Gardening and Plant Thread

[Just_A_guy]

Honestly I've never had much luck with the niche orchids I've really wanted.

I ended up starting basic with Phalaenopsis orchids (moth orchids the ones you'll see in the stores like Walmart or Safeway.) When I was capable of reblooming a couple of those in my home I decided to move onto the catasetum hybrid I have now. It really just comes down to learning the signals an Orchid will display and what needs they correspond to. The roots are the most important signal as it will tell you if its getting enough water. If the leaves start to look like they're wrinkling it has too much water and you will wanna check for root rot. If the leaves are too dark in color as opposed to the light yellowish green it isn't getting enough light. The American orchid society provides free care sheets for most alliances of orchids as well. Orchids are surprisingly forgiving especially with modern hybrids and I have confidence anyone who takes the time to learn about their particular flowers will raise a healthy bloom in no time at all.

PS: I am excited for the catasetum as it has a semi deciduous grow cycle where it enters dormancy in winter and has very easy to read signals for repotting and when its entering its growth cycle. They get huge and are easily split for clones so if I take care of this one I'll be able to produce more of them.

 

[femboy fart huffer]

It really just comes down to learning the signals an Orchid will display and what needs they correspond to. The roots are the most important signal as it will tell you if its getting enough water.

I mean yea I can get the basic ones to be happy and a few of the nicher ones. The problem isn't exactly not knowing, it's not being able to stick to their needs. I mean England isn't exactly known for it's sunnyness, heat or humidity. You can try to adjust things to make them happier but in the end where I live is closer to the fucking arctic than anything verging on the natural habitat for these things.

Also btw the leaves going darker can also be sign of it getting too much light, one of mine went almost entirely purple over last summer when it was in the sun.

 

[ObeseScreamingBlackMan]

Would a potted jalapeno plant survive a winter in a heated garage with a strong grow light?

I have exactly one window in my house where this thing *might* get enough sun every day to survive, and that window isn't really usable.

 

[Just_A_guy]

Also btw the leaves going darker can also be sign of it getting too much light, one of mine went almost entirely purple over last summer when it was in the sun

For sure the specifics of the signals are always down to the plant. There are quite a few orchid varieties that prefer low temps and low light so you might be able to get some excellent success with a cymbidium. They like temps as low as 50F or 10C and only need 1-4 hours of direct sunlight when grown in the home. The AOS also says you should stick to smaller sized cymbidium varieties because they can get really big like some get as tall as 4 feet.

 

[Anasa Tristis]

Would a potted jalapeno plant survive a winter in a heated garage with a strong grow light?

I have exactly one window in my house where this thing *might* get enough sun every day to survive, and that window isn't really usable.

If the temps are consistently above 60 degrees it should. It may not produce peppers but it’ll stay alive. Keep it away from the garage door and be quick opening & closing it. Or throw something over the pepper when you do for extra protection if it’s super nippy outside. 10-12 hours of light a day should be plenty. You may be able to get by with a little less.

 

[Bassomatic]

While my favorite plant EVER was my old fig at my parents old place is not in my life.

Our fig is so healthy, I cut a leaf just to make our appz look pretty when our friends come over. I know this isn't much or bouge, but fact it grows makes me so happy.

Our fig tree is named Bob and I love Bob, he doesn't mind a quick shave.

 

[Just_A_guy]

While my favorite plant EVER was my old fig at my parents old place is not in my life.

Our fig is so healthy, I cut a leaf just to make our appz look pretty when our friends come over. I know this isn't much or bouge, but fact it grows makes me so happy.

Our fig tree is named Bob and I love Bob, he doesn't mind a quick shave.

Just the joy from being able to care for your plants is the best part of caring for them in my opinion. I will sit there for hours just admiring my orchids and doting on them.

 

[Stan]

Just another day in relative paradise ova hearah

 

[Just_A_guy]

Would a potted jalapeno plant survive a winter in a heated garage with a strong grow light?

I have exactly one window in my house where this thing *might* get enough sun every day to survive, and that window isn't really usable.

As long as the temperatures in the Day are between 65F - 85F and temps at night are lowered gently to 60F - 70F it should do just fine with a grow light for its daytime lighting.

