Your houseplants and gardens - Yellow leaf means underwatered AND overwatered?! What a country!

[NoReturn]

Does anyone know of any good shade houseplants that aren't poisonous to cats? Ideally ones you can hang in your kitchen? I have heard spider plants aren't poisonous to pets, but I am not sure if they would do well or not.

Lessee lessee... Low light...
Thyme and oregano do alright in shade, as does my marjoram but I don't know if that's true for the species or just my hardy little guy.
Kangaroo paw ferns are nontoxic and smell nice when they're happy.

Marimos are cool and live in water, but they're hard to get these days because some of them were found to carry zebra mussel eggs so got banned from import in certain countries.

Speaking of container things, I have a Mexican butterwort (Pinguicula gigantea) that hasn't had any trouble either.
Also, if it's hung up, cat's won't tend to go out of their way to eat certain plants it. I've never once had a cat get my pothos, for example.

 

[Nonconsentual Pronouns]

You just need a drill with the right drill bit to drill a drain hill. There are a few tutorials to do it online.

This absolutely works and blows open the possibilities for finding whatever size or shape of vessel you could ever need, not to mention now you can pick from so many gorgeous pieces. I've given such containers "legs" by sticking on some of those tiny little foam pads that are meant to protect drawers from slamming (the foam ones, not the fuzzy ones) so the holes drain better. Absolutely 100% could not agree or recommend more.

Marimos are cool and live in water, but they're hard to get these days because some of them were found to carry zebra mussel eggs so got banned from import in certain countries.

I love marimo! These little guys are so cute and give such a great visual that you can't get from other plants. They look amazing in a little fishbowl with some simple gravel and a few little stubs of aquatic bamboo. Decorative bottles like that are perfect for desks and shelves. They're fantastic for people who can't get over the hump of over/under watering their plants, and they don't need a house sitter if you leave on a trip or something. They're also easier to transport because you can just take them out of their water and pack them in a piece of tupperware with soggy paper towels. Hell, I got mine in the mail via regular bubble mailers and sandwich baggies.

 

[CharcoalChkn]

This absolutely works and blows open the possibilities for finding whatever size or shape of vessel you could ever need, not to mention now you can pick from so many gorgeous pieces. I've given such containers "legs" by sticking on some of those tiny little foam pads that are meant to protect drawers from slamming (the foam ones, not the fuzzy ones) so the holes drain better. Absolutely 100% could not agree or recommend more.


I love marimo! These little guys are so cute and give such a great visual that you can't get from other plants. They look amazing in a little fishbowl with some simple gravel and a few little stubs of aquatic bamboo. Decorative bottles like that are perfect for desks and shelves. They're fantastic for people who can't get over the hump of over/under watering their plants, and they don't need a house sitter if you leave on a trip or something. They're also easier to transport because you can just take them out of their water and pack them in a piece of tupperware with soggy paper towels. Hell, I got mine in the mail via regular bubble mailers and sandwich baggies.

I'm really interested in getting a Marimo, I think they are just so cute.

Do they grow bigger on their own, or just stay at the size you get them, my other concern is how often do you need to clean their bowl/tank? Does it get grimy in there?

 

[NoReturn]

I'm really interested in getting a Marimo, I think they are just so cute.

Do they grow bigger on their own, or just stay at the size you get them, my other concern is how often do you need to clean their bowl/tank? Does it get grimy in there?

• Yes, mine have, anyway. It's just very very VERY slow.
• You need to clean their container occasionally, but I'm a lazy fuck, so I keep mine in mason jars and when the water starts to look scummy (as the water level drops from evaporation) that's when I clean. I do this by removing the marimo, tilting out the gross water, dumping the pebbles into another mason jar and rinsing them, then I refill the new jar with cold water, give the ball a rinse and squeeze, then plop it into the new jar. Then new jar goes back on the shelf and the old jar goes in the washing machine.
• It does not get grimy if you do the above. Worst mine's ever been was when a bunch of pollen blew in through the window and it had a yellow layer on top.

 

[Nonconsentual Pronouns]

I'm really interested in getting a Marimo, I think they are just so cute.

Do they grow bigger on their own, or just stay at the size you get them, my other concern is how often do you need to clean their bowl/tank? Does it get grimy in there?

Hell yeah, they keep growing. They're just really slow to grow, which is one of the reasons why they can be so expensive. Depending on your marimo-to-water ratio, once every couple of months or so should be just fine. They're very easy to clean up after, and it's easier the more often you do it, especially if you skip the substrate that they don't need whatsoever. Just a quick rinse of the marimo, their vessel and substrate has been enough IME. I pour my substrate pebbles into a colander and rinse the everloving fuck out of them with tapwater before a quick purified water rinse to get the chlorine and shit off. They're probably fine with tap water, but the snails I'm waiting on won't be.

I've got some live, indigenous pond snails on order to try out keeping them in my marimos' fish bowl, and I'm anxious to see how that turns out. I hope the snails prefer the plant debris over the plants themselves and I hope that the snail poo makes the plants healthier and maybe even grow faster.

