Why We Kill So Many Houseplants, But Spend Billions On Them Anyway | Big Business

[@Gardeningat58N]

This video is pretty much my exact topic for my final dissertation at university. A lot of the points that this short report discussed are the same as the ones I found 10 years ago. A few key factors I came across that wasn't mentioned in this video is the fact that to save cost growers only use pots and enough fertiliser to keep the plant looking good up until the point of sale. Once bought repotting is required for most plants and this greatly increases the chance of survival. Plus if the plant dies shortly after it's bought by a customer it is a great business model as the customer will usually buy another plant to replace it. 5:46 Another key factor is that there are several popular houseplants that are not well suited to our homes, either because of light levels, humidity or temperatures. Making many types of houseplants are hard to look after without special care, such as miniature roses, Poinsettias and Azaleas. Finally the labels on most houseplants are too generic or lack enough detail to fully educate the customer on how to look after their new plant.

[@samuelh1766]

I didn’t know that about the fertiliser they use, interesting!

[@tipoulio]

Maybe you should interview to a large scale grower before sending that dissertation, while what you say is true you don't seem to have the full picture in mind and the grower's side of the picture. The reasons of some of the points you mention are more complex and nuanced than you think. If your paper is serious I would add an interview with a grower to it, to get their side.

[@SenpaiDeoxys]

@@tipoulio their “side” is simply people are too stupid to do any basic research for themselves. you don’t even have to buy a book for plants anymore just google it. We sell plants that are meant to be taken care of from the second you buy them, not plop them in a window sill with two hours of indirect light and water them when you remember lol. regardless, those are the repeat customers 🤷🏻 that and companies with offices, which are arguably worse

[@Cryostrike]

Where can I find your research paper

[@Gardeningat58N]

​@@tipoulio I went into a lot more detail in the dissertation, there are very many factors which affect why nurseries ship plants which won't stay healthy for more than a few months after shipping. The first is species choice, many of the plants which customers like don't grow well in a household environment, also many of the plants that might grow well in a household environment are slow/uneconomical to produce cheaply at a large scale and so are more expensive or sold in lower volumes. Another factor is pot size, keeping the pot size to a minimum is done for a few reasons, first is cost as less a smaller pot requires less materials such as compost, fertiliser and pots. Also at nursery scale production watering is usually done either as over head irrigation, as flood beds or with capillary matting, this drastically reduces labour costs, but with such methods a small pot size for the size of the plant must be used. If a small plant is placed in a large pot the compost dries out too slowly and leading to root rot as the compost becomes anaerobic. Another cost factor is transport, compost weighs a lot more than the actual plant and when transported on the European Danish trolley system plants can be crammed in closely together with the pots stacked three high per shelf for large or tall stock. Another cause of pot bound plants is legislation, most plants cannot be sold unless the roots fill the pot, this is done so that when buying a plant the retailer knows what size the plant will be. This stops nurseries from selling a tiny 1 month old plant in a large 5L pot, the plant roots have to fill the pot so that when you order a 5L potted plant it is not the same size as a 1L potted plant. I've experienced some nurseries still doing this despite the legislation and in a previous job as a garden centre manager I had to send the plants back to the nursery for a refund. Many nurseries don't intentionally sell plants that will degrade quickly after purchase, but due to legislation and economics they have no option. It takes a huge amount of resources, energy, growing time, greenhouse space, plant passports and labour house to produce a plant which might be sold for less than a Euro. So without mechanised production facilities and streamlined production it is a very hard business to be profitable in. Which is another reason they have to be tight with pot size, compost and fertiliser. Another issue is that the Horticultural industry usually lists houseplants along side cut flowers in sales reports and a lot of the retail infrastructure is the same as the cut flower industry(auction houses and transport). So big parts of the industry see houseplants as perishable goods to cut flowers which they expect the customer to throw them out after a month, this is especially so for floral houseplants. I've only researched and worked in the the European and Asian horticultural industry so some things like plant passports, legislation and plant passports may differ in the US.

[@dangitbobby.3942]

Now im kinda proud of always buying clearance plants that need to be revived, I love seeing them come back to life & grow again from almost nothing makes my heart so happy.

[@skadi6750]

If it makes you feel less consumerist, whatever floats your boat:-D Generally its the same.

[@TheSpoonieSloth]

I love nurturing a plant back to life as well! It's so satisfying 😌

[@dangitbobby.3942]

@@skadi6750 well better for them to end up in my home where they'll survive, thrive & the pot will get reused rather than staying at the store dying ending up in the dumpster & subsequently a land fill.

[@dangitbobby.3942]

@hyrulphicsound I live in a very small town so the one store we have here hardly gets any house plants at all, that could be why they put them on clearance. But I really hope big city stores aren't doing that when they could just mark it down & still make a little money instead of being greedy & wasteful. There's a nursery in a closeby city to me that composts the dead plants & sells the pots for like 10 cents, I'd go there more if it wasn't so far.

[@suburbanearth9076]

Exactly what I do too haha. It’s so satisfying to bring them from the brink! I actually got $2 clearance plants several days ago at Lowe’s 😍 saved over $300 that day and spent less than $60!! Some plants I got are well worth the original tags of $50+. I’ll never understand why people pay full price for plants that will be reduced in a matter of months 😅

[@Peleski]

The question shouldn't be "do you need that plant?". It should be, "what environment and care needs does this plant have, and am I able to consistently provide them?".

[@MJ-lh1ci]

This is the most important question any gardener should ask himself. I learned that lesson the hard way. So no succulents for me other than euphorbias but most of the waterloving shade plants thrive here.

[@Stormer2620]

Yeah, something tells me that quote was taken out of context

[@ThaoNguyen-hl6mb]

I think she was talking about people buy trendy plants compulsively due to the influence of social media without understanding the skills and cost required to keep up.

[@justjules327]

Yes! This is the question I ask myself anytime I bring a living thing into my home. Whether animal or plant. Can I provide a home for this thing, where it will not just live but thrive? For me, that means low-light tolerant plants and giving them grow lights. This also means be careful if you are gifting a plant. I have many well-intentioned family and friends gift me plants. But they need high light and I live in a forest where none of my windows have high light. That succulent will never be happy in my home. But Pothos thrive.

[@strandedinseattle9931]

I've been known to pull up websites/plant apps on my phone while standing over a store display to read more about a plant before I truly consider buying it. Don't be a lazy plant owner - learn what the plant needs and make sure you can provide it prior to acquisition.

[@malcolmrose3361]

When I lived in London, my wife was friends with a florist who, amongst other things, supplied local offices with orchids. Now, if you have ever owned orchids you'll know that for several months a year they are beautiful plants with flowers - and the rest of the year they are essentially are pretty much a stick in a pot. Needless to say, the offices only wanted flowering orchids so the florist would deliver new orchids in flower and bring back the "stick in a pot" orchids to her little shop. But she was running out of room - so my wife started bringing them home. But then we ran out of room in the kitchen and bathroom for them. I took a couple to work and put them in the kitchen there - that led to me bringing in "rescue" orchids for the other staff to take home, and giving instruction on basic care for them, and where to put them for best results - it used to amuse me that I know next to nothing about plants but that people would have confidence in what I told them just because I was holding a healthy orchid in my hand!

[@helenetrstrup4817]

Orchids aren't that hard to care for compared to other plants, they just take a little patience. I have 11 phalaenopsis orchids and 6 of them are blooming at the moment. 2 of them I've had for more than 15 years with regular blooms 1-2 times a year. My mom has an orchid that has bloomed continuously since December 2020, it's getting a bit ridiculous at this point. 😆

[@AlliasEllie]

@@helenetrstrup4817 Indeed! I have never managed to kill an orchid, even tho all of mine are store bought. Of the other flowers, usually the ones that were adopted from other people's homes are the ones that survive, whereas store-bought ones die withing the year. Orchids are somehow easier, despite rumors!

