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What's outside of your picture window today?

Posted by John, Volunteer Mentor @johnbishop, Nov 25, 2020

As we get ready for the real winter to show up and COVID-19 still playing a major part in our lives I like to spend moments of my day de-stressing about what's going on in the world today. All I have to do is look out the window and observe some of natures beautiful creatures, how they interact and ponder how small it makes my troubles seem. Sometimes I may even get the opportunity to take a photo or two. How about you? Anything going on outside of your window(s) that you want to share?

For those members that have the ability to size your photos before you upload them to the discussion, may I suggest using the following sizes:
– 500 x 335 pixels (landscape)
– 210 x 210 pixels (square)

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Just Want to Talk Support Group.

artist01 | @artist01 | Sep 26, 2021
In reply to @sueinmn "Typically houseplants need to be watered (like gardens) early in the day if watering gets the..." + (show)
@sueinmn

Typically houseplants need to be watered (like gardens) early in the day if watering gets the leaves wet, because wet leaves overnight encourages disease and insects on them.

Did anyone's Granma ever raised African violets, you may remember her pouring water in their saucers, letting them sit an hour, then emptying the remaining water into a bucket or pot.

What? Why? Essentially, it doesn't promote bacterial or fungal growth on the soil surface! In fact, the water wicking up from the bottom usually doesn't get all the way to the surface. (African violets are notoriously susceptible to fungal diseases and tiny insects.)

I would like to point out this is the watering method my daughter's pulmonologist and my ID doc recommended to us if we were going to continue to raise houseplants.

My method (most of my plants are fairly large) - pour water in the saucers, let sit 1 hour, use a turkey baster to remove the excess. Once every few months I carry them to the sink for a 30 minute soak.

Andi's method (smaller pots) - 1/2 fill a rubber tray with water, soak plants 30 minutes, then drain and return to their saucers. Another advantage - nutrient don't wash out of the soil, they get sucked in. So if you use fertilizer, use half strength and half as often as recommended.

Between this and gravel on the top, it's a pretty safe way to have plants around, even if you are immunocompromised. I take it a step further - my HEPA room air filter sits right below the plants.
Sue

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@sueinmn, @loribmt, Gosh, I'm beaming unabashedly over the fact that I got it right about not watering houseplants at night. Yaaay, Reader's Digest!
I've still got my 3 orchid plants doing their best to thrive. I've repotted them in new self-watering pots, with a special premixed orchid combination of bark and vermiculite, with orchid fertilizer I add to the water about every 2 or 3 weeks. I fill the pots with water, since the directions advise that for self-watering pots. So far, so good. All three plants are sprouting new leaves and looking pretty good. I made the mistake of setting them on a windowsill that gets about 3 hours of sun every day. Big mistake! Quickly moved them to the table with obtuse sunlight coming through white drapery. Now they're looking happy again. These three little orchids are so loyal to me, trying to survive with such a non- gardener.

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Mentor
Chris, Volunteer Mentor | @auntieoakley | Sep 26, 2021

Just a suggestion because I love orchids, my husband had to live by the same precautions and this was my solution. I have now moved them all to the greenhouse and have some planted in bark in the house. I bring in whoever is blooming. I took the first pic from bing images of mounted orchids. No dirt required. Orchids don’t like dirt or fussing. I have been raising these neglect loving plants for 15 years.

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1 reply
JK | @contentandwell | Sep 26, 2021
In reply to @loribmt "I feel your pain with the critters!! We seem to be cyclical with the red squirrels...." + (show)
@loribmt

I feel your pain with the critters!! We seem to be cyclical with the red squirrels. We’re pretty good this year but a year ago, we were as you said, over run! A couple of them ventured into the garage and were wreaking havoc in there. The final straw was making a nest in the wheel well of my car that had been parked for a week. Um, let’s say their fate was determined at that point. This year we hardly see any red squirrels and they’re replaced with Grey and Black. At least they’re not as destructive. Good luck!

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@loribmt red squirrels are the worst, they are so destructive. We had them off and on at our lakeside property in Maine. They were ripping shingles off the roof and doing a lot of damage. Plus, they are very bold and I think they could be aggressive.

Beautiful fall pictures! I was hoping that today we might take a ride to an apple orchard to get apples and decorative pumpkins (I need to stay away from those delicious apple cider donuts unfortunately) but I forget that the Patriot's game is on. Of course we can go during the week. There are a lot of really nice ones not too far from us.

@rosemarya I was under the impression that after a certain point in time we could have houseplants with no problem. I do have a few and never think of them as being potential problems. I guess I should be more conscious of that. I would be apprehensive about bringing plants in from outside but that's mainly because I would be afraid there might be bugs on them or in the soil.