 

[Coffee Druid]

The ceramic mug idea is nice. I would love to have plants inside one day. But I don't own the house I live in and it's kind of cluttered in the main living area/kitchen so I'm probably going to go crazy with houseplants when I can move out one day. Even the idea of hanging herbs to dry seems questionable here, though that's mainly with the humidity levels. I may try drying them in an oven on low, or asking my parents if they still have their dehydrator in their house somewhere.

I bought some catnip because it was in the herb area at the store. I don't have any cats, but it looks nice and I think it's in the mint family. So maybe I can try it in tea with other mints.

Awhile back I did try to have a bioactive tank for my snake. Basically a terrarium for your pet to live in. But, my snake is both a burrower and heavy bodied so she crushed some plants and dug under the roots of others. Plus I had a hard time keeping the light and humidity optimal. So I went back to fake plants. Maybe one day when I know more about how to handle that.

 

[NoReturn]

The ceramic mug idea is nice. I would love to have plants inside one day. But I don't own the house I live in and it's kind of cluttered in the main living area/kitchen so I'm probably going to go crazy with houseplants when I can move out one day. Even the idea of hanging herbs to dry seems questionable here, though that's mainly with the humidity levels. I may try drying them in an oven on low, or asking my parents if they still have their dehydrator in their house somewhere.

I bought some catnip because it was in the herb area at the store. I don't have any cats, but it looks nice and I think it's in the mint family. So maybe I can try it in tea with other mints.

Awhile back I did try to have a bioactive tank for my snake. Basically a terrarium for your pet to live in. But, my snake is both a burrower and heavy bodied so she crushed some plants and dug under the roots of others. Plus I had a hard time keeping the light and humidity optimal. So I went back to fake plants. Maybe one day when I know more about how to handle that.

Catnip is actually very nice in tea. It has a mild flavor but it's very relaxing.

 

[Orange Tabby]

I’ve got pineapple mint and spearmint out of control out front, and I’d love to do catnip but we have feral cats that are already shitting everywhere-I don’t want to give them more of a reason to hang around lol

Besides that I’ve managed to keep a romaine plant alive for more than a month so I feel like a regular green thumb.

 

[Fialovy]

Catnip would be fun to grow. I once grew a ton of it in college for my now-husband's cats at his parent's house. The only part that gets a lot of sunlight is the deck so I would have to grow it in a pot or something. I could then use a food dehydrator to dry it and put it in hand made cat toys I can make with scrap yarn.

Yeah, I know I sound like a cat lady

 

[Under Arrest]

all my plants are in the back yard and i will not post pics of it because that would get too close to self doxing

The only way you would likely "self-dox" is if your backyard plants had distinctive species like this one, which can only grow in one of four US states on the continental mainland - and only in restricted areas and regions of those four states. But the plants that grow in a backyard of Ohio won't vary much from those that grow in a backyard of Tennessee, making it very difficult to dox unless there's a distinctive city skyline rising on the other side of the fence.

BISMARCK PALM (BISMARCKIA NOBILIS) - NATIVE TO MADAGASCAR, ISLAND OFF THE SOUTHEASTERN COAST OF AFRICA GROWING IN FLORIDA, USA

Outside of those four states, what USDA Climate Zone does your outdoor garden fall in?

 

[NoReturn]

The only way you would likely "self-dox" is if your backyard plants had distinctive species like this one, which can only grow in one of four US states on the continental mainland - and only in restricted areas and regions of those four states. But the plants that grow in a backyard of Ohio won't vary much from those that grow in a backyard of Tennessee, making it very difficult to dox unless there's a distinctive city skyline rising on the other side of the fence.

BISMARCK PALM (BISMARCKIA NOBILIS) - NATIVE TO MADAGASCAR, ISLAND OFF THE SOUTHEASTERN COAST OF AFRICA GROWING IN FLORIDA, USA
View attachment 3243511

Outside of those four states, what USDA Climate Zone does your outdoor garden fall in?

View attachment 3243495

Dude, 4chan found that HWNDU flag from contrails. Anything is possible through the power of autism.

 

[Coffee Druid]

Catnip would be fun to grow. I once grew a ton of it in college for my now-husband's cats at his parent's house. The only part that gets a lot of sunlight is the deck so I would have to grow it in a pot or something. I could then use a food dehydrator to dry it and put it in hand made cat toys I can make with scrap yarn.

Yeah, I know I sound like a cat lady

I did think about making cat toys for a friend that does have cats. I have scrap fabric and the skills to sew it. I won't judge you either. I'm basically a chicken lady myself.

I have a general idea of what herbs my chickens can eat. If I have too much herbs to eat myself I can trim it into a salad for my girls. Some dried herbs are supposedly even good for their nesting boxes.

 

[sad! pathetic!]

I really love houseplants. I think I have at least thirty of varying sizes. At least 80% of them are rerolls as I’ve killed the exact same plant earlier and learned from my mistakes. It’s also been fun to get and raise two kittens and figure out how to keep them away from the plants, which has been mostly successful. Some of the things I’ve figured out:
-don’t overwater. Plants need way less water than you think. I’ve killed 99% of my plants this way.
-don’t use those stupid planters that have side drainage holes with an attached saucer. Pieces of shit will leave your plants soggy as fuck and prone to fungus and mold.
-use clear mats or something else that’s waterproof to put your plants on so they don’t stain/damage whatever it is they’re sitting on. I ruined a beautiful wood ledge that way.

