by Plant Circle

7 things your ficus really hates

Ficus is a very common houseplant and for a good reason! It’s a very beautiful and diverse plant genus with lush foliage, that can grow into an impressive tree under the right care. Ficus, however, also tend to be a frustrating plant to grow, as it responds to stress rapidly by losing its leaves. So let’s take a look at where that stress can come from nd how to avoid it! The few ficus plants that are on the houseplant market all belong to the fig genus, which boasts hundreds of species native to the tropics. This tells you a lot about the environment they like: hot and humid.  To know how to best grow your ficus, you first need to know a few things about what this plant don’t like, and what can cause it stress.  1. Ficus hates low temperatures. And they also hate drafts, so be sure not to place your ficus next to a window that you open in autumn and winter.  2. Your ficus also doesn’t like to be moved. We suggest picking a spot… and sticking to it! Since any change in environment can cause leaf drop, it’s just safer to not relocate them at all. 3. It doesn’t like insufficient watering either. Which means you have to stick to a schedule, and that schedule will depend on the light your ficus receives. Under ideal conditions, weekly watering in summer and bi-weekly in winter should be sufficient.  4. Your ficus also hates dry air. Yeah, your ficus is actually a bit of a diva, so we recommend treating it like the biggest diva of them all… your Calathea! Group your ficus with other plants, or place near a humidifier, or alternatively a bowl with water for added humidity. 5. It doesn’t like dust on the leaves. None of your plants do, but those big ficus leaves sure know how to collect excess dust! Make sure to keep your ficus’ leaves dust free by regularly wiping them with wet cloth. 6. It doesn’t like to be repotted often. Since it doesn’t like to be moved around a lot, it should come as no surprise that your ficus also doesn’t like to be repotted too often! Let your ficus go a little pot bound before you repot your it, and don’t go for a pot that’s several sizes bigger. Instead, just go a single size up! 7. Your ficus, like all plants, doesn’t like pests. And since it’s prone to dropping leaves, this is exactly the kind of thing that is likely to make it lose its foliage! Keep an extra eye out for pests when you wipe dust off the leaves and catch any infestations early. Now that we’ve covered how not to treat your ficus, let’s take a quick look at some best practices that will actually make it happy! Ficus needs bright light and when it’s acclimated it can also tolerate direct sunlight. The best spot for this plant would be in an east or south-east facing window where it receives a few hours of morning sun. Grow it in a well draining, rich potting mix and avoid acidic soils. If you’d like your ficus to grow a strong, thick stem you will need to shake it a few times a week. Yes, you read it right, grab that stem and shake it a bit… shake it, don’t break it! Normally this would be done by the wind outdoors, but since it’s a houseplant, this is your job now!Ficus’ tend to grow leggy, so it’s important to prune them. The best time to prune your ficus is in winter when they are not actively growing. Remember to wear gloves as the ficus’ sap is toxic. Use a sharp knife or garden shears and cut right above the node. Leave your cutting on a paper towel and let the cut area dry out. Once it’s cured, you can put it in water and let it grow roots!If you ever notice red spots on your ficus’ leaves, you should know it’s probably caused by leaf oedema. Its a non-deadly issue which we’ve described in more detail in this blog post. One way to avoid it is to adjust watering accordingly.And last but not least, don’t forget to fertilise your ficus regularly in spring and summer, and even every now and then in winter!

by Plant Circle

Common pests: Spider mites

Spider mites are one of the most common pests and at a size that’s smaller than 1 mm, they sure make it difficult for us to spot and identify them! And while they may be tiny, the damage they do to your plants can be extensive. Let’s take a look at what warning signs to watch out for, and how to best get rid of them! There are many different kinds of spider mites in the greater family, however one of the most common ones, and the ones you’re most likely to find your houseplants, are the red spider mites, or Tetranychus urticae. But that doesn’t mean you won’t ever have misfortune of meeting the white or black spider mites, so beware of them too! Spider mites damage your plants by piercing the leaf surface and extracting cell contents. This leaves holes in the protective layer of the leaf, which then leads to moisture loss, and eventually drying out. It’s important to act fast as these pests can multiple at an impressive rate! A spider mite egg will hatch in as little as three days, and mites becomes sexually active at only five days old. One female can lay up to 20 eggs a day and with a lifespan of 2-4 weeks, she’ll be laying hundreds of eggs in her lifetime. This accelerated reproduction rate can allow spider mites to adapt quickly and become resistant to pesticides, so with prolonged use of the same pesticide, it may become ineffective. Keeping that in mind, your best weapon will be the speed and diversity of the treatment! There are a few signs that your plant will display that you should watch out for, so let’s go over those first! 1. Stunted growthHave you noticed that your plant is not growing new leaves in what feels like ages, or that they have this one leaf that just refuses to unfurl for weeks? That’s a good indication that your plant is currently struggling with something, and that something could very well be a pest infestation. 2. Tiny dots on the leavesSpider mites suck the juices out of a plant leaving behind bite marks in form of tiny dots, so that’s one of the first warning signs to look out for! 3. Tiny webs Finding small webs, and what looks like dust gathered in folds of leaves and stems, is another warning sign. If those webs are accompanied by red, black or white moving bugs, then you know for sure you have a spider mite problem!4. Yellowing of the leavesWhen the infestation is heavy, you’ll notice yellowing of the leaves, in both young and older leaves, plenty of tiny webs, and white-powdery stuff covering the leaves. If you see some, or all, of the above signs on your plants, you have a problem… but don’t panic! There are effective ways to combat spider mites, and ideally you’ll want to implement them all at the same time to have best chance of success! First things first. When you spot spider mite related damage to your plants, you’ll want to give them a thorough, high pressure shower, focusing on rinsing the leaves from different directions to try remove as many bugs as possible.Using a lint roller can also be a very effective way of removing the adult specimens from the leaves! When the plant has been washed (and/or rolled!) it’s time to apply insecticide. You can choose to fight spider mites the natural way with Neem oil (read more about how to use that in this blog post) or with a commercially available spray. The key here is to be consistent and apply it weekly for the next 4-6 weeks to target the mites in all their various stages of growth. The first time you only get the adults, and after a few days their eggs will hatch, and so on, so that’s why it’s crucial that you keep the treatment going. When you got the infestation somewhat under control, usually around 2-3 weeks into the treatments, it’s a good time to introduce predatory bugs. This will help you fight the remaining colony of spider mites with very little effort on your part!  Spider mites prefer hot and dry living conditions, so if you notice any mites on your plants, regular misting during the treatment could discourage them from staying on your plants, but keep in mind that this alone will not eliminate them. Last but not least, it’s important to apply fertiliser to plants that are struggling with pest infestations to help them regain their strength to fight, and continue to grow!

