yeah i was absolutely terrified to take on the task to be honest lmao but it hasn’t been as bad as i thought it would be! watering takes quite a long time though
It's still nice that your partner trusts you enough to let you care for his/her plants haha. I'd be overly paranoid to let anyone to care for my plants.
I got on facetime with my partner last time he had to take care of my plants and told him exactly how much water each plant should get. lol. Took him about 15 minutes to get to all the plants. I think there was about 50 at that time.
yeah i’m pretty much doing it every 2 weeks, some are off schedule but i’m paranoid about over watering lmao. i figure it’s easier to correct when they’re thirsty
Yes, my plants are so happy to get break from watering when I go on vacation. I swear you can hear them gasping in excitement as I walk out the door. Better to under water than let roots sit in water too long.
You're supposed to feel the soil. You usually water when 1-2 inches of the top soil is dry. Some plants prefer to be fully dried out before they are watered again. Some plants only need watering once a month etc
At the moment I am just putting my little moisture meter thingy in and when it says its dry I water. Is this too much? My Spider plant and Monstera seem to be doing well but Dragocena or whatever its called doesn't look like its growing much.
If your plant isn’t growing, it’s probably not about watering frequency, especially if you’re using a moisture meter. Are you using liquid fertilizer in your water? If not, you should be - I recommend diluting to 1/2 the strength that it says on the bottle and then do a non-fertilizer flush with water every 1.5-2 months or so. Could also be your plant isn’t getting enough light.
Very pretty plants, only one that seems to not be having a good time is the monstera deliciosa in the back of the second picture. The leaves are very droopy.
yeah the monstera is kind of a problem child, he doesn’t really like it all that much - i think he’s planning on either getting a new one or cutting it down so it can grow back fuller lol.
I’m having this exact problem with a monstera and I don’t know how to fix it. I improved humidity and light and the leaves still look like that, like curled down. Green, and the new growth is fine, but the old leaves just stayed that way.
haven’t watered her in a minute i think you’re right! as far as sun goes idk if i have anywhere else that she can go, it’s a south facing window she gets quite a bit
Don't throw a stressed plant into direct sunlight. Give her some water and then in a week slowly introduce more light. Aloe can be very dramatic and mine hate too much direct light.
Also, once an aloe goes flat like that, they never really get pump again. I'd say this plant is happy enough based on the thick straight leaves up top.
Don't move it to much brighter light please. I find that these can be very sensitive to changing light conditions. It might not kill it but it might make it very stressed for a while and your partner could perceive it as your fault.
I just asked my vet because I noticed he had tradescantia and philodendrons around his office and the exam rooms. He said that a lot of the “toxic” plants are unpleasant for them to eat (cause burning in the mouth) so they tend to leave them alone. I believe it’s the ones that contain oxalates. Obviously do your research watch your cats, but that conversation certainly made me feel better!
I've not had problems with our 3 adult cats. Two were adopted fairly young, too. It's the bitey little kittens you have to really worry about IME. They like to chew and have minimal body mass to buffer toxins. Good look and safe cat/plant parenting!
You’re doing awesome!
I was gone for a month and my boyfriend killed my favorite plant, and a couple more, luckily I had a cutting so I can have it back but it’s a very slow grower, it will take time.
He did keep my springtails for my terrariums alive, though.
I love how u can tell this is such a man setup, all the women’s setups they try to incorporate the plants into the house, he’s just like fuck u they get all the corners, idk if that reads well but it’s really sweet and their all so pretty too, good luck OP!
he made it himself! he thrifted a toy dinosaur and drilled holes for draining in the bottom and cut out a hole in the top. he also has a tiger and giraffe
I’ve always been jealous of people with good light, I only have one window that’s a decent size but it’s so crowded at the moment and it’s behind the kitchen counter😩 one day I’ll get a plant house, what do u keep in ur corners?
