Mississippi Squad

[JohnAndSancho]

Kinda sad to look through the old pics of this thread and see all the gifts y'all sent me that died. 

 

But on the flip side, I checked my baggies this morning and I've got a handful of Sabal Mexicana sprouts and one or 2 Sabal Palmetto sprouts. I seem to have good luck with Sabals, this is my 3rd batch and even old seeds seem to have a turnaround time of about a month to pop. The palm gods giveth and the palm gods taketh away. 

[JohnAndSancho]

Speaking of seeds, John is an idiot post #6489. 

 

I've had some seeds in baggies for a year and a half now - bottle palms and chambeyronia, both palms I'd really like to have. So for giggles and grins I reached into the baggies and squeezed. Most of the bottle seeds just squirted out dust so I can assume they're toast. The chambeys cracked open to reveal creamy white seeds. I dunno, these were some of the first seeds I'd ever tried germinating and maybe I didn't research and maybe I didn't clean them and maybe I'm wasting time - but after that, they're soaking again and I'm going to put them back in coir again and hopefully see some results. They all sank and are all crazy hard so we'll see what happens. All I've got to lose is time. 

[JohnAndSancho]

I didn't do much but I did a little. I know that reusing potting media is a big no-no, but I did it anyway. I had a few little palms that were in just dollar store potting soil, so I pulled them out of that and used what my old Lytocaryum was in. I have a couple surviving Chamaedorea Sefrezeii and what we think is a Ptychosperma Elegans. The Sefrezeii are kind of top heavy even at this size, so I'm using bamboo skewers to hold them up. 

I think the ptychosperma was getting sunburned, so I moved it out of the Palm Condo™ and onto the table, aka the Future Spider Mite Factory™. 

 

I'm kinda worried about the fishtail. It had some variegation when I first got it, then it grew 2 huge fronds. One of them browned off, which is kind of expected, I know how it works - but it hasn't started pushing another frond since then. Is it big enough for fertilizer? Should I water it more? I don't know much about these, but I've been better at keeping everything watered weekly and misting everything daily now. It's def outgrowing the condo either way, and so are lots of other little green homeys. 

You can also see the Filifera going nuts behind it. 

[JohnAndSancho]

Ok I know it's tiny and I know it's really hard to see here, but behind the brown frond is a tiny new green frond starting to push out of my Obi Island palm. 

 

I'm sooooo glad I bought this Lyto when I did, since the 2 I bought years ago both died. Anyway it's newest frond has pushed past the light in the Palm Condo™ so I guess it's time to move it. You can also see a Pembana trying to keep the pace. 

 

Sabal Bermudana finally under the big grow light. I've got 6 more that are in Mom's bathroom window and they're WAY happier and those are super rooty. 

 

Man, this Philodendron looks horrible. But it's pushing a new leaf. I guess the drain holes in it's last pot were plugged so I put it in dry soil with a smaller pot and cleaned all the wet soil off it's roots. 

I have no idea what the hell this thing is, but it's been growing in orchid bark in my bathroom window and going nuts. So let's see what it does under a big bulb with more light. I think Dave said it was some kind of Mexican orchid or something. 

 

And I've got more seeds marinating to go on the mat tonight or tomorrow. Brahea Armata and Sabal Minor. I might go nuts and soak these Brahea Edulis and Thrinax Anthocoma too. I've got plenty of baggies and plenty of coir. Save this post for when I'm crying about how I'm out of pots and soil. And maybe the seed fairies will send me more goodies. 

[JohnAndSancho]

Ok. So I just shelled a big pile of Thrinax Anthocoma. Kinda wish I had done these sooner - can handle cold, heat, humidity, and the spines should make them cat proof. 

 

Part of me wants to drag Mom's aloe vera outside and see if it's salvageable. At this point there's more cat crap than soil in the pot, and it's been incredibly neglected - but sentimental value and whatnot. 

 

B. Alfredii make terrible houseplants, but this means I've got another 2 gallon pot and I can fill in one of the armadillo holes in the yard now. 

 

Anyway maybe the seed fairy will visit again. 

[JohnAndSancho]

This Aloe Vera was in what I'm guesstimating is a 12" terracotta pot with a plugged drainage hole and probably 3 pounds of cat crap. 

 

 

Now it's in a much classier planter with proper drainage, better soil, and no cat crap. Now I'm trying to think if I have anything big enough to stick in the terracotta. 