by Plant Circle

How to NOT kill a Cactus

Cacti are probably the easiest plants to grow yet so many people kill them so fast. Why? Let’s look at closer at what makes these plants tick so we can avoid some of the most common mistakes! Most of the cacti on the planet live in places that are subject to at least some draught and many live in extremely dry environments like deserts. They have adapted very well to those conditions by conserving water. A healthy cactus is made of whopping 95% water! If you think about it, it’s really just skin and water. Cacti love sun and will enjoy a few hours of sun a day in the summer. Just be careful to not burn your plant by leaving it in scorching sun on the balcony after a winter and spring indoors (we’ve done that). You need to ease them into that summer sun. Good way to do this is to let them sit on the balcony starting in the spring. Cacti can withstand cold during the night, as that is similar to desert conditions- warm in the day and cold at night. As we’ve mentioned before, cacti are found in some of the hottest and driest places on earth. How do they survive that? They have developed some amazing coping systems to survive. One of them is the development of stomate. Stomate are tiny, microscopic pores that are critical for photosynthesis. Thousands of them dot the surface of cacti and they’re responsible for photosynthesis. Traditional garden plants have their leaves covered with stomate, that open during the day for carbon dioxide intake, which is essential for their one stop photosynthesis process. Open stomate make plants lose moisture, so if you don’t water your plants adequately, they will wilt. Many agaves and cacti evolved to adapt to extreme heat and drought by keeping their stomates closed during the day, so there’s no moisture loss. Cactus pores open at night for gas exchange and when they’re open, cacti are capable of taking in moisture directly through these openings. Now, this is crucial information for better understanding how to water these plants. If their stomate are closed during the day, and moisture intake is limited as a result, it makes no sense to water them during that time, as the water won’t be absorbed! Because gas exchange is active at night, the roots are better able to take in water applied to the soil. Additionally, you can pour water over the head of your cactus to let it experience rain-like conditions. This will also clean the cactus’ skin by allowing water to penetrate the stomate! Fun fact: a prickly pear cactus paddle can survive to up to 2 years after being cut off the mother plant. This shows you how effective cacti are at preserving the moisture through closing their stomate.   Now, knowing all of the above, you must remember that rain in the desert is not a frequent occurrence, so don’t water your cactus too often. We recommend every 1-2 weeks in summer, if the plant gets southern exposure, and every 4-6 weeks in winter. Ideally you’d want to force your cactus into hibernation, which we discuss in this article.

by Plant Circle

How to water your plants

It’s no secret that the number one cause of death among houseplants is overwatering. This bad watering habit usually develops when well meaning plant parents give their plants just a little too much love and attention. Let’s explore how to water your plants… properly! Don’t feel bad, we’ve all been there. And most of us learned the hard way how to not water our plants! But whether you’re new to plant parenthood, or a seasoned plant parent, there’s no reason for you to make the same mistakes we did. And although all plants are different and have various watering needs, there are some good practices that you can apply all across the board. To help you out, we’ve compiled our top ten tips on how to water your plants here! 1. Sufficient lightYes, this post is about watering, but we can’t talk about watering without mentioning light! If your plants are not getting the sufficient, optimal light they need, they’ll also require less water than the internet, the sales assistant, or your friend says. Adjust your watering routine to the conditions you have! 2. Observe your plants They’ll tell you when they’re thirsty. All plants wilt when they’re dehydrated, and you’ll either notice rolled up leaves or some droopiness. Notice how many days it’s been since the last time you watered your plants, and now you know when your plant is overdue for a drink! Please note: some plants can take under watering quite badly, and will get burnt edges on the leaves, or even drop a few… looking at you, Ficus! If you want to avoid that, simply water them a day or two sooner the next time. Based on your previous observations you should now have a good idea of when the wilting is expected to occur! 3. The finger methodSimply stick your finger into the soil and check whether it’s wet or dry. If the top 3-4 cm of the potting mix are dry, you are safe to water your plants. 4. Bottom wateringSome plants, like Saintpaulia or Begonia, prefer bottom watering, as they don’t like getting water on their leaves. Do a little research about your new plant to find out if it has any special preferences! 5. Filtered water In a lot of places, like for example Berlin, tap water is really hard. Hard water has a negative impact on plants, therefore we recommend to always use either filtered, distilled, or rain water if possible. If those options aren’t available to you, then just let your water sit in the watering can for couple of days before using it. Read more about hard water here! 6. Showering your plantsOnce in a while it’s beneficial to give your plants a good shower! Not only will you clean dust off of the leaves, which is important for optimal light absorption, you’ll also take care of potential bugs and pests that could be hiding under the leaves. Furthermore, a thorough showering can wash out any mineral residue from the potting mix! We recommend this technique for the summer months. 7. Potting mixWhat potting mix your plants are in is crucial for keeping the roots healthy. The vast majority of plants will appreciate a well draining potting mix that will dry out between watering. Never use garden soil for your house plants, as it will turn into mud when watered and suffocate the roots. Read more about potting mixes here. 8. SeasonsAs the lighting situation changes with the seasons, it’s also important to change your watering routine. A good rule of thumb is to cut your watering in half in winter, meaning if you watered your plants weekly in summer, you can switch to watering every two weeks in winter. This, of course, doesn’t apply to for example cacti, if you’re hibernating them, or ferns that would rather stay kind of moist all the time. 9. Know the difference between moist and wetSome plants love for the potting mix to stay moist, but this doesn’t mean wet! Learn the difference, and never let your plants sit in water as it promotes root rot. 10. Drainage holesWe will forever recommend that you keep your plants in pots with drainage holes. No matter what! Drainage holes are actual lifesavers, as they make sure excess water doesn’t stay in the soil and damage the plant’s roots. When watering, make sure that you lift your pot up afterwards and let the excess water run through. Also, keeping your plants in plastic pots with drainage inside ceramics, promotes airflow around the roots. To make the conditions even better, you can put a few rocks under the plastic pot to lift it up a bit, and don’t forget to make sure that the ceramic planter is a few centimeters bigger than the plastic pot itself.

