Friday, February 24, 2012

Houseplant Updates

Several months ago a good friend of ours invited us to a private estate sale for one of his extended family members.  I picked up an old buffet for $10 which now has been refinished and sits in our living room but the best thing I acquired was three very old houseplants.  At $3.00 each it was quite a bargain.

The plants were in very bad shape, pot bound, burned leaves from sitting outside during the estate sale, but I figured it would be a great challenge to save them.

I first removed the plants from their pots and removed all of the old soil and dead areas.  Then I repotted them in larger pots with fresh soil.  Then I did the unthinkable....I chopped all of the burned, dying foliage off so that all I was left with was what appeared to be sticks and then I sat back and waited patiently! My patience is beginning to pay off as they are showing signs of gorgeous fresh new growth!


Once there is sufficient growth, I will cut the tips off, root them in water and make another houseplant.  My goal is to make 4 large plants for each of my main living areas.  Here's the tips that were worth saving during my original hacking-they now have roots several inches long and are about to be potted up as well.


And here is a close up of the roots!  See all the white 'spots' on the trunk-those will also create new roots so I can cut them into pieces and as long as I plant them right side up-more plants should be possible.  This is probably the absolute slowest way of getting a houseplant, but the plants I've purchased at nurseries never last long-but plants that make it through this are always healthy and strong for years.


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