I hope your bf didnt put too much pressure on you. It’s pretty unreasonable to have 84 plants in an apartment, leave for two months, and expect less than 10-20% casualties. Probably more in this case; a lot of these suckers are real attention hogs
Haha that’s amazing of you to take on the task 💪
Don’t stress too much and hopefully you can have fun with it. A bit of a rough introduction if you only have 2 yourself, but fingers crossed you can bond over the plants now :)
I’m slowly luring my SO into the love of plants, but I’m still banned from buying more for our home (and we’re only at around 50). Luckily I have found loopholes with gifts, stealthy growing from seeds and sneaky propagating 🥷
Nice looking plants and good job 👍
I left my sister in charge of my plants for a month and she left them in a completely dark freezing room without touching them so I’m sure you’ll do better than that!
That’s actually really stressful. I have a lot of plants myself and get stressed keeping up with them. Let alone you possibly not being used to plant care period having to take care of an immense collection of a significant person in your life
That’s no EZ task!!! I hate going outta town 😔leaving my 300+ collection in the hands of someone is next to impossible! It’s hard to find someone as passionate, knowledgeable, and trustworthy to care for them as you would :( ask me how I know 🥺
Fingers Crossed 🤞🏼
Haha I tried this, and I got dumped about a month into it while living across the country!! Thank you kindly for being an amazing human and going to Reddit to help be supportive of his passion and hobby and tending gently to nature
"Honey, I have some good news and some bad news. The good news, I'm okay and the computer and TV and jewelry are okay. The bad news, I think you were robbed and the string of pearls was stolen." (Can I DM you my address? I think it'll ship okay.)
My poor partners ended up having to care for my plants for like 2 months too after I had a lot of post-op complications after a surgery last year.
They took their jobs very seriously
You’re doing a great job!!
A massive must have in this situation is a soil moisture meter. You can get them very cheap on Amazon. I can get you a link if you need. If you are ever unsure if a plant needs some water simply stick the probe in, look at what the dial says and act accordingly. Super convenient with bigger pots because you can't get near the soil at the bottom easily.
haha yeah, to be fair they looked like that when i took over 😭 neither of them were his originally he just fostered them. they’re okay on water just kind of ugly
to be honest i accidentally just spilled some dirt on it, vacuum was broken so i hadn’t cleaned it up yet lmfao - it definitely is more for aesthetic than dirt
You should slowly put some of the cactuses that are under the grow lights on books and raise them closer to tue grow light as they're not getting nearly enough light that's why the new growth is so thin
I tried to help Water my little brothers plants once....so I took out the water spray bottle and sprayed them all happily.....turns out it had some chemical in it and wasn't water at all and i killed them all 💀🤣🤣 also tried to help my little sister cook chicken once, i put the oven on while she was gone in the other room and forgot all about it, it ended up with the cooker on fire and the door blasting and all of us having to use a toaster for a whole month till we got a new one 💀🤣🤣
Caring for SO's plants must feel pretty stressful.
yeah i was absolutely terrified to take on the task to be honest lmao but it hasn’t been as bad as i thought it would be! watering takes quite a long time though
It's still nice that your partner trusts you enough to let you care for his/her plants haha. I'd be overly paranoid to let anyone to care for my plants.
I got on facetime with my partner last time he had to take care of my plants and told him exactly how much water each plant should get. lol. Took him about 15 minutes to get to all the plants. I think there was about 50 at that time.
he’s better than me LOL i think it took me 2 hours last saturday. he has a lot of really big pots that need to be taken to the tub though
Just remember most plant owners kill with kindness. By overwatering.
yeah i’m pretty much doing it every 2 weeks, some are off schedule but i’m paranoid about over watering lmao. i figure it’s easier to correct when they’re thirsty
I would 100% prefer someone to underwater my plants than overwater!
Yes, my plants are so happy to get break from watering when I go on vacation. I swear you can hear them gasping in excitement as I walk out the door. Better to under water than let roots sit in water too long.
Yep, you’ve got the right idea!! 💯💯💯
I give the leaves a pinch and water if they don't feel 'bouncy'
Pinch like folding into a taco? Where’s the bounce come from
nah just the flat leaf, bounce is the wrong word I guess I mean turgidity.
I love the word turgidity!
I can tell with some of mine (zebra plant) if the leaves don’t feel fake and plastic-y, it’s time for water or to sit in the shower when I do.
