Tiff...very nice Philodendron 'Brazil.'
Bob Marley..been a long time since I've heard his name. :)
The variegation is beautiful..

Tiff, hope you don't mind but I can't possibly remember all your plants' names..lol.

Yep, Arrowheads grows tall, especially in their native habitat. They're weeds.

Tiff, do you like variegated plants? Plants w/green and white, yellow or pink....Toni

HAHA, I know you and everyone else cant remember the names. Thats why I always say what kind of plant it is before I say what I named them. :)

I like all sorts of plants. I ddnt think I had a preference, but I see a theme...i have 3 plants like that. And flowers, I always lean towards flowers that have more than one color...like yellow/orange roses with red tips. I saw mums last year that were white and purple. So I guess I do yes. :) My mom has a chinese evergreen (i think) that I love and want to get one of some day.

Hi Tiff!

Happy New Plant!
Love the looks of it.. Enjoy it!
I know the pot it's in because I recognize the hanger, but
I won't be buzz-kill today.
Have fun!

Jah Bless!

Charlie

I bought a new pot for Marley today. He looked crowded in his current pot so I figured I might as well while I am at it with the other plants this weekend.

Question though on the mix. You said the water flows right through and the roots take what they need...
But if the water flows right through...is it getting what it needs?

Hi..
Yeah, it gets what it needs. You'll notice (at least I did with Repti-bark) how the bark itself changes from a lighter to a darker brown. The water penetrates the bark and stays there for awhile. Same with the soil. It stays wet, but is only 15% of the total mix. The perlite serves to separate everything, letting water flow through, and conversely, to allow air to come up through the plant.

Make one batch for one plant. Change it over and notice the weight of the plant afterwards. In short order, you'll be able to tell when it's time to water just by lifting the plant and seeing how much lighter it is..

Charlie

Howdy Tiff and Charlie,

Tiff, actually I was talking about variegated leaves, but bi/multi-colored flowers are beautiful, too.

Chinese Evergreens/Aglaonemas are so nice, come in various colors..including pink, red, orange and silver w/green.
From late summer until winter, they bloom and berry. Flowers resemble Peace Lily blooms..They look so pretty when flowering and berries change from green to red.

Charlie is correct about watering plants potted in bark. Most of my Orchids live in bark..Aside from color change, weight of plant is much lighter.

The main difference between soil and soil-less mixes is watering. Soil-less mixes dry faster than soil.

Both uses have their ups and downs. If one tends to over-water, soil-less mix for all plants is the way to go.
Cactus and succulents are better off in soil-less mix, as well.

Tiff, don't worry, you'll figure it out. Since you're used to soil, plant 1-2 plants in a soil-less mix to get the hang of watering. Once you figure it out, repot all your plants..think you were planning on repotting today??

Charlie, how are you and your plants doing? Don't think you've mentioned your own plants since the first thread. lol. Toni

Tiff....I just want to clarify some terminology for you. The term "soilless " ALWAYS means any medium not composed of outdoor garden soil (dirt) . We all use soilless potting mixes....you are using one right now. Most people use a bagged peat based mix (soilless), or any of a long list of other substances or combination.

I use a bagged mix that is composed of bark chips, peat moss, perlite, and a few other ingredients to adjust the pH and make it easier to get wet. It has more bark than peat. Many people add bark and perlite to their bagged mix and that can work out just great.

I'd hate to see you switch all of your plants over to just bark...or even mostly bark until you get used to it. Bark based soilless mixes are wonderful....highly porous, fast draining, and ideal for most plants. The typical peat based soilless medium can be sludgy, slow to drain, and unable to provide adequate oxygen to the roots.

It's not complicated. It's a whole lot easier to get it right than wrong.

Anyway, I just wanted to clarify the term "soilless " for you. If you do some internet reading or collect a book or two, you'll come across that word. Now you know that it means anything but garden
soil.

By the way, perlite's role in a potting medium is to create porosity....pores. Perlite's structure holds both oxygen AND water. It doesn't absorb it like a sponge but on the crags and pits of its surface. Root hairs find it very easy to use the water and any soluble fertilizers that may be present attached to the perlite.

"We all use soilless potting mixes."

Not all, but almost everyone.