Plants are supposed to be my relaxation and inner peace hobby. I love tending to them, but I do not overly baby them. If I can’t keep them alive then so be it. I don’t like giving up but I’m not ripping out hair worrying about how to make the seventh treatment work. I’m not measuring exact remedies, I’m not keeping species I don’t like, and I’m reminding myself that a pest is not the end of the world- even when we feel like it is. I brought home a beautiful String of Pearls, absolutely huge. What came home with her? Aphids. Now it’s cool because I’m taking entomology and I’m actively seeing dead aphids, spider mites, thrips, and mealy bugs under microscopes (they weren’t all so lucky to munch another day). That also means I’m getting super picky looking through my plants. I take a look for pests when I water or prune, but I want to take in my plants for their beauty and not for the potential problems. I used dawn dish-soap and warm water on that SOP today after reminding myself of my peace and not the problems. I took her out of the pot, soaked her with her root ball, and repotted in higher draining soil. I lost minimal amounts of pearls, including some rotting ones which maybe are the aphids fault. I crushed and drowned at least 30 aphids, it was cool seeing them just float off into the water. I half-heartedly quarantined her, at least until I treat again in 4-6 days. But she was already next to dozens of other plants. I won’t treat them until I find aphids, then everyone gets a soapy water dousing. Preventative is good, but I won’t put myself through the busy work just yet… I want to see who is susceptible and who isn’t. The hardier the plant, the more I want it in my collection. I think a lot of people can attest to the stress, feelings of failure or simple desire to burn an entire collection when we get pests. In the grand scheme of things, plants are supposed to be hobbies… and if one is taking the joy out of it, you have to consider how much you really need to save it. I try for the learning experience and if I fail, maybe it wasn’t the right plant or the right time. Any decision is okay as long as it makes you happy and satisfied with your collection. There’s always more plants… and you can always chop & prop and let the rest of the problem child go. I’m newer to the hobby and am dreading the day when I get a huge outbreak, but I will not allow myself to become overwhelmed with plant chores and pests and I will not keep things that I don’t genuinely get excited about sharing with others. So at the end of the day when you stress about them at night, remind yourself this is your collection and your choice. Plants are resilient, you are capable of experimenting, and don’t let the stress overwhelm you. ☮️
