this blog

has kinda gone defunct, because I had various health problems and injuries one after another, and simply didn't plant a garden last season, or this. It's all weeds out there plus some self-seeded and perennial herbs, a few flowers. Borage, nicotiana. I still have the mints, the figs, the geraniums (for now). The chives died in the heat this week, but perhaps will revive with some watering. . . 

I don't know if I'll get the garden going again, but did want to make note of some changes.

One: we got a new cat!

two, actually-

The first one is quite a little beast. Sweet at times, but definitely has her own mind. And she likes to chomp on plants. Has eaten my big spider plant- all the foliage shorter, with shredded ends. Well, now I will be glad of all the babies to start new ones with! (I used to constantly give them away)

I had to give away and re-home a ton of houseplants that would make her sick (or outright kill her) if she nibbled on them. And I'm so glad I did, because she shows no signs of stopping. My Pilea peperomioides has bite marks in all the leaves. And the second cat we adopted, the tortie- she likes to dig in the dirt of my parlor palm. I'm sweeping up and replacing dirt in there all the time.

I kept only a few of the toxic plants- heartleaf philodendron, velvet philodendron, zebrina and pothos 'cebu blue'-

they are on very high shelves she can't reach, or hung from the ceiling.

It was difficult to part with so many, but many went to my brother-in-law's girlfriend, a woman just as passionate about plants, and when I visit her home I will see them thriving. The giant dracanea flowered again the week after she took it home!

Photos of our big schefflera, the only houseplant we'd named (Bob), right before I gave it away.

I had recently cut it back severely. There were plenty of new baby leaves growing

Some stem pieces I had cut and dipped in rooting hormone, the leaves all dropped off and I thought they were done for, but I pulled one out and after weeks and weeks, there were roots finally growing at the base of the cutting. So I was looking forward to see if those finally sprouted new leaves. Maybe they will and I will see someday.

I was most sad, to part with my angelwing begonias. These were cuttings I'd just started of the narrow-leaved one (forget the variety name at the moment)

And all my different coleus. They're planted outside in the front beds or in pots now, but I won't be bringing cuttings inside to keep over winter again. Toxic. I can't even name now, all the ones that are gone- but it was well over half my collection. Two-thirds or even three-quarters of it.

I do still have most of the semi-succulents, the creeping charlie (sweedish ivy), boston fern (shabby but regrowing), most of my african violets, and the zygo cactus. That's about it. For now.

Someone had just offered me cuttings of her zz plant, one I'd always wanted to have, but I had to decline. That one's toxic too. It's just not worth the risk. I know I'll never teach this cat not to chew on plants when she's bored (or antsy that dinner's not getting served fast enough). But we already love the kitties too much, they are more to me than plants right now.

did stuff with houseplants

I've actually had this in mind for a long time. My tall, leggy dracanea in the corner I felt needed a larger pot, but it's behind a bunch of stuff so I have put off doing that for months. Yesterday moved the plant benches so my husband could access some cables, and then took the opportunity. Repotted the dracanea:

Yes it's almost touching the ceiling. Soon I will have to decide if I'm going to re-home it to someone who has higher ceilings, or take the risk of cutting and replanting the top. Doubtful if I would succeed with that.

Then I took it's old pot, and repotted the asparagus fern into that. 

It was quite root-bound, many circling the inside of the pot, and when I untangled, tons of those fat bulbs that store water hanging down

It's been looking rather pathetic lately, fronds only on one half of the pot, and they keep turning brown or yellow. I'm probably doing something amiss with the watering, or it needs better light, or more misting . . . 

But I hope it perks up from this

While I was in that corner, I saw my 'ponytail' succulent was looking bad, too- tons of withered, dropped-off leaves. I cut all the best pieces out, stripped the lower stems, dumped most of the soil and replaced with cactus mix, repotted anew the cuttings. I think I just forgot to water it too often, over the winter months.

And replanted into my zebrina pot, its cuttings I'd rooted in water over the past few weeks.

Next to pot up some coleus cuttings of my favorite.

corn plant smell

My large dracanea in the corner is in full flower again- and fills the house with perfume at night. It's almost too much, on the verge of sickly-sweet.

houseplant blooms

A week or two ago my schefflera started blooming again.