My favorite plants are any philodendrons. I have a few of those and they’ve always been my favorite, particularly the philodendron pedatum. They look really neat. Any time a new leaf appears on any of my plants it totally makes my day.

 

[NoReturn]

I have a general idea of what herbs my chickens can eat. If I have too much herbs to eat myself I can trim it into a salad for my girls. Some dried herbs are supposedly even good for their nesting boxes.

Friend of mine does that. Makes the eggs taste better too.

-don’t use those stupid planters that have side drainage holes with an attached saucer. Pieces of shit will leave your plants soggy as fuck and prone to fungus and mold.

Unless it's like one of those bog-plants that wants to stay soggy, in which case that's like their only purpose.

philodendron pedatum

Had to google it. Look at those crazy leaves!

 

[Coffee Druid]

I really love houseplants. I think I have at least thirty of varying sizes. At least 80% of them are rerolls as I’ve killed the exact same plant earlier and learned from my mistakes. It’s also been fun to get and raise two kittens and figure out how to keep them away from the plants, which has been mostly successful. Some of the things I’ve figured out:
-don’t overwater. Plants need way less water than you think. I’ve killed 99% of my plants this way.
-don’t use those stupid planters that have side drainage holes with an attached saucer. Pieces of shit will leave your plants soggy as fuck and prone to fungus and mold.
-use clear mats or something else that’s waterproof to put your plants on so they don’t stain/damage whatever it is they’re sitting on. I ruined a beautiful wood ledge that way.

My favorite plants are any philodendrons. I have a few of those and they’ve always been my favorite, particularly the philodendron pedatum. They look really neat. Any time a new leaf appears on any of my plants it totally makes my day.

Reminds me of a dumb pot someone gave my mom a flowerering plant in. I don't blame the giftee or anything. But we were wondering why it was dying and looked overwatered when the top of the soil wasn't that damp. Turns out it was in a two-part planter. The top part had drainage but the bottom had no holes so it just sat in the water that drained from the top and rotted the roots.

I was also interested when my local dollar store had plant pots for the spring. But 90% of them had no drain holes so I passed. It'd be easy enough to drill holes in them yourself I guess. I also tried dollar store seeds once and they didn't work so I probably won't bother again.

 

[sad! pathetic!]

Friend of mine does that. Makes the eggs taste better too.

Unless it's like one of those bog-plants that wants to stay soggy, in which case that's like their only purpose.

Had to google it. Look at those crazy leaves!

Aren’t they gorgeous? I forget the everyday name for them but I fell in love as soon as I saw them.

 

[Гиджет]

I have box of cactuses that have traveled around US for over five years with me. One has finally decided to bloom despite my neglect:

 

[Blue Miaplacidus]

Not going to post pics but I have an aquarium addiction. I have a rather large workshop at my home where I keep aquariums that total over 4000 gallons of water. I like to maintain natural aquariums and aquascape them aka no cheap plastic divers and walmart tier decorations. Naturally this lead to me breeding and cultivating lots of different types of aquatic and terrestrial plants. So now I have a giant collection of various plants, I really love different types of bromeliads, pothos, bamboo, and mosses for their ability to grow completely or partially submersed. In fact I built a 400 gallon shallow sandbox style aquarium just for growing different species of plants and built a few different types of hydroponic systems for growing all types of herbs, fruits, and vegetables while acting as a filter for some of my aquarium setups. It's like the only hobby I'm actually good at and I really enjoy it. It's really fun recreating specific environments down to the pH of the water and soil for different species of fish with only plants and animals from that specific habitat.

It all started with a single betta fish and a moss ball btw.

 

[NoReturn]

Not going to post pics but I have an aquarium addiction. I have a rather large workshop at my home where I keep aquariums that total over 4000 gallons of water. I like to maintain natural aquariums and aquascape them aka no cheap plastic divers and walmart tier decorations. Naturally this lead to me breeding and cultivating lots of different types of aquatic and terrestrial plants. So now I have a giant collection of various plants, I really love different types of bromeliads, pothos, bamboo, and mosses for their ability to grow completely or partially submersed. In fact I built a 400 gallon shallow sandbox style aquarium just for growing different species of plants and built a few different types of hydroponic systems for growing all types of herbs, fruits, and vegetables while acting as a filter for some of my aquarium setups. It's like the only hobby I'm actually good at and I really enjoy it. It's really fun recreating specific environments down to the pH of the water and soil for different species of fish with only plants and animals from that specific habitat.

It all started with a single betta fish and a moss ball btw.

That betta fish and moss ball knew what they were doing. They were on a mission from god.

 

[Blue Miaplacidus]

That betta fish and moss ball knew what they were doing. They were on a mission from god.

He's pretty special to me, he's still alive at 11 years old and lives in his own 20 gallon aquarium. Even the moss has lived on to propagate and thrive in many of my setups while the original is superglued to a piece of driftwood.