Looks like the aloe succulent I have that shot upwards too. I don't know the name but as it was sold as a succulent maybe that will help narrow it down.
Thanks to your clue, we (my mum and me) could finally find it: it's a Miltoniopsis. Both genera look really similar to each other, and that one seems to be known locally as Colombian "Miltonia".
Now we're trying to dig further into the species. I'm placing my bets on Miltoniopsis phalaenopsis.
I tried a keeping a few of those over the years without much success.
I have some tips, if you want:
Native species from your area will give you an easier time. If you can't find one that you like, look for species https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_classification#/media/File:K%C3%B6ppen-Geiger_Climate_Classification_Map_(1980%E2%80%932016)_no_borders.png.
Most of them hate soil. You'll need a proper medium to grow them; it's usually a mix of tree bark, sphagnum, and sometimes charcoal (it helps to keep nutrients for slow release)
Light requirements also vary but most of them like indirect light.
Typically to water them you need to also water the leaves, so it's a good idea to use a spray bottle for that.
If you're unsure on when to water them, check when their leaves get slightly wrinkled. For me at least watering is each ~2 days now on summer, ~2 weeks on winter.
It's easier to over-water than under-water them, so do it preferably in the morning (as excess water will evaporate).
Once in a while it's a good idea to add some fertiliser to their water. Keep it really diluted otherwise it "burns" the plant. Usually I do this every 5th watering, so each ~10d on summer and ~2 months on winter.
Found it by the trash bins by our house! We’re not fancy enough folks to have oil and vinegar at the table every meal, but I did receive a bunch of pothos cuttings as a sort of housewarming gift.
In fact, so not fancy that I peruse the trash bins for treasures…
Got it. Winter + forced air heat opens up the possibility of a whole home humidifier but since you can't go that route a evaporative humidifier or two is the way to go.
I am living in a dry region (now it's like 60% bc it's winter, but in summer reaches almost 0%humidity). I was like you and also got humidifiers before, but my recommendation is that you forget about it and just let nature do it's thing and plants adapt to your environment.
Obviously we cannot have ferns, but some plants like hoyas and such, you may be surprised that they adapt at the end and even thrive. At the end you do as you think best, but overcaring for plants that may be sick or cannot live in your climate is too big of a challenge long-term, take that into account
My only recommendation is that you should spend a little more money on specifically an evaporative humidifier. They’re a bit louder (I think I’ve got a Vornado EV100 or something?) but the cheap humidifiers on Amazon will cover everything in the room in very fine white powder after a few weeks/months, which gets super annoying. The evaporative-type humidifiers don’t do that. Not sure about smart-plug compatibility, though.
The arrival date is listed as “the Spring,” so I have little idea when to expect them. I’m in California and everything is in bloom already, so I can get them going whenever, and I grabbed a few so I can try them indoors and outdoors in different locations.
This may be a bit of an unusual recommendation, but I've found biological warfare to be the best solution for fungus gnats: Drosera capensis, Cape sundews, are like nature's bug vacuum.
There is a bit of time waiting for the plant to get ready to go, maybe a month to six weeks, but they require virtually no care aside from ensuring they're in a bath of water at all times, and they absolutely EVISCERATE gnat populations. I used to have a terrible problem with them until last year when I got my first D. capensis, and roughly counting, one plant in a month caught over 170 bugs. They're super fun to own and their colors are dazzling.
Thank you for the recommendation! I've definitely considered carnivorous plants. Actually I ended up throwing all my plants in water last month (except for some succulents which weren't part of the problem) to convert all of my plants to a semi-hydro system instead. I haven't seen a fungus gnat since! Once it warms up outside and I can rinse off the substrate with a hoze I'll be potting them up in a soilless mix.
Thank you. It's definitely not too much shade, it has always been on a south facing window. Maybe the soil is garbage. I'll check the roots for rotting as soon as I have good new succulent soil.
I would recommend getting new soil and don't be afraid of having a high quantity of perlite/vermiculite and gravel. You want soil that doesn't retain much moisture, so avoid too high of a quantity of rich fertilizers, peat and clay. I also recommend getting it into the sunniest location you have in your house. If you're in the northern hemisphere, W and S are your best bet, West giving the most UV and hours of light per day.
The new growth may die back slightly from these conditions but it's okay: the new growth is weak and it's likely that trying to maintain the new growth in these conditions will only stress out the plant over time. I say it's better to just let the old die away and let the more resilient, hardy growth take over.
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