Update: I just went to re-pot the rescue Pothos and found bugs! Eek!

Hey, Kim!
Sounds like the rescue Pothos is in need of an emergency re-potting!

I'd replace the soil for nearly all of those plants...the succulents in particular.
The only plants that I'd leave in the old soil - temporarily - are the African Violet
and the Thanksgiving Cactus.

Also, it is perfectly normal for Jades to discard their lower leaves. New leaves on top,
old leaves drop. If the leaves are firm and yellow when they fall off, then the plant is
most likely overwatered - which is usually due to an overly moisture retentive soil.

The Jade looks alright, and I can see that it is actively growing, but it will do much
better in a fast-draining soil. If you take advantage of this growth phase, the plant will
hardly skip a beat.


Josh

Hi Josh,
I think you may have responded to my post in the Cacti and Succulent forum. Yes, the Jade is still in the garden shop mix. The smaller succulents have been re-potted in Miracle grow Cactus Mix which I am learning is a big no-no around here. I picked up some perlite and sand today to make a better mix for the large Jade and the Aloe.

The leaves were normal, they just fell off. Something was wrong, because every time anything shook the floor near the plant it would drop leaves. It's better now though. There are pictures in the other thread of the new growth. I posted the link below. I'm debating whacking it. I don't want it to get too top-heavy. Maybe you can take a look at the other pictures and let me know if you would leave it for a year or whack?

Yes, they pretty much all need a re-potting. With the exception of the ones I mentioned about and the 2 Pothos I keep at home, everything is in the mix it came in. I'm acquiring plants faster than I can re-pot them....and I just picked up 6 more (including a sickly looking succulent), so I guess I know what I'll be doing tonight and this weekend!! :)

Here is a link that might be useful: Jade and Aloe in a tough spot

Kim, what type of bugs did you find?

I wouldn't repot the Prayer Plant/Maranta. I can't see its pot..does it have foil surrounding the container? If so, remove ASAP.
It's a beautiful looking plant.

As leaves on your Jade, firm or soft? They should feel firm. Is there any chance something/one brushed against your Jade? Are leaves falling from all sides? Toni

No sand. It will copact and cause your plants to suffer.

The Maranta is in a 4" plastic pot. There was a plastic slip around it that I removed because the decorative tin it's in has a plastic liner. How will I know when to re-pot it? It seems big for the pot and there are a few roots sprouting out of the drain holes.

The bug looked almost like a flea in the soil. That's the closest thing I can compare it to. I never noticed them before today when I started shaking the soil around. I re-potted the Pothos and I didn't find any more. The root system on it was HUGE and healthy, so I'm not too worried. I just don't want to infect the other plants.

I went to get some perlite and walked out of the store with 6 plants. I have a problem.

This poor thing just looked in need of TLC.
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I just love palms!
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Clearance rack just because it wasn't blooming.
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The last two are supposed to be good for low light, so I'm trying them out in my darkish bedroom.

This one is labeled Fittonia Argyroneura
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And a little lucky bamboo never hurt anyone!
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Oh, and my fiance just HAD to have this. He's such a child. I love that.
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Oh, and Toni, they were a little soft, but the leaves still on it were fine. The cat may have brushed it. I wouldn't put it past him.

No no no. You have to get to at least 100 before you have a problem.

Keep buying.

Watch out for glued on flowers on cacti at Lowes. I found some glued on at Home Depot also.

I attached a link to the web site of a guy I met selling at the farmers market a few weeks ago. He is about about a hour from me and has a ton of great succulents & cacti.

Let me know if you want to see photos of my succulents and I will post them.

Jamie

Here is a link that might be useful: Cacti & Succulents

Hey, Kim! Sorry I didn't post a follow-up on your other Thread.
I think soil-replacement is the most pressing issue as we head into the gloomy days of Winter.

No rush on the Whacking.


Josh

Thanks guys!

Jamie, that sight is amazing! I'd love to order a Hummel's Sunset, but I'm already low on space. I'm always up for pictures! I'm trying to identify the plant at the top of my list of new plants. Do you have any idea? I don't know the plant, but it looks a little sick to me (if I apply Jade logic). The bottom three rows of leaves are wrinkled and soft, almost likes it's under watered. I want to make sure I'm nursing it correctly.

