Plants in my apartment… Too many? I don’t think so… Part I

A lucky bamboo, A majesty palm, and a split-leaf philodendron (aka Delicious Monster..) They’re located immediately to my right as I lounge on my couch.

My friends who visit my apartment tell me that my place looks like a jungle, and that’s exactly the look I’m going for. As of right now though, I beg to differ. I don’t have as many plants as I’d like, and I’m far from finished furnishing my home with my beloved greens.

As mentioned before, I’m fairly new to home gardening, or gardening in general, and I don’t want to lead you on to believe that I know a lot on the subject. I’m just a guy who loves houseplants and the benefits they offer! I’m also a fan of the fact that we, as humans, benefit them as well. It’s what I like to refer to as the perfect trade-off!

Currently, I’m still researching the proper care of all of my plants individually, and while it does seem like a lot to take in at one time, it’s my responsibility — I bought these greenies into my abode, so it’s up to me to properly take care of them. They all have different needs, and I’m going to make sure that they all mature beautifully. You heard it here first!

To my immediate left when lounging on my couch, a  Dracaena Deremensis on the end table, and behind it, a Dracaena Massangeana, or Corn Plant.

Along with the plants that I have purchased, I have a few projects that are started from seed, or cutting.. I have posted previously about the pineapple tops and the avocado seeds, which seem to be doing fine at the time of this posting. This particular post will break from the growing projects and briefly discuss the plants that I have beautifying my apartment already.

The Dracaena Massangeana, or corn plant pictured to the left is actually a plant that I was told to scrap by my employer, and I couldn’t bring myself to do it. It was in pretty bad shape mostly because it sat by the door of the restaurant that I work in, and I’m determined to bring it to excellent health. The steps that I’ve taken so far only involve repotting the three stalks into a bigger pot with a simple every-day potting mix that I purchased from walmart, and pulling/clipping the brown leaves that were all over the plant to begin with when I bought it home with me.

I was told (by my boss) to toss this thing about two and a half weeks ago… Nope. Sorry.

If you look at the picture to the right, you’ll see what the corn plant looked like when I left the restaurant with it. Two of the three stalks were bare, and none of the stalks were standing upright. I did a little research, and got some enlightening information from a few reddit users. The advice given on /r/gardening was great, and heeding what seemed to be the most valid of it, makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside afterwards… Correct me if I’m wrong, “readers”, but from what I’m to understand, the fact that I re-potted this plant due to the fact that it was obviously root-bound and starving will help it out immensely. It had been sitting in my workplace for three and a half years, and hadn’t been getting the proper care… I wish I would have gotten into this sooner.

Dracaena Massangeana or “Corn Plant”

This is what my corn plant looks like today, and hopefully in the near future, I’ll be able to update you with a success story. The two stalks are still naked, but we’ll soon see if there’s any growth. I’m not gonna expect anything til early spring though. The stalk that seems to be doing the best has been heavily cut back because of brown/dead leaves. These are very popular in the area that I live in, and I’ve also recently been gathering advice on how to care for them from individuals who have successful and gorgeous plants. I’m going to do everything I can for this one… Follow my blog and stay tuned!

Lucky Bamboo isn’t really bamboo after all…

In the image to the right, you’ll see my lucky bamboo plant. It might surprise you to know that the lucky bamboo isn’t actually a bamboo at all – it’s actually a dracaena. It’s scientific name is Dracaena Sanderiana, and it’s also known by other names such as ribbon plant, ribbon dracaena, or Belgian Evergreen. These plants love water, and will even live and grow successfully using just water and nothing else! This particular plant was a Walmart rescue – it’s sitting in tiny rocks for support, and I keep it watered just below the rocks. Initially I did have to pull/clip some browning leaves, but as of now, it’s a beauty! Care for Lucky bamboo is that simple… Water. Enjoy.

Delicious Monster. Why? Because it will bear fruit after awhile.

Here’s a fascinating specimen of a houseplant – the split-leaf philodendron, or the Delicious Monster! This overbearing bastard of a plant has the ability to climb trees with it’s feeler roots and is absolutely stunning to look at. I had to have one, and luckily for me, there was a huge one growing at work. I took a few cuttings from it, and started my own right here at home.. since taking this photo, I’ve actually added a third cutting (what you see here is only two). It’s doing great right now! I only have to water it once every ten days or so.

It’s getting late, and I’m tired. I’m going to go ahead and publish this post, and continue when I wake with the second part. Stay tuned, comment, and follow!!