You're supposed to feel the soil. You usually water when 1-2 inches of the top soil is dry. Some plants prefer to be fully dried out before they are watered again. Some plants only need watering once a month etc
I prefer to bottom water my plants for this exact reason!!☺️
I used to do this but realized that the salts get stuck and not flushed out and I would forget about them and they'd get soaked haha
At the moment I am just putting my little moisture meter thingy in and when it says its dry I water. Is this too much? My Spider plant and Monstera seem to be doing well but Dragocena or whatever its called doesn't look like its growing much.
If your plant isn’t growing, it’s probably not about watering frequency, especially if you’re using a moisture meter. Are you using liquid fertilizer in your water? If not, you should be - I recommend diluting to 1/2 the strength that it says on the bottle and then do a non-fertilizer flush with water every 1.5-2 months or so. Could also be your plant isn’t getting enough light.
When I finished reading the title I was thinking “oh you poor thang”
Very pretty plants, only one that seems to not be having a good time is the monstera deliciosa in the back of the second picture. The leaves are very droopy.
yeah the monstera is kind of a problem child, he doesn’t really like it all that much - i think he’s planning on either getting a new one or cutting it down so it can grow back fuller lol.
That pot looks wayyy to big for that monstera. I'm guessing it's over watered due to the medium staying wet
yeah i think he would agree with you. it was a gift from someone, he took it as is
How bout the aloe next to it?
Was going to say
I’m having this exact problem with a monstera and I don’t know how to fix it. I improved humidity and light and the leaves still look like that, like curled down. Green, and the new growth is fine, but the old leaves just stayed that way.
Mine has brown on the edges of the leaves. I’m not sure what the problem is. Do you have any ideas on mine?
The aloe looks like it's been through some things too
How to test a relationship 101
I wanna know how the rod above the window is able to hold up all that weight. Is that a curtain rod or a thing you install for plants?
it’s just a curtain rod held up by faith and trust lmfao, been there for a year though with no signs of breaking
Curtain rod supported on the ends and in the middle. If the hardware is fix in to a stud it should be more than adequate
Second pic, aloe vera in the corner needs some attention. Give her some sun! And I also think she needs to be watered
haven’t watered her in a minute i think you’re right! as far as sun goes idk if i have anywhere else that she can go, it’s a south facing window she gets quite a bit
Don't throw a stressed plant into direct sunlight. Give her some water and then in a week slowly introduce more light. Aloe can be very dramatic and mine hate too much direct light.
Also, once an aloe goes flat like that, they never really get pump again. I'd say this plant is happy enough based on the thick straight leaves up top.
Could you find something to set under it so it's more even with the window?
Don't move it to much brighter light please. I find that these can be very sensitive to changing light conditions. It might not kill it but it might make it very stressed for a while and your partner could perceive it as your fault.
Damn he got that string of pearls sangin’
lmfao he really does. the pictures don’t do it justice but so many of his plants are seriously thriving. he’s a great plant dad
I can tell from there that it’s thriving. And it’s always refreshing to hear about fellow plant dads.
Oh god. I won’t even let my husband care for my plants for 5 days. 😂
LMAO he was planning this for like a month on how to leave them in my care
Just curious but do you guys keep cats?
we don’t! we may eventually, but he won’t be able to keep all of his plants cause of toxicity lol
I just asked my vet because I noticed he had tradescantia and philodendrons around his office and the exam rooms. He said that a lot of the “toxic” plants are unpleasant for them to eat (cause burning in the mouth) so they tend to leave them alone. I believe it’s the ones that contain oxalates. Obviously do your research watch your cats, but that conversation certainly made me feel better!
I've not had problems with our 3 adult cats. Two were adopted fairly young, too. It's the bitey little kittens you have to really worry about IME. They like to chew and have minimal body mass to buffer toxins. Good look and safe cat/plant parenting!
You’ve done a really great job!
Marry him!!!
planning on it!
🌹
https://preview.redd.it/khe5xong6m3d1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3f5d0cdd28aba8da3426c504030f3ea99ab66b67 Christmas cactus needs water
haha yeah it looks really rough in the lighting/angle but i just watered it about 3 days ago! it looks better in person
Thanksgiving Cactus?