 

Anyway the Thrinax went on the heat mat this morning too. And... 

 

I finally moved this guy. I'm hesitant to put it in too much sun right now just because it's been sitting in the same spot for so long, but it'll get afternoon and evening sun here. I gave him half a gallon of water, too. And of course y'all know why it's in a chair and why there's a brick in the pot by now. I also gave it another chop stick test and while I didn't actually measure anything, it def didn't go in as deep as it did the last time I checked. If this thing survives and recovers after the temperatures it saw, I think I deserve a medal and Patrick should use it in advertisements. 

[JohnAndSancho]

Ok yes. I've posted 674 times today. But let's be fair, I also disappeared for like a year. Anyway 

 

I needed a pot without any drainage holes to Macguyver a hanging basket for my Philodendron Brasil - don't worry, it'll be in another pot with drainage. This is just to keep it from dripping on the floor, so I repotted my snake plant. I guess now that I think about it I could just put the Brasil outside but it'd probably get cooked and neglected. Anyway. I now have an empty 6" pot and I know I can barely squeeze an 8" pot into these windowsills. 

 

 

[JohnAndSancho]

Ok. I guess I'm just super manic today. I'm feeling more motivated than I have in years. Anyway, there's plenty of room for activities and if anybody wants to donate some seeds, seedlings, or cuttings to the official John and Sancho Clarke County Palmarium of East Mississippi, feel free and I promise I won't let seeds sit in a drawer for a year again. 

I can fit 3 more of those little aluminum trays in here if I squish them. I've got the Pembanas off to the side because they're getting sunburned, and the one in the back is shading L. Spinosa. Honestly dunno what their deal is. Sunburn? Want cleaner water? These also might still be potted in the crap dollar store soil, I don't remember. But they're alive and that's more than I can say for dozens of plants I've touched. 

2nd floor. I might have a cat proofing solution so I can stick the Filifera outside, and I guess that'd mean I could put the Bermudana in a community pot outside, too. Part of me wants to split up the whale fin pups and sell them. I figure if nothing else it'd cover one or 2 of my prescriptions. More room! 

Oh I've got room in the Future Spider Mite Factory for lots of little stuff. The B. Alfredii in the green pot is def toast. Lots of light sensitive/understory little stuff could fit over here. And the red Latan seems happy but if my cat proofing works, it could get some real sun too. I really need to move the taller stuff from the Condo over here - they're loving the bright light but uhhh the fishtail and Lyto have grown past the bulb into the top of the rack. 

 

Surely I could squeeze some of those fancy fast food cups around Spindly Bob. Stuff that can handle bright light though, because that led tube is insane. 

 

I've got an extra wire rack from the Palm Condo that I keep telling myself I'm going to put under the table and move the heat mats there to make more room. If I take the 2nd shelf from the bottom out, it'll hold 10 2 liter soda bottles, or tons of smaller stuff. And I've already got an old gooseneck lamp wedged and angled in the upper left there. I've got another grow bulb for it, too. More room! 

Anyway, my neighbor planted some trees a few years ago and wrapped them with rebar and chicken wire I'm guessing to keep the deer out while they were saplings. The trees are big enough now that if the deer want them, they're gonna get them. So I'm gonna ask him if I can have it. My late uncle had a ton of cinder blocks on his property, and there's plenty of cardboard to lay down over the grass and weeds to kill it off to make palmy spots. And I've got a few gallon Hawaiian Punch jugs to make - I think someone called them hillbilly greenhouses. 

 

On a completely unrelated matter, I'm one year sober from alcohol. I mean, I'm on muscle relaxers, anti depressants, sleeping pills, and Valium now. But 😂 I haven't had a drink in a year. If you read this far, thank you. 

[JohnAndSancho]

I haven't done a "new spear" post in a while, so let's go - 

Obi Island. This one makes me a little happy because I thought the damn thing was dead. I mean literally nothing changed since I bought it, other than the tiny baby next to it died. 

 

Chamaedorea Adscendens new leaf opening. It's so cute! 

 

Red Latan. Doing surprisingly well as a houseplant. It's not fast at all, but it's not dead and it's handled being indoors and being neglected so it's a winner. 

