I'm not allowed to touch her plants because of course I will over/under water them. But she hasn't touched them in a while. We also have this purple light thing with a timer but it's been off for a while. I know it's a lot but if there's anything you notice please let me know.
by Accomplished_Net_441
29 Comments
They all look pretty healthy,
i do similar with my housemate, and sneak in a small bit of water now and again. less that the volume of soil.
Make sure you’re watering them till water runs through the drain holes and then don’t let them sit in any water and then let the first two inches dry before watering again. On behalf of your Gf I want to say thank you as a fellow depressed plant girly lol
Image 6. Is a monsterra adansonii. Feel free to cut off the brown dead leaves with a scissor and pop them in the bin.
These plants thrive on semi neglect. If you put your finger in the soil and feel any moisture it’s ok. If it’s dry as a bone a small top up of water wouldn’t hurt. A small amount and you have little chance of over watering.
These plants can be surprisingly hardy and can recover from losing all their leaves too. If it’s just a stick it might regrow leaves one day.
Everything else doesn’t look like it’s in danger. Cutting off any obviously brown bits will help the plant look greener.
As someone who’s struggled in phases to care for my plant friends (especially very picky ones), I would be so happy if someone was worried for them on my behalf, that’s so sweet <:)
The good news is most of those plants will be fine left alone for periods of time.
I would say the ivy might need some water sooner than the others – pic #5 with a 5.98 on the label.
I don’t know much about ferns so someone else will have to chip in about the one on the ceiling. The bonsai tree might be a goner.
I hope your GF feels better soon.
After loosing almost all of my precious plants to my Depression i love that you want to take care of her green babies. Your girlfriend will appreciate it once she makes babysteps out of her current dark place.
You have a lot on your hands there. At first glance I would say the most demanding you have is the Boston Fern (hanging up in the top left of the first pic) as they require a lot of water, and if it dries out it will deteriorate quickly.
You have a quite a few with low watering requirements to survive (the Aloes, Yucca, Snake plants)
Bless you for wanting to care for them. Best bet is to probably ask/research the individual plants and then group them (Not physically, but on paper) by the similar watering requirements. Then you can get yourself into a rhythm of which to water and when.
I love this❤️ I’m sure she greatly appreciates that you are helping her out when she is struggling
All I can say is good luck with the fiddle leaf, I gave mine the princess treatment and it died
Would your girlfriend be able to help you compile a list of all her houseplants? In said list, you could get the species name and any care insights she’s able to share at this time? It could also be a good way to spend time with her and share in her passion.
Aside from that, I hope your GF gets well soon. Please also make sure to take care of yourself too.
These plants look like they will be ok with little care for a long time. They will be ok without fertilizer or repotting so it’s just little amounts of watering they need.
Be careful not to overwater them! Only water if the surface of the soil feels dry. If its still a little moist, wait for it to fully dry before watering again. Also check the soil wetness for each plant by hand and not just water every plant, they all need different amounts of water and it can be that one needs to be skipped while another one is very dry already. You can set yourself a weekday, e.g. water every Sunday. When you skip a plant because it’s still moist it will just be watered the following week (or skipped again).
It’s so easy to overwater someone elses plants even if your intention is good 🙂
Make sure to tell your gf you watered them so that she will not water them thinking they haven’t had any in weeks. Don’t take care of the plants if she doesn’t want you to because as of the picture they all look alright so they are doing ok with the minimal care they receive. Don’t meddle with that without her consent, it’s easy to kill plants when you don’t know much about plants. Maybe tell her she can give you very specific instructions for taking care of the plants and you will follow them 100 %.
They all look fine, the only one that’s dead is the bonsai. The others are in good health
Almost all of them are plants that shouldn’t be watered too often. Most of them *need* to go a month or so between waterings and should not be fertilised too much either
That bonsai tree should’ve never been put inside. Pretty sure that thing is dead.
WOAH buddy. I know you want to help, but slow your roll there fella.
