u/Inevitable_Donkey_26

Hello! Looking for some advice. This is now the second Alocasia I’ve had this happen to.

My Ninja is in a self watering wick setup with pumice, grade 4 perlite, and a small amount of bark. Overall, the roots inside the pot look great, but I’ve noticed that the roots that escape out the bottom and into/near the reservoir start to rot. By rot I mean they pull off super easily when I touch them.

I know that shouldn’t be happening in a self watering/semi-hydro setup, so I’m trying to figure out what I’m doing wrong. Could the small amount of bark be holding too much moisture? Or is there something else about the setup that could be causing the escaped roots to deteriorate?

Leaves themselves haven’t been affected….. yet.

TIA

Ok want to see if this is norm or if others have advice. My VSOP is doing well, tonsss of growth but I noticed the pearls are almost matte and have lost their shine. The prop I took and rooted from it though… I mean those pearls look almost unreal.
Mom is in terracotta, uber chunky mix, and under a pretty strong grow light - probably getting 2k FC.
The prop is in plastic, similar substrate, but under about 6-700 FC. Both get fed the same water with diluted fertilizer.
Could mom be getting too much light?
Not complaining of course I’m grateful for my string of growth! Genuinely curious and here to learn 🤓

A couple of months ago my finance saw this plant and fell in love and made me get it. I use the term “made” very lightly. He’s heard enough from me nerding out to know that calatheas are notoriously finicky but honestly, she’s been pretty easy low maintenance. Anyone else have similar experience?

Hi everyone! Meet Tiger. 🐯
Tiger and I have already been through quite a bit together, including winning a battle against thrips a few months ago.
Since coming out of quarantine (about 3 months ago), she’s been growing under grow lights and has had a vertical bar light in front of her. She’s pushed some really beautiful growth so far.
The problem is that I’ve never been able to confidently determine which side is actually her back. I think the stem may have twisted as she grew.
Before committing to a moss pole or cedar plank, I added a simple trellis to help figure out her orientation. I’ve attached several photos, including close-ups of the stem, aerial roots, and the new growth point.
Based on the photos, which side would you consider the back of the plant? Am I overthinking this, or is she actually twisted enough that it’s hard to tell?
Thanks!

Has anyone seen a Begonia maculata do this?
This stem has now done the same thing two times. It starts by producing what appears to be a normal flower spike (I think). Then, instead of developing like a typical flower cluster, a spear like structure forms inside the floral bracts.
What’s especially strange is that on previous occasions, the structure looked almost like it was trying to become a leaf. However, whatever growth was forming never fully developed. The plant eventually seemed to abort it, and it never became a normal leaf or flower.

Now it’s happening again. The stalk has the usual bracts along it, but the terminal bud contains a tightly folded red spear that looks much more like a leaf/shoot than a flower bud.

The plant is otherwise healthy and actively growing since I saved it a few months ago from Lowe’s - which makes this even more confusing.

Photos attached. Curious whether this is a known begonia thing or if my maculata is just being an absolute weirdo.

Hello! I got this scalprum a few weeks ago, she’s stunning. Absolute beaut of a plant.

She’s put out a 2 new leaves in my care and seems super happy in her semi hydro set up with pumice and bark. My question is about the corms - I’ve already plucked and am starting to propagate one but there are three at the surface. I don’t want to propagate them (I did that with my Polly and now have like 10 plants that I don’t know what to do with - boohoo I know), but rather have them grow from the mother plant for a really nice bushy look.

Do yall experts out there think they’ll sprout being “above” the substrate?

FWIW, I’m about 6 months in to plant motherhood and am still learning!