🌱✨ Upgrade Your Plant Game: 5 Uncommon Picks for Intermediate Collectors!

[@northliu1196]

Hey Memo, very interesting video! I got a huge collection of uncommon Haworthias, at least 200 of them. They are very collectable because of all the window shapes and veinings. I think you are right on to say they aren’t beginners friendly, they are a bit tricky in many ways: They go dormant and get root rot easily in the summer when the night time temperature is too high, they also store a lot nutrients in their roots and would set back a lot from root rots. Their growing season is the winter but natural light level might be too low for them to grow well. As a succulent, they still want a higher level of humidity. They are thrips and mealies magnets. All and all, they are pretty finicky, but I love them anyway 😂.

[@Houseplantygoodness]

Hey North 😁👋, thanks for sharing your experiences with Haworthias! They truly are fascinating but can be challenging, your collection is also beyond impressive, so you can definitely talk from a point of experience. Your insights are invaluable for fellow collectors. Keep enjoying your plant journey! 🌱😂

[@kristiemowry3267]

I agree with your plant assessment. I have found that, even with Soltech lighting, my plants want as much light as I can give them, Aglonemas included. Indoor lighting just isn't equvalent to the sun. Anyway, I am going to try your suggestion on increasing water when new leaves are emerging. I had just started suspecting this was true even on philodendrons. Getting through the winter with Alocasicas is always a challenge if you want to keep leaves. Hadn't though of giving them more water since their growth slows down so much. Thanks for the tip! Also, love the fact that you respond to your comments.

[@Houseplantygoodness]

Thanks for agreeing with the plant assessment, Kristie! Absolutely, indoor lighting can never fully replace the sun, but it's great you're making the most of it. Increasing water during new leaf growth can really make a difference, even with philodendrons. Winter care for Alocasias can be tricky, but I'm glad the tip was useful. Your feedback and engagement are much appreciated! Keep nurturing your green friends! 🌱💡

[@ekoed]

Really happy to see you talk about succulent and cacti. Great video!

[@margaretcalifano1617]

Memo, I totally agree with your list and for semi hydro for Alocasia and Begonias. I have a miniature begonia that struggled in soil for years, but it loves pon

[@Houseplantygoodness]

Totally agree, Margaret! Semi-hydro can work wonders for certain plants like Alocasia and Begonias. Glad to hear your miniature begonia is thriving! 🌿💚

[@chrislynch1011]

🇦🇺 hey Memo, how are you? I do agree with your list, and I also agree that within a genus some species are easier than others. And annoyingly stores really do promote trendy plants as easy care regardless. Worse is the over-generalised care information and some don't even give the species name 🤦🏻 a newbie only has luck to get them by in some of those cases. Obviously location/climate makes some plants easier to grow indoors too... Unless your home is hermetically sealed 😉 One of the best things to help newbies is the readily available information, sifting for quality can be problematic lol. Your advice regarding Alocasias need for extra water while producing new leaves had been a game changer for me. My two jewels have only lost a single leaf while acclimating, one had grown 2 leaves the other 1 and no more losses. The most amazing one is my dwarf Bambino, who has grown 5 new leaves this season and a new one is just appearing, 6 leaves, and the whole plant is still smaller than my hand😂 It's always a foreign sight seeing succulents growing indoors. I have noticed a few UK people talk about humidity with their succulents and that's definately a recipe for disaster here, I lost 3/4 of a sempervarium and a little jelly bean melted - el Nino had brought a lot of rain, my indoor humidity for the last 4 weeks has been roughly 75. Are succulents commercially grown indoors there? Anyway, enough waffle from me, my peperomia and I hope you have great week 😉

[@Houseplantygoodness]

Hey Chris! I'm doing well, thanks for asking. 😊 You're absolutely right about the challenges newbies face with trendy plants and generalized care info. It's great to hear that the advice on Alocasias has been helpful for you! Your dwarf Bambino's progress sounds amazing - 6 new leaves is impressive! 🌱🎉 Indoor humidity can indeed be a challenge for succulents; they're often better off outdoors if the climate is warm. But indoors can work with the right conditions. Thanks for sharing your experiences and have a fantastic week with your peperomia! 🌿😜

