Simple Life Matters

Patriciae is one of the most expensive Philodendron plants that is not variegated in 2020. One large leaf costs P50,000 to P70,000. Nowadays, you can buy a plant with four to five large leaves for only P4,000. For my Philodendron plants, I used to spray Thieves, All Purpose Garden Spray to prevent spider mites and caterpillars to eat my plant leaves. Ready to Use Plant Misting Spray For Indoor Plants. Infused with Clove Bud, Eucalyptus, Cinnamon Bark, Lemon and Rosemary Essential Oils Now in new biodegradable bottles! - Misting Spray for Indoor Plants - Plant-derived Ingredients - Safe Around Kids or Pets - With Pleasant & Relaxing Aroma - Can be Used to Clean and Deodorize Surfaces - May Repel Common Insects or Bugs This plant spray is infused with these essential oils: - CLOVE BUD ESSENTIAL OIL - anti-bacterial - EUCALYPTUS ESSENTIAL OIL – anti-bacterial/ anti- viral - CINNAMON BARK ESSENTIAL OIL – anti-fungal and anti-bacterial - LEMON ESSENTIAL OIL – anti-viral and anti-bacter

Variegated Homalomena is an eye candy. The white combined with pink variegation is pleasant to the eye. During the height of pandemic, Variegated Homalomena cost around P120,000 to P150,000. Now you can buy a medium-sized plant for only P15,000. Propagation of Homalomena is easy by root dividing. You can use Organic Plant Food (Spray) to nourish the plant. Made from fermented plant extracts of young shoots of plants such as axillary buds, shoots, leaves & grasses. Because these prime plants are young and robust sprouts grow quickly, they are full of chlorophyll and fiber. With the addition of a solution rich in enzymes full of lactic acid and beneficial micro-organisms that eats through the plant material, it starts a fermentation process that extracts the chlorophyll and other plant materials out of the cellulose of the plant’s cells. This produces an enzyme-rich mixture of bacteria full of benefits.   When applied directly to the top leaves and underside of growing plants, you

In 2020 the price of one leaf of Ilsemanii Variegated was P80,000 for a medium size. At the first quarter of 2023 the price of the plant drop to P10,000 for a medium size plant. Rare plants are expensive and so we want to protect their leaves on Aphids, Mites and Catterpillars. On my previous blog post, I tell a stor of my P100,000 worth of Monstera plant that was eaten by Catterpillars. You can use READY TO USE PLANT GUARD (Organic Plant Care Protection). WHAT IS IT? Made with pure NEEM OIL diluted with the use of an organic emulsifier, thus creating an organic pest control solution that can be applied to plants by spraying or foliar application. Neem oil is pure extract from fresh neem leaves, cold-pressed process to assure the quality of the oil. The most active component of neem is Azadirachtin, which is known for for controlling pests, reduces insect feeding, thus acts as a repellent and also interferes with insect hormone systems, making it harder for insects to grow and lay

The Price of Epi Neon in 2020 is P100,000 with five matured leaves. Nowadays you can buy the plant for P5,000 only. To prevent the plant from pests you can use thieves spray. I've been using it and it's very effective. The best time to use it is in the evening so the plant will not be exposed to sunlight after application Thieves ia an all natural insecticide /pesticide. Prevent and repel pests like aphids, flies and beetles.  Direction: Spray directly on plants once a day or as needed. (early morning or early evening)  THIEVES ORIGINAL Infused with essential oils that encourage growth.  It can also be used to clean leaves and make it shiny.  Direction: Spray directly on plants every 3-5days (early morning / early evening).   From plants to plants  Mist on leaves and soil, 2-3 times a week.  Store spray away from direct sunlight.  Keep in cool and dry place.  Packed in a 250ml Trigger Spray Bottle you can buy it in Shopee or Lazada

Monstera Legacy looks like a Monstera Mint. You can hardly differentiate the two on their Juvenile form. Monstera Minst has a finer shadow of green splash than Monstera Legacy. The price of Legacy cost around P100,00 to P150,000 during pandemic and now dropped to P15,000 for Juvenile form. Whenever we buy expensive plants we always wanted to propagate them, either for the purpose of selling or keeping them. During propgation, it is better to use rooting hormone to have a better success rate of plant growth. ● Uses: to promote plant growth, rooting  ● All kinds are applicable: foliage plants, succulents, fruit and vegetable plants, flowering plants, hydroponic plants, seed ball plants  Method of use:  ● 1. Dissolve about 30m of 1 bottle cap in 4 liters of water and stir evenly to apply.  ● 2. When applying, spray wet the leaves first, so that the leaves are just wet, and then root irrigation is carried out until the soil around the plants is fully wet.  ● 3. It is recommended to apply o