Josh, no worries about the other thread. I'll re-pot the Jade on Saturday. I've already overdone it for the day. :)

Kim, Prayer Plants/Marantas do best when root-bound. If you pot into too large a container, it might end up rotting..it depends on roots, soil and room temp.
The room my guys are in is pretty chilly, and every Maranta/Calathea, etc soil dries between waterings. Especially in winter. However, they love humidity.
Are you saying the pot doesn't have drainage holes? If so, it will eventually cause problems. Do you have a hand drill? Drill holes in the bottom so water can drain.
Kim, seriously, roots can rot. Often, people overwater. If there's no drainage, water builds up on the bottom of pot and rots roots..after a while roots can't absorb water..you know the rest.

The bug you mentioned could be a Fungus Gnat. When you water, watch the soil. FG's move fast. They have a silvery hue.. FG's thrive in constantly wet soil, and stuffy air.
If temps are warm outside, crack open a window, and/or run a ceiling fan, or run a little fan..Aim fan upwards.
It's mid Nov and 64F right now..8pm..I just brought two Gardenias back outside..lol..

Your first plant is a succulent, Echeveria. Soil needs to dry between waterings..sun lovers.
Next is Chamaedorea/Parlor Palm. Spray/shower leaves, dust accumulates.
Third, the AV..wonder what color flowers will be?? Don't you love the dead cart/rack?? lol..
Fittonias are sold as annuals and house plants. Shade is meant when grown outdoors. Indoors they need light to keep color and stay compact. They don't need direct south sun, but they need light. They also like humidity and fresh air. Watch for mites. As it grows, pinch tips. Every other month should do. Pinching prevents Fittonia from growing spindly. Don't overwater.
Nice, tall LB. What is the story about growing 4 bamboos together? Would it be Unlucky Bamboo?? or worse? Scary.

Last is a Norfolk Island Pine Tree. Kim, I know the foil looks pretty, but if you keep it on, water will accumulate, cause rot, and kill the plant.
NIP prefers a cool room, away from a heater. It's slow-growing. Keep soil evenly moist but not wet. Spray leaves/needles. BTW, it's so cute.. :)

Jade leaves should be firm. Either it was over or under-watered.

Jamie, please post pics..I love seeing others' plants. lol. Thanks for the site, Toni

Kim, nice plants and nice Patriots pot!

Thanks, deburn! I was pretty thrilled to find that little baby.

Toni, the Maranta does have drainage holes. It came in a 4" plastic pot with holes with another plastic pot without holes around it. Both were in a decorative tin with a plastic liner, so I took off the pot with no holes and just put the one with holes in the decorative tin. There is about 1/4" of space all around between the inner pot and the decorative tin.

Fungus gnats is exactly what I'm dealing with. I had noticed gnats flying around my office, but other people on the other side of the building were complaining, so I didn't think It was anything in my office specifically. I must not be the only person with that problem. What's worse is that when I watered my Maranta this morning, a bunch of gnats flew out of the soil! It was right next to the offending Pothos. Unfotunately, I'll be working a night shift tonight, so I can't bring it home (it would sit in my cold car for hours). I'll make sure to take it home and re-pot it in the same pot Monday. What a pain. I may stop by work tomorrow to get it if I can't stop worrying. ;)

I can't open an office window, but the air in constantly pumping through this building.

When I figured out that I had lost one stalk of my 5 stalk bamboo arrangement, I remembered hearing something about certain numbers being unlucky. I did some research and apparently the word "four" is close to the Chinese word for death...or something like that. They all had different reasons, but all the sites I found said 4 bamboo stalks in an arrangement is bad juju. :)

The NIP was the fiance's idea. He's like a little kid about Christmas. :) I took the plastic off (is looked like it, but it's not foil). It was only around the rim anyway. I just didn't like it. It's in a pot with holes and has another plastic pot with no holes around it. I told my finace that I would leave it as is and just be careful until new years. Then it is getting a better pot, or at least better soild and that pot is going on a tray where it can breathe. The ornaments are loosely secured with pipe cleaners and the star at the top is just a big stick stuck into the soild. I am a little concerned about the glitter spray, but it'll wear off I guess. Leave it to my fiance to pick a plant that poisonous to cats! It will be staying in the bedroom. I told him he can only bring it out if he's watching it. It is very cute. A friend of mine had one that was HUGE.