This is a for crap picture but I promise this is a Foxtail. @floridaPalmMan sent this to me and the seed is from the late @NOT A TA

 

Lipstick baby. I honestly don't know how this one is still alive when I've killed so much tougher palms, but I'm not mad. I read that these like water and humidity so I never empty its little drainage pan. Maybe I'll see the red color on it in 15 years or so. 

 

And Spindly Bob's new spear looks like it's starting to open. He towers over my recliner and thrives on neglect. Well I dunno if I can say he's neglected, I bought a $50 grow light for a plant I paid $20 for, but whatever. These things are tanks as far as houseplants go. 

 

[floridaPalmMan]

On 5/25/2025 at 10:48 AM, JohnAndSancho said:

 

This is a for crap picture but I promise this is a Foxtail. @floridaPalmMan sent this to me and the seed is from the late @NOT A TA

 

 

 

 

 

Yes sir. Got the seeds from @NOT A TA only a month or two before he passed. Then germinated them myself so I'm 100% certain it's a foxtail.

It looks healthy btw! Great job! I'm sure he'd be proud

[JohnAndSancho]

Welp I did stuff today. I'm not gonna overshare again, but I'm trying to do more palm stuff for my health and mental health. 

Didn't get pictures of this, but I dragged my Butia x Lytocaryum out into the sun for a while. Today was a little cloudy and not too crazy, so I dragged it out of the shaded spot for a while, and put it back in its cat proof spot. I'm gonna try to do this daily now, but between the palm and the chair it's in and the bricks and rocks, it's heavy as 💩. Chopstick test didn't show any significant movement, but I bottom watered it (I am going to HATE fishing those roots out) and just to be safe, gave it some copper fungicide. 

 

My Filifera looked like it was starting to yellow, and I've killed the other seedling I was gifted as well as all the seeds I sprouted, so I decided to do a couple things. I thought maybe moving it from the bathroom window straight into the Palm Condo™ under the bright light might have been too much. 

I also read the other thread and saw how bad these get root bound, and vividly remember repotting Dirty Sanchez. So I pulled this guy out of his fancy Hardee's cup, and put him in a 2 gallon and moved him into the Future Spider Mite Factory™. There's a grow light there but it's one of those cheap Chinese clamp on gooseneck deals so it's not nearly as intense. The roots looked good, but I guess I didn't mix that last batch of soil very well. And for the first time ever, I remembered to add Osmocote in the soil, so yay me. Anyway, here it is in its new home and hopefully this helps. 

 

I know it's getting photobombed by the Red Latan and the Ptychosperma Elegans, but lord I've got room here for stuff. I need the Palm Gods to make my seeds sprout. 

[happypalms]

I have read bits and pieces of this post, and there seems to a recurring pattern ie you kill a lot of plants and that’s what we all do. I’ve lost so many palms in what I would call the survival of the fittest ratio. I grow batches of a hundred or more palms a lot, over time you notice some don’t make it regardless, it’s just the odds of growing plants. A natural attrition ratio.

[JohnAndSancho]

2 hours ago, happypalms said:

I have read bits and pieces of this post, and there seems to a recurring pattern ie you kill a lot of plants and that’s what we all do. I’ve lost so many palms in what I would call the survival of the fittest ratio. I grow batches of a hundred or more palms a lot, over time you notice some don’t make it regardless, it’s just the odds of growing plants. A natural attrition ratio.

Indeed. And it's learning. I've killed some stuff because I didn't know what I was doing. I've killed some stuff that never had a chance in my environment. I've bought stuff just because I thought it looked cool and didn't do any research. I've over watered, I've under watered, I've ignored stuff,.I've given stuff way too much attention, I've thrown away stuff that I probably could have saved, I've given stuff too much light, I've given stuff too little light,.I've bought mail order plants when it's too hot, I've ordered plants when it's too cold - I've effed up in every imaginable way so far. 

 

Maybe I should write a book or a column in the IPS newsletter for newbies or something. It's hard finding the right balance and when you're growing plants that come from all over the world, there's no way you can create the natural habitat of everything. And you don't need to just piss money away on quick fixes and so-called miracles and magic pots. Some plants will adapt and some won't. 

[happypalms]

21 hours ago, JohnAndSancho said:

Indeed. And it's learning. I've killed some stuff because I didn't know what I was doing. I've killed some stuff that never had a chance in my environment. I've bought stuff just because I thought it looked cool and didn't do any research. I've over watered, I've under watered, I've ignored stuff,.I've given stuff way too much attention, I've thrown away stuff that I probably could have saved, I've given stuff too much light, I've given stuff too little light,.I've bought mail order plants when it's too hot, I've ordered plants when it's too cold - I've effed up in every imaginable way so far. 

