One of the big problems when it comes to doling out house plant advice is that what works for one person may not work for another. Plus stuff that I can get won’t be available to you and vice versa.
I love neem oil, but loads of people say it doesn’t work. But then I can’t get hold of Bonide (plus my inner hippie loves a natural remedy). So I turned to the hive mind Facebook to find out what products and tips that changed the game for other people.
My game changing thing isn’t a product, it was the realisation that if I wanted big, lust house plants, I couldn’t neglect them. Oh, and big south-facing windows.
I’m not recommending any of this stuff. I haven’t tried most of it BUT it’s what other people love.
Fox Farms Flowers Kiss – this is a fertiliser designed to be used as a foliage spray, and a lot of people rave about it. This would be great for people that love to mist but don’t want to damage their plant’s leaves. Also great for outside plants according to the reviews.
Clonex spray – this is root stimulant rather than a fertiliser, and seems to be marketed to professional growers rather than us muggles. The reviews are a useful /s mix of ‘good product’ and ‘leaky bottle’. Thanks guys.
Superthrive – I have a whole article about Superthrive here. I think it’s a bit of a placebo, but loads of people swear by it. It’s basically a multivitamin for your plants, and like multivitamins, 50% of the world love them, 50% thinks its pointless.
Free pots at garden centres – Lindsey, the stranger that recommended this, is a genius. In many garden centres there’s a big pile of nursery pots and crates by the exit that you can use to make transporting your plants a bit easier. She looks for big nursery pots because you get options other than the standard orange, like black and clear. Also, they’re free!
A makeup brush – makeup brushes are a great way to dust your plants. I personally do NOT have the patience, but they’re good for plants with tiny leaves, like hoya and schefflera. Cheap makeup brushes tend to be a bit softer then cheap pain brushes, so are less likely to damage your leaves.
Mosquito bits – you can add these into your potting mix to stop fungus gnats in their tracks. I don’t think it’s available in the UK, plus I have geckos, so gnats aren’t an issue.
Oh Happy Plant Bath – I’ve not tried this, but I had a look at the website and it seems to be a silicon-based foliar cleaner, and they say it’s not designed as a pesticide. However, the people of Facebook claim it gets rid of mites and mealies, so it may do double duty.
Silica can reduce the chances of getting mites and mealies (because it strengthens plant leave and makes them more difficult to eat), so it looks like it might be worth a try. This is something that I’d be interested in trying, but I’m not sure if they ship it to the UK.
If you try any of these products, leave me a comment! Hate as well as love, I love to provide a balanced argument.