Yes, I did love the dead rack....because none of them were dead! The AV looked really healthy, it just wasn't blooming. There were others, but you can't save em' all, right?!

Yes, I'd say it is a echeveria, though I don't know the exact variety.

I threw in a couple hoya, even though they are not true succulents.

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I just got this one. Not sure why it has the browning at the tips.
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Kim....

Beautiful!!!!!!!!!! :-0000)
Nice to meet you.

Mike

Beautiful, Jamie! I LOVE that huge Aloe! I unknowingly abused mine but cutting off what I thought were rotting leaves, but I just repotted it into a soil mix that is mostly perlite with some cactus soil and a little sand (I did it before I saw Jojo's post. Luckily, I didn't add much). Because of my overly enthusiastic pruning, there was a pretty long (and unsightly) stem. I didn't want to bury it and risk rot (as instructed by another lovely poster here), so I planted it at the same depth it was at then added a thin layer of rocks left over from the bamboo vase on top of the soil to take away from the stem a little. I made sure none of the rocks were actually touching the stem and I only put a thin layer to avoid too much weight. It looks gorgeous, I just hope I didn't mess up again and do something bad for the plant.

I'll post pictures once I have everything in their new homes.

I re-potted the echeveria in the same pot but with the mix I used for the Aloe (probably even heavier on the perlite. That stuff is cool!). All I did was trim the leaves that were obviously dead off of the bottom. I gave it a sip of water to adjust to its new mix and it's in a south-facing garden window on the top shelf. Can't get much more sun than that! :)

I am having way too much fun with all this! My fiance loves having the plants around, but he doesn't get as excited as I do about the babies or new growth. It's so nice to have found a place to share with people who understand! :) You are all motivating me to be a better "mommy". ;)

I can't wait to put them outside for the summer and show them off!

Thanks Mike!

Not to sound like a stalker, but I read through a LOT of the AV forum before I started asking questions and I think we have NOID twins! :) Yours is the only one I've seen with the same leaves and flowers. I was starting to think mine was one of a kind! Your picture was easily from a year ago, though. I hope I can get mine to bloom like yours! If you're interested, there's a thread in the AV forum where I posted pictures of the "surgey" I performed yesterday.

Kim..YW

My goodness..I shall have to visit that Forum!

I don't see many of tehse either..I never see them sold anywhere..Now mine has turned almost all pink, but no flowers.

I almost lost it this past summer , maybe from watering from above with a hose..?

It was in a greenhouse..I don't know if it got horrible brown spots from being scalded since the plant in front of it that was protecting it from the direct hot sun fell out of it's way, or if it was from fungus..I had to tear off many unsightly leaves..:-((

Mike

Kim. One way to rid FG's is by allowing soil to dry before rewatering. Since there's air in your work place, that's a plus.
BTW, what type of sand do you use? I used to add sand when mixing soil..Builder's Sand from HD. It was quite gritty. Well, like everything else, it now looks like beach sand. All sand, barely any grit. I stopped using their brand, but hope to find another. Any suggestions?
What type of soil do you use? Perhaps your mix is too heavy? Heavier soils stays wet for long periods.
I use black soil and other soil-less ingredients. 'depending on plant type.' I don't use black soil for succulents. Does your soil drain fast when plants are watered?
You have to find a way to rid those gnats..they're pains.

Kim, men do NOT listen. lol. Your b/f sounds like my dh. No drainage. lol..Actually, I have plants/succulents in bowls w/o drainage, but I've been growing so long, they live. lol.
Well, I wish him luck; he might learn the hard way.

