Winter has been rough on my plants. This was our first year in this house and I discovered: š”Kitchen is too cold for most of them āļøThe natural light stinks ā”ļøDamage can sneak up or just hit you in the face Feeling a bit down about the current state of my collection. Any one else struggling?
Yes. I have plant lights but some of them just aren't doing well. I lost a leaf on my elephant ear the other day. I almost shed a tear cutting it off.
1 like I have lights too. Sorry about your leaf. Hopefully it will reshoot.
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For sure! Iāve found grow lights, heating mats, and a good humidifier can do wonders to make winter not so rough!
1 like I just got a humidifier and am in the process of rearranging plants until I check other areas. I thought heat pads were more for seedlings....does it just counter the cold, or are their other benefits?
0 likes I keep it just baseline warm, just helps combat any cold drafts Iāve found!
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Also going through our first year in our home and we've had some lessons to learn here too unfortunately! Our last house had Renewal by Anderson windows so this was a huge change. They let in a terrible draft that upset several plants when the temperature first started dropping. Over the summer I also accidentally baked one of my plants because I forgot normal windows allow the sun's UV to reach plants inside and put her dead center in a west window that gets allllll the afternoon sun š¤¦š¼āāļø Holding onto the hope that we're hitting all the hiccups now and the next year(s) to come will only be easier!
2 likes You and me both!!!!
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I will be moving this summer and am also concerned with what will happen. There will also be about a three month period where everything will be in storage so I need to find foster homes for my plants. It will be a tough year for them (and me) lol
1 like Good luck! You got this!!
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I'm also in my first year in a new (old) house that's drafty, and it's been an absolute trip. I also have spider mites on one (isolated) plant, and flat mites on two (also isolated) plants... And I still see the occasional fungus gnat. I haven't put my plant supplies away in weeks because there is something that needs doing every single day, and I am quite worn out by it all. But I remind myself that moving sucks really bad, and eventually I will be in a rhythm again, and so will my plants! You will be too, I'm sure. It's easy to forget how stressful moving is because the event ends-- but the stress actually lingers until the new place is really "home." You'll get there, and so will I.
3 likes Also, how is this place so drafty and so dry AT THE SAME TIME. It was incredibly humid when I moved in, and the climate is still pretty humid... Is the heating system really that intense?! What on earth am I supposed to do about that??
2 likes Oh no! I hope you win the battle of the mites! Tell the cats to get on it.
1 like Thank you for the encouragement. Moving is a major stressor for sure
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I most likely lost a good chunk of my begonias due to a broken greenhouse and a terrible heating forcing me to run a space heater. So I get it, this winter as been especially brutal. I personally already have everything under grow light. I keep my curtain closed at all time since I live at an intersection so higher traffic .
2 likes Oh no about the greenhouse! That is tragic.
1 like Thatās okay, we live and we learn. That thought me that investing in my plant care might be less fun than a new plant but that 20-30$ could have prevented me losing a few plants.
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Yes this winter has been a hit to my confidence in keeping things alive.
2 likes Trust me.....I sooooo feel that. I keep trying to remember that it's part of the journey but I just feel so rotten when it happens.
1 like Yeah. I guess it just caught me off guard? Like why this year?
1 like I know for me, it is learning the ins and outs of the.new house. But it still feels bad that something I took care of is unalive. No idea where you are....but sending hugs from SC.
1 like Iām in Washington, so itās 49 right now. Which is actually a little warmer than it has been. But I donāt have a central heating system and so itās been really cold inside the house. I bought a heater for my room because everyone had been doing OK until this winter. š„¶
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Yes all my plants are struggling unfortunately
1 like Come aboard the struggle bus....room for all!
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