[@jillianleblanc9370]

Thank you for sharing beautiful and amazing plants lovely collection beautiful cactus lovely collection

[@Danielalocasia]

I started with Alocasia because I loved elephant ear plants when I was a kid so while researching to get my first house plant I came across them and obviously I had too. But I also did hours of research before hand and watched so many videos on them. When I get a new plant I immediately treat it for pests and I treat my collection regularly as a preventative measure. I have mine in a chucky coco coir/bark mix. They can be drama queens, sometimes you will repot one or move it and it will throw a fit and drop all its leave. But the good thing about them is they can grow back form the corm and you can collect extra corms when you repot and grow those into backup plants or plant them up with the mother to fill out their pot.

[@Houseplantygoodness]

Starting with Alocasia is bold but rewarding! Your proactive approach to pest control and potting mix is spot on. Alocasias can be dramatic, but their resilience is part of their charm. Keep up the great work! 🌱🌟

[@carolstuff]

I agree with you on most, but I find that Alocasias are for experienced ppl, with the exception of the regal shield; if you don’t know how to care for them, you’ll end up with one leaf or a corm. 😄 Thanks for sharing Memo!

[@kathywereszczynski7106]

Hi memo, watching this video gives me the affirmation that I can strongly agree that I’m an intermediate plant mom. I love my alocasia’s and Chinese evergreen. I accidentally bought my Chinese evergreen from a Canadian tire (they sell random tropicals) but we’ve been best friends ever since and three years later she’s so full and bushy. For me she throws new leaves constantly so I love her in my current collection ❤

[@Houseplantygoodness]

Hi Kathy! That's the spirit of an intermediate plant mom! 🌱 It's amazing how one random purchase can turn into a plant love story. Your Chinese evergreen sounds like a true gem. Keep nurturing your collection! 💚

[@tddas8008]

I've got coudex dregga begonia and black mamba begonia. Coudex one is very easy. And 14 types of alocasia all in soil mix. Begonia vs Alocasia. Alocasia in my conditions is much easier. Going to get more begonias in spring and lurn how to care for them better. Love you chanel a lot. ❤ Big thanks from Kiev. 💚💚💚

[@Houseplantygoodness]

🌿 Hi there! Wow, your collection sounds fantastic! It's always interesting to hear how different plants thrive in various conditions. Begonias and Alocasias each have their charm, don't they? Keep exploring and learning - your passion is inspiring! Thanks for the love from Kiev! 💚🌱 my love and support back to Kiev 💛💙

[@smotritel1082]

