Anyone enjoy the feeling of seeing a sneaky bug on a pebble in your plant’s home? I knew this pot was getting too much water with ye olde “fill it until it drains” biz, but pulling these guys out revealed what a lazy job I did with soil; this was a gift for repotting and Dremel work for a friend, and I wasn’t in my element where I can collect rocks from the xeriscaped yards around me (with my neighbors trying to keep it classy, I will never pay for shale again shhhhhh). Note: I will never, ever use that Chia pot based on who took shape once given hair. Come try the Chia politician, which is 100 times less fun than Chia Scooby Doo. Anyway, I removed the insane amount of soil, filled the bottom half with a couple big rocks, loose clay pebbles, pumice, a little soil, a sprinkling of cinnamon - I believe in its ability to both promote root growth and irritate every bug that smells it - and a couple sprays of Neem. I cleaned off some of the ick spots etc. True to its Tolkien name, there is a sorta mine shaft and secret rooms running through the pot to give each plant some independence - like having their own runway to grow…and hide gold, and give Dwarves within a purpose. 🧙♂️