 

Maybe I should write a book or a column in the IPS newsletter for newbies or something. It's hard finding the right balance and when you're growing plants that come from all over the world, there's no way you can create the natural habitat of everything. And you don't need to just piss money away on quick fixes and so-called miracles and magic pots. Some plants will adapt and some won't. 

Classical we all do it, some admit to it others don’t I love your honesty. The best bit is we all learn from our mistakes and if I remember advice is and mistakes are costly. So please do a news letter!

[JohnAndSancho]

I've almost finished an entire brick of coco coir. Just threw some Brahea Edulis on the heat mat. I'm really hoping that something on there germinates soon. I'm getting impatient. The Sabals still aren't ready and nothing else has moved. 

[JohnAndSancho]

Tiny little leaves on the ficus cutting. I swear they were smaller this morning

 

While I'm down here, the healthier looking of the Licuala Spinosa and the taller of the Dypsis Pembanas. 

 

 

[JohnAndSancho]

I have like eleventy billion small planters, @Fusca inspired fast food cups (that's not all of them), a stack of clear cups pre drilled with holes, and a grip of nursery pots plus a few 10 and 12 inches just waiting for these seeds to pop. And I've got 2 more bricks of coir and a pile of baggies left. 

 

I watered and misted everything at 2am because I no longer have any concept of time. I'm blaming the meds. Plenty of space. It all looks so sad and empty. 

I took the Latan out of the decorative no drain pot. I mean it's slow and steady, I just figured why risk the rot and this way it's easier to water it more. And it def looks like Filibusta got a little scorched after going into the Palm Condo™ a little prematurely. 

 

I've never checked the temperature on these heat mats, I have no idea how hot they get. They don't burn my hands or anything but they're a little warm and they're not the fancy thermostat timer controlled ones, so I do make an effort to flip the baggies over every couple days and let the steamy side go on the bottom. I laid an old dish towel down, not sure if it'll make a difference. And I found these little racks, god only knows where they came from but I'm sure I can find a planty use.for them. Maybe prop some smaller stuff up behind the bigger stuff or something. I've got 2 big baggies and 2 little baggies underneath the bottom heat mat, too. I'm impatient but I'm also the jerk that just let most of these sit around for a year. 

 

Anyway, thanks again to Jon for donating some Washy volunteers and some seed. I have a friend who lives close to him so she picked them up and she's sending those along with a few cuttings from her insane collection of tropicals. I don't know what all I'm getting, but I know I'm getting a Monstera and some Philo Burle Marx cuttings and... Who knows what else. 

I also came up with an idea to put some smaller stuff outside and cat proof it, and I wish I thought of this last year before they killed all the rare Sabals @PalmatierMeg sent me - I can take an old Styrofoam cooler and pack it with empty soda bottles and use those as planters. I think even the most skilled cat would have a hard time digging into there and pooping, and there's things laying around I could use to cover it up while still letting in sun and water. If I really want to get savage, there's some barbed wire from my grandfather's old garden he used to keep deer out. If I REALLY want to get savage, it was electrified at one point. 

 

Anyway I'm glad I care about my plants again and I'm always forever grateful for the palm and plant community. 

[JohnAndSancho]

New growth update - Fishtail in foreground, Foxtail in background. Fishtail is also getting fat. It's over 3 feet tall now including it's fancy Wendy's cup. 

Philo Congo Rojo. I wish my other philos pushed as fast and as large as this one, it might be my favorite plant. 

 

Lipstick. It's not fast but it's growing. 

 

My orange fire flash/mandarin/whatever other names they have spider plants. Always pushing new growth. 

 

Ptychosperma Elegans! I don't think it's pushed a new spear since it's been here. Better soil and less light apparently made it happy. 

 

Obi Island. I know it's slow and I know I've posted a few pics of this but y'all just don't understand. I thought this thing was dead. It's foliage has stiffened up and little by little it's pushing this tiny little spear. 

 

And this Sansaveria - I guess it's decided that since it's already as wide as the window, now it's also going to be as tall as the window. I don't know how, because it's got virtually no root system, it's still loose and floppy and it might get a literal splash of water every 6 weeks. 