@@Houseplantygoodness Hi Memo! It was so pleasing to get your answer. My name is Alex and this is my second account. I commented once before about symbiotic insecticides. Never thought that my plant collection is amazing, but it is! I’m the first plant person in the family. We had zero plants when I was growing up. I didn't like plants, most part of my life. Till I got my first Tulasi Maharani. From a small seed, she turned into 1.5 meter in wide beauty in two years. It was more or less religious thing than a plant interest in the beginning. But she taught me to love and understand plants. She still is a queen above all. In an ordinary 3-bedroom flat, our Tulasis got their room (which they now share with some other plants). The biggest thing for Tulasi is the light. You really can't give her enough light (in our region). We use a lot of lamps. And 20+ litres of water just for all the Tulasis. (6 are big 5 are middle and some small). It happened so, my best friend passed away of covid. After that, my plant collecting had begun. I don't know a better way to celebrate life and beauty than a plant care activity. In our country, it is not such an expensive hobby. The biggest spend of mine was about 12 pounds each for alocasia and a very uncommon ficus (for our market). Most of the anthuriums are steel rare and pricy, and some hoyas, but all the philodendrons are 1-10 pounds from hands. I think philodendrons, violets, sansevierias and orchids are most collected by Ukrainians. This spring-summer, my collection increased more than twice. Can't deny that it is a very therapeutic thing to me. An affordable heeling method for all the wounds. It is about 170 + of us now. This spring-summer, my collection increased more than twice. Can't deny that it is a very therapeutic thing to me. An affordable heeling method for all the wounds. It is about 170 + of us now. About 40 cactuses (including my 5 beloved opuntias but not that evil as a bunny one) about 20 succulents (hawortias, aloes, euphorbias, jades (not very lucky with jades care) some coudex plants (jatropha podagrica, pachipodium makoense, adeniums from seeds, begonia dregga, dioscorea elephantipes, plectrantus ernstee, coudex ficus palmerii, nolina, ex.) 16 ficuses (no benjaminas), fig plant, brachihiton (my love), 3 crotons, 2 small zz, washingtonia palm from seed (not gonna keep), 3 philodendrons, 1 asparagus, 1 hoya, 4 peperomias, 22 sansevierias, 5 violets, 1 anthurium silver blush (got by discount) and the alocasias and black mamba begonia. Most of them are youngsters, and or (thank God!) slowgrowers. My biggest love of 2023 year are the alocasias. The first alocasias made me very nervous in a first 2-3 weeks, but now I find them easy. I'm sure that my secret is a good light and a bit more attention in watering (got them in terracotta or transparent perforated plastic pots. Big ones in my soil mix (peat, perlite activated charcoal, pine bark, polystyrene foam chunks (cactus people taught me the trick for the airation).. Babies and corms are in sphagnum. Two babies in some black aquarium semihydro. I'm curious but sceptical about the semihidro mixes for alocasias. Lechuza is crazy expensive here, hopefully gonna do something of mine. The idea about new way of watering is absolutely stressful. Gonna experiment with some of my propagations someday. And the biggest begonia people in the country (they create their new beautiful hybrids) use and advise for begonias professional peat, pine bark mixed with yagel moss (forest moss which they collect in the forrest, make it dry and put everywhere even for cucumbers). And my begonia mix is just peat+perlite, and it seems not enough. The first violet whitch I resqued from the trash is just about to bloom from day to day. It's a pity that, I can't show them all to you. All the aroids started for me this year. I'm not into orchids, scindapsuses and a lot of other plant types but want to learn as much as I can (still I've got some room left). When I hear the plant bloggers speak about their plants, I see my people! And this is so exciting... I thought that I was alone like that, you know, treating plants like a children or green friends, not just decoration. It is so good to feel that I'm not alone. I'm not a social media person, and I just discovered the whole plant community worldwide. Can't tell you why, but your channel is my favourite. Memo, I also got some Greek bloods in me (as a lot of Ukrainians from the east and south). I could put this all in to 10 comments but wrote the long one. I'm your sincere fan, thank you again for the priceless care tips and the vibe. 😘💚🪴🌱🌈🫂

[@albawaterhouse]

I completely agree with not waiting for a succulent to have wrinkly leaves, it never ends well for me that way 😅 On the other hand, I only water my cacti when I feel that it's been too long since the last watering and I touch them and they are a bit thinner or not firm enough.

[@tropicalsupnorth6658]

Greetings, I liked your info on Aglaonemas. My best growers are the Amazon Silver and especially the Siver Bay. I’ve had the Silver Bay for over 12 months, and it is now a beautiful large big leaf bushy plant. It is about a metre and a half from a south facing window, but gets dappled sunlight through the plants that are in front of it, it also gets some light from growlights in the winter. I see it everyday and it lets me know when to water - the leaves start to droop! But you can’t wait, as soon as the drooping starts, water it. I have other coloured Aglaonemas, they are closer to the south window, but they are much, much slower in their growth habit.

[@Houseplantygoodness]

Greetings! Your insights on Aglaonemas, especially the Silver Bay, are super helpful. It's amazing how plants communicate their needs. Thanks for sharing your experiences and tips with the community! 🌱💧

[@tropicalsupnorth6658]

btw, the Silver Bay has never lost any leaves, it’s a full bush from top to bottom!

