--- title: "Looking for Practical Bare Bones Hot Tips. I get depressed. And adhd…" description: "Looking for Practical Bare Bones Hot Tips. I get depressed. And adhd distracted. And just, ya know, I go through funks. Everyone does. Mine can be very long…" url: "https://getplanta.com/community/EtC_giEjQPOiUzh_TOv4BQ/YyJzdHvJZxbY6CSdA2Iyul" community: "Plant Recovery Room" author: "Grumpy Cat" published: "2025-01-26T06:30:15.229599Z" language: "en" image: "https://images.getplanta.com/v2/cloudinary/global_data/communities/ag50h126idwmjilmadzo.jpg" --- [Community](https://getplanta.com/community.md) / [Plant Recovery Room](https://getplanta.com/community/EtC_giEjQPOiUzh_TOv4BQ.md) # Looking for Practical Bare Bones Hot Tips. I get depressed. And adhd… _Posted by Grumpy Cat on 2025-01-26_ Looking for Practical Bare Bones Hot Tips. I get depressed. And adhd distracted. And just, ya know, I go through funks. Everyone does. Mine can be very long sometimes. And my plants seriously suffer as a result. 26 of my 30 plants are semi-hydro, which kinda helps. Semihydro tends to be more forgiving in my opinion. I used to have twice as many plants. Often when I really let one deteriorate too far I can make a cutting and get a new plant started. That helps reduce my shame a bit. Does anyone else have any set-up tips or mental realizations that help when you feel like you’re plant-failing? ## 9 comments ### Kades commented on 2025-01-26 One thing I’ve done with my syngoniums because I have so many is doing mixed pots. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea but it saves some time! I also have a few philos in full hydro which I really enjoy! #### Grumpy Cat replied on 2025-01-26 Oh cool! I had to google mixed pots to make sure it means what I assumed it meant. I love my syngoniums! But this past funk has kinda wreaked havoc on them. How did you magically know I was feeling particularly bummed about those ?! Hahaha Philos seem to really love hydro and I love them more for it. Yes I do have those is plain old water myself. They are definitely the most forgiving. You’ve helped me feel a bit better with my current choices. ### Mullein commented on 2025-01-26 Oh I feel ya ❤️‍🩹 ESPECIALLY during the winter. It’s so cold, dry, and dark where I live. It makes sensitive plants even less forgiving 😮‍💨 I’ve lost a number of wishlist plant props that I had finally got my hands on back in the fall. It’s so easy to bully myself about the loss and money spent and yada yada coulda shoulda. I get so caught up on rare plants, that it can feel like if I lose one I’ll never get to get it again. It sometimes helps me to try to reframe my negative thoughts. Things like: -No plant I own is THAT rare -They can be replaced when I’m ready if I still want to -I may get really emotionally attached, but I do still have the good memories and best leaf pictures Things like that. In terms of hot tips, I can help you brainstorm ☺️ What is your current semi-hydro like? Leca in a pot of water? #### Grumpy Cat replied on 2025-01-26 Your reply feels good to read. It means a lot you took a moment to write. I think I’m in the phase of the cycle where I doubt myself. But you reminded me to adjust my thinking and that the plants aren’t THAT precious. And in a logical sense. If I buy a plant for 10$ and I enjoy it every day for 2-3 years that’s actually a pretty low stakes loss. Especially since I use leca and pon and water, I don’t buy any pots/planters anymore. It sounds counter intuitive but I might buy a couple more plants to boost my confidence. And YES I take lots of pictures! And this app is a good way to look back. #### c.cat replied on 2025-01-26 to add onto the rare plant comment - they may be rare right now (which is kind of what makes them cool), but in some years, the rareness, and therefore price, will decrease as people buy, grow, propogate and sell again! i feel like this has started to happen with the monsterra thai con - people have been finding decent sized ones at walmart and other big box stores for 20-30 bucks! not exactly sure where i was going with this, maybe something about killing a plant and not having to worry about price. also self watering pots could potentially help alieviate some stuff - once you get the plant in the pot, pretty much all you have to worry about is filling the resevoir whenever it runs dry, and im assuming this wouldnt be too far off from a semi hydro set up, routine-wise. 🌱❤️ ### Wolfen 🐺 commented on 2025-01-26 I find the hydro set-ups work the opposite for me, if im not doing something semi-regular, it kinda stops the habit from forming. I dont actuallyhave resevoirs on most of my hydro media, so i regularlywater them. You might want to look at some of the automatic watering systems. And then add a reminder to your phone calendar to fill it. I have definitely lost some plants to Autistic hyperfocus or funks. One of my friends always tells me, "you're so fogiving of others, and you need to allow yourself that same grace". It has definitely allowed me to not further funk, if a plants doing bad because I was focused on something else the past few weeks. #### Grumpy Cat replied on 2025-01-27 Omg same! I’m so glad you can relate and I can relate back and just, ya know, hearing from others like me that it’s just a thing that happens. My feelings are temporary. My rut isn’t permanent. #### Wolfen 🐺 replied on 2025-01-27 It's definitely not. Things cycle around for the better ### Bev commented on 2025-02-09 We have a lot in common! Felt like I was reading my own writing here... I have a pothos hanging in the window at the for of my bed. I watch it, ignore it, love it, but never hate it if that makes any sense. I woke up this morning to 2 new leaves! Anyway, it somehow always makes me smile. It's not like watching paint dry, it's watching life! Even when mine feels all messed up ![Attachment 1 of 1](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/vLan5XmALkyVgfYTNrUGjXmqthC9XaMwGDYGBnFXCGA/dIxKVAVNTwSDNhVlY1Gjew.webp?size=large) --- _Source: the Planta community (https://getplanta.com). Reading is open to everyone. To post, comment and like, get the Planta app: https://getplanta.com/download_