 

Look at all the things I haven't killed @happypalms

[happypalms]

14 minutes ago, JohnAndSancho said:

New growth update - Fishtail in foreground, Foxtail in background. Fishtail is also getting fat. It's over 3 feet tall now including it's fancy Wendy's cup. 

Philo Congo Rojo. I wish my other philos pushed as fast and as large as this one, it might be my favorite plant. 

 

Lipstick. It's not fast but it's growing. 

 

My orange fire flash/mandarin/whatever other names they have spider plants. Always pushing new growth. 

 

Ptychosperma Elegans! I don't think it's pushed a new spear since it's been here. Better soil and less light apparently made it happy. 

 

Obi Island. I know it's slow and I know I've posted a few pics of this but y'all just don't understand. I thought this thing was dead. It's foliage has stiffened up and little by little it's pushing this tiny little spear. 

 

And this Sansaveria - I guess it's decided that since it's already as wide as the window, now it's also going to be as tall as the window. I don't know how, because it's got virtually no root system, it's still loose and floppy and it might get a literal splash of water every 6 weeks. 

 

Look at all the things I haven't killed @happypalms

That’s a good place to start congratulations you have earned your certificate 2 in horticulture👍 Today palmtalk tomorrow Kew gardens the world is your oyster!

[JohnAndSancho]

6 minutes ago, happypalms said:

That’s a good place to start congratulations you have earned your certificate 2 in horticulture👍 Today palmtalk tomorrow Kew gardens the world is your oyster!

Let's not get carried away just yet. I'm a serial Kentia killer and they're supposed to be cake to keep alive. 

[JohnAndSancho]

Welpers, I got a package today. @Fusca sent me some volunteer Washies and some Sabal Louisiana and L. Chineseis seeds, and a good friend of mine went and picked them up and shipped me those along with a bunch of Philo and tropical cuttings. I didn't get to the Washies, it's just too damn hot. I was drenched with sweat just potting up the lil ones. Anyway she said there's labels so I guess I need to go find the box. Anyway since y'all like pics. 

 

I think she said this one is a Ring Of Fire. 

 

Monstera 

 

Various philodendrons. I know one is a Burle Marx and one is something I can't spell so I call it Squancho and there's a Billitae or Billie Joel - screw it, it's hot. Here's some pictures. 

 

 

 

[JohnAndSancho]

New spear on the Red Latan is getting bigger. 

 

New leaf on the Philo Congo Rojo opened up last night. Camera just simply can't do this thing justice. I think everybody should have one of these. 

 

 

I don't know what these 2 Philos are doing. But they look good doing it, whatever it is. 

 

McColley's Finale looks absolutely horrible. It's in a little pot that I just stuck inside the big cup... 

 

Mom's rescue aloe vera looks better and it's got a 3 leaf pup already. 

 

Chamaedorea Sefrezeii pushing a tiny new spear. 

 

I know I post a pic of this one every day and every time I say the same thing, but I'm super happy that this Obi Island is recovering. The foliage is stiffer and every day this new spear is noticably taller. 

 

 

[Atlanta Area Palm Guy]

On 5/15/2025 at 9:54 PM, JohnAndSancho said:

Kinda sad to look through the old pics of this thread and see all the gifts y'all sent me that died. 

 

But on the flip side, I checked my baggies this morning and I've got a handful of Sabal Mexicana sprouts and one or 2 Sabal Palmetto sprouts. I seem to have good luck with Sabals, this is my 3rd batch and even old seeds seem to have a turnaround time of about a month to pop. The palm gods giveth and the palm gods taketh away. 

You don't learn unless you have some challenges.  Pot growing palms are more of a niche deal.  Not exactly the easiest route.

[JohnAndSancho]

23 minutes ago, Atlanta Area Palm Guy said:

You don't learn unless you have some challenges.  Pot growing palms are more of a niche deal.  Not exactly the easiest route.

I got into palms and plants in 2020 and I was living in a tiny apartment in Texas - I went crazy, it was a literal jungle. Then I moved here and got all excited about how much space there is here, and these *expletive expletive expletive* cats destroyed almost everything I put outside. 

I love the indoor jungle vibe, but I'm finally planting stuff out. I had a long talk with the cats and let them know I'm not afraid to dig another hole. 

[JohnAndSancho]

Foxtail frond opening! 

 

Fishtail frond starting to open! Maybe I'll see variegation again? 