Stores spray glitter on plants to attract buyers. Hopefully, it'll wash off. They even dye flowers for certain holidays..lol

Jamie, Shame on you..last night I ordered from Thistle. lol. Only a few, just to see what their sux look like.
All yours look good, but the one Haworthia needs tip pruning..to remove brown ends. When you clip, leave about 1/8" of the brown on, or less if you can manage. Try not to cut into the green.
Your Hoyas are nice..Both H. Kerrii 'sweetheart' variegated and H. curtisii. What size pot is the curtisii in?
Do they ship bare root or potted? Are all the plants you posted from Thistle?
Sheesh, this makes 4 new nurseries to order from, just what I need..lol.. Toni

Kim, I have a few lucky bamboo, which I believe is some form of Dracaena. Anyway, I just keep them in a vase with tap water. I change the water every couple of months or so, maybe less, sometimes I'll just top up the vase with fresh water

Where do you keep them? I've found that they dont like bright light so I keep them in a place that has moderate lighting. Hope this helps - first time I can say something about plant care!!

HI;

Thanks for the information. I'll trim the haworthia. The curtisii is in about a 6" hanging pot.

I'll see the guy from thistledown at the farmers market in the morning. I can ask him to find out for sure, but I am pretty sure he tries to ship everything in pots.

Jamie

Toni, I just picked up whatever sand they had near the soil at Lowes. It's pretty fine. I was told not to use it by jojo, I believe. Right now I'm just working with store bought soil and perlite. I know the soil is too peat-y in some of my plants. I re-potted the Pothos with normal potting soil before I knew better. I'll have to keep an eye on them. I think they're to fragile to re-pot again right now. The prayer plant is in the soil it came in. I'm going to re-pot it with proper draining soil on Monday. I did let the soil dry out on that one. As soon as I added water, the gnats kicked up! I had brought in a Palm (the one I had broke into two when I went to re-pot) and an AV. I was able to leave them in another office until I get the gnats under control in mine. I think it will be an ongoing battle as they are all over the building. I was helping out a co-worker by pruning his AV and as soon as I rustled the lower leaves....gnats EVERYWHERE. That poor thing is a disaster anyway.

My fiance means well. I told him that if it remains healthy, we can carefully decorate it every year. I explained that I have to at least take it out of the red cup when I water it and he's okay with that. :)

Hi Deburn,
The new Bamboo (I think your right about it being in the Dracaena family) sits next to a south facing window that gets indirect light due to the roof of the porch right outside it. The Other two are at my office about 8 feet from an east facing window. They seem happy there, aside from one of them getting root rot. I wasn't rinsing that often until the root rot problem. Now I rinse every week with filtered water. I just dump the water (holding the rocks in), fill it up, dump it and fill it again. I had heard from a friend that grows a lot of Bamboo that they like filtered water, but I've never really tried using tap. The big one I just brought home will probably just get the rest of the water in whatever glass is on my nightstand when it gets low. It's good to know I can use tap water, though! I have been babying these because they were a gift. :)

Do you know why the tips are turning yellow?

Hi Kim...

I was wondering if you could hook me up with the thread about the surgery you performed on you plant, the violet..

Thank you very much

Mike..;-)

Sure Mike! The link is below. Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures while performing the surgery. I was going to, but things were a little hectic. I have a beautiful potting bench out in my shed, but with no light and no heat, it doesn't do me much good this time of year. I was working off of my washing machine. However, there are more detailed pictures of my NOID and pictures of all the babies! :)

Here is a link that might be useful: AV Thread

Kim, I don't know for sure what's causing the yellow leaves, but my guess is it has to be the light, since there's no soil, right?

Also forgot to mention that if one of them is smelling if you don't rinse it on a weekly basis then it must still be infected. I don't know if the root would regrow if you cut if off (if that's the infected part), but either way I would do something about it before it spreads to the others.

YMMV with tap water, depending on where you live. The only thing I do is to let the water sit for a few hours , but even thats not a hard and fast rule.

HTH!

Jamie, you got a great deal on the Hoya.. I was tempted to buy one, but changed my mind at the last minute. That was before seeing yours.
Did you make it to the Farmer's Market? If so, did you get anymore plants? If so, which?