[@helenetrstrup4817]

@@AlliasEllie I am not killing my orchids either, I haven't purposefully killed one or even killed one by accident. They just tend to be little suicidal phoenixes. 😅 I currently have one that made a center spike, meaning it can no longer grow new leaves. It grew 6 buds, only one has opened in the past 3 months and it's dropped 2 buds with a 3rd bud about to shrivel up and fall off too. I have another one that decided it didn't want its top-most leaf, it withered, died, and fell off. So I am really not sure if it is capable of growing new leaves anymore as it's been a year and a half since that stunt. It's made two keiki, though and one of the keiki is currently in bloom and both are doing well. I also bought a cheap trio from a bit of an iffy batch at the grocery store back in July and shortly after I got them, one of them decided to die and fall apart completely. It didn't really surprise me as they all looked like they wanted to off themselves to escape the misery of what had most likely been a horrendous transport issue, I have managed to keep the other two from falling apart, so that's nice, one is blooming and the other is severely stressed but recovering. The dying one revived itself with a keiki a few weeks to a month later. Point is, as long as they've got a healthy root system, they can usually bounce back given time and care. 😁

[@clareswinney1087]

Love this.

[@tiyangina3571]

@@helenetrstrup4817 Im am kind of relieved to hear that my moms phalaenopsis isnt a mutant plant. Its blossoming madly ever since mid november last year. its crazy. never drops blossoms, instead twig, after twig after twig of new buds come out of it and at this point I had to put a stone next to the pot to stop it from falling over because of all these blossoms! It also needs about 3 times the amount of water all the other orchids get, or it will threaten to throw some of those blossoms away XD

[@XxLadyxGaladrielxX]

Worth mentioning that there would be a lot less shirkage if box stores like Home Depot discounted their plants instead of just throwing away ones that could be nursed back to health, or throwing away plants because they are perfectly fine yet still there when the next set up comes. The number of times I have seen plants, from costa farms, that have a few dry leaves, or other minor cosemetic things that could easily be saved yet are thrown away is incredibly depressing. Nor are these plants composted, they are thrown, fancy planters and all, straight down a compactor. This is down by plant reps, but the box store selling them should take a stance and responsibility to not kill them. Succulents are frequently rotted by improper watering, it's such a simple thing guys.

[@HaidarAlyse]

I wonder if that’s at the discretion of the store? I’ve been able to buy clearance plants at my local Home Depot/Lowes in the PNW. That is super sad that they’re being tossed.

[@xedocat]

The reason why hd rarely discounts plants is that hd doesnt pay for the plants they have in store. When a plant dies, it's a loss for costa farms, not hd. There is no incentive to discount the plants on hd's side

[@XxLadyxGaladrielxX]

@@xedocat You're absolutely right. and the people throwing them away are vendors, not hd employees. But HD is a large chain, as is Costa. If either wanted too, they could make a change, even if it was donating the plants they were going to toss to a local seed/gardening club. But they can't be bothered since it won't increase profit.

[@beerificreviews9554]

Plants on clearance are store owned and therefore put on clearance . Plants in the trash are vendor owned and must be trashed. It’s a vendor decision , not store .

[@CostaFarms]

​@@HaidarAlyse: Discounting is a decision made by the retailer. The supplier doesn't tell them how to sell their products.

[@heyjude5027]

I now appreciate my husband for stopping me on buying new plants. Bought beautiful and tall ones before but most of them died due to overwatering. I tried to save some by cutting / propagating them and it worked. I may have lost the original plants but their descendants are alive and getting more beautiful. Learning to care for them is better than bringing in new ones.

[@cour2knee]

Good for you. I am a “successful/competent” plant owner now but there have been times when I would watch a plant die; leaf by leaf, and I never thought to snip one off. Happy to say I am ‘giving clipper’ now. I once saw a lovely young lady eyeing up some ‘angel wings’ at a home improvement store. After she checked out the plant, looked at the price tag and quickly moved on, I asked her if she wanted one of the plants. Lol. I felt like a creep and like I was stealing from the store, but I told her I had a more beautiful/rare version and was happy to give her a clipping. I sent her off with a healthy angel wing clipping and several others. I love to 🥰 propagate 🥰

[@strandedinseattle9931]

If you ever decide to try being a plant person, here's some tips from my own stumbling... I have a tendency to over-water, so I mix cactus potting soil into my regular potting soil + perlite. That means the the soil won't hold onto as much water and thus waterlog the roots. I don't own any plants which cannot live happily in this mixture and avoid ones which can't. When I water now I don't over saturate because I know I will be back there in 3-5 days for another water shot. Exception: Pothos and Philodendrons, I have a tendency to over water and now use a moisture meter to prevent this (they are cheap and so useful!). Get one for yourself, that will be half your battle right there. Also, go with terracotta pots, they will help regulate your watering. They suck up the water from the soil and slow release it back out for the plant to thrive rather than drown in. There are other unglazed clay pots which perform similarly, and they have been a game changer for me. Also, they can help keep you from over-watering because you can either visually confirm the pot is still damp and darker, or if you touch it and it is cool and moist you will know not to water yet.

[@WaterspoutsOfTheDeep]

Yup, you almost have to assume you'll kill them at some point. So always propagate backups. Or at least start trying to learn how to. Nothing is worse that finding a certain plant variety that you absolutely love and you kill and you can't even find it again because it's out of production.

[@anima6035]

@@cour2knee I would love if someone saw me looking at plants and offered me free cuttings 😭❤️ I'm shy but that would be so dope, that's the sort of thing you remember for ever! Once I was travelling on my own abroad and went in a cafe for lunch when the girl working said I don't have to pay for my sandwich because I "look like a nice person", I'll always remember her! Totally made my day as I was feeling a bit lonely at that point lol 🌞 x

[@cour2knee]

@@anima6035 awe! That’s so sweet!!

[@Annabelle10074]

I love to propagate. Been doing it since college. Thank you Mom for teaching me how to take care of plants, I have killed a few but not 70%! I have over 30 different types of plants in my house. Lots I have I have propagated so now I have two or three of the same plant.

[@d-emprahexpects]

Way to go!!

[@pamplantsmn5879]

Lending or receiving cuttings from others’ cool plants? Propagation sounds fun

[@flamenmartialis6839]

I've also killed some plants. But on the positive side is that I got some plants that is said to be difficule care for to flower.

[@annabughman1886]

Me too! It’s so fun! Occasionally a plant will start to show signs of stress and instead of throwing it away I’ll trim the bottom and regrow the roots in water. Or propagate, especially coleus, from last year’s over wintered plants for this years outside annuals.

[@diannenaworensky6698]

Ann I also LOVE to propagate!! So now I ONLY buy plants that I know I can propagate so I can give them to friends 🌼🌼🌼

[@DanBrown96]

So 70% of plants die under the hands of professional growers before they get to the store yet the premise of this video is that homeowners are neglectful for having the exact same ratio of success? Maybe trying to grow something under artificial conditions is just challenging. For everyone.

[@seiyuokamihimura5082]

Certain plants just literally can't be grown under even the best of artificial conditions.

[@jwiereng]

Seems like a poor grower and poor business if 70 percent of plants die before getting to stoke shelves. 100% of the beef, pork and chicken is dead on the store shelf

[@didostempest2966]

The soil some houseplants are packed in are only meant to be temporary. Low drainage soil/ moss kills plants

[@Albinojackrussel]

Also a lot of plants are just in terrible conditions when they arrive with the home grower. A big issue I see chronically with cometial plants is that they're over crowded. Notice how when they plant the cuttings they're putting several cuttings in a small pot. This creates the illusion of a much bigger more mature plant, but takes a lot less time to make than a mature plant. So instead they over crowd the cuttings and if you don't immediately take the plant out of the pot and repot them half the time they'll all die. And these guys aren't even over crowding that badly. For Christmas we got given a plant that when I finally got round to unpotting it turned out to be about 7-8 plants in a pot of about 6 inch diameter. I was busy and didn't have time/pots to repot them all for about a month, so now they're dead.