 

I forget what the name of this thing is, and every time I go to look it up I forget to. So I just call it "Mexican Orchid Thing." @DoomsDave are these a candidate to go in my yard bed after it's nice and pretty? 

Philodendron Brasil. I swear it feels like every 2 days I put some bamboo skewers or something and wrap the vines around it and 2 days later I've got another pile hanging over it. I really need to do what I said I was gonna do 2 months ago and Macguyver a hanging basket for it. 

[DoomsDave]

 

That's an Epidendrum radicans a small but tough and purty orchid native to Mexico.

[DoomsDave]

On 6/21/2025 at 1:47 PM, JohnAndSancho said:

I got into palms and plants in 2020 and I was living in a tiny apartment in Texas - I went crazy, it was a literal jungle. Then I moved here and got all excited about how much space there is here, and these *expletive expletive expletive* cats destroyed almost everything I put outside. 

I love the indoor jungle vibe, but I'm finally planting stuff out. I had a long talk with the cats and let them know I'm not afraid to dig another hole. 

Sad to hear about the expletive cats! I love mine, and they don't destroy plants, except nibbling on grass. 

[JohnAndSancho]

1 minute ago, DoomsDave said:

Sad to hear about the expletive cats! I love mine, and they don't destroy plants, except nibbling on grass. 

Welp I planted out a couple Washies and so far they haven't touched them. One of them pooped on a brick that's holding down the cardboard I'm using to suffocate the grass, but anything in a pot outside my bedroom was attacked. You might have seen my post about the Butia x Lyto hybrid, I had to weigh it down with bricks and rocks. I think I'm gonna plant out some basil, lavender, and citronella - I read they hate those smells. They also hate cayenne pepper. 

[JohnAndSancho]

Ok I know I said I didn't do anything, and this is a little embarrassing but it's whatever, I'm still a rookie. 

 

I start looking at some of these seeds that have been germinating forever - well, they're not germinating. So for the purpose of science I pull a couple out of a couple containers, and i start wondering if I cleaned them enough. A little rag and a little elbow grease and heyyyy these things are a different color. It's 11pm so I'm not going to go through everything, but I'm resoaking the C. Microspadix since these things should be a foot tall now on paper. Anyway gonna resoak and hit them with a scrubby sponge or something in a day or two. 

 

I also really wanted to pot something up, but didn't want to make the effort on the big pots I'm going to need for my brand new Sabal Maritima babies, so I pulled out my most developed looking Sabal Palmetto and Sabal Mexicana. I uhhh, I hope I got them oriented correctly and if this works, cool and if not I've got tons more on the mat. I labelled the Palmetto and put the Mexicana in a Taco Bell cup even though Taco Bell is about as Mexican as I am. 

 

Anyway, I know I mentioned this in other posts already but since these will be going in pots, I'd like to again thank @Sabal King for the Maritimas. I might not know what the hell I'm doing half the time, but I do express gratitude. I found a couple old nursery pots I'm lowkey hoping they'll fit into, we'll see how I feel after my Dr appt tomorrow. 

 

 

Ok, better idea. I've got a really nice empty 2g pot and I JUST repotted my Filifera into it, so maybe I just throw the Filifera into the ground and free up that pot so these beautiful Maritimas match and have nice pots. 

[JohnAndSancho]

Fortune shone upon me and I found 2 3g nursery pots. I also took my cat proofing up a notch. Since these were greenhouse grown, they'll sit here for a minute and get afternoon sun while I devise a plan to cat proof and ant proof them in the yard. The whole chairs with armrests and lots of bricks thing seems to work. The cats have been warned, I already have a hole dug in the yard. 

Also this soil is total crap so I need to find me a sugar mama on Twitter to get me a couple bags of Fox Farm. 

 

 

 

[Atlanta Area Palm Guy]

On 6/26/2025 at 9:34 AM, JohnAndSancho said:

Fortune shone upon me and I found 2 3g nursery pots. I also took my cat proofing up a notch. Since these were greenhouse grown, they'll sit here for a minute and get afternoon sun while I devise a plan to cat proof and ant proof them in the yard. The whole chairs with armrests and lots of bricks thing seems to work. The cats have been warned, I already have a hole dug in the yard. 

Also this soil is total crap so I need to find me a sugar mama on Twitter to get me a couple bags of Fox Farm. 