by Plant Circle

Plant Circle investigates: Stephania erecta

Exposed: Every single Stephania erecta on the European market is a poached plant! Stephania erecta has been trending in the houseplant community for the past one and a half years. These potato-like, tuberous plants with delicate round leaves have a special aesthetic that appeals to many plant enthusiasts, not only because they make for great pictures on social media, but also because their distinctive look sets them apart from a lot of other houseplants on the market. The hype around Stephania led wholesalers to source this peculiar plant for the European market and culminated in the sale of probably thousands of them in the last year. However, both experts and sellers now agree that it is most likely all of them were collected from the wild. “They are probably all poached,” says Rogier van Vugt, Head of Greenhouse at the Botanical Gardens in Leiden, Netherlands According to him, the wholesalers were “seemingly misled by the Thai sellers who told them all these plants were cultivated. However, one quick glance at the plants makes it clear they are not.” Plant poaching is the removal of plants from their natural habitat. In the case of Stephania, it is not illegal for the local sellers in Thailand to collect the caudex plants by detaching them from the limestones or digging them out of the forest floor, since they are not endangered. However, the plant community generally deems it unethical to buy or sell plants that have been ripped out of nature, as opposed to having been cultivated professionally at a nursery, mainly due to the detrimental long-term effects poaching can have on the population of certain species. A lot of the Stephania on the European market come from Dutch wholesaler Ansu. “Last year, we and our Thai partner Suphachadiwong saw that there was demand for rare plants on the market,” says Steef van Adrichem, Commercial Director at Ansu. “We found the caudex family interesting enough to give it a try.” With this move, the company decided not only to bring Stephania erecta to market, but also rarer caudex plants such as Stephania kaweesakii or Impatiens phengklaii, which were sold on to plant shops and consequently to house plant enthusiasts around Europe. “Stephania erecta is kind of a weed in some places,” van Adrichem says, “and it does not harm the environment when you take some out”.Still, van Adrichem acknowledges that the poaching of other caudex plants, which his company imported to Europe, might have had more detrimental effects. “We do not buy Impatiens phengklaii anymore,” he continues. “We also stopped importing Stephania kaweesakii after finding out how they take them from nature.”Ansu now strives to grow their own seedlings instead, in order to ethically cultivate these two rarer species. For this reason, Ansu is collaborating with Rogier van Vugt, who has been conducting research on the cultivation of Stephania and Impatiens.“I’m working on investigating how some of these caudex plants can be propagated by seed,” van Vugt says. “I urged Steef [van Adrichem of Ansu] to ask people in Thailand to do the same.” His experiments have yielded the first results in the form of Stephania erecta and kaweesakii seedlings. “Stephania seeds germinate very easily. It will be interesting to see how fast these will develop a desired caudex size. But I’m sure this will take years.”And therein lies the problem, as Stephania grow very slowly in their natural habitat, which is one of the challenges growers face when trying to cultivate them for profit. “Many Stephania like the popular S. erecta are lithophytes meaning they grow on rocks or, more specifically, limestone in this case,” says Stefan Burger, an Australian naturalist, habitat guide, and expert on cacti and succulents. “It takes them decades to mature and reach just a few inches in diameter. Under more favourable circumstances, like subtropical climates and nutritious substrates, they can grow quite fast and the caudex may reach a few inches in diameter in only a couple of years,” Burger explains. But the ever-changing houseplant market and drive for new plants often does not allow for such a large timeframe. New, trendy plants need to be saleable as quickly as possible – ideally in a good size and at an accessible price. “Even though they may grow fast under good circumstances, habitat poaching is the quicker and cheaper alternative for those living near to the native habitats,” says Burger. While there are no studies on the consequences of Stephania’s rise to popularity and mass poaching so far, it is clear that the harvest of thousands of bulbs in recent years has diminished their population quite a bit. According to Burger, there is no information on “these specific habitats, but we know that it is obviously having a negative effect“. While all Stephania were traditionally harvested from habitat, according to Burger, some growers have now begun cultivating them professionally. However, this remains a rare practice. In their home country of Thailand, Stephania suberosa in particular are commonly sold in Asian markets for home decoration and medicinal purposes. A few species of Stephania are toxic, while others are part of the Asian cuisine. The leaves of Stephania japonica, for instance, are commonly used to produce edible green grass jelly in Indonesia. “It all comes down to whether the Stephania are ethically grown or not,” Burger says. “Plants should only be bought from a CITES-approved nursery for 100% peace of mind.” The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) regulates the global trade in plants. It categorises endangered plants into three categories, depending on the level of threat they are under. It lists more than 30,000 taxa of plants compared to about 5,000 taxa of animals. Stephanias are not on the CITES list as of now.“Any plants sold via social media direct messages should be treated with suspicion,” Burger says. He strives to educate plant enthusiasts about illegal plant poaching and importing via his Instagram @cactusexplorer_.He also runs cactus exploration tours in South America, where cactus and succulent poaching is of particular concern. Rogier van Vugt suggests sellers should be more mindful when selling slow-growing caudex plants, such as Stephania. “The plant market should at least stop advertising these plants as a funny, disposable, cheap plant,“ he says.“This way people will have to think a bit more before they buy one. This will limit the demand in numbers, yet can still supply the people in Thailand with an income. Logically, this can only be done with common species.” Thanks to everyone who generously gave us their time and expertise, so we could put together this article, and to Plant Circle’s Sarah for doing the investigating.If you are one of the people who have been wondering why we haven’t restocked Stephania erecta in ages, now you know that as soon as the reality of where these plants come from came to our attention we stopped selling them in our shop immediately. It is our hope that other plant sellers who haven’t already will consider following suit.If an ethically grown Stephania erecta enters the market we look forward to offering it in our shop again. But until then, let’s be mindful of where our house plants come from and remember that no plant collection or home aesthetic is worth damaging a plant’s natural habitat.