[@didostempest2966]

@@Albinojackrussel you’re so right. Mini roses for example! They’re usually 4 stems tightly packed, they look beautiful for a week and then take the biggest nose dive. Compacted roots are the worst.

[@austinfreyrikrw6651]

So glad they are using predatory mites instead of chemical insecticides to deal with pests in the greenhouse.

[@lamnad]

Watching this made me proud of how I have started to grow plants from seed and reuse plastic pots. It also makes me wonder how much I could get for the lemon saplings I just gave away.

[@sarahluchies1076]

Any tips on growing those? I am good at growing things in general, but I've never been successful with citrus.

[@lamnad]

@@sarahluchies1076 I wish I could give advice, but I just looked at the seeds from a lemon I was squeezing and planted them on a lark in the cheapest potting soil from lowes. I live in Florida, so it's not hard. I've had a harder time with beets.

[@Strwbbe]

we grew avocado seeds, its great

[@theweatherisaokay4964]

I bought once and keep using the same polybag to grow vegetables until they are really rot and can't be use, like 10 seasons and they are so much cheaper than any pots.

[@ar3kszumowsky750]

If it was grafted plant you could get 25-50$ (if it was small one) or 50-150$ (if to was a bigger plant)

[@thingkingBOX]

I bought a dying Adansonii with 3 leaves last summer of 2020 for $3.00 (₱150.00). Now I have 8 pots with maybe 15-25 leaves each from that plant... Just sharin' 🙂

[@obduliocerceno4984]

Wow 🤩 that’s smart! Way to go!!!

[@yuukihinamori2310]

Same with me! It was a sad looking adansonii with tons of damaged leaves so decided to take it home and bought potting mixes and a cocopole. Now its producing a lot of leaves and propogates a lot of them. Key is basically good light, airflow, watering and temperature.

[@astaridjatmiko8187]

@Rollie Rafanan then you could sell them

[@priscillayg]

That’s inspiring! I just bought an Adansonii from a neighbor for $3 too and it’s burnt and sad looking. I’m planning on repotting it soon and helping it flourish ✨hopefully I can get it to thrive like your plant.

[@jcrow236]

I reuse those pots when I grow my my veggie seedlings. Most of my plants are clippings with some I have taken to my office..

[@martinsmith1110]

Hello Jennifer, good evening, you look nice in those glasses...

[@Mylifesuckslol]

@@martinsmith1110 creep

[@rohan-ku4gl]

@@martinsmith1110 wth is wrong with you you weirdo

[@AaaaNinja]

One thing I don't even know has even been addressed is the sourcing of peat moss and its devastating environmental impact. It's a non-renewable resource and the bogs are a natural habitat. It doesn't even matter if people multiply their own plants. They have to put them in..... soil that they also buy from the store.

[@joshs3775]

For real. My local nursery posted about recycling pots and I was shocked people would throw those away then go buy pots wtf

[@cindycin9]

My favorite thing to do with house plants when I get them home is divide them by it's roots. The plant usually will make 2 or more separate plants that I can repot. A $15 plant will be well worth the purchase because I just made it into 7 plants that will grow individually. This is how I convince myself a plant is worth the price!

[@WaterspoutsOfTheDeep]

A 4 dollar african violet can easily make 20+ more plants and you can have every window in the house covered with them and blooming almost all year. Just a few leaves snapped off and they propagate several baby plants.

[@cindycin9]

@@WaterspoutsOfTheDeep An African Violet? Wow! That's amazing!! I definitely will try that! Thanks for that tip 🌷🌷🌷. Have a great weekend!

[@risksandhope1849]

I rescued this string of peas that was withering, but it was pretty long and full so I took a chance. Got it home, discovered it was absolutely soaked and most of its roots were rotting. Took the soil apart, repotted it, and hoped it had enough roots to take hold. Those peas are so beautiful now, I've never seen a plant so happy in my window. It's amazing what the right amount of water can do.

[@ferelcopter5126]

Mine was saddly killed short after coming home :( i tryed my best but apparently it was already full of sfids and they putted too much need oil on those strings, so much it was sticky

[@kushagraverma6456]

"You havent grown a plant unless you killed it three times" as a gardener, THIS IS 100 percent TRUE. Also, OMG $100 for one single plant??? woah. I can buy 700 fruit trees (yes, Trees....full big ass trees) for that much money where I live. My heart goes out to y'all :(

[@hamza0610]

Where are you getting 100 rs fruit trees in India

[@kushagraverma6456]

@@hamza0610 van vibhaag nursery (govt nursery) I bought mango tree for 30 rupees Also i said $100 hundred DOLLAR) NOT INDIAN RUPEE. $100 is 7400 indian rupee.

[@Louis.slmn93]

and 100 dollars is not much for many rare varieties , i sometimes see cuttings go for 300 or 400 € , and they sell relatively fast !

[@hamza0610]

@@kushagraverma6456 i bought a mango sapling yesterday from a government nursery for 110 rs. How can you buy a big ass tree for 30 rupees

[@kushagraverma6456]

@@Louis.slmn93 yeah ik but plants are cheaper where I live. Also you are using euro. 400 euros is a lot for us. even 100 dollars. we can get varieties for as low as 0.36 euros

[@bobrobertsNotUrBob]

Just a word of warning, always treat coco coir as if it has a high salt (salinity), always soak and rinse and before putting plants in, be sure to add extra calium and magnesium as the coir will absorb it faster than the plant roots will.

[@skadi6750]

Or maybe dont plant aroids in a pure coco coir at all in home conditions, since those plants suffer from root rot easily:-D

[@bobrobertsNotUrBob]

@The Bee Guy not true but yes organic is always better, bone meal or blood meal has some serious issues with it

[@bobrobertsNotUrBob]

@The Bee Guy Ive had bone meal where it went ransid (even thou i didnt use much) and that pot became a fly magnet and basically just smelled like a dead rat. Besiides that I there are other concerns like hormones and and another chemical which isnt good and ive had animals dig up any soil with bone meal in..yes it works but not ideal for many

[@Timmsy]

Thank you

[@kateturner8169]

I tested myself on just a couple plants for a year to see if I could keep them alive. I did, and then and only then did I allow myself to get more. I can say that watching this I'm proud of how I've gone about my hobby. I have only lost a very short list of plants, and I've been a big proponent of purchasing babies, cuttings, and trading from smaller sellers and ethical sellers. I save all my plastic pots, and I try very hard to provide healthy environments for all the plants I care for. I'm still not as particular about their setting as I could be, but I've got a thriving personal jungle going on and I'm really pleased with how I made that happen. It's nice to know the plants I acquired that came from costa originally came from a thoughtful company.

[@vfitepower5032]

I've worked at a couple of big box retailers. Those dying plants get thrown away; it's a massive amount of waste

[@Zincink]

Years ago I bought 2 ZZ plants, each $5. Now they want $39 for one. This price increase makes me think twice about not buying. What is good is that there are more varieties of plants than in previous years. Gardening is a multi generational forever sport.

[@DBT1007]

Multigenerational hobby

[@wildgr33n]

yes, i have an ivy my mom got from my grandma!

[@diannenaworensky6698]

Yes it is a SPORT. Not for the faint of heart either🌼🌼🌼

[@fridgemagnet9831]

Supply and demand, with that price growers have incentive to produce more of that. I wouldn't pay because there's always cheaper plants that easier to care for.

[@travelnomad2128]

I managed to kill 1 zz plant by overwatering. I bought another zz recently from home depot for abt $10. I learned my lesson from before, this zz is looking great & healthy. I water at least every 3rd week. Same with my money tree w/c I have for 7 years now, I water every 2 weeks.

[@wayne00k]

I've exactly the opposite problem. Nearly 25 years ago my wife was gifted a potted plant to celebrate her new job on Madison Ave in NYC. Ten years later she began working from home and brought the plant with her. I chop it. Deprive it of fertilizer and water and speak to it unkindly. Still it grows abundantly and takes up the entire window and shelf it sits upon. I know in my heart that there are several family keepsakes hidden and, likely now forever out of reach. If anyone wants an immortal plant you are welcome to retrieve it. Bring assistance and be advised that returns are not welcome.

