I became an official plant mom! Having house plants is no news during the pandemic, but this is my first time I actually bought plants! All the plants that I had before this (pothos, succulent, and an unknown one) were gifted to me and propagated by me.
Of course the night I bought them, I stayed up researching how to take care of them. I bought them from a local neighbor using the Nextdoor app (this isn't sponsored, just like to share when I believe in something). Of course beware of giving address details since these people are nearby in your neighborhood, but I wanted to say that it is amazing how technology can connect us in this way and it does feel safe when using this app.
I wanted to share some things that I learned about these two plants, a Monstera Deliciosa and Maranta Green.
Monstera Deliciosa
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It likes to be more under watered than over watered, so drier dirt is nothing to worry about
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It'll sweat if over watered to get rid of the excess water
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It likes to be near sunlight but not in direct light, kind of off to the side
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It's also known as the swiss cheese plant. The holes are called fenestrations and they form naturally in the monstera leaves so that the plant can grow but use less plant cells. Also, while in the tropical forest the holes let light shine below the leaves.
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It's a climber - I need to get a moss pole soon, but also read that you shouldn't repot before winter time so I'm waiting till next spring anyways
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It is okay to leave them drooping, but is nicer to train them earlier to climb
Maranta Green
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It likes to be on the wetter/more moist side, keep the soil moist
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I water it about 1-2 times a week and keep it in the sunlight
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It's also known as a prayer plant, and lifts and lowers its leaves with the sun
Helpful Links
I'm so happy to see a new leaf growing on the monstera already! If you have anymore plant care tips for beginners like me, please leave them in the comments!