 Monstera Green Snow looks like a Monstera Thai Cons with a more green splash on its variegation. The price of Green Snow in 2020 is about P80,000 and now drop to P8,000 for medium size plants. You can use Plant Growth Booster as a plant enhancer or vitamins.  Recommendation: Dilute 1 tablespoon of Plant Growth Booster in 5 liters of water. Use it every watering schedule you have  Benefits: -Improve the structure of soil - Increase the buffering power of soil - Neutralize both acidic and alkaline soil - Regulate the pH-value of soil - Stimulate plant growth - Increase the yield and quality Contents: Humic Acid, Nitrogen (Organic), pH. You can also use plant Nutrient Solution. This nutrient solution can seep into the soil and spread more uniformly, thus giving your fields an even consistent coating so that all plants receive the same nutrients regardless of location. Penetrates the soil immediately, plants are given faster access to the nutrients. Some plants will see results from this

Monstera Creme Brulee is another variegated version of Thai Constellation. The color of the leaves is predominantly with a cream splash. The price of Creme Brule in 2020 is ranging from P100,000 to P150,000 depends on the size and quality of variegation.  The best fertilizer for variegated plants like Monstera Creme Brule are slow-release fertilizers like Thermocote,  14-13-13 Formula ( Total Nitrogen: 14% / Beneficial Phosphorus: 13% / Soluble Potassium: 13%) . How to use or apply Thermocote on your plants.  It has been formulated with the perfect balance of NPK for bonsai, cactus, and succulent plants. The nutrients are contained inside a dissolvable coating. They are called prills, pellets or granules. This product is heat-activated. That means that they release the food according to the ambient temperature in which they are used. In cooler temperatures, they release less food and in higher temperatures when plants demand more food, they release more. This is caused by micropores in

Raphidophora Tetrasperma is known to thrive in a chunky medium like coco cubes, pumice and coco peat. The plant needs lots of bright indirect light to thrive. Since it has small leaves you can use powdered eggshell and mix it on the soil to achieve strong and thicker leaves. Tetrasperma is popularly known as little Monstera due to the significance of their leaves. During the height of pandemic, one leaf of Variegated Tetrasperma cost about P300,000 to P500,000 pesos. In early 2022, the price dropped to P50,000 per leaf and in the first quarter of 2023, you can laready buy a plant with 3 to 4leaves for only P8,000. My forecast price for Variegated Tetrasperma by fourth quarter of the year is P500 per leaf. Slow-release fertilizer is good for variegated plants.  I recommend Osmocote Controlled Release Fertilizer for Strong Root and Plant Development Plants. Features: Promotes vigorous top-growth, strong root development A must-have for vegetable gardeners Formulated for flavorful veget

Philodendron Burle Marx Flame has a very unique and captivating mature leaf pattern. If you have a Raphidophora Tetrasperma, the kind of care is most likely the same. The plant best thrives on a chunky soil medium. A soilless mixture of coco peat, coco cubes, pumice and vermicast is the best medium for Burle marx Flame. The price of one leaf in 2020 is P100,000 and dropped to P10,000 per leaf on the current market price. You can use home-made fertilizer like banana peel and msg on your plant since it is not a variegated plant. Place the plamt on a high humid environment wih lots of indirect sunlight.  It is better if you can provide a plant pole to let the plant crawl ad activate its aerial roots. Slow-release fertilizer like Osmocote or thermocote made from Thailand is recommended.