 

 

 

Must be hot as a brick oven these days for those plants.

[JohnAndSancho]

Speaking of hot... 

 

Ok y'all just keep in mind that while I'm not a complete idiot, I don't know what I'm doing, and a lot of my brief journey into plants has been me doing something or buying something and then looking back and saying "Yeah, ok. That kinda sucked." Lots of "I wish I spent more money on this," or "I wish I didn't buy that" kinda stuff.

Anyway - I bought these heat mats because they were cheap. I got 2 that almost completely line these metal shelves for like $30. No thermostat no switch just plug it in and hot. How hot? I dunno, it's not gonna cook my frozen burritos but I don't want to sit on them either. So hopefully this rearrangement helps. 

Maybe I should look for a thermometer. I've got them on an outlet strip with a switch, but the grow lights are plugged into that, too. Damn things have probably been turned on for a year and a half. Speaking of grow lights, the clamp lights in the Future Spider Mite Factory© crapped the bed. I know that these clamp on lights are mostly garbage, but nothing else will work in that spot unless I'm willing to move plants elsewhere. 

So after reading tons of reviews on everything from $10 lights to $500 lights, I realize just how little I understand about lighting, and I'm starting to understand why so many of y'all hardcore palm people don't do houseplants. 

[JohnAndSancho]

Nothing terribly exciting, but I wanna feel like I'm doing something, or at least feel like my plants are doing something. 

 

Lipstick palm spear opening. Maybe I'll see some red on it before I turn 80. 

 

Spindly Bob opening up. I think I get a new spear every, I dunno 3 or 4 months? 

 

Some Philo cuttings I'm water rooting. I don't think they liked riding in brown trucks from the RGV. I don't remember exactly what this one is, but there's an S and a Q in the name, so I call it Squancho or some variation. Anyway, lost all of its leaves but it's rooting. It's got a little nub. 

 

Burle Marx. A little crispy, but also not dead. Mother plant is gorgeous, and these are on my bucket list so good vibes. 

 

I think this is a Billitae or Billy Joel or something. These already had some roots so I just threw them in cups and the same chunky stuff I use for everything else. 

 

 

[JohnAndSancho]

I got bored and cleaned some old Dypsis Lastellenia seeds. One of them sprouted and I guess damped off shortly after. There's got to be an easier way to clean seeds 😂 I soaked them for a few days in water and peroxide, and I honestly don't know how long I spent to clean 10 seeds. I burned through one side of an emory board and my fingernails. We'll know in a few months if that made a difference. 

[JohnAndSancho]

We have green on a Sabal Mexicana. Maybe I'll feel good enough to dig around in their baggie tomorrow and see if any more are ready to come out. I also cleaned all the dead crap off of Mom's aloe and found 2 more mystery seeds. Probably some L. Chineseis that were floaters but who knows. I'll stick them somewhere and see what grows and we'll know in a year. 

[JohnAndSancho]

I have TONS of Mexicana sprouts, but I only potted up the 4 that had the obvious growth point on them. I also pulled out another palmetto. And I checked my other baggies and a couple Brahea Armata seeds have little embryos showing. So we're back to my biggest fear, all of my seeds popping at the same time and me running out of soil. 

[JohnAndSancho]

Welp since I write long posts and basically use this as a personal blog, my brother is in the hospital again. We don't always get along, but I stayed up there for almost 3 hours while they waited for tests to decide if they were going to keep him or transfer him or send him home. I think it's only fair that he buys me another plant for waiting. 

 

I know most people don't know Mississippi geography, but we're an hour south of Meridian and last time they had to send him to Tupelo which is like a 3 hour drive each way. I said I hope they transfer him somewhere that has a Home Depot. 

[JohnAndSancho]

A couple of the L. Chineseis from Fusca have started to sprout. I think those were the freshest seeds I've ever seen. Since I've got time, I've started going through older seeds that haven't popped and started scraping and filing because apparently palm seeds have a lot more layers than I was ever aware of. 

 

Anyway, outside stuff - I pulled this old wash basin out of the barn. It's a little rusty but my thought was it'd make it easier to move more than one plant at a time. Anyway here's my BxLyto and the Sabal Maritimas from Sabal King. I potted those up using the soil they came in with some Carl Pool, and some of Wal Mart's finest $3 organic garden soil. I was worried about drainage and it is a little slow, but it also gets crunchy when it dries out, so I guess I need to be more vigilant with the watering. I really wish I didn't have to leave the bricks in there, but it is what it is. 