by Plant Circle

Plant Circle’s top 5 plants for your workspace

  In our humble opinion, any plant is better than no plants in your workspace! But even we must admit that there are some that are just more suitable for workspaces than others. In this post we explore which plant varieties would make the perfect additions to your (home) office, and why! ‘Why do I even need plants in the office?’, you may ask. Well, according to scientists, not only do they purify the air you breathe and improve the indoor air quality, but they also help you focus and increase your productivity.Additionally, looking at the color green makes you feel calmer and uplifts your mood!All pretty good reasons to have plants around while you’re working, if you ask us, and if you’re feeling convinced too, let’s take a look at the conditions that a plant needs to meet to be considered a great choice for the workspace. We think that the ideal candidate should be:• super easy to take care of• known for its air purifying qualities• visually pleasing, as a bonus! And it should however NOT:• require too frequent watering• require higher than average humidity Lucky for all of us, there are plenty of plants that meet all of those requirements, and we’ve gone ahead and made it super easy for you by compiling our choice for the top five plants for your workspace, that tick all the before mentioned boxes! 1. Zamioculcas Zamifoliia ‘Raven’A very interesting cousin of the more well known green variety, popularly known as the ZZ plant, will lure you in with its stunning, almost black foliage. Besides looking super interesting, this plant is known for being easy care… and we’re talking super easy!The only way to kill a ZZ plant is by watering it frequently, so just don’t do that and you should be fine! We suggest to water it only every 4-6 weeks and apart from maybe a windowless bathroom, you can pretty much place this plant anywhere you want, as it doesn’t have high expectations when it comes to light either.Just an easy care champion all around, but one that’s still sure to attract plenty of compliments from friends and coworkers! 2. Monstera DeliciosaUnbeatable when it comes to creating that #urbanjungle vibe we all love, the iconic foliage and avid growth of the Monstera are just some of the reasons why people continue to be obsessed with this classic.A Monstera Deliciosa will liven up any corner of your office, just don’t let it sit in complete darkness, or the sharp afternoon sun, as that can scorch the leaves.Just like the ZZ, it’s easy to take care for, but this one will appreciate weekly or bi-weekly watering depending on where it’s placed.In some countries Monsteras grow like weeds, which seems strange considering its status as a houseplant, but you literally can’t get rid of them if you plant them in your garden in warmer climates, so that should tell you something about how easy this plant actually is!Read more about Monstera care in this blog post. 3. Scindapsus PictusAlso known as silver pothos, Scindapsus Pictus is a perfect addition to your workspace and creates and instant lush and jungley vibe. This plant will do great on a shelf or in a plant hanger as it loves to trail. Not only is it super easy to care for, but it’s also known for its ability to remove toxins from indoor climates.We love the silver varieties, as they’re so unpretentiously beautiful and also grow like crazy! These plants are not fussy when it comes to light and will do well in medium to bright indirect light. Direct sun is the natural enemy of your Scindapsus, and will burn its leaves. Also don’t overdo it with the water, depending on the position simply water it every 1-2 weeks.Read more about Scindapsus care in this blog post.  4. Hoya Carnosa Krimson QueenHave a sunny office and don’t know what to grow there? Hoyas are your new best friends! We particularly love the Hoya Compacta Baby variety, as it gives you so much variation in color on the leaves! The colors can range from white to cream to hot pink, and an added bonus? Hoyas are succulents, and don’t like to drink often outside growing season AND they produce flowers that smell insanely good!Place your Hoya on a shelf, or in a hanging basket, and water it weekly in summer, and every 2-3 weeks in winter, provided its growing in a sunny window.Please keep in mind that Hoyas shouldn’t be repotted during flowering season, and that they like to grow pot bound in general. So basically just leave it alone. Easy!Read more about Hoya care in this blog post. 5. Sansevieria MetallicaOk, we know that snake plants may not be known for their stunning good looks, but the gorgeous Metallica variety definitely proves this assumption wrong!Not only is it proven by NASA that all Sansevierias can help if you suffer from migraines, but also they’re also famous for being super easy to care for. Just like Hoya, Sansevierias are succulents, which means they are not particularly big on drinking. We’re talking not even weekly in summer, once a month will do the trick. Besides that, they like to grow pot bound so you won’t need to repot it that often either.The perfect plant if you’re forgetful, or don’t stop by the office as often as you used to!

