11 plants that beat the odds (and crushed expectations)

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[@marierejoiceinjesus3846]

Question: does your wife like plants also? If so, what is her favorite species? Congrats on your sobriety and wedding anniversary. I know it's not easy having friends and family who have struggled with addiction, and I finally quit smoking after 15 years. Hardest thing ever.

[@soberplantguy]

Wow--congrats! Great questions, and thank you!

[@pkmetzger]

Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Sober Plant Guy for your wedding anniversary and your sobriety anniversary. I am wishing you and Mrs. many more. Can you tell or show how you water your staghorn Fern or Platycerium bifurcatum? How do you take care of that thing? When I watch your videos I pause the video and check my plants....LOL. And what got your interested in hoyas?

[@soberplantguy]

Ah, thanks so much. We're still enjoying our first marriages 😊 Great questions! Thanks much, and cheers from Iowa City

[@helenesolomon]

Thanks, Dave, for another great video. Congratulations on over 2K subscribers! I have a Cebu Blue story. When I got the plant I was so in love with it. I decided to put it on a pole, I used a coir pole (my first) and could never figure out how to keep it consistently moist. I put the plant in the back row of a shelf and watered but did not give it any care (bad plant must be punished). It grew out but not up. After about a year I had runners everywhere and the poor plant looked terrible. I felt badly about what I did to that plant. Recently I took cuttings of what was left, rooted them in water and just last week I planted them up. It is doing so well, it's hard to believe how quickly it has sprouted shoots. I'm back in love and have learned my lesson. You may have touched on this subject when you talked about trellising, but I can't recall. How do you decide which Hoya to trellis? Could you share your wife's name? My best to you both.

[@soberplantguy]

Yeah, there's no keeping a coir pole actually moist. It's just a fancy support stick. Such a resilient plant! I'll definitely talk more about trellising Hoya, as that's a question I get asked a lot. And Kathleen is my wife (so for, first wife, but that's up to her 🤣)

[@moiraslater8526]

Congrats on the sobriety anniversary. I'm 9 years sober and a crazy plant lady!!

[@soberplantguy]

Yesss! Happy days, and thank you 🎉

[@soberplantguy]

I can definitely do that 😁

[@lanamadeit]

Hey Dave! Can you make a video on setting up that Tengchongensis in a terrarium? I have one also and it’s a plant that has tried to unalive itself more than any other Hoya I’ve got 😂 It seems to be in recovery now, I keep it in a self watering pot under a cloche. It has grown a bit! FINALLY. There are not a ton of videos on them. Miro mentions it briefly in a couple but then kind of segways away from it to the Serpens. All the rest of KZbinrs just kind of only show it as “oh look what I have” 🥺 would love to see how you manage it. Happy anniversary and happy sobriety birthday!!! 🎉

[@soberplantguy]

Yeah, that's a great idea! I love that little plant! And thanks so much for the well wishes!!

[@raynelaroux1547]

Happy Anniversary, and congrats on your sobriety!

[@soberplantguy]

Thanks so much! 😊

[@margaretcalifano1617]

Ah! Please do the heushkeliana repot video since I have the same issue going on! I agree that Bella is a wonderful plant

[@soberplantguy]

I can definitely do that 😊

[@RondaThomson]

?? What hobbies did you do before getting into plants?

[@soberplantguy]

Oh, that's a good topic question! Thank you 😁

[@ptszpwr783]

That Platycerium is absolutely insane!!! I've never seen one that large in a private collection. Great job!!!

[@soberplantguy]

Hey, thanks! I have seen some pretty crazy one--saw a guy with skylights, and his was quite impressive. Somehow mine looks smaller on camera, but what a grower!

[@faithewarren-agee5604]

2 questions from moi! How long ago did you go down the Hoya rabbit hole? How old is your sweet GSD?

[@leannhillier-jv8wf]

Happy birthday and good for you! And happy anniversary! Can’t wait for Tuesday!

[@soberplantguy]

Thanks so much! Always good to see you here!!

[@faithewarren-agee5604]

Congrats on your wedding anniversary as well as your sobriety anniversary!

[@soberplantguy]

Thank you! 😊

[@lisaanglim9588]

Glad to see you had luck saving these plants. I had trouble with my Curtisii. But it’s doing well after re-rooting twice. Happy anniversary and happy sobriety anniversary.

[@soberplantguy]

Thank you! I really appreciate it

[@lovesyorkies3395]

Congratulations! I love the Cebu Bleu but never purchased it until recently with a variegated version. It’s beautiful!