Beware of Plant Scammers. I have made a list of Legit Plant Sellers online. I already made transactions in most of them that's why I'm pretty sure they are a valid seller of imported plants. In no particular order here is the list of plant online sellers that you can rely on: Hannah's Green Thumb - I already made a lot of transactions on this seller. If you are a reseller you can get a good price from Ms. Eunice. I bought my Monstera Borsigina Albo (Holland variety) from her when the price is still ridiculously high but HGT has a pretty decent price. La Greta - They usually do live selling from Thailand Garden. I have bought my Adansonii Albo, Adansonii Aurea and Variegated Bipen from Ms. Greta Salonga. AE Plantita - I bought my giant Pothos N Joy from her. RL International - bought my Ecuadorian plants from them worth 21,000 including shipping free from Thailand. Yeshua Reign Pajo - I don't have a transaction yet with the seller but a legit one I must say. She kept on

Coco fiber is a very good medium for plants since it can hold moisture yet is easy to drain and can prevent root rot on our plants. However, coco fiber, coco cubes, or coco peat are highly acidic.  What to do to remove the acidity of coco materials? Place the medium in running water for one hour or two, then place it under the sun to dry the materials. You can repeat the process 2 to 3 times before using it as a medium. It is best to mix it with pumice and loam soil. With this kind of soil mix, you can give the plant roots a space to breathe and thrive. Coco fiber is also good for Air Layering or Marcotting.  Most gardens that are propagating Philodendron Melanochrysum use coco fiber in their propagation with a 100% success rate.

The variegated Golden Dragon is one of my wishlist plant. If you have a Florida Beauty, Variegated Bipenifolium and variegated Billitiae, the same care you applied to those plants are applicable to variegated Golden Dragon. The plant needs high humidity and lots of bright indirect sunlight in order to thrive well and maintain its variegation.  The price of Variegated Golden Dragon in 2020 is P200,000 for three medium leaves. It has the same market price with variegated Billitiae. As of March 2023, the price of one leaf variegated Golden Dragon is as low as P10,000 to P15,000 depends on the quality of its variegation.  Care Tips and Propagation:  Provide a plant pole for the plant to climb and activate its aerial roots. Water only once a week during cold weather and 2 to 3 times a week during hot summer. Use slow release fetilizer such as Osmocote 14-14-1. Cut and propgate when aerial roots becomes active already.   During propagation choose a mixture of loose medium such as pumice, co

Zamioculcas zamiifolia most commonly known as "Welcome or Zz" plant has small but wide, dark green, glossy leaves that zig-zag up tall, slender stems. The plant has air purifying qualities too, removing volatile organic compounds benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene. The pice of variegated ZZ plant during the pandemic is from P2,000 to P3,000 per stem. Nowadays you can buy a variegated Zz plant for P500 per stem or P1,500 for a lush plant. Plant lovers usually place the plant in front of their door or gate to attract luck. Zz plant is one of the easiest plants to grow and propagate. Just like Sanseveiria or Snake plant it can grow on low light and direct sunlight. The plant will thrive even without watering for 20 days but susceptible to root rot when over-watered. You can propagate it directly to the soil or with water propagation. Just cut a stem and place in a small container with water or plant it in the soil. Variegated plants needs a good sunlight to maintain its

Variegated Green Congo is one of the most expensive variegated plants in 2021 due to its scarcity. A plant with 3 to 4 leaves will cost around P200,000. In early 2022, the price dropped to P30,000 per leaf. As of this writing, you can already buy one leaf of variegated Green Congo for only P8,000. My forecast is at the end of 2023, one leaf will cost only P1,500.  Care Tips and Propagation:  Best to use a soilless medium, a mix of coco peat, coco cubes, pumice, and vermicast during propagation. Water the plant twice or thrice a week during summer and once a week only during cold weather. Place the plant in a high humid location with bright indirect sunlight. You can place it inside your house near the window where it can get enough sunlight. Still best to put it outside, in your garden. Use slow release fertilizer with 14-14-14 balance. Since it is a variegated plant, refrain from usaing Urea as fertilizer.

Variegated Williamsii with good variegation looks like Caramel Mable but with more rounded leaves and prominent split in it. The price before of one leaf Wiliamsii ia around P100,000 to P120,000. However, in the 4th quarter of 2022, the price dropped to P15,000 per leaf. As of this writing, you can buy one leaf of Variegated Williamsii for only P5,000.  Just like any other Philodendron, Williamsii does not like being overwatered. The plant can thrive more if it is going to be watered at least twice or thrice a week. Care Tips and Propagation: Place on bright indirect sunlight and water as mentioned above. Put the plant in a highly humid location. During propagation make sure your pot has a hole at the bottom and use a soilless medium. Make sure to activate its aerial roots before cutting and repotting.If you already have Florida Beauty, you can just apply the same care to Williamsii. You can use a1 14-14-14 slow-release fertilizer.