by Plant Circle

Plant care: Non deadly issues

Have you ever questioned your inner morals as a human after realising that you would rather spend hours sitting with your houseplants, than visiting the newborn child that your cousin has just brought into the world? Oliver has, but thankfully his questionable morals are your gain, as they led to this post about non deadly issues, aka things that actually won’t kill your plants! Sometimes, to us house plant addicts, the connection with our plants can be similar to the connection with a child. You love them with all your heart, to a point of absurdity, and to a point of over-protectivity. We all need to learn how to sometimes take a step back and, ultimately, realise that what might be a problem for us as humans, is perhaps not actually a problem for our plant friends. In this blog post we will cover some common non deadly issues that most plant parents will encounter during their parenthood, and hopefully reading this will help you to calm down a little in the future, if and when these discoveries take place. The most important thing to remember when coming across new, unexpected life forms in your indoor jungle is this: you have brought nature into an unnatural environment, and that nature will actually benefit from an ecosystem of some sort. Here are some common insects that you might find repulsive, but your plants will welcome with open stems! Soil mites. These tiny white mites can be seen crawling through soil just living their best life. They love your plants just as much as you do, but love composting material even more!These little critters spend their days munching on this decaying plant material, while leaving your plant, and its root system, happy and healthy. Sometimes these mites are confused with spider mites, which are dangerous to the plants health, or fungus gnats, but take some time to observe them, and you will quickly be able to see that these soil mites are exclusively sub-terrestrial. Springtails. Another bug commonly confused with the infamous fungus gnat, is the Springtail. These little white bugs live in the soil, feasting on decaying plant matter, and while they may look threatening, these guys are not there to eat your plant, and while they can occasionally inhibit the hardiness of your plant, they are very rarely the actual cause of your plants problems. Most notably, Springtails can jump several inches into the air when disturbed, causing disgust and disarray from the plant parent, but be grateful for this ability, as it can help you distinguish them from the real pest! Silverfish. Possibly the most difficult insect to decide if you want to allow to continue to co-inhabit your indoor jungle is the Silverfish. While they may look like something from a poorly animated 80s horror film, we should not judge a bug by its apparent creepiness. These truly buggy looking creatures like to feed on dead insects, such as springtails, soil mites, and even fungus gnats and other detrimental pests, as well as fungi, which is almost always found within soil, even if you cannot see it. While silverfish can absolutely cause damage to your books and other material possessions, but as they will not harm you or your plant babies, they still fall under the Non deadly issues category. So what do you say? In my opinion, out of sight, out of mind! Earwig. Another common house guest, that looks like it could kill you with a bite of its scorpion like pincers, is the deceptively harmless Earwig. Even more beneficial than Silverfish, Earwigs will feed on live, plant-feeding insects, acting as a biological control supporting your plant. While they can become pests if their population are allowed to get out of control, this rarely occurs and their population can be kept at a reasonable and manageable level by following a few simple and overall beneficial rules. Managing population levels of houseplant bugs. The thing that all of these animals have in common is their ideal environment. Dark, cool, humid. The exact environment that you will find in the bottom part of the soil of a plant, or under a ceramic pot, especially the highly popular terracotta pots. Using specific potting mixes for different types of plants will manage the humid environment that these bugs love, ensuring that your plant love its soil, and that the bugs don’t get too comfortable in your jungle. Additionally, watering correctly (not over watering, and ensuring that excess water is always removed after watering) will again help your plant and its living pot-mates. Whilst potting substrate and watering are essential for managing the living populations in your plants, it is also highly beneficial for managing some other non deadly, purely cosmetic issues that are found in plants. Oedema. Caused by excess uptake of water by the plants roots, oedema is characterised by a corky, blustery like appearance on the leaf of plants. This can be the result of poor potting mix, excessive watering or prolonged exposure to water, as well as watering with warm water, or during periods of the day where it is too hot. All of these issues are easily solved through your actions! While you might have a few deformed leaves, the plant is still happy and just being a nice friend with a good level of resilience. Stunted growth. Don’t take it personally, but this is a problem with you! Not the plant. Stunted growth and deformed leaves are again an issue with the sub-terrain. Maybe you haven’t ever changed the potting mix, which has now turned rock solid after months of watering and dying out? Or perhaps the plants have grown so well that it’s now time for a bigger pot with more space for the roots? Whatever you might have done, or neglected to do, it’s time to do something about it! Increase the pot size, provide a more penetrable potting medium, and give your baby an upgrade. The roots will always dictate your plants overall health!

