I learned this from a crazy plant guy. How to make your own plant fertilizer, some inspiration to get you started on growing houseplants, and an ode to begonias.
Yes. It’s excellent for outdoor plants as well. You can also dry the skins in the sun and make a powder to use to amend the soil. But that’s a much more involved hack, in my mind.
Great hearing about your plants and dogos. Friends have a pair of Labra doodles. They are white, super clean, have gentle temperment.
Live on the rock 2K off your coast. Sub tropical.
Grow several dozen orchids, Bring them inside when in bloom. They are a welcome surprise when they go off. The catleya's have fragrance from heaven lasting about 2 weeks.
The phaleonopsis a couple months but no fragrance.
Fruit trees include avocado, lemons, tahitian limes, oranges, and tangerine for juice.
Bananas plantation next door, some maturing right now. As you mention the fertilizer from the peels is fantastic, orchids thrive. Worm farm for castings and liquid fert for garden plants.
Lettuce, tomato, cucumber challeging but overcame the issues.
Jade plants thrive here as does giant aloe and lilly...
Growing plants perfect symbiosis...
Never paid much attention to begonias, will keep eye open for them.
We had dogs for awhile. Two Irish Wolfhounds, a beautiful rust colored Golden Retriever who won Best-in-Show with her former owner. Neighborhood Australian Shepherd got her. 12 pups, 10 of them pure black, 2 blue murl with feathered tails. We kept one of those, gave all the rest away. Dobermans, not the usual ones, but a pair of red ones (sister and brother) and a fawn colored one.
Wow. From the way you describe it, it seems like you live in paradise. When I was teaching in Niger, West Africa, we had a papaya tree, banana tree, and guava tree in the backyard of the house we were renting. It felt so … human and grounded to be able to walk outside into a lush and thriving garden.
This is too funny. I hate houseplants. I have 2 plants at my clinic that were gifts. I think giving a gift should be something that goes away, like a nice bath soap or cookies! My co-worker finally repotted our monstera plant. I think I am going nuts because I keep seeing little, tiny no-see-ums. And then it is more and more. So I go to the plants with the bug killer I was told to use the last time this happened...and it is filled with bugs! I bring them outside for mother nature to whisk them away! A patient tells me I have fungus gnats. So I am down the rabbit hole trying to solve this infestation. I left the plants outside. I hope someone loves them enough to steal them! It is like one more thing I have to care for. I have no more energy for caring for plants. It just isn't my thing and I am not good at it. I am glad you are! I am jealous of people who love them, have time for them and take care of them well. Just not my thing :(
❤️🌻 sorry about the gnat infestation and I know what you mean about “one more thing to care for.” My favorite thing about my plants is they don’t talk back. I would gladly take yours off your hands! I love monstera. Someone may have a better solution but I think if you spray the leaves with water mixed with peppermint essential oil and neem oil, it will fix the problem.
The craziest most green thumbed plant lady I know makes her own soil mix with compost, lots of ash (she gets shredded paper from offices by the trash bag full and burns them), and some other ingredients, including egg shells. I should ask her for her secret sauce recipe…
Knowledge is as you describe. Am cycling the shredded paper and ground up eggshells to include veggie trimmings through earth worms to achieve their gifs, the "castings" Only issue is the chickens smell the castings and dig, so must use plastic mesh barriers around cages. An inconveniece but it works... When starting plants best not to use castings as the chickens destroy seedlings... Worm casting tea once they are about 4" tall under a cage works so far.
IKR? They found that pose on the internet. My son is the chair (notice his hands are crossed and he’s not helping keep his sister up) and my daughter managed someone to balance! Couldn’t resist sharing that photo.
Thanks for the banana peel tip, I will try it! Have always had a lot of houseplants but currently a little short of the indoor variety since moving to Texas recently and overwhelmed by the outdoors and all my new bird friends. But I am rather obsessed by the desert rose I acquired last year. I nearly killed it keeping it inside where it got cold and stressed and tiny white mites infested it until all its leaves fell off. Then I got some good intel from a local on how to deal with the mites, got it outside in the Texas heat (right outside the glass doors into my office so I see it all day) and now it is thriving, has more leaves on it than I have ever seen on a desert rose. Every day I inspect it for mites and check if it got too dry or caught out in a downpour. They are notoriously finicky but this gal has become one of my children, haven't got her to flower yet though so I will see if banana peels will do the trick!
