Growing Citrus indoors sounds cute, but how soon will you be making lemonade? Stephen is tempted to try growing Meyer Lemon after babysitting Matthew’s balcony Citrus orchard a couple years ago, so picks his brain before making a final decision. And why won’t Matthew admit that the Meyer Lemon is actually a lemon? We tried to leave Martha Stewart out of this, but we couldn't.
One person's dramatic tropical plant is another person's bucket of green shovels! Yeah, don't ask. You’ve seen Elephant Ear tubers for sale with the spring bulbs, and Alocasia x amazonica with the indoor tropicals, but have you ever tried growing these stately Aroids? Not all Taro makes a good plant indoors, and how do you get your Jewel Alocasia to have more than one leaf at a time? Matthew has a potting strategy for that!
Looking for a striking, easy carnivorous plant? How about a beautiful companion to your tropicals that will pitch in and help catch those gnats? Stephen can't stop saying good things about this one. Grimly, Matthew tries to "improve his drosera outcomes." Let's support him, yes?
Want to get those high-end Aroid feelings without all the work? We have an Aroid for you. Philodendron gloriosum has everything: Heart shaped leaves. Velvety green foliage. White veins. Rapid growth. Undemanding care requirements. Is this the BEST exotic Philodendron for home-growing? Matthew reveals that he showers with this plant. Should we call someone about that?
Ever wonder why there are so few blue flowers? Don't even get Matthew started! (Oops - too late) His first wishlist plant was a blue rose when he was a toddler. A few decades later, and with Classic Blue as the Pantone Color of the Year, are we any closer? Have your science textbooks handy as we delve into ways genetic modification is changing the cut flower industry, a garden favorite that changes color already, and discuss why we even want blue flowers in the first place.
Guess who's reached the big 5-0…. episodes?! Join us as we answer listener questions about pests, soil, lighting, and plant parenthood (sometimes with listener replies), and ultimately hijack the episode to talk through our own plant hoarding - nay, "plant collecting" - anxieties. At length.
Ready to elevate your indoor Aroid game? Matthew sure is, and wants everyone onboard! Is Stephen ready, though? Well, at a certain point he includes "praying" in his Aroid tips, so you be the judge. Gather around for our second Substrate Session, and don’t forget to bring your [every soil ingredient ever]!
Do you like Aroids? Enough to listen through an episode that sounds like Stephen's calling from inside a whale? You’re in luck! Monstera adansonii is a practically perfect houseplant, as easy as Pothos. Stephen also surprises Matthew with how interchangeable it is with candles, and then tries to get his name on the waitlist for cuttings of the mature adansonii Matthew plans to have in half a decade. Tune in to hear about this ornamental plant, and troubleshoot the very few issues you could encou...
The Plant Daddies are in complete agreement once again! Euphorbia obesa is a rare and endangered South African succulent, with the appearance of a stone sphere. Want to hear how Stephen snatched the last one away from Matthew at a sale? And then hear us torture some weird cheating husband analogy while imposing a sexual orientation on their poor, innocent plants? Um… then this is the episode for you? The quarantine struggle is real!
It’s 4/20 today, so what better way to celebrate than a (pretty much) off-topic episode about two psychoactive plants most relevant in our lives? Since we’re a Seattle-based show, we’re obviously talking about coffee and marijuana! We discuss our relationships to Coffea arabica and Cannabis, their consumable products, and maybe some of our own experiences in growing them (when legally permissible, of course.) Our podcast is for entertainment and education, so please imbibe and garden responsibly...
In their first socially-distanced episode, the Plant Daddies discuss the String of Pearls, Senecio rowleyanus, and reminisce about the days when they could hang out and pilfer each other's plants. Whose succulent soil recipe is best? And how long will that poor cutting stay on Stephen's countertop? Brace yourself for some audio hiccups as we learn how to talk over the phone. It's hard for millennials!
Get ready to get dirty as we talk potting substrates specifics! Including our absolute favorite recipes and good options with easy-to-find materials. First up, succulent soil, which Stephen and Matthew agree is probably the most critical to get right for these plants' health. Listen to hear why they just do not use succulent potting mix off the shelves of most garden centers!
The Plant Daddies get together (at a safe distance!) to serve up a few quarantine-friendly plant project ideas. Hoya propagation box? Give those tropicals a spray down in the shower, or tidy up those plants, pots, and mounts that have gone unnoticed all winter? Pruning aroids for bushy growth or rapid maturity? We're here for you/it! We even manage to surprise each other with some of our suggestions.
Have you ever seen Plumeria on a vacation and wanted to bring that *feeling* home with you? Have you ever wanted to listen to two people in a wet, cold climate struggle with a tropical tree? Look no further than today's episode, where Matthew's Dwarf Singapore Pink Plumeria blooming success has truly gone to his head! Stephen forces a thorough audit of his past failures. Oh, and we have advice for you when you try, too!
The Plant Daddies cover Zamioculcas zamiifolia care, cultivars, some stories, and even patent law (before they turn tail and run!). And have you see the trending plant displays featuring the Black Raven ZZ Plant in American big box stores recently? We have all sorts of thoughts and feelings. Also, please sign my petition asking Matthew to STOP driving circles around Seattle looking for them. Thank you.