by Plant Circle

Plant care: Potting mix

Many longtime plant parents started out thinking that dirt is dirt, and plants will grow in anything. No? Was that just us? Well, luckily thanks to information being more widely available, we now know that plants in fact need high quality potting mixes to really thrive, and to make understanding the ingredients and compositions easier for you, we’ve gathered them here! Having a good quality potting mix tailored to the needs of the plant is every bit as important as providing your plant with water or sufficient light. In fact, most common plant related issues, like overwatering and root rot, come from using an average quality potting mix… or worse.Let’s start by getting into the two most frequently used terms when it comes to this topic: ‘potting soil’ and ‘potting mix’. Though these terms are used interchangeably, there is a difference. Potting soil may contain soil, while potting mix is strictly a soilless medium. Technically, potting soil is nothing but dirt that no longer has the adequate elements necessary to support the growth of potted plants, or indoor plants. Potting mix, however, is sterile, which makes it safer for plants because it’s guaranteed to not contain pathogens such as fungus or other diseases. Why is having a good quality potting mix so important? The main reason is that potting mixes are designed to not get too compacted, something that can suffocate the roots of a plant, or impede the flow of water and nutrients, and in the worst cases, cause root rot. A high quality potting mix will be lightweight and fluffy, with the ability to hold moisture. For the roots to grow deeply, good aeration is necessary and recommended. Aeration requires puncturing the soil with tiny holes in order for the water, air, and nutrients to penetrate the roots. To achieve that effect without the physical labour, you simply add bark to the potting mix, which creates little air pockets! Now that we’ve established the importance of a good potting mix, and what it does for the health of your plant, let’s get into the the most common components that can be added to your potting mix! Perlite. Perlite is the name of a naturally occurring mineral. In nature, it exists as a type of volcanic glass, created when the volcanic obsidian glass gets saturated with water over a long period of time. And since fertile, volcanic areas have been settled due to fertile soils since biblical times, humans have been aware of perlite at least since Third Century BC. Other uses of perlite include masonry construction, cement, gypsum plasters, and loose-fill insulation. Horticultural perlite is made by exposing perlite to heat, which causes the trace water contained in the perlite to expand, ‘popping’ the perlite like popcorn and expanding it to 13 times its former size, resulting in an incredibly lightweight material! Since it is a naturally occurring, mined mineral, perlite is a nonrenewable resource. Perlite is an excellent potting mix additive, and is also an effective rooting medium. Please note: Perlite dust can aggravate existing respiratory conditions and cause eye irritation. Eye and mouth protection are recommended to prevent the dust from being ingested. Want to go deeper? Read an exhaustive article on perlite here! Vermiculite. Vermiculite is the name of a group of hydrated laminar minerals (aluminum-iron magnesium silicates) which look like mica. Horticultural vermiculite is processed with massive heat that expands it into accordion shaped pellets composed of multiple layers of thin plates. It will not rot, deteriorate, or mold, and is enduring, odorless, non-toxic, and sterile. It is however not a renewable source. Just as perlite, vermiculite is an excellent potting mix additive, and can also be used as rooting medium! This article further explores the topic of vermiculite! Activated charcoal. Activated charcoal prolongs the life of soil media by balancing pH levels and sweetening the soil of potted plants and terrariums. It also eliminates odour, absorbs salt residue, and breaks down the build-up of bacteria. We love to add activated charcoal to any potting mix, and we also add it to the water when rooting a plant! Coconut Coir. Firstly, what exactly is coconut coir? Actually everything in between the shell and the outer coating of the coconut seed is considered coco coir! While most people mainly think of the edible parts when they think of this fruit, coconuts actually have many applications in horticulture! Coco coir is known to be one of the most moisture retaining growing medias, and can absorb up to 10 times its weight in water. On the market coco coir is available in three forms: coco peat, coco fibres, and coco chips. It’s very common to grow tropical plants in coco coir in Asia; in fact, that’s how most of our imported plants arrive from there. We are however not big fans of coco coir as the only potting medium, and therefore suggest using it in potting mixes in combination with other ingredients. For example, you can use coco chips instead of bark, or coco peat instead of peat moss! Bark. We love bark! Namely pine bark shreds. You can easily improve drainage and aeration of your potting mix by adding some bark to it. We recommend it for pretty much all mixes, besides succulent ones. Sand. Sand is super helpful when creating a potting mix for succulents and cacti, as it it increases drainage ability. Please note: we advice not using sand taken directly from the beach, as this type of sand has a high salt content, and could severely damage your plants roots! Ideally you should only use horticultural sand. Worm humus. Worm humus, also known as vermicast, is the final product of decomposed material excreted by the king of the soil: the mighty earthworm! Packed with water soluble nutrients and bacteria, worm humus is a very nutritious organic fertilizer, and excellent all-round soil improver. Worm humus is perfect for refreshing a potting mix, or adding to substrate mixtures already in use. The ideal proportions to aim for are a blend of 10 – 15% worm humus to 85 – 90% substrate. Spaghnum moss. Spaghnum moss is generally used more for cuttings and propagations, however, some Anthuriums can be grown in it, but this is generally only recommended for people who check on their plants daily, as spaghnum moss can dry out quickly, and might require you to check on your plants every day. Read more about this, and other types of moss, in our post dedicated to Anthuriums! Last but not least, and maybe this goes without saying, but don’t plant your plant into a pot without drainage holes! Leave it in the plastic nursery pot, and always check for excess water to get rid of after watering. You’ll also want your ceramic planter to be a tad bigger than your plastic nursery pot, as the little gap between the two will allow a better airflow around the roots. We hope this gave you an idea of how to provide your plant with the best potting mix, and if you’re still in doubt, we recommend starting out with our handmade Aroid Potting Mix! It’s suitable for most tropical house plants, and contains a high quality ingredients such as bark, perlite and activated charcoal.Happy potting, plant lovers!