I compost them. But apparently some vegans also make banana peel bacon? I’m going to start using them for fertilizer and also try powdering them to sprinkle on outdoor plants. My husband and kids eat a lot of bananas. 🍌 ❤️ 🪴
Doodle “mom” here, too. Her last litter of pups turned four yesterday. I miss the chaos of kids and pups all over the place.
Banana peel bonus: If you have plantar’s warts, cover them with a banana peel, “meat part” covering the wart. Duct tape it to the wart for days. Problem solved. NO clue why!
I had a philodendron as a child, and it did well for quite awhile. As an adult, I had a few plants, and they did fine for awhile as well. I got a boojum tree in a pot, but I almost certainly overwatered it (I should have put it outside) and it died. My daughter gave me a "dead" fig tree with two leaves. I nurtured that plant until it had 72 leaves. Then I stopped going into that room because I got on the internet, which meant I spent all my free time in a different room. I forgot to water the tree. It died. I haven't tried to raise any plants since. I need plants that meow when they're thirsty!
Succulents are great for under-waterers. Every list says snake plants and peace lilies are easy to keep alive. I can kill both. I’ve never heard of a boojum tree. Eager to learn more about that.
I've had succulents and cacti. They did well as long as I went into that room often enough to care for them.
Boojum trees look like upside-down green carrots with tiny leafed branches along the entire length. Native to Baja California. Fascinating plants. Named by some explorers when they first saw them, the explorers thought they were so odd they called them "Boojums".
I would imagine that the banana water would work just as well outdoors in a vegetable garden?
Yes. It’s excellent for outdoor plants as well. You can also dry the skins in the sun and make a powder to use to amend the soil. But that’s a much more involved hack, in my mind.
Thanks. I've been adding organic banana peels to my compost bins; but, I haven't yet used that compost in a garden.
Great hearing about your plants and dogos. Friends have a pair of Labra doodles. They are white, super clean, have gentle temperment.
Live on the rock 2K off your coast. Sub tropical.
Grow several dozen orchids, Bring them inside when in bloom. They are a welcome surprise when they go off. The catleya's have fragrance from heaven lasting about 2 weeks.
The phaleonopsis a couple months but no fragrance.
Fruit trees include avocado, lemons, tahitian limes, oranges, and tangerine for juice.
Bananas plantation next door, some maturing right now. As you mention the fertilizer from the peels is fantastic, orchids thrive. Worm farm for castings and liquid fert for garden plants.
Lettuce, tomato, cucumber challeging but overcame the issues.
Jade plants thrive here as does giant aloe and lilly...
Growing plants perfect symbiosis...
Never paid much attention to begonias, will keep eye open for them.
We had dogs for awhile. Two Irish Wolfhounds, a beautiful rust colored Golden Retriever who won Best-in-Show with her former owner. Neighborhood Australian Shepherd got her. 12 pups, 10 of them pure black, 2 blue murl with feathered tails. We kept one of those, gave all the rest away. Dobermans, not the usual ones, but a pair of red ones (sister and brother) and a fawn colored one.
Wow. From the way you describe it, it seems like you live in paradise. When I was teaching in Niger, West Africa, we had a papaya tree, banana tree, and guava tree in the backyard of the house we were renting. It felt so … human and grounded to be able to walk outside into a lush and thriving garden.
From the perspective of climate and growing season yes as close as it gets.
Have papaya over 6" tall that flowers but drops fruit, just too wet here.
Have a fried minutes away at higher elevation that is perfect for them.
He is coming over to fetch and transplant as they are a couple years old.
Micro-climate challeges abound.
This is too funny. I hate houseplants. I have 2 plants at my clinic that were gifts. I think giving a gift should be something that goes away, like a nice bath soap or cookies! My co-worker finally repotted our monstera plant. I think I am going nuts because I keep seeing little, tiny no-see-ums. And then it is more and more. So I go to the plants with the bug killer I was told to use the last time this happened...and it is filled with bugs! I bring them outside for mother nature to whisk them away! A patient tells me I have fungus gnats. So I am down the rabbit hole trying to solve this infestation. I left the plants outside. I hope someone loves them enough to steal them! It is like one more thing I have to care for. I have no more energy for caring for plants. It just isn't my thing and I am not good at it. I am glad you are! I am jealous of people who love them, have time for them and take care of them well. Just not my thing :(
❤️🌻 sorry about the gnat infestation and I know what you mean about “one more thing to care for.” My favorite thing about my plants is they don’t talk back. I would gladly take yours off your hands! I love monstera. Someone may have a better solution but I think if you spray the leaves with water mixed with peppermint essential oil and neem oil, it will fix the problem.
