Houseplants

Hi all,

I didn't see a place for discussion about houseplants, so here we are. Apologies if there is one that I missed (or if it's just not the done thing to talk about houseplants amongst *real* gardeners!).

I have always been a nightmare on houseplants, but I asked for some for that time of year that shall not be mentioned again for 11 months. It's been a couple years since I killed my last plant...so maybe I'm ready for the challenge. They're not in their permanent homes yet, so I don't have photos, but I'll upload some when they get settled. I got some mini plants (Vriesea ospinae, Nidularium (Fireball), Alternanthra dentata, Biophytum sensitivum, and Peperomia "Hope") from my husband's brother, and a gift certificate from his parents (which yielded Monstera adansonii, Maranta leuconeura [calathea, prayer plant], crocodile fern, satin pothos, and devil's ivy/golden pothos). My daughter's enjoying the "misting" part of the care instructions, and my husband and I are just waiting for my usual bad indoor plant stewardship to result in crispy leaves. Maybe because they were gifts and maybe because I can't garden outdoors right now, but I'm very excited!

Do you have any houseplants you'd like to share?

DJ, I found a couple of Houseplants on this Board, so I've moved you.

My record with houseplants is not great as I forget them - most of them are covered in dust and spiderwebs!!
I have 2 Christmas or Easter cacti, a few shrivelled Aloe Vera and an Orchid that thrives in spite of me. That's it - but there'll soon be tomatoes and herb cuttings to keep them company.

Apart from spider plants, which help keep the house atmosphere clean by absorbing pollutants (I've been told), the only houseplants I have were all gifts at some point, and all flower or they wouldn't be tolerated. So I have a white begonia, 2 hippeastrums, 3 dendrobiums, a hibiscus, and a four foot tall poinsettia.

Oh, I forgot the areca palm which sits in a corner and is pretty much ignored. I tolerate him as he's an old man and does have flowers of a sort. He must be at least 30 years old!

I have 2 house plants A Christmas cactus that's got to be 40 year old and a Money plant I was given the other year when I gave some toms plants away.

DJ, I found a couple of Houseplants on this Board, so I've moved you.

My record with houseplants is not great as I forget them - most of them are covered in dust and spiderwebs!!
I have 2 Christmas or Easter cacti, a few shrivelled Aloe Vera and an Orchid that thrives in spite of me. That's it - but there'll soon be tomatoes and herb cuttings to keep them company.

I really commit to neglect. I've had a handful come and go in the last few years. Some of the new ones bill themselves as unkillable. We'll see...

Strangely I have a couple of kalanchoes that have survived the longest, seemingly in approval of my utter neglect.

Apart from spider plants, which help keep the house atmosphere clean by absorbing pollutants (I've been told), the only houseplants I have were all gifts at some point, and all flower or they wouldn't be tolerated. So I have a white begonia, 2 hippeastrums, 3 dendrobiums, a hibiscus, and a four foot tall poinsettia.

Oh, I forgot the areca palm which sits in a corner and is pretty much ignored. I tolerate him as he's an old man and does have flowers of a sort. He must be at least 30 years old!

Sounds like these plants have to work for their keep. I strangely like non flowering types even though I insist on flowers on shrubs and in the borders.

I can't imagine keeping one alive 30 years. A new goal

I have 2 house plants A Christmas cactus that's got to be 40 year old and a Money plant I was given the other year when I gave some toms plants away.

Another long termer! I have to find out more about the Christmas cactus. It seems to be the key.

One of my Christmas cactus is the son of a much older one that I found in the compost heap when we moved into a house in 1980. It was huge, with gnarled branches and looked really limp so I bunged it a pot with some soil, gave it a water and it bounced back to life. I took some cuttings off it at some point, gave most of them away and have one left which has moved house with me. Definietly toughies!
Actually, I think my other one is an Easter cactus as it flowers at a different time of year.

I don't do house plants. I would love a special large leaf plant like a monstera in my living room but I have always believed that the room is too dark to keep plants.
I recently commented on Instagram how lovely her cactus was. It was called Ric Rac and she was overjoyed that it flowered. She said it scented the whole room. I think the flowers lay for just a day but looked stunning. So perfect.
Anyway, we ended up swapping- she sent me a leaf. I chopped it in three bits and only last week see that I have a new shoot.

I hope I don't go off the boil when the challenge of growing it goes ....

I inherited this orchid from my mum. It doesn't flower very often but is doing now. I went to a garden centre today to get some longer support sticks.

It has 2 plantlets growing off an old stem that are also about to flower.

Does anyone know if the plantlets can just be left as they are or would they die off?
Also, when does it need potting into a bigger pot?
And any tips to get it to flower more often?
Do you remove the old stems once the leaves drop off?