by Plant Circle

Plant care: Predator bugs

Perhaps you’ve been hearing people, your friends here at Plant Circle included, rave about predator bugs, but if you’re still unsure of exactly what they are and how to use them, we’re here to help clear things up Predator bugs, also referred to as predator insects, or beneficial insects, are the natural enemies of common pests, such as thrips, spider mites, etc. They’re important agents in biological control of pests, and the perfect solution for those who don’t like to use chemicals at home, and would rather see nature take its own course, with just a tiny bit of human interference! With predator bugs you get good results with little effort, as long as you make sure to act quick! Predators are most effective as prevention, or at the earliest stages of an infestation. Once your plants are covered in pests, these won’t be of much help, so try to keep that in mind, and check our previous blog posts on treatments, such as our post about Neem oil!However, if you are in the early stages of a pest infestation, and you want to make sure it doesn’t escalate, read on! Many types of beneficial insects can be purchased and released in your home, balcony, or garden to control specific pests. Here are some of the most common commercially available beneficial bugs, and the pests they work to prevent. Please remember not every predator is good for every pest, you have to choose the right one. Most beneficial bugs come in containers in some sort of medium, which you can easily sprinkle that on top of your plants foliage. Nematodes. These microscopic worms live deep down in the soil and feed on variety of underground pests like fungus gnat larvae, slugs, or snails. Each type targets different pests. You release them by mixing them with water, and using that mixture to water your plant. We highly recommend these guys if you have been struggling with fungus gnats! Read more and buy them here! Lacewing. These gorgeous flying insect is usually shipped in form of eggs or larvae. Once hatched, they feed on aphids, thrips, mealybugs, and spider mites, among others. The lacewing larvae have pincer-like jaws with which they grasp their prey and inject them with a poison, after which the pest is sucked out. We can highly recommend them, especially in the sometimes seemingly never ending fight against thrips! Buy them here! Ladybugs. Yes, the cute little innocent looking ladybug is actually a voracious eater of all kind of soft bodied bugs and larvae. These predator bugs are particularly effective against aphids and mealybugs! Parasitic wasps. These tiny wasps lay eggs inside the bodies of pests. We highly recommend them if you have problems with Aphids! Predatory mites. These tiny mites are excellent weapon against thrips and spider mites. We highly recommend Amblyseiulus Californicus. We use them regularly and find them effective, and they’re available to buy online! If you decide to try and fight or prevent pests with beneficial bugs, there are a few important things to consider: Do not use neem oil sprays after releasing predators, as it can effectively kill them by smothering them, much as it would the pests Do not use pesticides that require contact to be deadly at the same time as using the beneficial bugs, as these could kill them too Once the pests are gone, predators will die soon after, as they feed on the pests and cant survive without their food source. Some predators, however, feed on pollen, that can usually be purchased together with the bugs Predators are most effective when being used as a preventative measure, and when infestation is on a smaller scale, so always keep a close eye on your plants for early warning signs of an infestation!

by Plant Circle

Plant care: Succulents

Succulents are some of the easiest plants to care for, so why do they have a reputation that says the opposite? We’ll get into that, and the most important tips on how to care for a succulent, in this post! First off, what are succulents? By definition, succulents are drought resistant plants that store water in their stems, leaves, or roots, and because of that have a more “fleshy” appearance. They can be found all over the world… except Antarctica! There are about 60 different plant families that contain succulents. Fun fact: cacti are also categorised as a succulents and some plants loosely referred to as cacti, like many varieties of Euphorbia, are actually succulents, not cacti! Now that we know what a succulent is, let’s move onto how to care for these plants, and why so many people end up killing them. As previously mentioned, succulents store water in their roots, stems, and leaves. This means that they really don’t need a lot of watering provided by you. And by not a lot, we actually mean about once a month tops! The number one cause of death for succulents is, as you may have already guessed, overwatering. Yes, that extra love we so want to show our plants, really can kill them! So please, and we can’t stress it enough, if you feel like showing them some extra affection by watering them: don’t! One of the great things about succulents is that they’ll show you when they’re dehydrated and in need of watering by basically shrinking. If you pay attention to the leaves, you’ll notice they appear wrinkly, so just watch them closely, and you’ll know when it’s watering time!  Ok, so you’ve been watching the leaves, they’re looking nice and wrinkly, it’s been weeks since the last watering, and your succulent is looking thirsty… How do you water a succulent correctly? In our opinion, the best technique is to soak them. Yup, you read that right! Simply take a bowl filled with water, and put your succulent in there for couple of hours. This may sound excessive after we just told you they don’t need much water, but allow us to explain why we stand by this.Succulent soil is the most draining potting medium out there. It’s usually 50/50 potting soil and sand, which means that it does not hold any water, the water just runs right through it. In practise, this means that the roots don’t have a chance to soak it up, so when watered using the usual method, they just get teased by the water, but won’t actually get to have a good drink. So if you’ve been watering your favorite succulent with little sips of water, now you know why it always looks a bit sad! We suggest you switch to soaking your succulent every 2-3 weeks in summer, and every 4-6 weeks in winter instead of regular watering. This is of course providing that your succulents receive the best light possible… Succulents love light, the more the better, and some even love direct sunlight if they’re used to it! For most, a few hours of sun a day would be ideal. As a lot of succulents actually live under a transparent shade cloth, even in the nurseries where they’re grown, they could burn if you put them in an afternoon sun right away. But you can easily train your plant to endure direct sun, if you just remember to expose it to the new conditions little by little, every day. An apartment with southern exposure is ideal for most succulents, and if that’s the case with your home, you can pretty much take your pick! However, if your apartment only has northern exposure, we suggest sticking to more patient and low light tolerant species such as Sansevieria or Zamioculcas! Potting mix. As we mentioned earlier, succulents love extremely well draining potting mixes that are 50/50 potting soil and sand. And here’s a little bonus trick: place a piece of mesh at the bottom of your nursery pot so your potting mix doesn’t spill. You can check out all of our high-quality substrates in the collection. Important: unless you’re a certified plant pro, we suggest to never plant your succulents directly into planters without drainage holes. These plants are, as we may have already implied once or twice, extremely prone to overwatering, and the lack of proper drainage can be fatal! Propagation. Most succulents propagate easily by leaf or stem cuttings. Simply pluck the leaf or stem off, and leave them atop of the soil for a few weeks until roots start to appear. Once your cutting is rooting, you can start misting it with water. When the roots are more developed, plant it into soil and water sparingly. This is a very generic guide on how to care for succulents, and there are so many different kinds of succulents out there, that all have slightly different requirements. So if you’re looking for more specific tips on particular varieties, we recommend checking out our beginner guide for plant care!