[@soberplantguy]

Hold the phone: there's a variegated version? Guess I'll be looking that up next.... And, thank you!

[@lisaanglim9588]

I hope your Bella blooms. I’ve never heard that the first name of the Bella was the lanciolata.

[@soberplantguy]

Not too many people call it by its proper name, that's for sure.

[@hnelson5609]

I LOVE Cebu blue. I've never had one before. I propagated quite a few. I think i may be giving it more water than it wants. Yours is beautiful! Also loved chengching😂 hoya and of course the biggest staghorn fern I've ever seen!

[@soberplantguy]

Fortunately it's possible to grow plants without knowing how to pronounce them 🤣😂🤣

[@heatherstephens9295]

Thanks Dave your stag horn looks magnificent. I have a Hoya chicken farm I’m trying to resurrect from the dead - don’t like my chances but I just can’t throw it in the bin yet 😂 IMO sobriety is a miracle & I live in eternal gratitude for it. So glad you have found it too 👏👏

[@soberplantguy]

It truly is ☺️ And I just started over my Chicken Farm for the last time. It’s NOW or never 🤣

[@lisaanglim9588]

I had a nummerloides but it didn’t survive my rooting it.

[@soberplantguy]

Most people don't struggle with these. Could be I/we got a tricky plant to make happy.

[@laurajackson8556]

Congrats on both your anniversaries 🎉 great video..what did you put between the stag horn and the wood? Any moss or anything? I had a huge one in a greenhouse but haven’t had one in years. Here’s to come back kids! 🙌🏼

[@soberplantguy]

I did just that--basically a lump of spag moss. I heard one of the Asian growers (think very small, carefully cultivated ferns) refer to these big wild versions as "Australian style" 🤣 Obviously this is someone who's never been to the States because we think bigger is automatically better 🤣😂🤣 Thanks for the congrats! I appreciate it 😊

[@beckyfrichek8190]

I ordered a Hoya caudata rooted starter from a well-known seller on Etsy. It came in not just dry, but nearly dessicated. The roots were a total loss, and all but one or two leaves were yellow. I was given a full refund, but I cut the plant apart, threw the pieces in a cup of water on a heating mat, and got enough to live that I made one baby plant for myself and one for my Hoya-loving friend. I have her the better one, which is thriving, and mine is finally starting to take off. Two that I nearly killed and brought back from almost nothing are Pilea espresso and Syngonium erythrophyllum. I had big, gorgeous plants of each and managed to rot them both in the same winter. The Pilea was nothing but a few tiny nodes, and the Syngonium had lots of foliage left, but has been a difficult propagater for me, but both are well back on their way to their former glory.

[@soberplantguy]

Those are great stories! Do you take extra satisfaction when you bring one back from the brink? I know I do, but I like to take credit for things 🤣😂🤣 (Typical man, take credit for things I had nothing to do with.........)

[@linda3808]

I started out with orchids and I love them! I've only recently gotten into hoyas. They go great together and they're both so addictive.

[@soberplantguy]

We're like mirror opposites 😆

[@neerajadamarla929]

I love hearing success stories that give me hope and push me to try hard and not give up.

[@soberplantguy]

Sometimes it is just the little glimmer from someone else that makes a difference 😊

[@raquelhoag2448]

Has there been a Hoya that “unlived” itself on you that you tried again by buying another one?

[@soberplantguy]

Oh, that's a good one! Thank you

[@lisaanglim9588]

I really love the callistphylla. The veiny leaves.

[@soberplantguy]

I do, too, or I can assure you I wouldn't have tried so hard with it lol

[@Diane-ex1os]

Hi Dave , 😎👌🏽Yes Finally I wanted to hear about that Fern it’s Gorgeous 🐞Guy you have a God Give Green Thumb love it. I live in the tundra in the winter too lol upstate NY but I’ve always wanted to tackle that fern seeing how there’s hope to try and grow one here I’m going to tell my daughter when she says Mom what do you want for Christmas 🎅🏼 well thanks to you Dave I have the answer 😁. Beautiful O and Dave no biggie on how you pronounce your words 🤗you should hear my slang lol. God bless you on your 1 year sober 👌🏽you’re a cool Dude 😎. See you Monday 🐞

[@soberplantguy]

Actually it'll be 8 years sober, but 1 year was a bigger deal--for sure. And yes, the fern is wayyy easier than I ever would have imagined. No added humidity whatsoever. I absolutely love it, favorite plant in our house!