[@richardr5878]

Hey Memo. Actually have some questions for you! I’ve transitioned my Alocasia collection to Pon. They still live, so really learning 😂 Have you modified any of your Pon with perlite? Wondering if lightening it would help or meh….? In your solarium, I know you did the white for summer light control. I love it as your background. No winter removal? Understand that question has several layers. Maybe a video on your conservatory journey would be good. You brought back bad memories on the Pictum Tricolor. Can you imagine how great an idea it was for this to also be my first try at tissue cultures. 😂

[@Houseplantygoodness]

Hey Richard! Transitioning to Pon can be a learning curve, but it sounds like you're doing great! Adding perlite can indeed help with aeration. The conservatory's white background is a year-round choice for now, not by choice, but I cannot remove it easily this year 🤦‍♂️😅😭. A conservatory journey video is a great idea - thanks! 🌿🎥 Wow on the Pictum and the tissue culture.... that was super brave 😲😲😲😲

[@gfamily1943]

Chinese evergreens are super easy if you can wrap your head around their lighting requirements. When giving care instructions on this genus that’s where I give the most detail and where I find newbies mess up the most

[@Houseplantygoodness]

Absolutely, Chinese evergreens can be surprisingly adaptable. Lighting is key! Thanks for sharing your care tips - they're super helpful for the community. 🌱💡

[@gfamily1943]

If anyone is reading this and actually wants advice, the lighting for Aglaonema plants is tricky because these are such shade loving plants. So you have to think of them as light adjacent plants. Always tucked off to the side of a window or pulled way back into a room. With grow lights I always place these 3 feet or more below AND at least 3 feet off to the side of my light. Even the highly varigated Chinese evergreens will melt on you if placed directly below a light source. The only windowsill I place these in, is a north facing window (I am in the northern hemisphere) Watch for the leaves curling dramatically under, yellowing or drooping (sign you are giving too much light) and always use a chunky well draining soil mix as these are aroids 👍❤️😁

[@dollydhanraj7158]

Love the really nice bright fusion color of your top..bright to start 2024 I guess. Wink

[@Houseplantygoodness]

Thank you! Bright colors for a bright start to 2024 indeed. Glad you liked it! 😄🌈

[@carolinebaines8735]

I just got a 2” Aglaonema Pictum Tricolor for $21. I wouldn’t pay the crazy prices either so was happy to get it. I figure it’ll be 2-3 years before I have a decent sized plant… but she’s a cutie now!

[@Houseplantygoodness]

That's a steal for an Aglaonema Pictum Tricolor! Patience will definitely pay off as it grows. Enjoy watching your plant baby flourish! 🌱👀

[@loriedmundson782]

Good information for new plants to explore. Thank you. Agree wholeheartedly with your assessment of fuzzy prickly pear cactus. Ouch! No matter how I handled it I spent an hour picking out the minute thorns. Thankfully not in my collection any more!

[@Houseplantygoodness]

Thank you for your feedback! Exploring new plants is always exciting. And yes, fuzzy cacti can be quite a challenge, but it's all part of the plant parent adventure. Happy planting! 🌵👋

[@Kim-ts8nq]

Love your videos. I believe that you said that you got a new Mike. I want to let you know that you should hollow at my end. I am still watching it anyway. Wouldn’t miss it

[@Houseplantygoodness]

Thanks for sticking with me despite the sound issues! 🙏 The new microphone is now in action, so future videos will sound much better. Your support means a lot. Thank you for still watching! 😊🌿

[@lizzielangan]

great video as usual! agree 100% I would add tradescantia to this list and interestingly all of them are always sold in an abundance in all the big box stores where beginners will usually purchase

[@Houseplantygoodness]

Great suggestion about adding Tradescantia to the list! It's interesting how plant availability varies. Thanks for your feedback and support! 🌿🛒

[@lisaplanty]

HI Memo just wondering if you have a spiritus Sancti I’m getting my first one next week. If you do any pointers? I’m not a beginner I have over 100 plants thanks so much

[@Houseplantygoodness]

Hi Lisa! Oh, a spiritus Sancti sounds exciting! Make sure it gets plenty of indirect light and be mindful of overwatering. They love high humidity. Enjoy your new addition! 🌱💦 I am still trying to figure out mine, but I will say it is relatively resilient as long as the roots are ok, but in my experience it has been quite slow, but steady in its growth.