by Plant Circle

Plant profile: Philodendron Gloriosum

Philodendron Gloriosum is quickly becoming one of the most sought after Philodendrons out there and for a good reason! The velvety heart shaped leaves, easy care temperament, and the ability to reach an impressive size make for a very exciting houseplant. How to grow the rare Philodendron Gloriosum? We’ll tell you all about it! Gloriosum is endemic to Colombia and belongs to the family Araceae, commonly known as Aroids, and the genus Philodendron. It’s a crawling, terrestrial plant that you’ll find growing across the forest floor, as opposed to attaching themselves to trees like other popular varieties from this genus. Gloriosum has a very attractive, cordate (heart shaped) leaf with a gelatinous surface, pink margins and white or even pinkish veins. The leaves on a Philodendron Gloriosum can reach an impressive size of 30-40 cm in diameter and a maximum height of about 1 meter! The Gloriosum is a rather slow grower compared to, let’s say, Florida Green, and a leaf spike on a Gloriosum can take up to 1-2 months to fully open.  Growing habits. As we mentioned earlier on, the Gloriosum is a terrestrial Philodendron, meaning that it doesn’t climb trees like most of its cousins. This means that this type of Philodendron needs to be planted in a long planter, that will give it enough room to crawl sideways! Light. Since we already know that Philodendron Gloriosum grow on the floor of the jungle, this gives us an indication of the the kind of light they receive in nature. Indirect, of course! A perfect spot for your Gloriosum would be either one meter away from a south facing window, where direct sunlight can’t reach it, or on a west facing window with a few hours of morning sun. Other possibilities would be south east, north east, north west. A north facing window might not offer sufficient lighting, especially in winter, so if those are your conditions and you still dream of owning one of these beauties, we suggest adding a grow light! Soil. Make sure you plant your Gloriosum in an airy aroid potting mix, like our aroid mix or make a similar one yourself. It should consist of bark, perlite, and peat moss.  Fertilizer. You can feed your Gloriosum with a high quality, liquid foliage houseplant fertiliser during spring and summer months, according to the bottle instructions. We can highly recommend using Blattwerk for that purpose. Watering. Before you water your Philodendron Gloriosum, always check if the top 3 centimeters of the soil are dry. These plants do not like to be watered a lot, or too often. When they get too much moisture you will sometimes notice a wet pattern appear on the undersides of their leaves. Should this happen to your plant, it’s time to reduce watering! Humidity. When it comes to the humidity, Philodendron Gloriosum thrive in 60-80% humidity, but they’re are not particularly fussy, and tend to do pretty well in the regular European indoor conditions. Propagation. If you’d like to propagate your Philodendron Gloriosum, simply cut in between two nodes. For best results, root your cutting in a warm spot in moss under a grow light, and we suggest waiting until the cut stem cures before putting it into moist moss or perlite. Pests. The Gloriosum is prone to spider mites and thrips infestations. If you ever find any of the aforementioned pests on their leaves, make sure to wipe them off every few days, and treat with a Neem oil mixture, or store bought pesticide. Pest infestations are natural occurrences when growing houseplants, and no reason to panic. When treated fast enough, the pests can be fully eradicated, and the key to success is repetition! Always repeat your treatments on a weekly basis for at least a couple of weeks. Click here to read more about how to use Neem oil to treat your plants! Other facts worth noting: Philodendron Gloriosum has a conservation status of  Vulnerable (IUCN 3.1), which you can read more about here. Also important? This plant is toxic to humans and animals if ingested!

by Plant Circle

Why is my cactus not flowering?

You’ve probably seen loads of pictures on Pinterest and Instagram of beautiful cacti with stunning flowers on them, and you wouldn’t be the first person to wonder “how come I’ve never seen these on my own cactus?!” Let’s look at the main reasons your cactus isn’t blooming, and what to do about that! Now that the summer is almost over and we are approaching autumn and winter, aka hibernation season, it’s the perfect time to start planning ahead by looking into what will make your cactus bloom during the next growing season. First of all, it may surprise you to know, that a cactus has to be mature to produce a flower, and for some cacti species it may take up to as much as 50 years before they reach maturity and finally start to bloom! So in order to be sure your cactus will even be able to flower for you and not your grandchildren, a good tip is to buy a cactus that’s already in bloom. This way you at least know that the cactus is mature enough! But that being said, we also encourage you not to give up if you try all of our following suggestions, and your cactus still refuses to bloom for you. It may just have a bit more growing up to do! In order for a cactus to produce a flower it needs to first have a good rest period, also known as hibernation or dormancy. Please note that a dormancy period is not necessary for all cacti, though, in fact, Rhipsalis, Epiphyllum, and Schlumbergera genus don’t require one at all. But for those that do, how do you initiate hibernation in an indoor environment? 1. Reduce wateringIf you were watering your cactus every two weeks in summer, do every 3-4 weeks in autumn, and every 6-8 weeks in winter. 2. Keep your cactus coolThe ideal temperature for hibernation is 8-12 °c, or 12-15 °c for tropical cacti. A window sill far from a heater, and next to a window that you open often would be the ideal spot. You want to keep your cactus cool throughout winter, until  March.  3. Shade it from the sun Make sure that your cactus is shaded from the sun wherever you placed him for the winter sleep, so if you picked a window, make sure that it’s not south facing, or hide your cactus behind a curtain, so it doesn’t receive direct sun. 4. Slowly reintroduce it to sun Some time in March you can start re-introducing your cactus to the sun by putting it back in its usual spot, while using a shade cloth to protect it from direct sun. Don’t forget that part, if you don’t shade your cactus from direct sun, it will most likely get burnt! Important: you still need to water your cactus during hibernation, but as mentioned earlier, very sparingly, and with lukewarm water. Cacti won’t absorb cold water, and additionally, cold water can lead to root rot. And don't forget the right soil! Don’t repot your cactus during hibernation and also don’t feed it! The best time to repot a cacti is at the end of its dormancy. During the growth season, make sure to provide your cacti with the correct care to give it the best shot at producing flowers.