A Beautiful Opportunity
The past week, my local public library offered a free workshop for people to learn the basics of houseplant care. Much knowledge was gained.
One of the most shocking concepts I’d never before considered is the importance of sanitation to protect the ‘open wound’ of roots or trimmed stems. In my mind, nothing was dirtier than dirt. Alas, I had ignored the reality of bacterial, viral, or pest infections that attack plants. Thus it is recommended to disinfect hands, equipment, and containers when pruning or repotting.
For additional plant health, watered-down alcohol makes an effective pest killer. Just spritz the plant to destroy bugs like spider mites. Booze: it’s what plants crave.
Other repotting tricks involve:
- Trimming the roots so they do not extend deeper than the new container’s depth
- Using a coffee filter at the bottom of pots with a drainage hole, to keep the soil in
- Sprinkling cinnamon into an empty pot, before filling, to protect against fungus gnats
The workshop also offered some rules of thumb regarding lighting (bright, indirect sunlight seems to be a one-size-fits-most), watering (best only once the soil is completely dry), and ventilation (some airflow is necessary, but a/c vents may murder a plant).
After the recent fiascos with the ‘moisture control’ soil, I was particularly interested in the recommendation for generic soil composition. The recipe provided (albeit via Great British Baking Show Technical Challenge or Grandma-style: no amounts or ratios) called for:
- Potting or top soil, I think for bulk
- Perlite, for aeration
- Sand, for drainage
- Wood chips, I think for moisture retention and carbon nutrients
- Cinnamon, as an anti-bacterial
- Worm castings, as a preferred fertilizer, since commercial brands tend to burn roots, and bone mill or blood mill, while excellent organic fertilizers, stink like no tomorrow
Bill and Frank
Now, about Bill and Frank. Along with excellent instructions, the library workshop also gifted some hands-on experience, allowing me to bring home a freshly repotted Heartleaf Philodendron and Golden Goddess Philodendron. I named them Bill and Frank, respectively. But tragedy struck. I did not water them immediately, because it was late afternoon and I had it stuck in my head that it’s *always* best to water in the early morning (helps avoid evaporation, leaf burning, mold growth). I chose…poorly. I think the change from overwatered, cramped quarters to an arid, spacious pot was too big a shock, and the next day watering was insufficient. Prospects are not looking good.
Something I did notice that may help future plants:
While watering, I put Bill and Frank’s pot in a small bowl to collect the drained water, which started filling the bowl quickly. I left it for almost an hour, planning to dump the surplus liquid once it was finished passing through the dirt. Yet when I returned, the water level in the bowl was lower than when I left it. The water had reabsorbed back into the soil it had originally passed through. I guess the water first found a few quick routes through the soil, rather than slowly and thoroughly saturating all the dirt on its gravity trek? A quick internet search seems to confirm the experience here, that wet dirt absorbs water far faster than dry soil. Ergo, when I hydrate plants in future, I’ll aim to give them a bowl to sit and soak in for a bit before tossing excess water.
Gratitude
Public libraries. If you haven’t sniffed around your local library in a while, I highly recommend you go treat yourself.
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