[@lisaanglim9588]

My mother pronounced “apron” as “Ampron”. My sister and I teased her mercilessly. She could pronounced it correctly when prompted but rarely did on her own without promptly.

[@soberplantguy]

@@lisaanglim9588 I concentrated harder on pronouncing foliage for this video than I did editing it 🤣

[@lisaanglim9588]

Tengchongensis. Sounded right to me.

[@soberplantguy]

It's the best I got either way lol. That's all we can do, try our best .....

[@lisaanglim9588]

Oh no the Bella is pretty on the camera

[@soberplantguy]

Agreed, but I can understand where it'd look a bit boring to people.

[@paxleidig5327]

Helene knocked our power out and no Internet, but I HAVE to watch Dave's video!! 😮😮😮

[@soberplantguy]

Oh no! Hope you're ok down there 😊

[@hanstera_deliciosa]

@@paxleidig5327 Hope you’re don’t ok! Jeez

[@deeb2000]

My husband brought home 7 phalaenopsis, no flowers, last year from a customer who no longer wanted them. I didn't care for them anymore because they'd always get mealies or root rot so I gave 4 away. I have one left and threw it outside this summer and it's making the prettiest, large white flowers w/yellow centers. So I'm surprised that lasted and flowered. My Bella is nice and firm and healthy but by golly so slow! It was one, 4 inch cutting that's now 4 stems about 6 and 7 inches long and, this is my 5th try. Cebu blue, ugh! Never thought hoyas fungii, polyneura sp. Nap Indonesia, Finlaysonii, Saba and laos would come back because the leaves were all but dried up and stems twisted. They are surprisingly doing great now! Congratulations on marriage and sobriety 🎉👍🏽My anniversary is 10/3, 44 years. Quote: "Marriages like a garden, take time to grow. But the harvest is rich unto those who patiently and tenderly care for the ground." Dee, NY

[@soberplantguy]

What a lovely quote 😊 It's the first marriage for both of us 😊 Most of us (ALL the rest of us) would give up trying to grow a plant after three or four tries 🤣 Not you, Dee 🤣 I admire your tenacious spirit!

[@deeb2000]

@@soberplantguy lol, when you think of the cost to replace the ones u luv... the plants that is!

[@lorettastyles5523]

Happy annervary to you and you wife when it comes🤗. Do you have children? Also I think you need some more phals in your life. You certainly have that one looking so lovely😊

[@soberplantguy]

No children, but yes to more phals 😁 Thank you for the well wishes!

[@lorettastyles5523]

You are most welcome 😊

[@BLANKU2]

You know year before last I was in a Mariano's shopping and cut through the floral department and there was a cart full of clearance orchids. Six sad little guys who look like they fell off a ferris wheel. I went off to do my shopping thinking... I do have everything at home... maybe??? Plus and they were 75% off. If they were still there when I was done I was going back for that feral litter of orchids. Sure enough they were still there and my sister thought I was nuts saying they had no chance. Those orchids were each different in color and each one so unique that once saved I could never afford them at full price and omg the blooms! That little feral clearance cart of orchids has been the happiest investment of my life. Now I send my siter pics of them with a hehehehehe* after them lol.

[@soberplantguy]

Niiice! Yes, that $3 plant is absolutely the most delightful surprise of my planty hobby.

[@hanstera_deliciosa]

@@BLANKU2 what a nice story. I wish there were a way to record people’s voices. 🤗 Story time would be so much better!

[@dianemottram3060]

Goners hmmm... Orchids can be surprising and lately the catlyas that did nothing but hang on came into bloom. God gets all the glory. I am looking forward to with anticipation on yout terrarium concept. The whole shibbang.

[@BLANKU2]

Where do you buy your hats?

[@soberplantguy]

I bought this locally at a suit shop. I'm defiantly answering this question Tuesday, as it was the first thing I ever bought with extra sobriety money 😁

[@mn4169]

Hej Dave, Sweden here, again♥️ May I day that your collection is gorgeous. Some of your hoyas are just so beautuful, eye candy for hoya lovers. Yoyr plant philosophy is so simple ... never give up and try again if you fail. Nice to see your other plants, some of my favourits. My staghorn has taken over a table top, now after about 15 years. My baby. Sitting here with a cup of coffee, listening to your wonderful plant banter. Good start to the day. PS. Happy birthday and sobriety day. You are amazing.

[@soberplantguy]

Hello, over there! Thanks so much. I'm just sitting here drinking tea, reading your lovely comment 😊

[@mn4169]

@@soberplantguy Checked the spelling, Now you can read it😫 Should use my specs more often.