I recently bought a miniature bromeliad. It's so cute it doesn't look real but it is.
JK

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Mentor
Chris Trout, Volunteer Mentor | @artscaping | Sep 26, 2021
In reply to @auntieoakley "Just a suggestion because I love orchids, my husband had to live by the same precautions..." + (show)
@auntieoakley

Just a suggestion because I love orchids, my husband had to live by the same precautions and this was my solution. I have now moved them all to the greenhouse and have some planted in bark in the house. I bring in whoever is blooming. I took the first pic from bing images of mounted orchids. No dirt required. Orchids don’t like dirt or fussing. I have been raising these neglect loving plants for 15 years.

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I love orchids also Chris. When I had the art gallery, I had customers who brought me orchids for my desk. I think they liked them as much as I did. They didn't survive as well as yours because I think folks couldn't resist touching them. Also, my Cavalier Kala always sat on her desk pillow next to them. Great memories.

The other day, Jay bought a new orchid for the living room. It is beautiful. He just puts 3 1/2 ice cubes on it every Wednesday. Since we both have memory issues, we put it on the calendar. It is in dirt.....is that O.K.?
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Mentor
Chris, Volunteer Mentor | @auntieoakley | Sep 26, 2021
In reply to @artscaping "I love orchids also Chris. When I had the art gallery, I had customers who brought..." + (show)
@artscaping

I love orchids also Chris. When I had the art gallery, I had customers who brought me orchids for my desk. I think they liked them as much as I did. They didn't survive as well as yours because I think folks couldn't resist touching them. Also, my Cavalier Kala always sat on her desk pillow next to them. Great memories.

The other day, Jay bought a new orchid for the living room. It is beautiful. He just puts 3 1/2 ice cubes on it every Wednesday. Since we both have memory issues, we put it on the calendar. It is in dirt.....is that O.K.?

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Many of these “ice orchids “ are around. It will do for a while but it would love some bark and a slightly bigger pot. That is a beautiful Phaleonopsis. When the flowers drop off, lol, in about 3 months, I would get a slightly bigger pot with drainage holes and mix 1/2 bark, and 1/2 the dirt in the pot, replace the moss that is probably on top of your dirt. This will help with moisture. I would not trim the spike unless it truly dies, sometimes they will bloom again on that same spike. I water mine when the mood strikes me. The mounted ones get sprayed daily. I absolutely love plants that thrive on nothing. In the winter the humidity is high enough I can leave them for a few days without spraying. I also love flowers that last forever.

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1 reply
ellerbracke | @ellerbracke | Sep 26, 2021

Backyard area around patio today. Fading, was more impressive earlier in the season.
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4 replies
Mentor
Rosemary, Volunteer Mentor | @rosemarya | Sep 26, 2021
In reply to @ellerbracke "Backyard area around patio today. Fading, was more impressive earlier in the season." + (show)
@ellerbracke

Backyard area around patio today. Fading, was more impressive earlier in the season.

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Beautiful! I love backyard and patio pictures😀

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Mentor
Chris Trout, Volunteer Mentor | @artscaping | Sep 26, 2021
In reply to @auntieoakley "Many of these “ice orchids “ are around. It will do for a while but it..." + (show)
@auntieoakley

Many of these “ice orchids “ are around. It will do for a while but it would love some bark and a slightly bigger pot. That is a beautiful Phaleonopsis. When the flowers drop off, lol, in about 3 months, I would get a slightly bigger pot with drainage holes and mix 1/2 bark, and 1/2 the dirt in the pot, replace the moss that is probably on top of your dirt. This will help with moisture. I would not trim the spike unless it truly dies, sometimes they will bloom again on that same spike. I water mine when the mood strikes me. The mounted ones get sprayed daily. I absolutely love plants that thrive on nothing. In the winter the humidity is high enough I can leave them for a few days without spraying. I also love flowers that last forever.

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Thanks, Chris. Jay wants to know if pine bark mulch will work?

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2 replies
Mentor
Lori, Volunteer Mentor | @loribmt | Sep 26, 2021
In reply to @ellerbracke "Backyard area around patio today. Fading, was more impressive earlier in the season." + (show)
@ellerbracke

Backyard area around patio today. Fading, was more impressive earlier in the season.

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What a lovely place to relax! Beautiful. 😍

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Mentor
Sue, Volunteer Mentor | @sueinmn | Sep 26, 2021
In reply to @artscaping "Thanks, Chris. Jay wants to know if pine bark mulch will work?" + (show)
@artscaping

Thanks, Chris. Jay wants to know if pine bark mulch will work?

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Not Chris, but yes pine bark mulch broken into roughly half inch pieces, mixed with Sandy soil and, if you have it vermiculite or peat moss.
Should look like gravelly southwest desert "dirt" with bark mixed in.

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