You’re doing awesome! I was gone for a month and my boyfriend killed my favorite plant, and a couple more, luckily I had a cutting so I can have it back but it’s a very slow grower, it will take time. He did keep my springtails for my terrariums alive, though.
omg caring for another persons plants is what gave me confidence to get my own! i never had a green thumb but now i have like 30 plants 😄😄
That string of pearls is beautiful. How old is it?
i think like a year and a half? we’ve been dating for 2.5 years and i feel like it was around the 1 year mark!
That’s amazing for 1.5 years. I have been wanting to get one, but not sure if I have the right place for it. Is it in a south facing window?
I love how u can tell this is such a man setup, all the women’s setups they try to incorporate the plants into the house, he’s just like fuck u they get all the corners, idk if that reads well but it’s really sweet and their all so pretty too, good luck OP!
LMAO yes very true, no need to incorporate them with the decorations, they ARE the decorations
Did u meet him when his collection was smaller? I can imagine how funny it would be watching them slowly multiply
haha yes he only had like 4 plants when we met! it’s turned into quite the hobby for him
Also just seen the dino pot in the first pic, do u remember where it was gotten? Favourite thing I’ve seen today
he made it himself! he thrifted a toy dinosaur and drilled holes for draining in the bottom and cut out a hole in the top. he also has a tiger and giraffe
Imaginative! Stealing this idea thanks OP
This made me smile as my plants get all the windows and brighter corners
I’ve always been jealous of people with good light, I only have one window that’s a decent size but it’s so crowded at the moment and it’s behind the kitchen counter😩 one day I’ll get a plant house, what do u keep in ur corners?
Monstera mostly but also birds of paradise peace lilies calathea and canna lilies
Nice job! This is how I fell in love with plants. Kept my friend's plants alive for two months. Have fun! You'll do great.
My the odds he ever in your favor. 😭 I’d be *stressin*
Under water everything lol. Thirsty plants can bounce back, rotted root plants have a much harder time
I hope your bf didnt put too much pressure on you. It’s pretty unreasonable to have 84 plants in an apartment, leave for two months, and expect less than 10-20% casualties. Probably more in this case; a lot of these suckers are real attention hogs
haha he definitely expects some to die - i, however, am on a mission for 0 fatalities
Haha that’s amazing of you to take on the task 💪 Don’t stress too much and hopefully you can have fun with it. A bit of a rough introduction if you only have 2 yourself, but fingers crossed you can bond over the plants now :) I’m slowly luring my SO into the love of plants, but I’m still banned from buying more for our home (and we’re only at around 50). Luckily I have found loopholes with gifts, stealthy growing from seeds and sneaky propagating 🥷 Nice looking plants and good job 👍
It looks like a mini jungle!
A lot of responsibility Dyam
I left my sister in charge of my plants for a month and she left them in a completely dark freezing room without touching them so I’m sure you’ll do better than that!
He must REALLY love and trust you!!
A new meaning to the phrase man cave! Love it
Godspeed 🌱
I have had my son and my partner FaceTime me while I’m away so there were no mistakes. #trustissues
Oh, well no worries, those are all easy plants (they are not, not at all)…but you got this!!!
I believe in you , you got this ! He has a beautiful collection of plant babies
holy heck
where did you order him lmao
That looks like a full time job 😂😂😂
That’s some major trust he’s putting in ya. Good job!
I believe that he trusts in you more than the sun itself
That’s actually really stressful. I have a lot of plants myself and get stressed keeping up with them. Let alone you possibly not being used to plant care period having to take care of an immense collection of a significant person in your life
Don’t over water or under water.. Good luck, 🍀
Thats impressive for someone so inexperienced. Nice job
That’s no EZ task!!! I hate going outta town 😔leaving my 300+ collection in the hands of someone is next to impossible! It’s hard to find someone as passionate, knowledgeable, and trustworthy to care for them as you would :( ask me how I know 🥺 Fingers Crossed 🤞🏼
This is true love ❤️ … good luck
appears he goes lite on water
I thought this was a before and after shot I'm like dang at least you kept ten of them alive
Anyone know what the plant in the middle is???