I cut the stalk off, because it makes such a sticky mess. 

Haven't seen this in a few years, but my 'corn plant' (dracanea) is flowering again!

And the crown of thorns plant- one of the stems died, but the remaining two are growing new leaves plus it's budding!

45 relocated

Here's my angel tank in it's new spot, main floor living room. To the right is the fireplace (not in use, television is in front of it) and to the left, sliding glass door out to the deck- forward, just out of the picture frame. Some of my houseplants around it- dracanea to the left, asparagus fern to the right.

Closer photo, just as the tank light was coming on

Stepping back a bit- realized when moved the tv out of this corner, and had ten-year-old dracanea on the floor (it used to sit on a low table) the plant is over five feet tall! Perhaps I ought to find it a larger container.

Yesterday morning was kind of frustrating, catching the striped kuhli loaches. They are not as bold as my black ones, took several hours for Tiger to finally go into the trap (baited with one of their favorites- shrimp pellet- after two days no feeding).

The angels seemed to ignore what was going on until Tiger was in there eating, then M Beautiful came and tried to bite at the food. Her color looks great here- except you can see some scrapes on the stripes.

After Tiger, two other striped kuhlis entered, and then it took forever for the last one, Sassy, to approach. Finally crept up to the entrance, stuck its head in, backed out again. I actually yelled "nooo!" It crept up again, slid halfway through the entrance, with head and pectoral fins hanging down into the trap, and just rested there for long minutes! My husband was watching with me and we just laughed. But then as I lifted the trap and slid a net over it, somehow Sassy escaped again. I put the first three kuhlis into the 20H with the others, and just left Sassy until the tank was completely empty- even of leaf litter- then caught it again with a net. The kuhlis have settled in well, all in the other tank now.

Angels took longer to calm down from their ordeal. I re-introduced them to the tank when all was re-planted and temperature back to normal, then left the lights off rest of the day. All next morning- even with the lighting low the female was pale and nervous-

Male has sustained some injury. Mouth is messed up- from his previous collisions with the tank wall- and now he's lost both caudal extensions. My largest fish net is not quite big enough to handle the angels anymore- I tried to be gentle but when finally acclimated and released them into the 45 again, saw that Skye's caudal fin extensions were broken. They just fell off later in the day.

M Beautiful lost hers months ago when they were fighting- her lower one is just starting to grow back.

I've reset the light timer, to come on in late afternoon through the evening, 6.5 hr photoperiod with an hour ramp up/down. When it first comes on, there's still ambient daylight so the background looks gray-

When it goes dark outside, the tank looks great.

I tried to arrange everything just the same as before, so the fishes would not find it unfamiliar. I did switch places with the heater and the pothos roots- because of outlet location for the heater cord. And moved the crypt balansae into corner, switched places with filter. It's much easier to get short end tank shots now-

Here's the other side. I tried to move the planter baskets a bit forward, so the fishes can slide between them and the back wall, and hide completely. Which they do.

Female appears to be more nervous than the male- she's often washed out. They both hide frequently. But not once since moving the tank have I seen them bash into the walls in panic!

And- again to my surprise- it is seven days since they lost their last batch of eggs and they went through a ton of stress just now with the tank move- they are in breeding mood again. The male has golden color showing on his forehead, they are cleaning leaves and other surfaces (male keeps going at the heater, and the tallest balansae leaf) and if I look close I see both their breeding tubes showing.

I am feeling dubious about letting them breed. I still don't know if the male's bent dorsal and the female's deformed gill plate are caused by mistakes I made raising them, or if it's genetic. If the latter, would be a bad idea to have offspring . . . I certainly don't have plans to get another large tank just to raise fry, and I know how much work that is- and I don't have any idea where I would distribute them after. It is super exciting to see them take care of the eggs and I was so thrilled that one time they got to wiggler stage. I don't mind that most of the eggs appear to die of fungus (or predation- we'll see now that the kuhlis are all out)- because I had a notion if they only managed to get twenty or so fry, maybe that small number could grow up in the home tank ok? I mainly want to see if my pair would tend to their fry, knowing that a lot of angels have lost the instincts to care for their young . . . If it turns out they're bad parents, or the fry have lots of defects (though not at all sure I could detect that) I'll probably get bottom-dwellers in the tank again (maybe brochis splendens instead of kuhli loaches) for some population control.

dracanea flowers!