[@andrewli2656]

Crowley from good omens

[@hmredacted2123]

It loves you guys :)

[@icannotbeseen]

my brother used to have one of these, it was a thorny one for extra fun. 80% of that plant grew behind a heater to make it extra difficult to move. I'm sure there's still a nest of thorny vines behind that heater 10 years later lol

[@osheaallen4429]

"Speak to it unkindly..." 💀💀💀💀

[@rvw3022]

Every product we buy should print the amount of resources that went into making that product on the product packaging. People would be more aware of their waste of resources.

[@BondJFK]

It will be 0.05% of something so people will still thinks its just small amount

[@raycrow3718]

Notice the man puts the plant on the belt, the women inspects it. Probably same pay. If the man wants more hrs then he makes more and its not fair. But yeah plant sequester co2 so if you're part of the climate police do some research on it first silly

[@dertythegrower]

@@raycrow3718 They make the same pay, I know all about Costa Farms and my content proves I grow for bigger companies.. heh.

[@dertythegrower]

@@raycrow3718 co2 isnt the issue bro, its methane.. co2 helps plants, I buy co2 commercially to expell onto plants like millions of other farmers.. youre naive heh.

[@raycrow3718]

@@dertythegrower but but Al Gore Man Bear Pig. Plus who knew the founder of the weather Channel sued AL to keep inconvenient truth out of schools

[@sorensouthard927]

I had a tea plant that shipped over Amazon. It was already practically dead, considering it's my first plant, I'm pretty proud of myself for reviving it.

[@anima6035]

You revived your first plant?! 😍👏👏🤚 That's an achievement, you must have the green thumb already!! I had to work on mine lol!

[@wildgr33n]

i got a bunch of different succulent cuttings from amazon a few years ago, most rooted and grew up nicely! (i tend to overwater these though so not sure how many i actually still have from that pack)

[@ripaklaus764]

tbh biggest reasons why plants die early at home is bad watering and to little light.

[@nota1x568]

Damn no way bruh didnt think of that

[@hanoianboy9562]

@@nota1x568 It's simple, but often overlooked. People are really scared of putting plants out in the light for some reason, or just straight up don't know how much light a plant needs. Overwatering, believe it or not, is more common than underwatering.

[@Cadavu2]

@@hanoianboy9562 lol😅😅

[@icannotbeseen]

Some die of too much light! also a thing some people probably miss is temperature. I used to not have an issue with this for most of my life because I always had quality windows until I moved to a crappy house with basically no insulation. came home from a week of christmas vacation to find all plants in the living room with mushy leaves on the window facing side. damn

[@zakosist]

I think also the quality of light. Normal indoor lights aren't nearly as effective as actual sunlight or lights that have been made to mimic sunlight for plants (there are also UV lights for reptiles for that sake, which some of them do need specifically). Brighter lights and actual UV lights may help. But nowadays electricity has gotten really expensive (in Europe) with warnings that it only will increase in the future. So maybe getting house plants is not the best idea at all. And artificial plants could be a better alternative. If you plan on keeping it for several decades and even pass it on afterwards, I think artificial plants may even be better for the environment. It has the benefit of not fading away over time (otherwise I dont know how they compare)

[@jenniferbethparishwhite688]

I always feel so sorry for the plants in big box stores. I cannot help setting a fallen plant upright or returning a plant to the nursery after someone left it on a shelf where it won't get watered. Also, I get so mad when I see them sitting there starving for water, that I will water them myself.

[@danisonice.]

Don't throw your nursery pots away😭😭😭😭 you'll need it once you start getting pups/cuttings

[@pathfinderwellcare]

I wonder how they get their consumer stats. I've been growing plants for 26 years and I have plants from that time. I don't kill plants. Rather I foster and then give as gifts. I know a lot of people like this. There are good plant family members as much as there are inexperienced ones. 💕

[@WooLiz]

I’ve killed 2 plants in the last 4 years on my way to my 3rd because I decided to hate myself and get a begonia lol. I have a decent collection and learned a lot from KZbin care videos which helped me not murder all of my plants at the beginning of my plant journey. I think educating yourself on your plants is the key

[@elenalizabeth]

My weakness are calathea, I don’t know why but they are picky b*tches and I just cannot keep them alive, I’ve tried 5 different types and they all just ended up with black curling leaves or bugs. I’ve given up and stick with the easy to care for ones now 🤷‍♀️

[@WooLiz]

@@elenalizabeth oh yeah I killed my rattle snake last year 😅 curled up on me and shriveled up to die. I forgot to water it ONCE and it just decided it had enough I guess lol

[@ilyxr]

@@elenalizabeth Yeah, calathea are always the forbidden fruit of the houseplant world...a plant that cannot ever dry out, but doesn't want to be too wet, that wants humidity you can't provide. I think we all try them. I am currently trying a 'warcewiczii' - velvet leaf...it's going ok...I might have to just come to grips with the brown edges as a 'feature' at this point, haha.

[@helenetrstrup4817]

I've had my polka dot begonia for a year and a half, so it's survived it's 2nd winter with me and looks a lot better than it did this time last year. 😆 It flowered twice last summer. I dare say it's loving the view of the sunset from my window sill.

[@fionafiona1146]

We have grown avocados from seed but don't know where to move them if they grow much more

[@Ange-ns5be]

Not everyone is going to be good at taking care of plants. Its annoying to see this trendy now. Buy them cause you love them not cause theyre the new it trend.

[@bashfulbhargav]

Yes 💚

[@SpaceRanger187]

You don't have to be a scientist to water a plant. Don't take your lazyness out on the plant.Write it down,get an app your ass doesn't forget to eat all week,I don't want to hear it

[@Zincink]

Gardening is forever. It’s not a passing trend and can be a generational family tradition. I don’t appreciate the recent price gouging.

[@plantitasp]

@@SpaceRanger187 as a plant scientist I lowkey got offended XD hahahaha but I will say there are people who really can't tale care of plants, call it lazyness etc, they just can't

[@deaconsmom2000]

I've been buying Costa plants for decades. They're my favorite grower and I hate that all these novice influencers (not Summer Rayne - she's our Queen) think their three years of experience can compare to the decades of experience and expertise Costa has. You don't need to rip your new plants out of their soil. You don't know more than their team of scientists. Many Influencers (not the Queen) make novices feel as if they have to have all these expensive plants that are outside of their abilities. Grow what you can care for in your environment! Costa offers a ton of help and advice for their consumers. They have a customer care department and their horticulturalist, Justin Hancock, is very interactive on social media. He's a legend and he's always ready to help.

[@lemonierfroggie4904]

You have a very surface level way of thinking. Most people's main concern with Costa isn't the quality of their plants, it's the environmental impact Costa has. They create huge amounts of waste and carbon emissions, plus the carbon emissions released from their transporters and shippers. That's why it's always best to buy from local growers. I wouldn't buy from Costa if you truly care about your carbon footprint.

