some moved indoors

Tidied up my stevia plant. Lots of browned leaf tips. I thought at first from cold, but it's uneven- not all the foliage affected, not even every leaf on each stem. Plus curling, so I suspect an insect, tiny can't see it. Aphids maybe. I sprayed with soapy water a few days ago.

This morning found more of the leaves that hadn't been damaged before, dried up and curled. Trimmed those off and this time dunked all the stems and leaves entire in a bowl of soapy water held potside. Hope that does the trick. If not, of course I'm facing my yearly problem of bringing unseen pests inside to my resident houseplants. Stevia is now sitting by the glass sliding door, next to the jade and aloe.

Scented geranium here too. Looking fuller already.

Other geraniums are still outside. I put them under the edge of the table when several days of rainstorms expected, didn't want them to get hit with too much deluge. (The rain has tapered off now).

My chives are very happy with the extra rainfall though!

Chocolate mint next to the chives pot is looking better now, too.

on lean water

Another new tactic this year- I am trying to use only meltwater from snow and ice outside, or collected rainwater, for my succulents and tender plants. Some of them really don't like tapwater. Like the spider plant. I think it's the flouride content. Others- the succulents- do poorly with the rich nitrate content in the aquarium wastewater I use. Most of them seem to be doing better now! 

My blue-green "ponytail" plant- I trimmed and replanted in the same pot most of the trailing stems, and it looks much nicer now. Wow, how it's grown.

Zygo (thanksgiving) cactus is still small, but has doubled in size again:

Still don't know the actual name of this pale green one in the crassula family. It frequently had leaves that withered and dropped, before I started using the meltwater.

Surprise! I still have a remnant of the echeveria- two small plantlets- I keep them very dry now. The one in red pot sharing space with some babies of the blue-green 'ponytail' which fell there of their own accord.

Madagascar palm the only one that doesn't look happy yet. Too much draft? Not enough warmth? (it's near a door so there's some draft). Not sure. I might give up on this one soon.

Other plants that I usually give lean water now too, or mixed with just a small portion of tankwater: creeping charlies, sansevieria, peace lilly- which has grown a lot!

and now even has new baby shoots emerging-

and my spider plants- no more burned leaf tips! This pot has several offspring from

my original plain spider plant- still vigorous and with new baby offshoots growing all the time

how are some houseplants

Looking at the group I bought during covid times. Most of them are doing well- in fact, the tiny-leaved 'wandering dude boliviana' is doing fantastic!

It's grown so much. 

All the younger angelwing begonias are doing well, too. 

Except the one with glossy leaves (richmondensis) got very leggy and keeps leaning. I trimmed it and moved to a brighter spot. Put the cuttings in water just in case they root. 

The older begonia still has that second shoot coming up in the pot. It's taller, but no leaves yet. 

Next to it, the rubber plant doesn't look so great. 

And 'friendship' pilea is struggling, so I relocated it as well. 

And the pilea peperomioides faltered a while back- all the smaller leaves at crown were looking dark and wilting. I think I had overwatered it. I let it dry out for over a week, then watered sparingly again. 

Seems okay now- new leaves are growing again and they look fine. 

Not so keen on the coleus 'inky fingers' anymore. 

It just doesn't compare at all to my dark velvety one (dang, where is that plant label? I think it was called 'black witchy' or something) which is still so stunning

I kept it all season as a grand houseplant. 

Swiss cheese monstera has more new leaves. 

Very funny how the new ones grow out all tightly rolled up and then unfold. \

Crown of thorns seems to have finished blooming for now. The flowers finally turned all solid pink, and a few days after I took a photo, started to wither.

green indoors

Undecided where to plant the persian shield yet, so it's still on plant bench-

This coleus is so attractive I haven't put it outdoors yet but keep it inside to admire. It's so velvety.

I really do think my new strawberry begonia will do fine-

Potted up the new group of young aloe veras. And promptly trimmed a leaf to use on a burn (steam from the kitchen kettle hit my thumb). A few small rocks in there on top of the soil just to keep the aloes propped up, they were falling over.

Tiny new leaves blushing green all over my jade!

jade plant reviving

I always worry a bit, when I've done a severe trim on my jade plant, that it will die-

So am relieved to see the tiny new leaves growing on all the ends-

sunny corner

by the deck window, is the spot for my semi-succulents now. Madagascar palm, unknown bright crassula (I've looked and can't quite name this variety yet), and the newest my crown of thorns.

Which looks unhappy. Since I planted the cuttings, some of the leaves are yellowing. I really hope it's just going through an adjustment period.

I discarded a few of the jade plant cuttings, and stuck the nicest branching ones in a pot. Might separate out later into several pots as they grow. I don't need more jades, but after a year they'll make nice specimens to trade for at the plant swap again!

planted and cut

I went ahead and planted my espresso geranium- in a part-shaded spot

near the deck stairs, next to the container of hyssop.

My tray of zebrina flowers has a few more sprouting- I was amazed when I saw this plant for sale at the nursery a few days ago- theirs are large plants in eight-inch pots with robust, thick leaves. Mine still so small!

I trimmed my large jade plant- pretty seriously. Have corks between a few branches to space them out better.

I removed almost all the branch ends, encouraging stoutness. Left a few leaves on so it doesn't struggle too much until new leaves grow-

Here's the pile of what I cut off- they always start to go purplish in spring, after the paler light of winter getting too much sudden sunlight. New tips are greener.

I saved some of the trimmings, to maybe start new plants.

And planted my crown of thorns! Dipped the ends first in a bit of rooting hormon powder, though I don't know if that's needed.