[@SparkleInMoonlight]

Oh, such a cool video, Memo :-) I very much liked the content. Aglaonema, succulents and cacti are a true challenge for me (I channel my inner coffea arabica spirit and tend to overwater them even with a moister meter :-D ). I love alocasias (in Lechuza pon) - I have an alocasia-addiction (esp. the jewell ones)😀 Should I have only 1 plant, I would have my beloved Alocasia Silver Dragon (for me the best plant ever). On Halloween, I got 5 rex begonia cuttings and propagating them in water (100 % success) - now I want to plant them all into Lechuza pon semi-hydro (I hope they´ll like it). But how to plant a rex begonia when there are little begonias popping up from the leafstalk, the veins of the leaf, the bottom - how to plant them so that the bottom ones survive? Please any advice? There are plenty of begonias everywhere now, but what to do with them 😀

[@Houseplantygoodness]

Oh, thank you for your kind words! 😊 It's great to hear about your plant adventures. With rex begonias, try planting them in a way that allows the bottom ones some light and space - maybe at the pot's edge. Keep experimenting, and you'll find the perfect method! 🌱💡

[@virginib1028]

Love your videos! 👍

[@Houseplantygoodness]

Thank you so much! Your support means the world to me. Stay tuned for more! 👍🌿

[@jessicapetrin1655]

Love your videos but what’s up with the sound the last couple of videos?

[@Houseplantygoodness]

Thanks for your support! Sadly the first 2 videos of the year were filmed with a new camera that apparently had a great mic... as you can tell sadly that was not the case 😬😅 but I have already upgraded the microphone for future videos and the two videos filmed this week already have much much better sound like before. Your understanding and patience are much appreciated! 🎤🌿

[@superarild]

hi friend! I have been struggling through winter, I partially heat my house with firewood, and all of my tropical plants hate it :( my alocasia dragon scale also died, though I suspect.... well something other than dry air. but my tigrina superba is going strong! maybe I'm a large plant kind of person? is there a word for that?

[@Houseplantygoodness]

Hey friend! It sounds like you're doing a great job adapting to your plants' needs. Winter can be tough for tropicals. Large plants can indeed be rewarding - there's a special joy in nurturing them. Keep going, and you'll find your plant groove! 🌱🔥

[@cecile436]

I really don't vibe with begonias. Never bought one and I don'T think I'll go for one. One of the first plants I got (beside orchids) was my alocasia silver dragon, it's still going strong (granted, not all my alocasias are still going... I really want to find a green dragon again, and the red secret. I actually love the one with the metallic tones, but these two didn't survive the cold, dark and rainy August we had) I just got spider mites on my frydek (variegata) and jacklyn. I'm going to fight for them XD

[@Houseplantygoodness]

Everyone has their plant preferences, and that's totally okay! Alocasias, especially the Silver Dragon, are stunning. Good luck with the spider mites - those little guys can be quite the challenge. 🕷️🌱

[@cecile436]

@@Houseplantygoodness Yeah, I already had some on my calatheas, they are really annoying. But I don't want to lose my frydek, I got it as a single tiny leaf and now it grew bigger and has quite a few leaves, I'm ready to fight for it. :D

[@lindaedwards4632]

Many of those plants are quite challenging. Especially succulents, figuring out their watering is a nightmare! I love them but …. 🤦‍♀️😀🇨🇦

[@Houseplantygoodness]

Linda, you're not alone in finding succulents challenging! Their watering needs can indeed be a bit of a puzzle. But that's part of the fun, right? 😅 Keep experimenting, and you'll find the right balance. 🌵😊

[@DaphneTriesPlants]

I haven’t had luck with cacti, I can’t get the watering right 😢 But my grandma gave me a bigger, established ball cactus and since I changed the soil in November (it was in very compacted old garden soil) and watered it, I haven’t watered at all and it hasn’t shown any signs of thirst. It’s hard for me to see the signs on a cactus, so I’m worried if maybe I should water it?