Past two weeks a stunning thing happened in my living room. My big old corn plant bloomed. Earlier post, just the buds were out.

It must be a plant that in nature gets pollinated by night-flying insects or bats. The flower scent was almost overwhelmingly sweet and heady- and it permeated the house at night. I'd start to notice the smell late afternoon, it was really strong in the evening, and gone by morning.

Now it's the first evening in a while I don't smell them at all, and when I look close the flowers are fading and beginning to drop narrow, withered petals. Well, that was exciting while it lasted!

dracanea spike

Sometimes a plant surprises me. I guess this one is super happy- my dracanea aka 'corn plant' in the corner of tv room-

has flowered! I never expected that.

I really do need to trim the cane (and maybe replant top to propagate if possible)- it is only a foot or two from the ceiling now.

reposition

I've moved a few plants around, in the house. Some of them got temporarily moved out of a room that was having work done (so they didn't get coated in plaster dust) and then I simply liked their new location better, so left them there. My six-year-old avocado plant is now near the fireplace:

This pothos in a soda-bottle SIP is on top of a living room shelf. It gets pretty much ignored, but is doing fairly well after all this time.

And the dracaena marginata is in the basement, near the sliding door. I never yet do right by this plant. I've read it should be treated 'like a dragon in a cave' - low light, infrequent watering. So I placed it where there is only indirect light, in an out-of-the-way room where it won't get my excess attention. I've reduced its watering to once every three weeks. Upper foliage is looking nice and straight, but it is dropping lower leaves that go yellow at a rapid rate. I don't know if it is readjusting and going to recover, or if it is dying.

Even if it did improve and keep growing, it would soon hit the ceiling. And I have not read of people having much success cutting back a dracaena like this to keep it going at shorter height. So not sure if I will keep it once it gets too tall.

happy plants

two of my largest, the avocado (foreground here) and dracanea marginata (background) seem to be very happy in their spots flanking the big aquarium, in front of the windows- they get a lot of bright indirect light. Maybe they like the extra humidity too. The avocado has been busting out tons of new leaves.

trying to do better

by a few plants I have that have never seemed to do well here. The tall dracanea I have moved to my fiancé's house where it has a spot by tall window in bright, indirect light. It is spreading out already- I think the lighting is better for it and also I'm not there to constantly overwater it!

My big aloe appreciates the extra space caused by its absence at the apartment, too.

It still grows lopsided but the crown seems healthy enough. I'm moving it outside- but keeping in shaded part of balcony at first to give it adjustment time, so it doesn't get sunburn.

I am trying to rescue my poor ponytail palm. This plant came to me in the decorative planter, and I never thought to inspect it closely- but I realized today it has no drainage holes. I upended it all. Even though the bottom of the planter held an inch of large-sized gravel, and I had been watering it sparingly every two weeks or so, it was still sitting in mud. I am actually surprised and impressed that its still alive! Very tough plant, to withstand such poor conditions. No wonder its been looking peaky. I put it in a new (smaller) pot with good holes, nested back into the planter, in new soil- a cactus mix. Further reading, I've learned ponytail palms are not a palm at all, but a succulent- they like to stay dry. Also, I'd had it planted too deep- the thick base/stalk is supposed to be above the soil line- you can see the darkness here, where I have raised it up again.

Unfortunately, the top also got damaged when I was repotting it, so it's rather flattened now.

Not nearly as pretty, but I hope it revives. These things can grow to tree size and I've read comments online of people keeping a ponytail palm for fifty, sixty years and counting!

My creeping charlie is not doing well either. Its cuttings died, the rest of it looks unwell. I've given it newer, drier potting soil as well and moved to a different location in the home where it gets brighter indirect light. Not sure why this one is faltering now. Something is not quite right for it and I still haven't figured that out.