Plant! Water! Sun! Repeat!

Discovering my plant-side, thanks to my mother. A blog to document my learning experience.

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It's been a whiiile since I posted. I moved out of the tight stuffy apartment in the SF Valley, and into a rad house in the suburbs of Thousand Oaks! (Ventura County). I can't wait to start my gardening adventures here!

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One of my favourites 🤩

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😍

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New leaves 🥰

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Lovely greens

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Mom gets me plants she likes so she can’t murder them

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My favorite little Swiss-cheesy! 😍

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My mom gave me this overgrown monstera that was in major need of some TLC.

It was a challenge, but I was able to detangle and prune - getting multiple plants out of it too, as long as they do well! Only a few leaves show fenestration but could be due to neglect of proper care.

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On the brighter side, my Chinese money plant propagation finally resulted in some roots!

It must've been at least a couple months for it to happen. Not sure if this is enough of a root to pot in soil, but I'm inpatient and taking the chance.

My calathea looked a bit full so I decided to break off part of the plant to repot. I felt so stressed stressing the plant! Those roots were so intertwined and stubborn.

Hope I didn't shock them too bad, sorry buddy :/

Last photo is the mother plant I yanked it from.

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Argh, so many gardening fails!

I know tomatoes are suppose to be highly heat-tolerant, but I don't think that means triple digit weather. I had poured some mulch to trap moisture but not sure it did much. The soil was very moist so part of me thinks there might be some root rot.

I salvaged what I could and am hoping for the best.

My green beans were doing fine, until my kitten decided to prey on them. She destroyed them beyond repair so now back to square one.

Time to germinate!

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Quite a bit of changes at the Villy Villa - latest addition is the life-altering hammock! Jojo seems to love it too.

My tiny tomato that came with my plant finally reached its full growth (I think) so I plucked it and ate it. Delicious flavor! Perfect blend of sweetness and acidity.

Rearranged and repotted some indoor greens. Picked up a new silver prayer plant from a local cute hipster shop Greenwood Plants. Their pots are super cute.

Also, plucked the pups off my Mexican fence post. Can't wait to put these in tiny cute pebbly containers. It's seriously one of the cutest cacti.

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My Mexican fencepost (Eve's needle) has come a long ways. I really thought I'd have to leave the other half for dead. It's made a miraculous recovery.

It's even growing offshoots/pups!

Si se puede!

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One of my favorites, the "Pen-wiper" kalanchoe - it's duplicated itself, and now lives in the upstairs deck. Doing great!

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Tue. 8/18

Feeding day!

Also, I just can’t make up my mind on where I want this little lemon tree. I had a feeling it wasn’t getting enough hours of sunlight. Something tells me it should have grown a bit more by now. 

Also, scooting the tomato plants closer to this corner might help give them some more sunlight. I feel they’re also a little stunted. 

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Mon. 8/17

And now... for some germination!

Some micro greens:

... And the beginnings of my future green beans!

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Another newb, a euphorbia flanoganii aka Medusa plant.

Medusa’s Head euphorbia is suitable for growing outdoors in USDA hardiness zones 9b through 11. Euphorbia requires at least six hours of direct sunlight per day and tolerates temperatures in the low 90s (33-35 C.). However, afternoon shade is beneficial in hotter climates, as extreme heat may stress the plant. Well-drained soil is absolutely critical; these plants are likely to rot in soggy soil. This fascinating plant also does well in pots, but requires a well-drained potting mix such as a mixture of pumice, coarse sand and potting soil. Read more at Gardening Know How: Euphorbia Medusa’s Head Care: How To Grow A Medusa’s Head Plant https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/cacti-succulents/euphorbia/euphorbia-medusas-head.htm 

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New addition... Euphorbia Lactea Cristata Kokedama ball, aka coral cactus. This thing is so weird, I love it! I'll take much better pictures of it later.

(From source, see link attached)

The Coral Cactus is not really a cactus, but two succulent plants joined together to form a beautiful “Franken-plant." Fan-shaped

Eurphorbia lactea is typically grafted on top of a Euphorbia neriifolia or a cactus root stock.

The showy part of the plant, the section that resembles coral, is called the crest, and is the result of a rare mutation in Euphorbia lactea favored by horticulturists who mass produce these plants for sale.

Water in about 1 1/2 - 2 weeks.

When moss is dry and lightweight, soak it for 5-min. Squeeze out excess. Can also mist moss ball (not!plant). Many kokedama appreciate misting in addition to soaking (see below). Use a bottle that casts a fine mist and spray on and around plant foliage. Take care to mist in the morning, when the light is gentle, so that the plant is not burned.

It likes a lot of light but not drought-tolerant. So check water every week or so.

And some research I found on kokedama balls:

Kokedama is a Japanese word that, simply translated, means “moss ball”. Sometimes called the “Poor Man’s Bonsai” or “string gardens,” the of art of binding plants into green, mossy orbs dates back centuries to the Edo era in Japan (around 1600 AD).

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Lighting log, these are the only getting sun at documented time:

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Another spurge, I think it may be a mottled spurge.

And my cute little cactus n flower 😍