Pull up a chair for a geeky chat about houseplant pests with one of our favorite local experts, tackling everything from spider mites to multi-syllabic chemical names. After a quick detour discussing plants that look like body parts (like our new mascots!), we tackle the worst pests for your urban jungle, how to prevent, identify, treat, and then continue to re-treat, until you finally come to terms with your indoor ecosystem! Are the Plant Daddies gleeful about each other's pest stories? You be...
Are we still thinking about our Fiddle Leaf Figs? The Plant Daddies attempt a Ficus lyrata deep dive, with special attention paid to those mature plants we may have bought during that craze a few years ago. If yours is now growing into the ceiling and/or misshapen… what now?? Matthew details his myriad attempts to create bushier trees, and then hatches a bold new plan. And don't miss another one of Stephen's vaguely rude descriptions of a plant he just isn't that into!
Do you want a plant that does more? Well… in this case the Plant Daddies don't necessarily. But they both agree that Mimosa pudica, also known as the Sensitive Plant, is a botanical oddity that they've enjoyed and will likely grow again. Is a plant capable of rapid movement one that can melt the hearts of those strange people in our lives who aren't into plants? Have we finally found a flower that only Stephen likes?
Join us as we talk all things mounting! From plant choices, materials and techniques… to tree crotches. Fellow Plant Daddy James Gray joins us to share his unique perspective on artistic mounting, with particular advice for mounted ferns and Tillandsia xerographica. Please take a shot each time Matthew says “humusy tree crotch.”
Is Aspidistra the holy grail of hardy houseplant? We suspect that since they’ve been called Spittoon plants in the past, they must be pretty cast iron. The Plant Daddies discuss this plant's surprising, lengthy, and poignant presence in British history, what to look for when you're buying one, and treat you to an argument about something they've agreed upon! Matthew is kind enough to include a book review of one he hasn't read.
It's a special day, everyone: Stephen has his first "real Aroid," and according to Matthew, his first "real tropical foliage plant!" After years of gnat-free living in a home brimming with carnivorous plants, tune in to hear Stephen struggling to wrap his mind around the unexpected side effects of suddenly-broadened horizons. We discuss our skepticism about the supposed R. pertusa mix-up in tissue culture, our care advice, and how this plant can give you a living wall without much effort.
Sansevieria have been popular since they first entered cultivation… thousands of years ago? The Plant Daddies dig into this classic mainstay to answer some questions about this near-perfect houseplant - like why leaf cuttings don’t always produce the same cultivar as the parent. Matthew also shows his first genuine interest in variegated plants, but that might have to do with the fact that he learned that they are chimeras. Tune in to hear about this often overlooked, nearly-invincible Snake Pla...
Did you miss us? Awww, shucks. If so, join us as we ease into the new year during this bonus episode, where we have an unstructured conversation about recent houseplant trends and interesting data from the GrowIt app. Geeky plant chat alert! We hope this tides you over before the Plant Daddies resume regularly scheduled programming next week!
Stephen and Matthew slide (or limp?) toward the 2019 finish line and attempt a little walk down memory lane under the influence of holiday beverages (and more)! "Read between the blurred lines," Matthew says... I know... Anyway, we'll cover our plant highs and lows for the year, what we've learned about the houseplant hobbyist community, and our indoor gardening resolutions for 2020 before taking a brief break for the holidays. See you in early January!
Are millennials less inclined to participate in "holiday plants?" The Plant Daddies discuss experiences and options, including fake vs. real trees and post-season poinsettia care. Then Devin Wallien stops by to share his favorites… from a dumpster dive? And Stephen, fresh from his discovery that amaryllis is actually a real plant (not a fanciful IKEA prop), may be more interested in other bulbs with weird foliage. Yes, typical.
String of Hearts, Tangle of Hearts, Rosary Vine… whatever you call Ceropegia woodii, you’re probably already in love with this beautiful trailing succulent vine. But this simple plant has one critical care detail you must observe before you can sit back and watch her vines trail down to the floor. And Stephen does not hate this plant! Why did Matthew think that?! How rude. Plus a bonus Taxonomy Time segment from Matthew.
Michael Perry of Mr. Plant Geek fame joins The Plant Daddies from China to chat about gardening, identity, and pretzels. We discuss his globe-trotting life with a partner who is decidedly NOT a Plant Daddy, and learn a bit about how Michael became the Plant Geek he is today! Grab a pretzel and get cozy.
In our Thanksgiving bonus, we sit down with Devin Wallien, a fourth generation horticulture professional and fellow Plant Daddy. We chat about myriad things, from Plumeria and Adeniums to composing the perfect balcony container garden-- all the way down to zone 4! Does anyone else think PP Plant should be the new name for Pilea peperomioides?
The Plant Daddies have been fashionably late before, but we're YEARS late to the Nerve Plant and Polka Dot Plant party. However, something inspired us to give them a try - perhaps the videos we’ve seen online of their dramatic revival after getting some water - and we made it a point to try them ourselves. Listen in to hear our verdict on these charismatic, colorful little survivors!
Pinguicula, butterworts, pings... whatever you call them, this carnivorous plant with beautiful foliage and showy flowers has a secret: it moonlights as a succulent. Bob Beer joins the Plant Daddies to walk through caring for these surprising, approachably easy houseplants.