[@bluefox5331]

You also fail to realise that the soil is okay in the conditions they're grown in- A LOT of sun, very good airflow, and a focus on the most money made from mass production. Not only does your home have different parameters than that, but you're probably more interested in the exact plant's survival, not the cheapest method to make most grow. You either gotta fix your enviroment in your house (harder, sometimes impossible) or... change the smaller things to balance it out and make about the same result, as for example, making the soil more aerated. Sure, plants in nature don't have perlite. But they also don't have spaghnum moss that they're grown in in big producer's tents. And they also don't grow in homes when bought. It'd be like saying that the best knife, or brush, or anything other comes from big producers. It's probably not true... because they largely don't shoot for the highest quality. And I am sure if you look past youtube you will find people with experience and beautiful healthy plants as proof for their care who do things differently than Costa

[@CostaFarms]

​@@lemonierfroggie4904: The footprint may (potentially?) not be as bad as you think. We have a robust -- and ever-growing -- sustainability initiative, which includes solar panels, recycling hundreds of thousands of tons of plastic and cardboard, etc., as well as utilizing technology to decrease our energy inputs, composting, and more. We're certainly not perfect, but we are working on getting better. ---Justin, Costa Farms Horticulturist

[@hardstylelife5749]

As a plant grower I had several customers asking for any possible plants, and when I was attempting to explain “how to...”, the average response was punctually: “no worries, if it’ll die I’ll buy another one...”. One of the reason pushing me to close the business. Even people with the honest wish to give a shot in taking care of their plant, they all (let’s say 90%), lacked consistency...moral of the story, as many businesses the well-being of the “product” is rarely put into any consideration. The average “how to care...” pamphlets/labels are close to useless, leaving even the few truly interesting in caring their plants completely out of guidance/clues. And as we well know, as mankind we are often not too keen on learning deeply what surrounds us. Still, I’m optimistic about the whole matter, and that one day we will learn to use “critical thinking” (good for any other matter as well...) and expanding more our all around knowledge of what we have decided to make part of our life.

[@nunyabiznes33]

"Do your really need that plant?". A similar question should be asked every time we consider buying something.

[@neonmoon2119]

Yes! Anything

[@seiyuokamihimura5082]

Yes to trees, no to everything else. So a hard yesn't.

[@helenetrstrup4817]

Yes.

[@DRawwrrr]

Laughable that the woman who posed that question makes a living from posting plant videos on social media... wtf.

[@WaterspoutsOfTheDeep]

"Do your really need that plant?" Is frankly an absurd question. The answer is always no. It's a hobby, it's not cloths or some other necessity. The relevant question is "can you make use of it?".

[@giantalaskanworm719]

My mom kept buying succulents online but due to the long expedition time the plants arrived stressed. It's even harder trying to revive them they don't look as beautiful as advertised and the current rainy season is not helping much either, the plants got overwatered from the rain splatters and one by one the leaves rot and fall so we had to trim them. Even with my father years of gardening experience this is their first time with succulents and it's harder than it looks.

[@dertythegrower]

Craft Blend from BuildAsoil.. believe me I grow more than these in the video

[@DeepSeaLugia]

Don't buy plants online I bought a few shipped locally (in soil, no soil) they always look terrible and have a terrible time acclimatising. Succulents are fine if the seller waters it up to being super fat then unpotting it to let the roots dry out completely, once it arrives to your house plant it in dry media, but water it the next day. I have a few survivors that way. Most hybrids and variagated ones are allergic to life.

[@emilydurkee8664]

I've bought hundreds of plants online (mostly succulents) and only had maybe 5 die because of shipping. Make sure you can give the plant adequate care before you buy it and buy from sellers with good reviews/ guarantees

[@DarkR0ze]

Buy them in seed form if possible

[@WaterspoutsOfTheDeep]

Succulents are overrated and most of them a complete nightmare to keep as houseplants. Outside if you live in the right place they can be braindead easy. What is silly is how all the trendy fad expensive houseplants are absurd hard to keep and hard to even flower if they can. People need to go back to basics. Things like african violets, streps, epicia and so on are brain dead easy, and far more beautiful than virtually every fad plant, cheap and basically flower almost all year without too much effort. Super easy to propagate too.

[@seiyuokamihimura5082]

Costa farms' soil may be great for getting things to stores alive. Terrible for actually keeping them alive. Always repot In a custom blend as soon as you buy from them.

[@deaconsmom2000]

I disagree. I've been growing since the early 70s and I loved the introduction of the coco coir. I keep my Costa plants right where they are until they outgrow their containers. All my custom soil mixtures contain coco coir at some ratio.

[@seiyuokamihimura5082]

@@deaconsmom2000 coco coir isn't the problem. Problem is, some plants will indeed freak out if they are in coco coir rather than say, loam etc.

[@suburbanearth9076]

Agreed. The soils used are intended to keep the shelf longevity of plants that likely won’t get watered or touched at all by the employees who should tend to them. Then you’ve got people that just don’t do any research about the plants they purchase and don’t know you should put the plant in the appropriate type of soil once home. Coir can be too acidic for some plants and the other person in these comments is just lucky. Then goes on to state she re-pots in blends 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️ which would level out the water retention of the soil and provide nutrients.

[@AaaaNinja]

@@suburbanearth9076 If the more "traditional" peat moss is more acidic than coco coir, then how is coco coir too acidic for plants? Coco coir is neutral btw.

[@didostempest2966]

Those soils are built to drown those root systems. Cactus soil x potting mix saved all my grocery store plants. I’ve killed so many mini roses but now they’re growing like crazy. They love the easy drainage.

[@LazarusLong10]

I want to meet the person that invented the predatory bug gun!

[@dentatusdentatus1592]

Then allow me to introduce myself. 😎

[@karenvalfon]

It is just a leaf blower, common to gardeners, used to blow the dry grass and leaves after cutting.

[@ahdayum7904]

Honestly after watching this I want to go plant shopping

[@alexissandoval1284]

We had a tough winter and unfortunately lost a small house-tree after six years of caring for it. I was genuinely sad to have lost it after all this time caring for it. We had an air-plant that we cared for for four years, beyond the time the grower themselves thought it would last.

[@WaterspoutsOfTheDeep]

@FilthyDankWastemanFabuless all tillandsia are monocarpic?

[@icannotbeseen]

I lost my first dracaena of 12 years because I moved and left it at my parents' place, so my dad brought it to my place later... after leaving it in his car in -10°C winter for 12 hours. I was so heartbroken :( the water inside it froze and ruined the cells. pretty horrible death, too. that will never happen to me again for sure!

[@LeesaDeAndrea]

My last two homes did not have good natural lighting. Windows too sparse, no big windows on the southern side, too many large trees blocking the sun. So I gave up on houseplants. Now I only have one "houseplant" and it is artificial. The only care it needs is occasionally dusting the leaves.

[@amphreded]

There are plants that do well on low light - try snake plants

[@unoriginal1086]

you can get plant lights

[@cartoonkenj2209]

Pothos can thrive on fluorescent light, you just need the right plants. Also try ZZ plants or spider plants

[@fritzov]

@@unoriginal1086 but is that really feasible with todays energy prices, especially in Europe.

[@SilverScaleMA]

I actually have noticed that the costa farms plants I get very rarely die for me and most of the plants I buy in stores come from them. I also feel a lot better about the rare times one of my plants die now... Hell, my poinsettia I got this past December is still going strong and my oldest plant I have had is a Christmas cactus that I have had for over 7 years now.

[@CostaFarms]

So glad to hear!

[@suburbanearth9076]

Just because something looks pretty on a shelf doesn’t mean it doesn’t need adequate care. Plants get sabotaged at big box stores regularly. A ton of these supply nurseries do not put the plants in the appropriate substrates. Many water retaining substrates meant to keep the plant alive on a shelf, aren’t actually what’s good for the plant. It can affect the pH and root systems of the plants. Do your research. Always do your research. Tons of perennials go dormant. Being in your house doesn’t mean that it all of a sudden looses its “habits”. These plants would do the same thing in the wild. Feeding plants is also something extremely important but doing it at the right time is also extremely important. I’ve gotten more plants from Costa Farms than I care to admit and they’ve NEVER been high quality plants. Tons of pests, disease, and always an inappropriate substrate. Big names do not mean high quality. 👍

[@cielrobinson]

i work in a lowe's greenhouse. its painful how much we've thrown away. how many shipments come in turned to mush from cold. how many plants we can't give the conditions they need. i get to watch individual plants slowly die over the months. we're told to throw away countless healthy plants because we have better looking stuff thats coming in even though we still have 100 of them from the last shipment.

[@emilioxrodriguez1193]

I worked for Costa farms as a rep working with Home Depot. It's crazy how much we were told to throw away just to keep a perfect presentation or because a new delivery comes in. Always made me sad and still does. Costa and box stores need to make a better plan for discarding plants, I could go on with more info about Costa and box stores...

