek in pon!
Look at the your multiflora. It looks beautiful. Mine is a very thirsty girl too.
Fern! Your hair is so long and pretty!! I don’t flush the pon either!
Lo. You’re keeping it real
I only have a few plants in PON and I’m using the Crystal Star Nursery brand. I’m pretty new using PON but they seem happy in it.
The plant community often shames everyone for using common products like big box store soil or miracle gro fertilizer, but honestly... they're everywhere because they work. A lot of stuff that you can find in chain grocery stores is so generalized for every plant ever that there's no reason to feel bad for using miracle gro. If it works, it works!
My syngoniums have exploded since putting in pon! That’s one plant I have watering issues with & pon has helped with that on the other hand I had a white wizard in pon and it was getting beautiful variegation but the leaves were tiny.. could’ve been multiple things though.
Hi Fern! I'm wondering how long ago you started using the miracle grow? I started out in pon with shultz and had good results.. I then changed it to add silica cal mag and superthrive foliage pro. And actually had a couple of plants die in the beginning. I have thought maybe this is all unnecessary myself! But you're the first person I have come across that's even touched on this.. I use regular lachuza.. but have started to add my own with it. Lachuza is a bit dense. Your looks great! If I were you, I would just keep doing yours!❤ from Winnipeg 🇨🇦
I did use Lechuza Pon but it was more economical with my DIY. 😊
Loved the video.
I use plastic pipes for Electric wires in walls. I live in Sweden and they are cheap.Sometimes I put adhesive plastic sheet around them to look like wood
You can flush non net pots by just filling them up and emptying them out which is what I do.
I've never used pon only leca in clear glass vessels. I don't mind the alge if it means I can see the roots. I also flush once a week and change the nutrient solution and myco, I've heard that the ph can get weird otherwise. I don't have that many plants though and I might be doing more than necessary but it's what's been working for me so 🤷♀️. I'm too scared to try not flushing or decreasing the frequency at this point anyways 😅.
Love ur plants
I'm putting more and more stuff in pon for the ease of use, though i find the plants react worse if they do go dry than ones in soil? I'm using Soil Ninja, they do a coarse and fine mix and i find them both really good (anthuriums love the coarse one!) but they're UK/EU only. Cheaper than lechuza and always in stock too haha
I added perlite to my CSN and it just winds up working its way to the top of the pot.. so I don’t bother anymore. I use a plastic clear pot and use my clear vases as a “cover” pot with a water reservoir.. Thanks for this great video! Kisses to the girls 🐶🐶❤❤ Also unless the self watering pots have an insert its a big pain to repot.. And I don’t boil my pon all the time I just rinse it and use it again
I only use 20-20-20 Jack’s Fertilizer and all my plants love it. No need to go crazy on all that other stuff in my opinion. 😅
Second 🤣🎉 it's late night relax with Fern for me 💚🌿
Ahh perfect 🌝☕️
I loveeeee your content so much! ❤
Thank you so much 🥹🫶🌿
I totally need to start making my own! I love Fluval but it gets expensive when not on sale 😭
I m using Lechusa pon it is very expensive; also I have some Leca I had mixed them in some plants ; learning how to feed them fertilizer ,very little inf up there specifically in something less expensive for the long term ; so just limited in how many plants to get because of the long cost to maintain . 😅