 

[mold]

this might be regional, but I have basically zero trouble with pests and I think it's because I deliberately cultivate little bug wilderness areas to maintain healthy predator populations. OTHER THAN SLUGS

 

[femboy fart huffer]

this might be regional, but I have basically zero trouble with pests and I think it's because I deliberately cultivate little bug wilderness areas to maintain healthy predator populations. OTHER THAN SLUGS

I get fucking wasp problems every single autumn because the tree that we keep the bins under leaks sap onto the bins and so they just swarm them every single year and there's nowhere else to put the bins.

 

[mold]

I get fucking wasp problems every single autumn because the tree that we keep the bins under leaks sap onto the bins and so they just swarm them every single year and there's nowhere else to put the bins.

oh I meant pests on plants

wasps are predators though so at least they have that going for them

 

[Just_A_guy]

Wasps are also pollinators. Most wasps are pretty passive our area has european paper wasps which are pretty docile. My uncle regularly handles them and I've only been stung once when I was about to step on one accidentally.

 

[femboy fart huffer]

Most wasps are pretty passive

Same.
Until you cause a fucking earthquake on them by moving the bins.
They're welcome to stay in the garden and shit, they're welcome to drink all the sap from the floor too if they want. I just want to be able to take the bins out without needing a full suit of armour.

 

[Space Faring Marsupial]

I've bushwhacked for two hours to get through my tomatillos. I'm shocked the plants haven't taken my life yet. I will make salsa.

 

[waffle]

Paper wasps are generally no big deal unless they're like in your attic or you accidentally disturb a nest you didn't see. What we have here that are really aggressive are yellow jackets and two different types of hornets (green and red). The red hornets are the meanest, but you dont see them often.

Don't get me started on bugs, I'm really worried about the collapse of insect biomass and the fact that it seems like everything that's left is getting replaced with an invasive from Asia. The kind of bugs you see outside aren't the same ones you are as when I was a kid, and I'm only in my mid 30s.

 

[Justsomecicada]

Paper wasps are generally no big deal unless they're like in your attic or you accidentally disturb a nest you didn't see. What we have here that are really aggressive are yellow jackets and two different types of hornets (green and red). The red hornets are the meanest, but you dont see them often.

Don't get me started on bugs, I'm really worried about the collapse of insect biomass and the fact that it seems like everything that's left is getting replaced with an invasive from Asia. The kind of bugs you see outside aren't the same ones you are as when I was a kid, and I'm only in my mid 30s.

It’s retards spraying their properties with mosquito and tick pesticides year and after year, these same retards then go hmmm I wonder where all the trout and song birds went


Seriously if any of you ever have a tick or mosquito problem please consider organic control before resorting to nuking your property of invertebrate life.

 

[mold]

Don't get me started on bugs, I'm really worried about the collapse of insect biomass and the fact that it seems like everything that's left is getting replaced with an invasive from Asia. The kind of bugs you see outside aren't the same ones you are as when I was a kid, and I'm only in my mid 30s.

there has been huge disruption in animal populations and in North America at least we're well into the process of repair. Bird populations in particular have rebounded insanely over the past 70 years - there was a huge PR push to make people panic about bird populations in 2019 but it was very deliberately engineered to make people fail to see the rebound. I think the visible changes in insect populations are due to this. A lot of people grew up with waaaaaay too many bugs because nobody was eating them.

 

[Justsomecicada]

there has been huge disruption in animal populations and in North America at least we're well into the process of repair. Bird populations in particular have rebounded insanely over the past 70 years - there was a huge PR push to make people panic about bird populations in 2019 but it was very deliberately engineered to make people fail to see the rebound. I think the visible changes in insect populations are due to this. A lot of people grew up with waaaaaay too many bugs because nobody was eating them.

I understand why you would come to that conclusion but it doesn’t explain why inverts not known for being preyed on by birds have also declined

 

[femboy fart huffer]

The red hornets are the meanest, but you dont see them often.

I don't know exactly what a red hornet is, but european hornets are normally much calmer than the average wasp. They're fucking scary and I don't want them around me, but they mostly just chill around doing nothing. Hornets are to wasps what wasps are to craneflies. Maximum pain but minimal erraticness, craneflies are the opposite and normal wasps in the middle.

I think it's been long enough to say and not be a dox. But I actually had a flock of birds on the red list of avian conservation (fancy word for locally endangered) that were sat in a tree. Must have been about ten of them. Completely fucking unphased by me walking by them too. I don't think they are technically songbirds but they have that body shape and the cuteness. First time I've seen something on the red list as far as I'm aware, sent off an email to whatever conservation agency just incase they care about exact sightings.