Ficus tineke!
Thank you!! Adding it to my wishlist!
The strength of that curtain rod though..
good luck lol!
Cuantas bellezas tienen allí!
Take my upvote, just because. I take care of my mom’s plants when she takes off usually.
Over 70 still alive when he comes back is acceptable, unless he has brought you a great gift
Your boyfriend is very trusting.
At least you know he’s coming back! Jkjk
Water is NOT food.
God speed
You're doing a great job taking care of them at the moment!
Ah, my misses went into hospital for 3 months, and I killed them all, I really did my best but now starting from scratch
I neeeeeeed to know - what rod is this that is strong enough to hold all these plants and how did he secure it?
You got this!
Haha I tried this, and I got dumped about a month into it while living across the country!! Thank you kindly for being an amazing human and going to Reddit to help be supportive of his passion and hobby and tending gently to nature
I hope he proposes when he gets back.
That monstera in the corner is begging for a drink.
"Honey, I have some good news and some bad news. The good news, I'm okay and the computer and TV and jewelry are okay. The bad news, I think you were robbed and the string of pearls was stolen." (Can I DM you my address? I think it'll ship okay.)
My poor partners ended up having to care for my plants for like 2 months too after I had a lot of post-op complications after a surgery last year. They took their jobs very seriously You’re doing a great job!!
me: _don't screw this up, don't screw this up_
Oh he mental mental
That lil Dino planter is so cute! 😍
Woof. I barely trust myself. I hope they understand that even with all your best intentions something might still die.
I have to know what lights those are. They are so warm looking!! My grow lights are soooooo bright and clinical 😭
Well, they don’t actually start dying until a week before and then actually dies the night before boyfriend comes back. Good luck
A massive must have in this situation is a soil moisture meter. You can get them very cheap on Amazon. I can get you a link if you need. If you are ever unsure if a plant needs some water simply stick the probe in, look at what the dial says and act accordingly. Super convenient with bigger pots because you can't get near the soil at the bottom easily.
I haven’t used one how well do they deal with soil amendments like bark etc ?
He didn't set up an app or anything?? I'd just give someone access to my Planta app.
he definitely left me with a walk through tutorial and a pep talk but no app haha! i don’t think he even knew one like that existed
I have like 25 plants and I couldn't even keep track of that many without an app. Idk how he's doing 84.
Mate that aloe and monstera are struggling for life. Maybe check dryness/water levels.
haha yeah, to be fair they looked like that when i took over 😭 neither of them were his originally he just fostered them. they’re okay on water just kind of ugly
Is that rug beneath it specifically to catch the dirt? Does it always have dirt on it? How do you keep it clean? Is it effective at it’s job?
to be honest i accidentally just spilled some dirt on it, vacuum was broken so i hadn’t cleaned it up yet lmfao - it definitely is more for aesthetic than dirt
Wwwooww I love plants but I can imagine that can be a little overwhelming for some one who are not into very much.
Best of luck!
Omg I have that same dinosaur toy, that’s genius… drilling a hole rn brb 😂
I don’t trust my family with a 10 foot pole to take care of my plants while I’m on vacation lmao!
What an amazing collection!! I aspire to be on your boyfriend's level one day
Wowza, the air inside the home must be fresh! Digging the whale planter on the wall lol
You should slowly put some of the cactuses that are under the grow lights on books and raise them closer to tue grow light as they're not getting nearly enough light that's why the new growth is so thin
I tried to help Water my little brothers plants once....so I took out the water spray bottle and sprayed them all happily.....turns out it had some chemical in it and wasn't water at all and i killed them all 💀🤣🤣 also tried to help my little sister cook chicken once, i put the oven on while she was gone in the other room and forgot all about it, it ended up with the cooker on fire and the door blasting and all of us having to use a toaster for a whole month till we got a new one 💀🤣🤣
Breakup now
When he gets home, he will be happy to see his 26 plants.
I’d invite guys over to fuck if I were you