[@soberplantguy]

@@mn4169 If you can put up with me saying foil-age all the time, I can handle some typos 😆

[@mn4169]

@@soberplantguy okej med mig Fine with me♥️

[@PlantedInRI]

Oh, once your friends find out you can grow orchids, you'll end up with more.

[@soberplantguy]

I could live with that 🤣😂🤣

[@shirleycovey7309]

What brought on your love and collection of hoya and what was your first one? And, when did you start? I'm waiting for your vid on your grow tent.

[@soberplantguy]

These are great--thank you!

[@soberplantguy]

I just bought a gimbal that will be here early next week. Perfect to help film the tent video!

[@shirleycovey7309]

@@soberplantguy Also, what is the most you have paid for a hoya? And, when you sell your starters, where do you advertise them?

[@soberplantguy]

@@shirleycovey7309 Are you trying to get me divorced?? 🤣😂🤣

[@shirleycovey7309]

@@soberplantguy Whoops, that price probably shouldn't be shared,,,I completely understand! Another question....you mentioned that in the winter, your Hoyas continue to grow roots, not new leaves, so therefore they are ready for spring. Which for me begs the question that since the hoyas come from tropical areas, do they have a 'down' time as well? Don't they have a 'wet' season and a 'dry' season, not necessarily a 'cold' season? I'd think they'd grow the same year around?? Just asking.....

[@happybeehoney3461]

Happy Anniversary! Question(s): How long do you generally soak your orchids? Do you use MSU fertilizer in the water every time? Bloom fertilizer?

[@soberplantguy]

Thank you for the question! See you in the next video...!

[@Kris_BloomingPlants]

Hi Dave, congratulations! And, love your videos and your staghorn fern! I have two along with a large blue star fern and kangaroo paw fern that over-winter in an east window of my living room over a heating vent. They are all troopers. The epiphytic ferns aren't difficult. We need to get the word out. 😂 On to hoya....I have them bc they're blooming plants, along with cane begonias, orchids, and gesneriads. My first ones purchased in spring and summer of 2020, the common carnosas and pubicalyx, are enormous in 8" terra cotta pots with trellises! I pruned and gave away rooted cuttings but they're still so big. My question is how much can I prune? And, is it okay to give them a good prune before I bring them inside for the winter, this is what I do with large begonias. I'm in the St. Louis area, so they may a few more weeks outdoors.

[@soberplantguy]

8" pot? I LOVE IT!!! I prune when I need to prune, as much as I need to, with absolute confidence that our beloved Hoya will vine and put out new peduncles. New people to the hobby shutter at this. Nonsense lol. But you probably already know how irreverent I am...... Thanks for the really nice comment! I love my (two) ferns so very much!

[@rebeccahenderson7761]

Question: I have various plants, philo's etc, that have what looks like 'open pores' in large groups on a couple of leaves, but not on others of same plant. They are always the normal colour of the leaf, and don't seem like damage. They don't get yellow or brown that I've noticed. They don't have any visible bugs even with a hand held magnifier. Any ideas on what that could be? Do you think that's flat mites?

[@soberplantguy]

Could it be edema? You are welcome to send a pic, if you like: [e-mail]. At least off the top of my head, that's the only thing I'm coming up with.

[@hanstera_deliciosa]

Holy smokes I can’t keep up with you! 😊 Still thinking up some juicy questions… 🤗 I hope there’s still time

[@soberplantguy]

Tuesday morning .... all the time in the world. Or, like, three days.

[@hanstera_deliciosa]

Ok! Invisibility or Flight? - Don’t think about it too hard, but your answer will reverberate across the internet for all time. Also, what song gives you the tingles whenever you hear it. And Lastly, what gives you the right to just keep on being awesome all the time? 🤗

[@soberplantguy]

I shall memorialize each of these questions Tuesday.........

[@sokhachen4556]

I can’t get rid of mealy bugs ony of my plants. Any suggestions?

[@soberplantguy]

I use this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/kJbaaWuMateXhck I stay on top of it, and do t struggle with them. I’d use systemics if I ever needed to, but so far, so good. Cheers from Iowa City!

