Im new to plants, fell in love with aroids, and as I finally made the transition of moving my plants from my grow tent to my bedroom where they will stay from now on, I honestly am starting to question how the hell people do this.
Where do I begin… well, it took me a couple tries to find an adequate shelf that would actually fit my plants without blocking too much light (several amazon returns later, I ended up with this shelf, and it’s still not perfect)
And then as far as lighting, it’s such a headache, I don’t get enough sunlight in here so I have to supplement with grow lights and it was such a pain in my ass to figure out how to position them in an efficient manner without them shining in my face, plus, I don’t even know how to determine whether or not my lighting is enough or if I need more
And then there’s HUMIDITY… jeez this is also a headache. These plants need a humidifier to thrive but I’m worried that I’m going to cause moisture damage on my floors/walls/furniture. And I can’t seem to even get my room to be consistently over 55% so instead I just put the humidifier right next to my plants.. And then I realized by using tap water I have to deep clean my damn humidifier every week which is annoying so I spent $80 on a water distiller machine to use cleaner water..
Sorry if I sounded like I’m just complaining, I just wanted to vent and hear how other people deal with these problems. I’d love to hear your input on what I’m doing right/wrong, or any suggestions.
by Least-Cauliflower-49
6 Comments
I can only offer my two cents: the hobby is only has fun as you make it. I hung grow lights from the ceiling while also using a different style bulb to direct the light more precisely so that it wasn’t blinding everyone. Second, enough plants will create enough humidity for each other (at least that’s what my SO says but I’m starting to think it’s an excuse for more plant ahaha). I stopped the humidifiers because it was simply too much work to be fun. Lastly, people usually solve all these issues with a *insert drumroll* ikea Milsbo or indoor greenhouse alternative.
There is some level of acceptance that your living space will never be the ideal growing conditions, but that doesn’t mean your plants won’t thrive.
I also have very little natural light inside, so I use growlights. I have found that even the mobile app versions of light meters work amazingly to compare light sources
Oh yeah and a question for everyone, what is your opinion on whether or not plants tend to acclimate to their environment over time? And,
Is it true that it’s best to get plants when they’re babies because they will become acclimated to their environment easier than when they’re mature? Does that make a big difference?
I have an entry way that acts as a greenhouse so my plants are living out there but I have to figure out where they’re all gonna live soon 😅
https://preview.redd.it/zrickc65hwff1.jpeg?width=4284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a1277932b1b3ec3c302596aea11661762d51165b
The right number of plants is the amount that you can care for while still enjoying it. That number can vary at times in your life. It’s ok to downsize.
I discovered i love to start small and grow a plant large. Once it gets large, i give it away
https://preview.redd.it/ytt6je7rkwff1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3f02476e4978054326e01f5d8d58477673072683
I dunno man
As evidenced by the dog dirt on the floor and the laundry basket I’m not what you would call “type A” or “driven” but this is just what you can see from my couch without getting up. I water when they’re dry and repot when needed (sooo needed on those monsteras in the corner) and every so often one or more of them force me to split them into seperate pots. And anything becomes fair game as a plant stand at some point
My daughter says I need in-patient help and I am just a bit worried that they’re taking over and soon I’ll be having to bleed for an Audrey III or something
Edit: I only use my humidifier in the winter when it’s really dry, here in Texas summer are usually around 50% in the morning and about 30% in the afternoon where winter can be anywhere from 20-60% depending on the temperature
Your plants are gorgeous btw