Kim, I have two different types of Bamboo..the one I posted, and the straight canes..Both are in water. One is held w/pebbles, the other marbles. lol. I found marbles at Walgreen's for 1.00, bought a couple bags.
I change water once a wk. Old water can get stagnant. Stagnant water smells awful. Also, if your house is dry since the heat is onm, water will evaporate, so it needs filling any way..

I add Peat when I mix soils. Mainly for plants that need acidic soil. Calatheas/Prayer Plant in one tropical that prefers acidic to alkaline. Other plants are Gardenias, Citrus, etc.
Don't fear adding Peat along with store-bought soils. The sand is 'iffy.' If it's heavy, be careful.

Kim what type of AV surgery did you perform? Removing AV's necks? It's not a difficult job. I was terrified the first time around, after that it wasn't much harder than trimming leaves or repotting. 'Unless you break a plant in half, lol.' j/k.

Hey Mike, you into AV, too? lol..Toni

Hi deburn, I'll check that Bamboo again to see if I missed any of the black roots. The yellowing has definitely slowed if not stopped, so It's on the right path, but I may have missed some of the rot. It seems like it was just the bottom two inches or so of roots were rotted. The upper part of the roots looked really good.

The tap water in my area is high in chlorine. I have read that I can let it sit and the chlorine will evaporate, but I usually use filtered to be safe. My office has a machine, so it's no biggie.

Toni, I had to remove some large suckers. I was a little scared, but the plants seem to have fared well and now I have 2 mama plants, 3 babies and another 3 leaves planted.

HI;

Yes, we spent about a hour talking to John at the farmers market and came home with another stash of plants. I will take some photos today and get them posted.

We also found a near by indoor gardening / hydroponics store that we checked out yesterday. They had a ton of nice products and were growing many succulents. It was a very clean operation and didn't at all come off as being geared towards a cretin crowd as some stores are. This store you really felt like they were serious about helping hobbyists who wanted to grow all kinds of plants.

I am going to go replant some more things into the gritty mix. Now all of the sudden the store I get granite at sold out of #2 and when searching for more, the only places I found it at want more than $3 more per bag. ouch.

Jamie

Here is a link that might be useful: Local indoor gardening store

Kim, if there is one thing I can do, it is to convince you that Peat Moss is awful stuff.

It has no nutrients, it is hydrophobic when dry, takes forever to dry when wet, and it is a pre-collapsed particle...which means that it has no structure. As it dries and shrinks, it actually contracts around roots. Peat makes re-potting a real pain, if it doesn't cause outright root-death.

For acidic plants, Orchid Bark is a much, much wiser choice of additive or even as a straight growing media.

A capful of white vinegar or lemon juice, mixed with a gallon of water, is also an easy
means of increasing acidity (lowering pH) for your plants.


Josh

Josh, I promise I will never use peat again...after I get through the bags of pre mixed soil that already has it added. :)

I re-potted the large Jade yesterday. The root's weren't as good as I had hoped. It was obvious they had used regular potting soil and I don't think they even broke up the root ball when they re-potted because the outer potting soil broke right off and I was left with the exact shape of the 4" pot is was probably started in. There were very few (if any) roots reaching out beyond that man ball. I washed off as much as I could:

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But I was scared to go further and lose even more of that already minimal roots. Maybe I'm wrong, but it seemed like a small root ball for such a large plant. I re-potted into the same pot with a mix that was probably almost three parts perlite to one part bagged cactus mix. Then I propped it up with some bamboo skewers until the roots have a chance to spread out.