 

Inside stuff - since the clamp on grow light 💩 the bed, I moved my original OG ghetto setup back over here. I actually think this might work better, because the light sensitive/understory stuff will get enough light from the window and the distance from the giant light saber LED tube, and the Red Latania and the cycad will get a lot more light. It's fun trying to get angles right and everything because this is like a $12 floor lamp from Target and for a ghetto setup, this is a pretty serious GE bulb with heatsinks and everything - it's heavy, and with inflation they're like $40 on Amazon now. It's held in place with about 3 feet of rope lol. 

[JohnAndSancho]

Welp. I had decided it was safe enough to put the Maritima in the sun, and I dragged this old wash basin out of the barn. I put the Sabals in with the hybrid and set it on the ground and within 10 minutes a kitten is starting to munch on them. Sooooo - here's my solution. 

 

The other wash basin is rotted to 💩, but I'm in this whole "let's use anything I can find" mindset - the sides are good but the bottom is rusted through so I'm going to cut it apart, hammer it flat, and use this to reinforce the sides of the French drain in my flowerbed up front. I don't care how it looks, I just want to keep the dirt and mulch from washing away. 

 

 

Ok, for these next pics, pardon the mess. This is going to be my overwinter storage, and maybe if I get ambitious and feel better and get back to work, it could be an indoor greenhouse. There's plenty of table space and natural light, this side of the house faces... Uhhh let me get my bearings straight.... Crap there's windows facing 3 different directions, and it's not connected to the central air so it's ALWAYS warm. Anyway, this was a room my grandfather added for my uncle, and there's a medical diagnosis that's not socially acceptable to use anymore so let's just say he was born premature in the 1940s before doctors knew how to handle that and he had the mind of a 6 year old. So it's full of his toys still. 

 

Most of this stuff hasn't been touched since he died in 2008. I'm sure some of the cars are worth money, but the fan in the window unit doesn't work and I'm just not going in there again during the daytime. I also found a 💩 load of fabric grow bags my brother bought and I got excited until I realized they're all short and wide, which is the opposite of what I need for palms.... But.there's heat and light and space and I can always add a humidifier or just fill a couple buckets of water or whatever when it cools off and the air isn't so thick you can chew it like it is right now.

 

This is also why I made the post asking about Hot Wheels and stuff. If you're into them and looking for anything specific I'm sure it's in here. I call dibs on any Toyotas but everything else needs to get moved and I don't want to just donate it to a shelter or a thrift store that won't appreciate it, and you guys get dibs before I scroll eBay for hours on end looking at prices. There's also a mountain of old National Geographic magazines and all kinds of other weird random 💩 in here. 

[JohnAndSancho]

Ok y'all. I need to be serious for a minute and give praise and a serious deep heartfelt thank you to @kinzyjr. I don't want to violate any HIPAA laws or put anybody's business out there, but he's offered me a lot of advice on my newfound health problems as well as listened to me rant when I'm all manic and all over the place, listened to me gripe about my family, and doesn't seem annoyed when I keep asking him if Jin Jin Kitchen is open. 

I will get a seller feedback post for him too, because this packaging and this labelling is so freaking meticulous. But I'll save all that for the feedback forum. 

I dunno if he saw me comment in the Brahea thread or if this was pure coincidence, but here is a Brahea.

There are 3 of these - cold hardy enough for a _typical_ winter here? Thorns? Yes please. Also I just learned that this is likely the first fruiting date palm, which is a very cool talking point (s/o Palmpedia)

 

There's a couple of these in here, and they might be hardy enough for the north side of the house once they bulk up a little. 

 

I honestly haven't done a count, I was on my way out the door when the mail lady showed up, but there's a bunch of these in here. I've asked myself a few times what I can place in between the giant semicircle of crape myrtles in the yard... Welp - here! I think there's 7 or 8. 

Incredibly creative packaging to make sure everything got here safe and secure. The most detailed labelling I've ever seen. And the help and advice and friendship just listening to my rants and guiding me through the medical crap... And it really looks like some thought was put into what he sent me. I had no idea what was gonna be in this box other than one of them was zone 7 safe. Thank you again, Jeremy. 

I dunno how big of a pot I should stick the Brahea into now, but really - thank you. Thank you for everything.