Most people buy a $100 Thai Constellation and put it in $10 "All-Purpose" soil. That’s a recipe for root rot in Georgia’s humidity. Standard soil holds too much water. Aroids (Monsteras, Philos) need "breathable" feet.

So, I did a thing. I saw Monstera Albo cuttings on Etsy and thought... YES! The photos looked incredible, the seller had glowing reviews, and the "Add to Cart" finger took over. But almost immediately after hitting 'confirm,' the remorse set in.

Last Friday, I was out plant shopping like it was full on spring! 75 degrees, sun shining, birds chirping...and then, it changed. For the last two nights, we've had a fire in the fireplace, the gas furnace kicking on incessantly (GNG, you're killing me with the therm pricing this year), and we're putting on lotion like it's our JOB.

Blind panic sets in and I immediately start thinking about how in the world I'm going to quarantine this ONE plant (or has it spread already) when I only have JUST ENOUGH grow lights for everyone in the current setup. I definitely don't want this plant to wither away without enough light, but I also don't want every other plant to "catch" whatever it is this one has...

Harry was a Ficus who had been with his family for three decades. Unfortunately, a 40° Georgia night was too much for him, even under a cover. When the leaves stay brown and crispy after a few weeks, it’s usually a sign the internal plumbing has failed. We performed a "Scratch Test," but the stems were dry. Harry’s journey had come to an end.

I’ve been buying house plants for years now, and as my collection has grown, so have my planting ‘supplies’. When I first got started, I didn’t know what sort of substrate would work best, so I did what a lot of people do – I bought a big bag of Miracle Gro soil and started repotting in it. Looking back, I must have gotten really lucky. It took me a while to start seeing gnats, and even when I did start seeing them, there weren’t that many. I controlled them with the usual su