Can't keep plants alive? Part one teaches you how to grow plants well

Today is the SCO summit in Qingdao. Unfortunately, the weather isn't cooperating - it's overcast and foggy, so it can't fully show off the beauty of my great Qingdao. I'll post a photo from a sunny day to hold down the thread

Friends often ask me questions about plant care:

Which plants are easy to grow indoors?

How can you grow those good-looking trendy plants well?

Which plants are traps that turn you into a plant killer in seconds?

OK, today I'll offer a few modest thoughts to get the discussion going about plant care. I hope friends will leave lots of comments and chat with Rebecca in the comment section.

To do a good job, one must first sharpen one's tools. First, let's talk about choosing flower pots. Don't use plastic ones - bang on the blackboard - absolutely do not use plastic pots!! Plastic bottles don't let air or water through, and roots rot very easily. Several large plastic pots I used before have all been phased out. After switching several plants to clay pots with high air and water permeability, every one of them was completely transformed. Plants bought from the flower market usually come with cheap plastic pots, so once you bring them home you should repot them right away. Using too large a pot for a small plant is also unsuitable, because the soil at the bottom easily accumulates water and rots the roots. The principle is to go up just two pot sizes. There are too many good-looking and cheap pots on Taobao. Red clay, cement and black clay tile pots are all top choices (they may develop efflorescence), followed by ceramic pots. Glazed pots look nice and are easy to care for, but their air and water permeability is a bit worse.

As for fertilizing, in spring and summer you can apply a light dilute fertilizer. Two are recommended: liquid fertilizer and slow-release fertilizer. Dilute liquid fertilizer with water according to the ratio and pour it on; slow-release fertilizer can just be buried in the soil.

Now let's talk about watering. Follow the principle of "water when dry, let dry between waterings." After watering thoroughly, wait until the surface soil looks dry before watering again. This is very important! The saying "most flowers are killed by watering" is absolutely true. A friend once told me she even killed a snake plant. Hands spread, eyes to the sky - that was you drowning it with water, okay! For most plants, the correct way to water is to water thoroughly in one go, until water flows out of the bottom of the pot. But never, ever let water accumulate in the saucer!! Deal with the water promptly, otherwise the plant's roots will rot, and standing water easily becomes foul and breeds flying insects!

Let's get to the point and talk about the plants in my mind that are both easy to grow and beautiful.

No 1 Monstera deliciosa

First, a photo from the internet

Native to Argentina, Mexico and Brazil. It tolerates shade and also faces the sun, likes water, and can be watered frequently in summer, once every 2 days. It is basically not afraid of waterlogging and can be grown hydroponically. It is absolutely a Mr. Nice Guy of the plant world. No matter where you put it, it will shine. Balcony OK, corridor OK, north-facing bedroom also OK. Without plenty of sunlight it still keeps pushing out new leaves, and the leaves are glossy green and beautiful. Young leaves don't yet have holes; as the plant matures, it slowly produces leaves with holes shaped like turtle shells. It really is pretty and stylish, and it also has the effect of purifying the air and absorbing toxic indoor gases. Hehe, isn't it just as lovely as a little angel of a plant?

The several pots of Monstera deliciosa at my home were all bought as small plants from the flower market or Taobao for ten or twenty yuan each. They are mainly placed in the entryway and grow the same without sunlight. And the only one in my home still using a plastic pot is this easygoing one.

In my entryway, besides Monstera deliciosa, I also grow various marantas and asparagus fern, and dragon tree. (I'll talk about them in later posts.)

No 2 Strelitzia reginae

Native to South Africa, also known as the bird of paradise. This is the plant I've grown with the greatest sense of achievement. I bought two small pots in March last year, and in just over a year, Mr. Strelitzia grew three or four times its height. It must have mistaken itself for a monkey climbing to the sky. A while ago it even demanded that I repot it - its original little white pot was split apart by it, split apart, ahhh! It really can grow! I bought it for 15 yuan a pot, and at this height now you couldn't buy it for 200 yuan, hahahaha, Rebecca the plant expert's silvery, smug laugh echoes across heaven and earth...

Come feel the before-and-after comparison photos

Bought in March 2017

How it looks now.......

The other pot hasn't been switched to a larger pot yet, but it's also very tall.

Growing like this in just over a year - are you shocked, or are you?

Why is it growing so well? The key is sunbathing! Since I brought it home it has stayed in the corner of the balcony. It likes water, gets ventilation every day, and is watered once every two or three days. It really grows wildly, wildly, wildly.

No 3 Snake plant

Originally from Africa. There's really nothing much to say about this one - just grow it well! Put it anywhere, sun or no sun, it's OK, and not watering it for ten days doesn't stop it from shooting up. Just be careful not to waterlog it and rot the roots, and that's OK.

Feel the changes in my snake plant over a year (ignore the dirty floor-to-ceiling window glass in the first photo that's too awful to look at; later I'll write a dedicated post on smart small appliances - look into window-cleaning robots, hahaha)

No 4 Fiddle-leaf fig

First, a fiddle-leaf fig from our madam's first shop.

A very common plant in the south, it likes water and likes humidity. The difficulty of caring for the fiddle-leaf fig is somewhat controversial. Although it is an absolute internet-famous plant and almost every young household now has one, opinions on how easy it is to grow vary. I have two pots at home. One is a single plant placed on the balcony of my son's bedroom, and it grows especially well, constantly sending out new branches, with glossy, plump leaves - extremely beautiful.

The other pot has four plants and is placed in the living room. It doesn't grow as well as the one on the balcony. Even when it puts out new leaves, they aren't as large or as glossy. Now I regularly move it to the balcony for sun. By the way, buying a plant saucer with wheels and a water reservoir will make growing plants easier and more pleasant. Just pull out the box and pour out the accumulated water inside. They're a few dozen yuan each on Taobao. The white saucer in the three photos below is one. In summary, the fiddle-leaf fig really is a plant that loves sunlight. If you want to grow it well, it must have sun!

In this photo I switched its original pot for a larger cement pot, and my little grey guy makes an appearance.

I'll write this much for now. There's still a lot to talk about later. Growing plants is truly a very happy and stress-relieving thing. No matter what decorating style your home has, green plants are an indispensable finishing touch. With plants, the home gains so much warmth. Most plants also have the effect of purifying the air and absorbing formaldehyde. Hehe, enough said - I really do love these little green angels~

To be continued, throw flowers and applaud...

A dense wave of passionate flying kisses sent in all directions~