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I gave it a little water, but since the peat-y soil was still stuck to some of the roots and they got a good soaking while I was rinsing, I didn't totally soak the soil. I had also sprayed the dust (and dirt from the re-potting off of the leaves. All of my cutting were put into the same mix. I'll post pictures of all my succulent work this weekend in the Cacti and Succulent forum. :)

New Plants from Thistledown, unless otherwise noted:

New type of Aloe:

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Gold Fish Plant (from the local hydropnics store):

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New Hoya from E-bay:
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Jade Cuttings from my parents jade starting to take root:
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Euphorbia in bloom:

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Half Dead Desert Rose from Walmart pushing out new leaves:

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Pilea from Walmart (grow little weed grow!)
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Pretty Christmas Cactus (walmart):
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Fitona from Walmart:
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Fukien Tea Bonsai (Acquired from private collection):

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Jamie

Jamie,
the first plant you posted is I belive a Gasteria, not an aloe. (gasteria green Ice) possibly.

Hi Kim
Looks like you've been real busy. :)

You have some beautiful plants!

I know what you mean about finding a place where others understand. I think my hubby thinks im a nut when I get excited about my succulents when they offset. :)

As for the jade, most succulents for that matter, you really shouldn't water them for a few days after re potting them. If the roots were damaged durring the re pot, they need a few days to heal oterwise, they can rot.

In the future, give them a few days, they will be O.K. these type plants can go along time without water. :)

JoJo

Hi Jojo,

That may be a Gasteria, may be an Aloe variegata (my guess, tho' it's a bit too small to tell yet), OR, what I really think it'll turn out to be is a Gasteraloe (which I believe a cross btwn the two).

Jamie, nice plants, you've done well. I just hope you check all the box store plants VERY well (under the leaves) for bugs pls. especially mealy bugs.

FYI: Jades (Crassula) are very strong & rugged plants, often growing in harsh circumstances & crappy soil, you need not be so concerned that it might be fragile or easily damaged.

Also important for those new to succulents, motto about watering is:

When in Doubt Don't

as succulents can usually recover from thirst but not overwatering, so it's safest not to water when in doubt.

Whose ever Echeveria that was Kim or Jamie, pls. try not to handle those plants by their leaves, it has a white powdery finish on it (we call that 'bloom') which wipes off to the touch & will not come back, so try to handle that plant by its stem only.

(PG) Karen

Beautiful, Jamie! My fiancé wouldn't let me buy a Pilea. He said the leaves freaked him out. He's such a goofball. :) What is the first Aloe in your fist picture post? I think I have very tiny cuttings of the same plant. The momma plant isn't like yours, though. It has several small "crowns" that are 9"-10" across and about 5" tall. Do you think it's the same plant, or is there a dwarf version of yours. It looks exactly the same, only mini. I'll have to take pics later.

Hi Jojo! I'm just getting used to this whole "don't water them" thing. I'm used to outdoor gardening where you drench something after you transplant....at least that's what my momma taught me! :) I honestly only gave the Jade a few dribbles. I don't know why I couldn't help myself. That was Saturday and I haven't watered since. I'm checking the leaves every day and plan to water it when they start to feel a little soft.

Oopsie, Karen! I already touched the leaves when re-potting. :( You can tell from the picture someone else already had at the store, too. I had no idea. Thank you for letting me know!!! It's in fresh, fast-draining soil now, so I won't be handling it for a while anyway.

Jamie, gorgeous plants. Thistledown has some real beautys. I ended up ordering another batch, but less than the first order. He even sent a freebie.
Don't forget to leave feedback on Gardenwatchdog.com.
He's a really nice guy, very generous, and honest.

Your hoyas are good-looking, too. All your plants are.
The first looks like a variegated Haworthia. I bought a similar plant on Ebay, same colors, thinner leaves, it's called Aloe 'wansley' variegated..very tiny. I'll have to snap pics. Thanks for turning me on to Thistledown.

Let me know how your Fukien Tea works out. HD usually has them available. Do you know if it's evergreen or decidious?

I love your CC..It's a true red. Walmart here I come. lol. Actually, I'd like a variegated CC, but they're hard to find.
One seller on Ebay is selling a variegated 'cutting' for, are you ready? 49.99!! Right, I'll take 10, lol.

Kim, why does Pilea freak out your b/f??? lol..that's hysterical. I'd understand if it was a 'Man-Eating-Plant,' lol, but a Pilea???

