Simple Life Matters

During the pandemic, people tend to become more "horticulturists" as they engage themselves to planting and collecting rare plants from Thailand, China, Hooland (The Netherland) and Ecuador. In the Philippines prices of  Monstera Delciosa green and Thai Constellation in 2020 skyrocketed to five thousand peso  and twenty thousand pesos for the medium size with only 2 leaves respectively. But before the pandemic according to real collectors. who's collecting rare plants prior to the pandemic, the price of  Monstera Thai Constellation for medium size is only nine hundred pesos.  I am not aware of the price of Variegated Philodendron Billitiae but during the peak of a pandemic the price of one leaf cost staggering two hundred thousand peso per leaf, and as much as four hundred thousand peso for one leafer Monstera Adansonii Albo. You cannot imagine how the price of plants multiplied due to limited stocks and limited importation due to heightened alerts in terminals. Nowadays

Variegated Shangrila Pothos is one of the most rare species in Pothos family. Just like any other Pothos like Golden Pothos, Marble Pothos and Global Green, it is easy to care and propagate. It can thrive under the direct sunlight and even with low light like in the comfort room. But since we are talking about variegated sleeping pothos it is better to place it in direct sunlight to 'sun stress' the plnt and have its variegation more pronounce. Watering: Water only when the toptwo inches of the soil is dry.  Make sure you are using a well-draining pots. Soil Mix- Pothos can thrive in every type of soil mix. Loam soil alone can do. Propagation: You can propagate on water or directly into the soil. Better if you can put a pole to the plant to make it crawl the pole which will easily activated  the aerial roots.

Philodendron Bipen  Variegata is one of the easiest plants to take care of considering it belongs to the family of Philodendrons. However, the variegated one needs extra care. The plant needs to be placed in a  high-humidity environment. Philodendrons can tolerate direct sunlight and rain. During the pandemic, one leaf of variegated bipen cost around one hundred thousand for one leaf only. Now you can buy one leaf for only two thousand pesos. Fertilizer: Osmocote 14-14-14 since it is a variegated plant. Do not put Urea or 'Abono' since the leaves will revert to pure green. Pot- It needs a well-draining pot. Watering: Water only if the two inches of topsoil was already dry. Propagation: it is much better to provide a moss pole to maximize the growth of its aerial roots. One the aerial roots are activated, then you make cuttings and propagate. The photo below is my actual propagation and I tried putting it on a ceramic pot instead of the usual plastic pot to see if it will thriv

Monstera Adansonii is another kind of Monstera plant. It is easy to grow and care with. The plant needs to be placed in bright indirect sunlight since it is a variegated type of Adansonii. Before the price of one leaf Adansonii Albo cost aroung half a million peso. But now you can buy a one-leafer palnt for as low as one thousand peso only. Just like most of my premium plants, I have bought the mother plant imported from Thailand with almost 3 to 5 leaves only. But since the size is juvenile it takes time to thrive and produce more leaves. Although once it starts producing new leaves then it will sprout new leaves every two to three weeks. Pot: It needs a well-draining pot. Make sure the commercial plastic pot you will use is well-draining since most of the available in the market doesn't have a provision for holes. Watering: water when dry, avoid over-watering. Medium: loam soil, coco cubes, cocopeat, pumice. The photos below are my actual propagations from two days ago. Once it a

One of the most iconic leaf patterns in the family of Philodendrons, Florida Beauty Variegata is a sure pick for rare plant collectors. Like Monstera Borsiana Albo and Aurea, Florida Beauty needs bright indirect sunlight to maintain its leaf variegation. Watering: When summer you can water it twice or three times a week. But during the rainy season better check and wait for its topsoil to dry up before watering.  Soil Mixture: Best to thrive with a mixture of loam soil, pumice, coco peat, coco cubes and vermicast. Propagation: Wait for its aerial roots to get activated by navigating the roots toward the soil before cutting.