[@Greens5511]

One thing not mentioned here is, I only buy the on clearance 1/2 dead plants, like at Lowe's.... whenever I am in Lowe's I go to the back corner of the plant section and basically, rescue some plants....I have even got some for free or .25 cents ....I figure if nothing else I got a pot to reuse, soil to add to my compost and almost always a new plant to save and propagate! 🌱👍🌱 I have even used this practice for gifting to others.

[@yearofthegarden]

This is a great video, I am going to watch a few more times. I've been farming for over a decade and losing 20% is always estimated when I plant starts. I have every advantage at my finger tips too, custom soil blends, high quality seeds, specific genetic selections for my area, greenhouses, and multi day watering. What I tell people who are starting out is "For every plant I grow successfully, i've killed at least a million more" I would love to move over to coco coir, but it's often harder to get ahold of where I am located, but what it nice is the PH is usually more usable with coco, and the moisture retention is FAR more appropriate than peat. I find a good 30coco/64peat blend is best, with another 6% nutrients to get a 3-2-1 NPK ratio. There is no such thing as a green thumb, there is only people who spend time being aware, and those who neglect.

[@pinklasagna8328]

What my mom used to do is just get an exotic looking plant in the nature or ask for one from a friend's garden and grow it.

[@Founderschannel123]

Well i used to get plants by plucking it our from the ground but ofc its illegal to do that here in singapore.What ill do is i take care of them for like months and after that dump it because i lose interest to it.

[@irisjanemay1903]

I tried to grow five to ten coleus plants from seed. I ended up with about a hundred. Everyone I know who wanted one got two or three. My mother could pick a rose from a neighbors plant and propagate it, but I'm not that talented. It's best to exchange plants when possible.

[@Proj_Doomsday]

Another reason why your plant might die is because they are in coco coir and when feeding might need to lower the PH levels 5.5 - 5.8 to allow uptake of nutrients. Most city tap water are 7.0, which will cause the plants to be PH locked.

[@dertythegrower]

Coco coir is inert unlike soil.... i learned about this growing weed IN THE SAME AREA as this video, and costa farms now buys up licenses for weed which i started growing in the area long before costa farms (lol). Coco when it dries out creates a very salt lockout of nutrients.. they are left out so long without water that the salt EC levels are changed... not the pH so much as the EC spikes and causes too much feeding at once. If they used less coco, and mixed peat with it (like the famous brand called Tupur) you would have a 33 blend mix of all 3, prelite coco and peat. I could school Costa Farms but they are my competition now heh.

[@mrpablomx]

@@dertythegrower What if the Substrate is not 100% coco but mixed with other ammemdments? Like actual soil, perlite, wood chips and bark, etc.

[@yuukihinamori2310]

Pure coco coir is not really good in indoor conditions. But if its outside then its fine but since most put them indoors, its best to add something else on the coco coir like pumice, rice hull, vermicast etc,...

[@itsleeshahaneef]

I started to de-chlorine my water before watering. Our city water is reverse osmosis with chlorine. So not the best for plants

[@Ilovethebush]

@2:05 dude, the issue is the plants are being 'cotton-balled.' perfect weather, perfect water. Plants need seasons, they need stress, they need to adapt to extremes of their tolerance range to be capable of surviving the changes in the watering cycle when people take the plants home. They need companion plants also. Sell a mini-ecosystem instead of a monoculture.

[@KittinPyro]

Yup. “Do you really need that plant?” is a great question if your struggling despite research and your best efforts. I tried with lucky bamboo many many times and redid my research over and over and I just couldn’t get it to live, So i gave up. Turns out i’m pretty great with orchids though 😙 That’s the only plant i’ve found so far that I click with though.

[@ExcludedShadow]

We are the exact opposite! My orchids always die so I stopped buying them. However, my lucky bamboo I bought 9 years ago is still growing great and is the reason I started collecting and propagating many, many plants :)

[@Tobster5000]

I've been working in Garden Centers selling plants for several years now. Can't do it anymore... There is no appreciation for plants as a living organism, really sad actually.

[@growplants6559]

@3:09 wrong, the workers move fast because they are working "piecework" which means they get paid per item... its a part of most nurseries at this scale, it's used to increase quantity. They get pennies per item. After the work is done, someone comes after, counts, grades how they did in order to pay them. Also, why not discuss "PGR's" Plant Growth Regulators, which are the real reason most plants last about 1 months time after they leave the nursery, it's like steroids for plants, they are filled with "bloomers", "stunting", and other syndicate hormones that make the plant look amazing but give it just enough life span to make it to the persons house and die in a week, once they stop receiving those PGR's. The two Biggest Box stores in America, lets call them, Orange and Blue, both have plant rotation schedules that rotate all annuals out in 2 weeks, perennials in 3 weeks, and so on for shrubs and trees. Its all a scam to keep plants rotating and these HUGE nurseries, that came in and bought out all the smaller nurseries, are in on the profit scam.... I have done Horticulture work for these nurseries, this video is not how operations actually are, this was smoke and mirrors for the camera for a humongous corporation. Pushing the false narrative around plants that make most people think they suck at growing plants, you do not suck at growing, you just suck at where you buy your plants, search for a local independent owned nursery in your area, those plants last way longer because they are not freak plants on steroids.

[@bhatkrishnakishor]

Finally someone who knowns what shit is going on. This whole piece was to guilt the consumers, a classic tactic of deflecting the blame. They even downplayed how many plants die at nursery.

[@JP-ve7or]

Is this why I have trouble reblooming orchids from the hardware store? And why new leaves grow like half the size they should be? 🤔

[@giovanni0355]

I use to work for costs farms as a vendor at Home Depot. I was constantly told to not be afraid of toss out plants by management. They never seemed to care about what was trashed just along as are displays looked good. Always hated it. Usually only trashed plants if they were dead or really needed space for new product. Deliveries came in almost every week and if something wasn't selling I would have to replace it with newer product. The price tags have the week and year of the delivery so I always knew what was old.

[@icewink7100]

I'm currently doing this job, and feel the same way. I definitely try to avoid throwing plants, but the volume of the shipments makes that impossible. I wish at the very least that we had a composting system instead of having to throw them in a dumpster.

[@equarg]

My tiny Arizona Cactus is doing good. Almost killed it once….but revived it and it’s growing happily now! It’s grown 5x the size when I got it. It’s happy if I get a bigger “pot” every 1.5 years or so.

[@kirthikanatesan7415]

Watching this video makes me feel very proud of myself as I've had my plants for 6-7 years and I've grown them into trees and have not lost a single plant under my care ❤️

[@fitvegancatmama]

This is very eye opening. I would love to see a documentary like this on the rare plant industry. Considering that most of these rarities need to be imported and how next level their needs are, I'm sure the death rate is significantly higher.

[@jalapenopapper]

Huh! I only use coconut coir for my veggie seedlings....mixed with a seed starting mix. I didn't care for it in my houseplants. I used to kill 95% of my plants from big box. Buying from local nurseries was a game changer for me. My house looks like a small oasis. 🌿🌱🍃

[@brandypierce-phelps920]

I stopped buying big box and started buying from online from small growers. Massive difference and MUCH less loss!

[@tolovly14]

I just brought Coco Peat from Amazon. I've always loved plants 🪴 but didn't have a green thumb. But now I do my research on every plant and I take good care of them. Only two plants died but that was my fault for making little mistakes. I never had issues buying plants from big box stores, I love to buy the plants that are on sale.I buy more and more plants, I love to see then and watch them grow. ❤

[@CigsInABlanket]

Peat moss is better than coco, hands down. I've tried it all, including peat moss mixed with coco at different ratios. Peat moss with added mycorrhizal fungi and a nice bit of perlite seems to be the best. Pro-mix HP has you covered, all in one.