I just bought a variegated Euphorbia 'paddle plant.' The green are okay, but this guy is veryyyy pretty. Toni

I don't know, Toni. He cracks me up. He wasn't so sure about the Fittonia until I showed him the one with pink instead of silver veins. Silver was to intimidating, but pink he could live with. I think the texture of the Pilea is what made him say: "I don't want that in my house." He then proceeded to try to get me to buy one of those bug eating plants. Yeah, I don't get it either. You would think those would be the scary plants. He has his quirks...that's why I love him. He's a weirdo like me. :)

LOL Kim. Perhaps he's sensitive to color/texture? Some type of phobia..all have names. Texture-agoria. lol.
You can always 'sneak' one home..hide it between other plants..lol.

Hi again,

To those of you new to succulents, they don't want daily checking (& fussing). It's too fussy, you'll kill them w/ kindness this way. By & large a good rule of thumb w/ succulents is they tend to thrive on benign nglect, that is to say the less one does to them the better. One may not be used to that, but it IS what the plants prefer.

I literally trained myself (to the less watering) by walking around my home & looking at the plants w/empty hands clasped behind my back -- that was to say no touching & no watering!!

As to Fittonia, they are a low light plant, but require high humidity. They'll need humidity trays & or terrarium. I used to grow some in my bathroom, kept them nice & moist. I also have had several terrariums of the larger leafed varieties including the pink one.

They need frequent pinching back to keep lush & full.

I made a terrarium of the red veined ones for my sister when she moved to a new apartment. 4 yrs. later, it's still going, pinched back & pretty!

Yes, your right, I call it the wrong thing. Sounds like it is a gasteria. Written on the label is: Gasteralone "Green Ice".

I'll look over all the plants I got recently and make sure there are no bugs on them. I've been lucky to almost never have any bugs in the house plants, only once in the spider plants and it cleared up with some DE.

I'm keeping the jades dry and am going to go heavy on the grit in the mix for the large jade so it is fast draining and doesn't hold a lot of water.

I'll write up a review on the gardenwatchdog site. Thanks. Glad your enjoying the plants from them.

The Fukien Tea's I have are Bonsai's, I've never seen them at HD, maybe they sell them as Bonsai at times? They are a tropical plant that likes to live with higher humidity in the mid-60+. They are not suppose to drop their leaves. My older one has been dropping some leaves, but also has new growth.

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Jamie

> My fiancé wouldn't let me buy a Pilea.
>He said the leaves freaked him out.
>He's such a goofball. :)
LOL
>What is the first Aloe in your fist picture post?

I think it is a Gasteria. It is labeled as:
"Gasteralone "Green Ice""

>think it's the same plant, or is there a dwarf version
>of yours. It looks exactly the same, only mini. I'll
>have to take pics later.

I'm not sure if there is a dwarf version, perhaps someone with more experience with this plant could chime in.

Jamie

>As to Fittonia, they are a low light plant, but require
>high humidity.

Thanks for the info. I'll move it into the bathroom.

Jamie

Jamie, since your Fittonia is growing indoors, medium/bright light and humidity are needed. Too shady, plant loses color and grows spindly. In summer, they send out tiny flowers, but Fittonia is mainly grown for foliage.

Finally took pics. My batteries died, had to charge, two sets.

Thistledown plants.

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The Euphorbia Crown of Thorns, Var, is the most beautiful variegated I've seen. E. Firesticks was a bonus plant. The Afra was sold as a Nymph for 2.50.

Here's a pic of the plant that looks similar to yours..Soil fell in the center while potting..'it arrivedd bare-root.'

Aloe Wansley

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Looks Great.

Thanks for the info on the Fittonia, I think I'll have to put it under my bank of lights.

Jamie

No, pls. DON'T put the Fittonia under lights, I'd expect it would burn it. (I've read they're forest ground cover, so they wouldn't be getting strong light, more dappled, than direct or sunny light.

I only grow these indoors & have had them in multiple places, bright but indirect was good. Even not bright is OK, I never had a problem w/ too shady indoors.

To keep them lush & full it's recommended they be pinched back often, say after the 2nd or 3rd pair of leaves.