Hello all! Covid is horrible and I feel for any of you out there directly affected by its terribleness. My so's grandfather passed away about 2 weeks ago from it and it has been a really hard blow for us. A friend of his family has sent a condolence basket and while it is astoundingly beautiful, I have a healthy fear of killing everything in it. (Ignore the sad looking succulents, those came from a coworker and I am valiantly trying to care for them ^^; ) So I know the centerpiece is the Orchid, and I suspect this one: is a Pothos, I have no idea on the following: If anyone could inform me what they are, I would be forever grateful! I'm mostly concerned about conflicting care when they're all squished in next to one another. I would like to re-pot them separately but (accompanied by my previous not great expertise with plants) I'm worried about upsetting the roots and harming the poor dears, especially with Orchids apparently being very fickle? /sigh I am out of my depths here but I am absolutely willing to learn! Help?
Pothos are very tough type of plants actually. So not at all easy to harm or kill. Take for example Devil's Ivy, which too is a pothos, (my favorite one). It can even survive in a bottle of water, but not only survive, instead thrive, yes, it starts to root in water too! You can propagate it from cuttings, (however yours is too small for that right now). Only thing which can harm it, is direct sunlight. Otherwise it is a very sturdy plant. Grows in poor soil too, and ever watering doesn't harm it over but. In fact it grows even faster when you over water it. It doesn't like direct sunlight, as I already mentioned - But loves hot environment. I guess that explains why they do so well on top of refrigerators, (as heat expelled from the rear of the fridge's cooling coil gives the pothos another reason to grow faster). However keep in mind, that if you have pets in the house, or very young children - All pothos are poisonous to some degree... They have given me a skin irritation a few times, (but only for a day). So place them in a spot where pets can't reach. Usually Dogs and cats are intelligent enough to know by their own instincts, which plants are OK to be around. And which can harm them. However that still doesn't mean that we can take a chance with them. I unfortunately don't have any experience with orchids.
They s is my Devil's Ivy, it is growing outside, but under tree over, (so no direct sunlight exposure). I let it grow wild, and encourage it to climb the window also. As I take cutting from it at the peak of summer, to plant elsewhere. So this is actually the mother plant, from which I must have created at least 50 other plans in the last 10 years.
Ahh, Chicago weather is a bit too cold for me to risk anything outside. I am content with house plants over a garden for the time being, living in a condo doesn't give much of a backyard. I appreciate the info on Pothos! Any idea on what the others might be? I tried google "green house plants" but as I expected, wasn't very productive lol
They all look like tropical plants, orchids obviously are. I have seen these plants many times over here. But can't remember what they are called. Also we have other local names. Like the Devil's Ivy we call the "money plant". As it grows so fast, and in shade, that it is said to bring wealth in the home. Please don't start believing that, as it is just hearsay - But that is how the plant got it's local name. Anyway all tropical indoor plants (which yours most definitely are) are very sturdy plants by nature. But in the wild they grow under the tree canopy. So any direct sunlight burns them. But otherwise they love heat and humidity, (which is why they make for excellent bathroom plants too). However please note that they don't like direct sunlight. But that doesn't mean that you place them in the dark somewhere. They will appreciate a well lit room which has lots of natural light. Basically if the light level is comfortable for you and your eyes, (it is not blinding) - These plants will do fine also. If you are feeling cold, these plants will also not like it. But if you are comfortable indoors, so will the plant be. They do very well under LED lights too. As well as fluorescent lighting of any modern day room. But those brilliant white old style fluorescent lights often have some UV light also, (ultraviolet light) - Which these plants won't appreciate, as direct sunlight has a lot of that too. So that is exactly what burns them. But modern day honey golden like white color lights (be they fluorescent or LED) doesn't harm them at all. Old style incandescent bulbs with a tungsten filament also doesn't harm them in any way. However those bulbs are very inefficient, so your power bill will increase. If there is no direct sunlight, you can place then right alongside a window also. Devil's Ivy for example gives you plenty of warnings if the light level is getting too much for it - It's leaves will start showing very light green color streaks, (like the streaks in marble). So that means that any more light might be harmful. But a little of these streaks are fine too. Like I said, these are all very sturdy plants. So not easy to kill. Some people like me appreciate this light green color streaks, (you can see it in my pictures). As it makes the planet look even more pleasing to the eye.
get the orchid out of the basket as quick as you can. Orchids are epiphytes and don't really have root systems that grow in dirt. they naturally grow on the bark of trees. here is a link to better understanding and care of yours. https://rforchids.com/index.php/2012/02/19/how-we-grow-phalaenopsis/ otherwise as S-H says, get them potted up and put them in a bright room (not a dark room) out of direct sunlight. they will grow towards the window so turn them regularly to keep them from stretching sideways. the other plants are a cornplant dracena, a croton and another (striped white and green one) dracena and not a devils ivy or pothos but a philodendron. and don't overwater those little succulents. they like it dry.
I treat my orchids like the succulents. Less is best for watering. Bark not soil also. The pathos is actually a philodendron even harder than the pathos in my humble opinion. The next two are corn plants or dracaenas. Two different varieties but similar care. I will let you look them up on the Internet. I’ve not been successful with them because I always have a pet that likes to chew on their leaves. I'm not drawn to gnawed on plants. The last is a croton or Codiaeum variegatum. Happy gardening and I’m sure they will all love having their own pots. Remember overwatering is the number one killer of most houseplants...for me anyway.