[@taintedtruffle7434]

Only plant I've lost in the last seven years was a single bamboo stalk. I can't say I do it perfect but this is what I do. All my plants (other than crops but they do not count for this) are potted. Their locations are rotated through out the house regularly. On days above fifty five degrees I move every last one of them outside until the sun goes down. If it's above sixty all night they stay outside but if not I move them back in. Every spring they get a new inch of dirt added on top to accommodate fro any worn away during watering over the winter. In the fall when it is time for them to move back in every one gets completely re potted. This gives them fresh dirt and prevents bringing any bugs in that may be on them after living outside all summer.

[@Widdekuu91]

I have bought plants in my local supermarket and had to return them at least twice because there were pests in them. Also, I purchased a bouquet and it died two days later, because it had goldpaint on one of the leaves and that got into the water and instantly killed everything. Now I have a chlorophytum and that survives any nuclear disaster that might befall me and my house. That plant will live on forever.

[@Widdekuu91]

@FilthyDankWastemanFabuless Haha, and the motherplant has them dangling around like baby-aliens as well, with their weird flowy 'tentacles' in the wind. It's a strange, but very lovely plant xD

[@elizabetha6346]

I have MANY houseplants and an extensive garden in my yard and the biggest mistake people (myself included!) make is buying a plant because it is pretty but not having the light or moisture the plant needs in their home. Many of the plants sold as indoor plants come from very tropical places and the average American home cannot replicate the light needed or humidity without special lights and daily moisture management.

[@lasaldude]

Outside plants will take season changes, insects, sun all day, rain and wind and look great. I water my house plant a milliliter too much on a Wednesday afternoon and it will just gives up and dies. House plants are so dramatic.

[@aleenaprasannan2146]

The difference is one has it's root in a confined vessel, the other one's roots can wander boundlessly. Houseplants are ofcourse dramatic, you'd be too if someone confines you

[@typoriver3651]

I get that. I'm growing little pepper sprouts on heat mats and lamps right now in preparation for spring. But it can't come fast enough! The outdoors take care of my plants way better than any simulated environment I can make.

[@dodopson3211]

@@typoriver3651 i have the opposite experience, I leave my citrus trees (small) outside during spring-autumn and bring them indoors from autumn-spring yet outdoors they always suffer a lot (slugs and such) and indoors during the winter they perk back up growing healthy leaves and such 😂

[@jackbeach942]

I work in the Walmart garden center and I'm the only one who really knows anything about plants there another reason is after the plants start dying we reduce the price and they sell quickly however a lot of plants are paper scan which means we only pay the company for the plant when we sell it if the plant dies in the store then we throw it away so that we don't have to sell it at a loss so unfortunately I can only discount certain plants but when I do discount them they sell very quickly and get into people's homes before they die on the shelves

[@tude17]

...do any of us really need 75% of all the items we own/accumulate!? 🤔 NO...so why be surprised we do the same with plants!? 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@zakosist]

I think no. But in order to be fulfilled we need something more than just our purely physical need. And that could be a lot of different things. I think its okay to choose a few things that you're really passionate about or really adds value to your life. But not everything you might want. And create a life where you aren't regularly buying anything else than groceries, which you do absolutely need. I actually think I have too many things, and didnt even want all of them to begin with but got it from other people. I plan to de-clutter (main reason is actually I gonna move in some years and want less work with it, plus it could be a smaller space), but want to do it more responsibly than just sending everything to landfill and instead give away as much as possible. And that takes more time

[@coagulatedsalts4711]

one thing to add, most plants that are mass produced and die quickly do so because they use biodegradable pots to grow tiny plants, and instead of removing the pot when they move the plants to a larger sie pot, they just stick it in the soil. many plants root systems get choked out because these plugs degrade slower than they can grow roots, so they're destined to die after a while.

[@She-Ra-db7eg]

Tip: if you would like a plant especially an expensive plant but you're unsure of its needs and whether your home environment would be suitable then buy a seedling or cutting of that plant and learn its needs while you nurture its growth. The delayed gratification means that you'll save on money, you'll learn to get to know what your plant needs to thrive and it also gives you immense satisfaction to know that you've grown that plant up yourself.

[@toxicjay8562]

Your absolutely right! Theirs nothing quite like nurturing a little tiny seedling or seed into a giant ! At least with crops I can get a majority of them to grow to at least 3+ft if they have the generic potential for it like capsicum type peppers, sunflowers corn ect

[@geckaliamtan1899]

That $39 plant is the Aglaonema "Pictum Tricolor", a very hard to find variety and mostly propagated in Indonesia.

[@lenom1289]

I bought a ficus benjamina at a big-box store 30 years ago. I still have it and it's a beautiful and healthy little tree. Same pot for about 15 years and same soil for about 10 (although I add some at the top from time to time), go figure.

[@Militant_Vegan]

COCONUT COIR > PEAT MOSS They touched at how peat moss takes a long time to grow, but what a lot of ppl don’t realize is the ONLY way to harvest peat moss is to literally DESTROY the bogs. Rip out all the trees and then dig up the ground to then harvest the peat moss. It’s should be illegal everywhere.

[@sactownism]

I grew 60 "christmas trees" from May to October and 2 died. I don't know why those 2 died when I treated them the say way I treat the other 58 trees. I guess have a 96.6% success rate which I think is pretty good. The year before that, I had a 100% success grow rate.

[@_Chessa_]

Same way my papaya tree’s died and some lived. The seeds and roots can get root rot even though the others are fine with the amount of water. Figured out it’s fine if a few die. Others are stronger will live longer and hopefully produce delicious fruits when all grown. :)

[@christyl7698]

Just like any living thing, not all plants are equal. Some are just weak/unhealthy from the beginning and will not thrive no matter what you do.

[@annoyingnessbeginswithme5698]

rules for taking care of a plant: Neglect it - usually new people tend to overwater or baby it way too much causing it to rot or die from over fertilizing, water at least once or twice a week for medium plants and follow the lable Proper sunlight - read the lable and give it the proper sunlight leaning more sun than less Spacing - spacing is crucial for plants, imagine you had to share a shallow bed with 5 other people, give your plants a large container thats deep that allows it to grow good roots

[@louisewelson3110]

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[@ioanasilviag]

Summer asking “do you really need that plant?” That’s funny😂

[@imberrysandy]

if my small business doesnt take off... working and caring for plants at costa farms sounds like a plan b for me... I love their plants! I still have mine in coco, and theyre growing strong

[@INICK84]

I would love to start a small business like this!!! Let me know how to do it !!!!

[@mimimarie7968]

Me too. I have a bromeliad and a dieffenbachia from Costa farms that are thriving.

[@snehamonly3998]

All the best for you. May your business grow as you expected.

[@sirthicenskoorb3684]

Your lucky and growing a large enterprise is not that easy nor are growing the plants. I grow African Violets as a hobby. Pick a special plant species like cactus, succulents, ferns, orchids, tropicals, then grow different varieties of those. Much more fun.

[@mrpablomx]

From the look of the video it looks like working there must be Tough.

[@justinekrider5803]

I buy clearance plants alot to revive them. I also keep my old plastic nursery pots. Even once I repot the plant, I can still use the nursery pot. I buy plants I know I can keep alive as well. I do not buy plants I do not have the conditions for. I pass along cuttings too friends and family. I'm always devastated when I lose a plant. It doesn't happen very often, but it does happen occasionally. Like yesterday, I was gone a for a week I made sure to water before I left. However, apparently two plants needed more water during that week. Research the plants you bring into your home.

[@user-bi8ko7kc6h]

I never ever bought plants from supermarkets and ikea, many of them look unhealthy or dying. I always bought mine from garden centre where staff take care the plants everyday until they sold unlike supermarkets and if the plants are the last more than a year kind of plants and no one buy it this year you will still see it in store next year. None of the plants I bought died apart from those getting huge and I had to transfer them outdoor and die due to extreme weather. Plus many people buy the plants and don’t actually know how to treat them, it’s more than give them water.

[@Nico1a5]

So each plant should come with their survival manual, in case you don't have internet

[@INICK84]

@@Nico1a5 at least a little information

[@jiaxuanng2396]

My mom purposely buys nearly dead plants and brings them to life again.