Water with detergent in it might also work. I'm with you. I love monstera plants.
I wish you all lived closer to take her home! She is a beauty...even if she has bugs.
I’ll take her! 😉 Where are you located? Road trip? 🚗 💨
Depending on a plants leaves, a small amout of wood ash mixed with water deters many pests. Neem requires much dilution.
The issue is the potting mix not being ideal or stressed by sunlight constraints.
The craziest most green thumbed plant lady I know makes her own soil mix with compost, lots of ash (she gets shredded paper from offices by the trash bag full and burns them), and some other ingredients, including egg shells. I should ask her for her secret sauce recipe…
Knowledge is as you describe. Am cycling the shredded paper and ground up eggshells to include veggie trimmings through earth worms to achieve their gifs, the "castings" Only issue is the chickens smell the castings and dig, so must use plastic mesh barriers around cages. An inconveniece but it works... When starting plants best not to use castings as the chickens destroy seedlings... Worm casting tea once they are about 4" tall under a cage works so far.
Jade plants. Indoors outdoors, I love them. Mom.of two handsome men and 5 English springer spaniels. Write what you want. I love it all
Thank you Kate. 🥰🥰🥰
I'm most impressed with your family's gymnastics!
IKR? They found that pose on the internet. My son is the chair (notice his hands are crossed and he’s not helping keep his sister up) and my daughter managed someone to balance! Couldn’t resist sharing that photo.
It seems impossible, yet there they are. So healthy and fit.
Thanks for the banana peel tip, I will try it! Have always had a lot of houseplants but currently a little short of the indoor variety since moving to Texas recently and overwhelmed by the outdoors and all my new bird friends. But I am rather obsessed by the desert rose I acquired last year. I nearly killed it keeping it inside where it got cold and stressed and tiny white mites infested it until all its leaves fell off. Then I got some good intel from a local on how to deal with the mites, got it outside in the Texas heat (right outside the glass doors into my office so I see it all day) and now it is thriving, has more leaves on it than I have ever seen on a desert rose. Every day I inspect it for mites and check if it got too dry or caught out in a downpour. They are notoriously finicky but this gal has become one of my children, haven't got her to flower yet though so I will see if banana peels will do the trick!
I want to see a picture, Emma! Can you share one?
Thanks. Ashamed to think I've been throwing my banana peels away.
I compost them. But apparently some vegans also make banana peel bacon? I’m going to start using them for fertilizer and also try powdering them to sprinkle on outdoor plants. My husband and kids eat a lot of bananas. 🍌 ❤️ 🪴
Hi Jennifer,
Nice hack with the banana peels!
But be sure to keep pothos away from Serenity and her puppies.
Pothos is toxic to dogs and cats (oxalate poisoning).
All the best,
Danielle
Thank you for this advice!
Doodle “mom” here, too. Her last litter of pups turned four yesterday. I miss the chaos of kids and pups all over the place.
Banana peel bonus: If you have plantar’s warts, cover them with a banana peel, “meat part” covering the wart. Duct tape it to the wart for days. Problem solved. NO clue why!
That’s a great tip. I’m grateful not to have any warts but I would like to try this!
I had a philodendron as a child, and it did well for quite awhile. As an adult, I had a few plants, and they did fine for awhile as well. I got a boojum tree in a pot, but I almost certainly overwatered it (I should have put it outside) and it died. My daughter gave me a "dead" fig tree with two leaves. I nurtured that plant until it had 72 leaves. Then I stopped going into that room because I got on the internet, which meant I spent all my free time in a different room. I forgot to water the tree. It died. I haven't tried to raise any plants since. I need plants that meow when they're thirsty!
Succulents are great for under-waterers. Every list says snake plants and peace lilies are easy to keep alive. I can kill both. I’ve never heard of a boojum tree. Eager to learn more about that.
I've never heard of them either. They are otherworldly!
https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/plants/boojum-tree
I've had succulents and cacti. They did well as long as I went into that room often enough to care for them.
Boojum trees look like upside-down green carrots with tiny leafed branches along the entire length. Native to Baja California. Fascinating plants. Named by some explorers when they first saw them, the explorers thought they were so odd they called them "Boojums".