[@phf3238]

My first Hoya is a Sunrise, bought last winter. It was a leafy node and a long branch rooted cutting. I over loved it and gave it root rot. Not noticeable in any way except the plant just froze in place. It was still beautiful. At that time I thought flat mites. It was spring by then so I sprayed and sprayed to no effect. Sometime early summer I decided to check roots and they were mostly rotten. So I cut it up to propagate. Some of it wouldn’t root and I threw pieces out. I finally potted it up and watched and watched. It has been under grow lights for about a month now and I felt I was having no success. Today I found that it has two new green leaves under the red ones. Sometimes things are not as bad as they seem. Thank you for your learning experience ❤

[@soberplantguy]

And sometimes it takes reevaluating, and then some genuine patience! Well done ☺

[@Austengirl89]

What do you like to propagate in? I personally do perlite in my prop box. Do you use humidifiers in the winter to combat dry winters? Do you use systemic pesticides or going the natural route? What are your thoughts on the flat mite scare?

[@soberplantguy]

These are great questions! I am going to shoot a winter video later this week, to post very soon. Thanks so much!

[@kristinamitchell5274]

Any tips to keep phalenopsis orchids alive..I can’t seem to get it right…used bark, bark and moss..my last was a rescue so I’m not sure to count it

[@soberplantguy]

Thank for the question!

[@rebeccahenderson7761]

Happy anniversary and sobriety birthday. Both are great days!

[@soberplantguy]

Thank you! And thanks for all the support you've shown me on the channel. Really appreciate it.

[@RiseandProcraftinate]

Congrats on your sober-versary! I wish I could grow Bella. She hates me. I only have a tiny cutting of mine left that I am limping along. I had a beautiful good sized plant at one time.😢

[@soberplantguy]

Oh no! Well I obviously have no tips or tricks, since she did all the growing on her own 😆 I think more people struggle with this one than we think

[@RiseandProcraftinate]

@@soberplantguy I think my mistake was keeping it in an indoor greenhouse. It might've gotten a bit toasty and maybe too humid in there for it. I don't have very many places I can put plants that can't defend themselves (like Cacti haha!) from my cats in this house and the one place I do have is stuffed full. I have a decent sized garden window, but it's already stuffed full of plants. We are looking to move states in the next couple months and my dream is that our next house will have a large sunroom I can shut a door or block off from the cats somehow. Don't worry, the cats get plenty of sun too. They have a catio.

[@lisaplanty]

Hi there, how do you water your staghorn thanks

[@soberplantguy]

Oh, good one. I'll cover this. Because there's summer: easy. And winter: Good Lord.

[@birdsong9934]

Might be a repeat Q-but, why Hoyas?

[@soberplantguy]

It's good that it's a repeat! People are curious ... Thanks so much!

[@Wubblyt]

Happy anniversary! (To both events 😊) What happens when a Hoya is death blooming and how do you recognize it?

[@soberplantguy]

Thank you! Always good to see you here...!!

[@Wubblyt]

@@soberplantguy Always fun to watch the vids! 🌸 I have another one: why does nectar come out of flowerless peduncles sometimes?

[@Allieppr]

How do you prop your bella? I have one with a weaker vine that I want to use for props before it dies. Thank you!

[@soberplantguy]

For Hoya like these (thin-leafed) I prefer perlite. It holds the plant in nice and steady. I generally fill the container with water most of the way, and then once it starts to root, reduce water so that the perlite is just moist. In my experience, anyway, it builds for more robust roots than water props. Again, for me, the transition to whatever substrate you use has been flawless. Cheers from Iowa City

[@Allieppr]

@@soberplantguy thank you!

[@pudik2008]

Just keep on being yourself,that’s what makes you stand out from the rest. I did that thing, getting on to the "crazy fad" at the beginning of my indoor plant journey,wanting all the "wishlist plants" not taking into account the care that they needed or environmental factors,now years later I only buy the plants that I really love and making sure to research them before I buy them not after. Not putting the blame on anyone but myself of cause. Your Hoya are just so beautiful and being an over-waterer I’m trying to train my watering can from automatically going towards the plants to often 😅 💚🌿🪴 Natalie

[@soberplantguy]

Fellow recovering over-waterer here! 😁 At one distinct point in my collecting, I realized that my collection looked like every other collection purchased from a big box store. Same exact plants as everyone else. Realizing that you could actually acquire plants that you *want* to own, not just the ones easily available, changed everything for me. Cheers from over here 😊

[@hanstera_deliciosa]

@@soberplantguy 🤔

[@soberplantguy]

@@hanstera_deliciosa How are our plants doing so far? It's been days (2) now already 🤭

[@hanstera_deliciosa]

@@soberplantguy I can confidently say they are still attempting to be alive! Yesssss. I’m so rad. 😂 I will say that I have only checked on them once per day. Very demure of me.

[@soberplantguy]

@@hanstera_deliciosa Millennial Plant Dad would be proud 😁