...An Indoor Gardener Finds Relatively Inexpensive Curly-Leafed Starter Plants on the Internet.
Saturday night (November 4th), I ordered a lot of three Bonnie (curly) spider plant pups/starters off of eBay (from a seller that had 100% positive feedback and over 1200 eBay interactions -- I was a bit impressed). Monday evening (November 6th), I received my package of starters, inside which were not the three Bonnies I'd ordered.
The eBay seller had sent seven! Over double!
I'd briefly wondered if I'd accidentally ordered two lots from him, double-checked, and found that it wasn't so. I spent ten dollars, and thought that was a fine price for the plants and then the first-class shipping (given the prices I'd seen on other Bonnies). On another, somewhat related note, the plants also arrived days earlier than expected. I'd followed the mailing progress, since that's half the fun of having a tracking number, and the estimate started at "November 10th," fell to "November 8th," and then was recieved on November 6th. God bless the US postal service for the swift FL-to-NY mailing!
I haven't done much more then put the starters in water to grow some root before planting, but I'm more than thrilled to have the spideys to play with, this November. I'm equally thrilled to have oodles of other variegations of spiderplant pups around me!
I got around to planting an unvariegated spiderplant pup, also on the 6th. I had previously planted one, but planted him a bit too deep and watched sadly as he faded away to nothing, too late for me to fix my mistake (which ultimately lead to all the leaves getting water-damaged below the soil line). I've learned from that mistake. This pup, whom I have named Cyrano, has been planted at what I hope is a proper depth. Given the success I've had with my vittatum starters and my never-ending supply of variegatum pups, I feel relatively certain that Cyrano will do well. But, if not, I have around half a dozen other unvariegated pups developing some rootage in water, and another half-dozen(ish) pups almost ready to come off the "father" plant (his name is Steven, he cost me thirteen dollars -- which is three dollars more than I usually allot my weekly plant spending).
If I actually went around and counted my spiderplants, I think I'd come up with a number ballparked around... 50 in dirt, 20 or so in water, right now. Around 10 adults and 40 juveniles.
Signing Off . . . |
...I actually managed to find and purchase an unvariegated spiderplant (for what I thought was a steep price, at $13)!
I'm infinitely pleased with my new chlorophytum comosum, and I love him to bits. He was a bit damaged when I bought him, possibly by over-fertilizing (my maternal grandmother's spideys had similar issues and marks on them, and I'm relatively sure that hers were over-fertilized), but he was green and happy enough to have several long shoots cascading down from his hanging pot.
The reason I chose the plant I chose was due to the amount of baby spideys it had attached to it. If, for some reason, the plant itself doesn't make it, I should have a good dozen plants started, possibly within the month. Gosh darn it, I will get my $13 out of this guy, and then some!
I want to be patient with my new spidey, though, and let him do his thing without too much poking, prodding, or interference from me. Usually, when my spideys have shoots, I pick away at many of the potential pups, discarding them and leaving more spacing between each pup. It seems to have its intended affect (in that the pups left thrive and grow faster), but it means far fewer pups than if I just left it alone.
In other news, I have an opportunity to have a plant hanger or so taken off my hands, which I believe I mentioned in my last blog post. To facilitate this, I've gone ahead and put together all the simple macramé plant hangers that I have, which are not in use. I will also be bringing at least four plants with me on Sunday, with the intent to be rid of them (ehem, deliver them into new hands, rather). One will be a spiderplant, most certainly, as one has been requested, and I have two arrowhead philodendrons ready to go, too. I kind of want to bring specimens of both my variegations of spidey (I need Bonnie variations, still), so I might go with the two arrowheads and two spideys, or three spideys if I feel particularly enterprising. Two vittatum (because I have more of them) and one variegatum.
I really like giving plants to friends and family. There's something about giving someone else's house some green that just... pleases me. Especially when their face kind of lights up? It's very rewarding. Sharing is caring, right?
--
In less "green" thumb news: my Medusa's Head airplant ended up with a case of rot in its center (which is almost certainly my fault, no matter how it's sliced), and ended up passing off into the Great Garden. This makes my kill count a few spidey pups which did not make it, 3 argentea thin leaf, 1.5 succulents (the other might come back, depending how I treat her remains, haha), 1 aloe plant, and 1 poor medusiae. I like to think I'm learning from my mistakes.
Signing off . . . |
Current Wishlist:
*Heartleaf Philodendron
*Tillandsia Xenographica
*Tillandsia Argentea Thin (3)
*Tillandsia Medusiae
*Bonnie Spiderplant
*Variegated Bonnie Spiderplant
...and All Find New Homes!
It was a productive Sunday, for me. I'm down a third of my Easter Cacti, and gave a wee spidey to a friend, since I had meant to give one to someone in the family.
I also got a pseudo commission for a spidey and macramé hanger, which I will fill next Sunday, or the one after that.
I'm thinking about bringing in a Syngonium to give with the spidey, since the person who requested a spidey 1. told me they had a sad lack of plants and a surpluss of places to hang plants, and 2. insisted on paying me for the spidey, even though it helps me when macramé hangers and spidey pups are taken off my hands.
Not to mention, it's pretty great to share part of your passion with someone. I love giving plants to friends and family!
Signing off. . . |
...Christmas and Easter Cacti Enough to Own a Bazillion of Them
A few weeks ago (probably more around a couple months), I planted a total of twelve Easter Cacti cuttings. Having heard the trouble that Easter Cacti can give people, in terms of taking to their new soil homes, I thought that maybe, just maybe, a few of them would die off before they'd all settled in. I was badly mistaken.
After ages of neglect and sparse watering, my Easter Cacti plant pups are thriving in their containers, and all but one of them have signs of new growth (from one to four leaves, each). This means I have, to date, 1 rehomed Easter Cactus, 12 planted Easter Cacti, 1 planted Christmas Cacti, a handful of Christmas Cacti cuttings, and several handfuls of Easter Cacti cuttings. The Christmas Cacti cuttings already want their starter homes, but have to wait until I get my hands on another bag of cactus soil, the Easter Cacti cuttings are getting there, too, but I'm deluding myself into thinking they don't quite need planting, yet, because I already have Easter Cacti out my ears (and spiderplants out my ears, and syngonium out my ears, and cape ivy out my ears . . .).
Tomorrow is a Sunday, and I'll be headed to a local church. One of my cacti has a home waiting for it, in the form of a person I alerted to the existence of these cacti before they were planted. I wanted to wait and see how well they rooted in the soil before passing any on, so I don't know if they're expecting their green friend, tomorrow. I'm also bringing a giftplant spiderplant, for a family I had been meaning to give one for awhile, and three other Easter Cacti I'm hoping to have off my hands before I leave the church building.
If I plant anymore Syngonium, I'm going to have to put a few of them up for adoption, too. For now, all the planted Syngonium (and my pothos plants) all fit on one, wide shelftop. Once the Syngonium completely take over my shelftop, it's probably time to say goodbye to a few.
Signing off . . . |
Current Plant Wishlist:
*Heartleaf Philodendron
*Tillandsia Xenographica
*Bonnie Spiderplant
*Variegated Bonnie Spiderplant
*Hawaiian Spiderplant