[@nicholaslewis8594]

Nico, that information is usually just copy/pasted amongst all the species and not uncommon for the tags to not even label what a plant is.

[@therealplaguedoctor]

Idk what ikea is like there, but we always have super healthy ones which make me want to buy every single one of them

[@mitchdc3671]

A friend of mine told me that one of her friend was hospitalized and she doesn't have enough money to pay her hospital bills. She said that she's selling her plant collections. At first I really want to help her friend too that's why I bought some of her plants and the ending... I'm almost buying all her plants and repotting them to feed my ego that oooh I planted these plants and I really love it so much that I became more obsessed with plants that most of my salary is being shared in buying plants. My friends said that it's not passion anymore it's obsession of having plants around me 😂😂😂

[@abmoralesrosado]

Absolutely love Summer Rayne Oaks! She keeps it real. The best advice? Until you learn to care for the ones you have don’t buy anymore.

[@zyxw2000]

I didn't buy my plant because of social media influencers, and I didn't know plants are trendy. I wanted to nurture something. And I made sure the pothos was suited to my poor light before I bought it.

[@harisongriffin]

This is why my small business blew up because I sell seeds.

[@lakshmisrujanaparitala7987]

I am a green enthusiastic person who share and care plants with my friends and neighbours.... I bought only 10% of my current garden plants and rest are propogated ones. That's the beauty of plants... So pity to see plants dieing...

[@loravura4782]

suddenly feeling very good about 3/4 of my plants thriving still after about a year

[@dentatusdentatus1592]

Three quarters? That's it? You're doing very poorly compared to me.😎

[@Jie-rz2hf]

When I go to my local Ikea, they don't even bother watering the plants, they just let them die slowly. Ikea doesn't even reduce the price of the plants to allow people a chance to 'save' them. They're just thrown out when perished. This is worse than big garden centres that water all plants in a similar manner. Many are overwatered.

[@rusty9508]

Do I need that plant? Coming from the lady with 100 plants in her home.

[@INICK84]

Yes yes you do need that plant

[@Sandlin22]

Context

[@got2kittys]

Vegetable seedlings are $4.95 in a 4" pot this year. I started over 100 from seeds, and gave many away. I didn't kill many, but mice killed dozens, they love seedlings. It seems ridiculous that food plants cost so much, as I grew at least $600 worth, at Home center prices. The big red Solo cups are a good size, and economical. A package of 50 costs less than 1 seedling at Big Box.

[@laurastrobel718]

This was really Interesting, thanks for covering it

[@ellewright6991]

I have about 80 indoor plants with no desire to stop. They are my life ❤️ and I love them all. They are my plant babies. The care I put into them, it really is a lot. I have lights, feed, mediums and even heat pads. It really is a labor of love ☺️

[@michaelluciano1980]

I remember being in disbelief that you could order healthy plants online. Remember ordering a snake plant from Costa and they did a great job… Still alive today!

[@icannotbeseen]

I once ordered five plants from a website and they delivered with DPD. plants ended up at a place where I could pick them up but DPD didn't notify me for a *week*. And still, although one of them was a monstera with one leaf left and the others all looked sad as well, 4 of them made it. plants can be so tenacious!

[@nabu213]

Alright but Snake Plants are the cockroaches of the plant world.

[@arielm1374]

I work in retail and I have thrown away hundreds of plants because they are either 1. Getting replacements, 2. Some have a few dry leaves or something minor 3. They didn't sell... all of yhese issues could be easily rectified but it doesn't make big business money. It's always about the money...

[@nicholaslewis8594]

I prefer to skip hardening all together and grow basically all of my plants either out of fish tanks or plant domes😂

[@thecosmicfeminine6168]

Personally, I do like that we are taking a loving to growing again, considering ways our climate is headed towards. I think if a plant owner kills their plants accidentally during learning ways of the plants, it’s okay, it happens. Buying and neglecting is one thing. But sometimes plants die, and it is a learning experience. Lately I’ve been growing my plants by seed and propagation and this has really helped me learn a lot about my plants and growing them.

[@elavequeestafueradecontrol5290]

6:30 Benji plant! 💚

[@sandreawhite7534]

Excellent video. It breaks my heart to see plants die in big box stores.

[@user-cv1jb9xv2p]

0:37 in India one can get it for $2 to $4

[@MAYK1NG]

In my super dry heated Canadian home where cold spring and fall breezes mix with very humid summers - I have realized that it is impossible to keep plants alive.

[@Arleth7]

1:20 I bought my Monstera adansonii at a local garden center, I was so happy until my 🦌 deer friends eat it! 😭, then I put it in a safer location hoping it will comeback and it actually did, then weeks later I forgot to bring it in and it was exposed to a cold weather 🤧 all the leaves were burned 😭 now it's inside recovering and looking good. Plants are amazing 🌱

[@wildwanderer6025]

That is another big problem with house plants, it's so easy to forget something (water, cold...) and it takes a lot of damage. You then need to take optimal care of it for a long time to allow it to recover. Don't give up on your Monstera :)

[@Arleth7]

Quite a challenge, sometimes I feel like a bad parent 🥺🌱 but definitely I won't give up 😊🌱 thank you for your support! 😊🌿@@wildwanderer6025

[@souffle420]

So far the best soil mix is consisted mainly of husk charcoal. Cocopeat have the tendency to induce roots rot because of their excellent ability to maintain moisture… which also provide the best environment for fungi to grow on your roots and kill the entire plant. Sure it helps with reducing the risk of plant dying on delivery, but it's not that suitable for prolonged use, especially when you have the habit to water them often. That's why it's suggested to change the soil before you put them indoor. Try to use the one that have excellent drainage, like husk charcoal. If you're worried about the soil getting dry, just spread thin layer of cocopeat or peat moss as ground cover.

[@bloodgirl4]

I have over 100 plants and most of them are Costa Farms. They are one of the best growers, if not the best. I love what they've done!

[@INICK84]

That’s an amazing collection

[@CostaFarms]

Thanks, Samantha! 💚💚💚

[@kc_1018]

In my house I have plants that are hard to kill, a snake plant and lucky bamboo. I'm more of an outdoor plant/gardening person so once spring comes all my focus is on the outdoors.

[@blazertundra]

It doesn't help that a lot of people buy houseplants as gifts. I think every single one of the unexpected leafy presents I've gotten have died despite my best efforts. However almost all the cuttings I was given (with advance warning) have thrived. The ones that died didn't make it because they moved across the US and didn't agree with the climate. The rest were cared for successfully using care advice from the previous owner. The nicest thing about getting to choose your cutting is you can stick with the type of plant you grow the best. (In my case, succulents)

[@Dluvcat]

Neem oil dissolved in water and used as a foliage on leaves works best on mealy bugs. Dilute the neem oil, rinse the leaves with it. Keep the plant unexposed from Sunlight. Redo it as long as you don't get rid of them. Don't let the potion to get to the soil

[@chipsahoy1122]

We do it so we can grow it and feel like we can make it live, but then we lose interest in caring for it.

[@SpaceRanger187]

Not just plants, they do the same with their children and everything else..it's lazyness

[@liketobe2743]

2:57 They use Coco coir not because its sustainable because it's cheap AF, it is an airy medium so its good for rooting of cloned plants. Second: It is very bad decomposing and it has and holds no nutrients. THe clones of these Houseplants will just root in it survive because they have plenty of water and nutrients in their tissue and once they reach the costumer you will run into problems when in come to nutrients. Coco needs mineral fertilizer and cannot be feed with organic because it is not supporting the micro-organisms needed to break down organice nutes for the plant. Coco is adsorbing and not releasing Phosphorus and calcium and magnesium it needs to be watered and maintained with pH regulated water to keep nutrients stable and since you are watering with mineral fertilizer you need to flush (wash the medium) on a regular basis because salts will build up in it. Coco is very good medium for hydroponics but for potting plants its just cheap substrate. nothing else.