[@Houseplantygoodness]

Cacti watering can be a challenge. It sounds like your ball cactus is doing well on minimal water. Watch for signs of thirst, but if it looks happy, you're probably on the right track! 🌵💦 best if it is is winter where you are currently, leave it until May time when it starts getting lighter and warmer and then water. It always shocks me with true catuses, that you truly do stop watering for months 😬😅

[@DaphneTriesPlants]

@@Houseplantygoodness thanks for the advice 🙏 Succulents are easy for me to read but cacti give me anxiety 😄

[@smotritel1082]

You should not! The whole body of the cactus is like a bottle. It is opposite to other plants. Bigger cactus - longer pauses between the waterings. The "ball cactus" is echinocactus grusonii or something else? Cactus people say - remember that a dry cactus is alive cactus. A true sign that cacti should be watered is that it gets smaller and lighter. You can use a scale to weight it. I don't use scales I' I'm too lazy for that, and my cacti are not so big and old. I'm truly curious about the soil mix you gave it. And the lights it's getting, and a condition of the roots you discovered and the size and type of the pot you use. There is more than one option, which is ok and some are not so. You water a cactus in a warm period of the year in a 2-4 days after the soil is completely dry. It depends on the soil mix and the light level of yours. When it's too hot, you also don't water your cacti (they are in shock and can't drink). I often forget to water mine and it kills no one, but I killed 3 with overwatering or high humidity in cold period. Also, a good way to kill a cactus is a fertilizer.

[@DaphneTriesPlants]

@@smotritel1082 Thank you so much for the detailed info! I believe the species is an echinopsis oxigona (from researching online the appearance of the ball itself and how the flower looks - I saw my grandma’s older one). The ball is about 9cm in diameter, roots were 10 or more cm long with lots of secondary roots. I put it in a 11 cm plastic pot with plenty of drainage holes and planted it about 3 cm lower than the lip. I used cacti/succulent soil mix and added more perlite because this particular mix compacts a lot after watering in my experience. The cactus sits in a cover pot on a southeast windowsill, the brightest spot possible in my flat, but it gets a bit cooler next to the window at night, although we have nice windows, so there’s no draft.

[@annemariekoppelaar-passiev5771]

I have most of my cacti and succulents in terracotta pots. These pots dry out much faster which is actually a good thing for these types of plants because overwatering (or staying too wet for too long) is death cause number one. It helped me a lot with getting the watering right. And when I think the soil is really dry I always wait another week to be sure…

[@emmatelford1784]

You have no idea how many people give opuntias in our garden center a stroke 😬. I used to warn them now I think 'you'll learn' 🤣

[@diane5454]

Just FYI. I could understand everything you said but the sound kinda sounded like you were recording in a large tin can or a public restroom. Something was different about the sound in this video. Good video anyway.

[@Houseplantygoodness]

Thanks for the feedback, Diane! Yes, the sound was a bit off due to some equipment transitions, namely the new camera has a horrible Mic 😣. I've since upgraded the mic, so you can expect better audio in upcoming videos. Glad you enjoyed the video regardless! 🌿🎤

[@pamelascott5859]

Since you got the new camera the video looks clear but the sound not so clear, sounds like in a hallow room.

[@Houseplantygoodness]

Thanks for noticing the video clarity! Yes, the sound was a bit echoey due to some mic issues, but it's got it sorted now so future videos should have good audio again. Appreciate your feedback! and thanks for sticking with it for the past couple of videos 📹🌿

[@cate7777]

Ah succulents... You'd think that someone like me who lives in Southern California--- the desert end of the state would have no problems with these guys. I can manage almost any tropical what ever, but succulents mystify me. I have managed to rot them too many times. Consequently, I have very few of them.

[@Houseplantygoodness]

Ah, succulents can be tricky! They often thrive on neglect. Maybe try a well-draining soil mix and less frequent watering. Don't give up; you've got this! 🌵💧 but if you do, I get it, I am kinda in the same boat 😅

[@Kim-ts8nq]

🌴

[@Houseplantygoodness]

🌴 Thank you for watching all the way through! Your support is immensely appreciated. 😊🌿

[@Carly_Anne05]

Memo the audio on this video was echoed and not very good??