When buying plants abroad you have to consider the logistics of the seller. how he/she will pack the plants. It the plants will be shipped with pots or uprooted. Most rare plants can be found in Thailand even Ecuagenera plants. I bought my Ecuadorian plants such as SP Colombia in Thailand together with other Thailand plants. During RL International live plant selling, I "mined" around 10 plants worth P20,000 and I have to add another P1500 for shipping from Bangkok to Manila. I was not advised however that the plants will be shipped uprooted. When it arrived at my apartment in Valenzuela the roots has an even length which means it was cut already to reduce the bulkiness of the plant. However, they packed it professionally and landed to me in good condition. I just have to buy a medium and pots to plant it. So before you buy a plant online, especially when it comes from abroad, make sure to ask the seller if it's going to be shipped with a pot or uprooted. Because when you

Philodendron Caramel Marble is on top of the rareplant collector's plant "wishlist". In 2020, one leaf Caramel Marble cost aroung P500,00, almost the same price with variegated Billitiae. In 2022 the price of the plant dropped to P50,000 per leaf and currently, you can buy the one leaf for only 15,000 to P20,000 depending on the quality of variegation.  Plant Care and Propagation:  Use a mixture of coco husk, coco peat, coco cubes, pumice and vermicast as a medium. Let the aerial roots crawl the plant pole to activate it before cutting and replanting. You can use a coco pole, but I suggest using moss pole since it is looser. Water the plant two to three times a week during summer. Do not overwater as this will cause root rot. Put it on a high humid place and under indirect sunlight.  Do not over water the plant as this will cause root rot, Water it when the top two inches of the soil is already dry. My forecast is that the price of one leaf Caramel marble might go down to

Philodendron Strawberry Shake variegated is very beautiful when there's a splash of pink and yellow on its leaves. However, its variegation is prone to revert. When you saw a reverted leaf/leaves in Strawberry Shake just cut it and the new leaf when sprawl might have a good variegation again. I bought my Strawberry Shake at he last quarter of 2022 with 2 leaves and mild variegation for P16,000.  From 2020 to 2021, the price of one leaf cost range from P30,000 to P40,000. As of this writing, you can buy one leaf for P800 to P1,000 only. Care Tips and Propagation: The moment you saw a leaf/leaves that reverted, then that is the best time to cut and propagate the plant to have its variegation back both on the cuttings and the mother plant. Use a loose soil mix like coco peat and pumice with vermicast.   Philodendron Strawberry Shake is a good buy plant for rare plant collectors, especially now that it is more affordable. I am planning to grow and let my Philodendron reach 5 feet in he

The Monstera Thai Constellation matured size with 3 to 4 leaves price ranges from P100,000 to P120,000 from 2020 to 2021. In 2022 the price dropped from P40,000 to P60,000. Late 2022, it cost around 10,000 to P16,000. As of this writing matured size Monstera Thai Constellation can be bought from P4,000 to P6,000 while the medium-sized leaves price ranges from P2,500 to P3,000, and the juvenile size for P1,000 to P2,000.  The Monstera Thai Constellation, unlike the Borsigiana Albo does not revert. However, there are some genes with heavy variegation and mild variegation. I remember when I bought my regular Monstera Deliciosa imported from Thailand. The seller brought the plant to my apartment, uprooted. Then I planted the plant with the mixture of rice hull and loam soil and water the plant right away which causes the roots to rot the next day.    Monstera Thai Constellation is susceptible to root rot when overwatered. Make sure to water it once a week during cold weather and twice a we

The Monstera Borsigiana Mint is somehow very similar to Borsigiana Albo and Monstera Green of Green but with mint or greeny tiny dots on its leaves. The plant care and propagation should be the same as Monstera Borsigiana Albo. You need to place the plant in a bright indirect sunlight, most recommended in a humid place. Do not use Urea as a fertilizer because the leaves of the plant will revert to full green. Personally, I use Osmocote and Thermocote for my variegated plants to enhance their variegation. I am yet to buy a Monstera Mint plant since it is a bit pricey until now. From 2020 to 2021, one leaf of Borsigiana Mint cost P100,000. In late 2022, the price of the plant dropped from P40,000 to P60,000 per leaf. As of this writing, you can buy one leaf brosi Mint for P20,000 to P30,000. My forecast is that one leaf Borsi Mint will cost P5,000 to P8,000 by end of the year.  Care Tips and Propagation:  Use a mix of coco peat, coco cubes, pumice and vermicast as a medium. Let the aeria