Most of these plants need a dry period. They don’t look unwell at all. Did you tell her you were going to water or that you have watered them? If she doesn’t know, please tell her ASAP. Too much water can kill them very fast. You’re at risk of causing damage to her favorites if she comes around and doubles up on watering because she wasn’t aware you did it already.
How long is a “while”?
For the fern (hanging plant) I’ll tell you what I do with mine because its been thriving for months now. But once a week (on the weekend) ill fill a bucket with water and just dunk the pot in it for 5 minutes so that the dirt absorbs what it needs. If you dont have a bucket you can just put the plant in the sink and run water through it until you see water draining out of the bottom (assuming the pot its in has drainage holes) and then through out the rest of the week, every other day I will pour about a cup of water but that’s because mine drys out quickly. Use a moisture meter. They help tremendously. Dont worry if when you move it a lot of its dry leaves fall out, there very delicate and its normal. Give it a good shake to clear all the dead leaves out or just trim them off.
Good on you friend. If you’ve got an interest in learning about plants, then you’re headed down the right path. The advice from others here around identifying each and researching how to care for them is good advice. If plants are not your bag, honestly you’re better off pour the time and energy into helping your girlfriend face the depression. As someone who has been depressed before myself, I know you can’t fix your girlfriend, but you can encourage her to fight through it or seek help. That may be the best shot these plants have. Maybe ask her to teach you? If she loves plants, maybe it’ll help her and them. Good luck friend.
Thank you for being such a caring partner
If you’re not allowed to touch them, only water with permission, and let her know each time you do. Lots of these thrive on neglect.
That bonsai tree needs some tlc… he may be gone but I think I see a little green left. I’ve killed so many they are quite temperamental compared to other kinds of houseplants. I would water that one much more frequently.
Most of the plants are looking fine, some are picky… and the juniper bonsai is dead(it did not have big chances indor anyway). She are doing very good job caring for the plants, lisen to her and ask her before doing anything. Do not overwater! Most of this plants will recover from underwatering beter than from overwatering.
Your biggest risk is overwatering. I would water once a week or less for a lot of these plants. Let the soil be starting to dry out before you add more water. Many of these plants would do fine and dry soil for a while.
These all look pretty damn good for the situation you describe. You clearly care, and that’s helpful all on its own, but be stingy with the water until you can stick a finger halfway in the dirt and get it out dry.
Bottom watering prevents pests, and promotes healthy root development. Empty the bottom trays after 15 minutes is there’s still standing water.
Echoing other comments – do NOT OVER WATER them. Some want to be dried out, even for weeks or months.
Over watering will kill them. It’s that simple.
Please purchase a water/moisture meter, cheap on Amazon. Use it, you really can’t go wrong! Good luck. And kudos to you for trying to help your GF in this difficult time!
dude get you a moisture meter, it will tell you when the soil is dry then you just water. take the guess work out of when to water. they are about 10$
Pick each one up. If it’s super light (weight), water it. All the large ones should be good for a few weeks at a time. Keep an eye on the smaller ones. Maybe if she sees you in there, it will give her some motivation.
All in all, they look pretty good.
Plants and depression is a tough mix. Sometimes I’m great at taking care of them and sometimes I’m not. When I’m not I feel like a failure and that worsens my depression. I have given some away when it has gotten to be too much for me. Maybe she would like to gift some to some people and make her load a little lighter. It could help.
If someone is a plant person & they are having a rough time you can tell by the plants, that’s how my friends could tell. I hope she feels better & you guys can get her plants flourishing again. Be careful not to over water, especially the succulents. Plant light would help these fellas out too.
Okay so here’s my trick to know when to water. Get a plant that wilts dramatically, like polkadot plant, peace lily, or geraniums. Every time it wilts, water the tropical plants. Every other time it wilts, water the cacti and succulents.
You’re a good partner. My plants are one of my first signs that depression has a hold on me. I hope your girlfriend has a professional team on her side if possible! There’s no shame in therapy or meds.