Care Level: Plays Hard to Get
Pet Friendly: Warning
Toxic to pets if ingested.
This Dark Crystal Bundle is a group of some of our favorites. From the moonlight fern to the deep burgundy rubber plant, these are the plants you want around the house to make your Ouiji magic work.
Get yourself some gems and use this plant bundle to complete your next sage rub seance. They are nothing short of magical.
Collection Includes:
Care Level: Plays Hard to Get
Pet Friendly: Warning
Toxic to pets if ingested.
Best in medium light, but can survive in a range of low to high.
Allow the soil to dry out completely between waterings.
Prefers humidity. Spritz occasionally.
Keep this plant out of cold drafts near open windows or doors.
Outside: Keep them in full shade on a patio out of direct sunlight to prevent leaf burn.
Apply a fertilizer high in phosphorus for root development. As the leaves multiply and the plant matures, switch to a formula high in nitrogen. Apply the nutrients monthly while watering. Refrain from fertilizing during the winter to let the plant rest.
When receiving the Burgundy Rubber plant, do not repot immediately but wait at least 6-12 months or if the roots are beginning to get crowded and growing through the drainage holes.
Repot in the spring, using a 2" bigger pot to keep the roots drier. (Too big of a pot could cause the soil to dry slower, which is not helpful.)
Place a piece of screening at the bottom of the container over the drainage hole to secure the soil and allow it to drain. Use a well-draining indoor potting mix with perlite to help with drainage.
Water your plant in the old pot before transferring over and let them sit an hour.
Add soil to the bottom to elevate the root ball. Lift the plant and release the roots against the existing planter. Use a clean knife or garden trowel to wedge between the pot and the soil to loosen.
Inspect the root ball. Notice if there are any dead or rotting roots and trim off with sterile pruners. If the plant is rootbound, cut through the roots to alleviate continued encircling.
Ensure the plant is sitting about 1" below the edge of the pot to avoid water spillage. Add more soil and backfill around the sides by tamping down. Fill up to the soil line but not over.
Water thoroughly, leaving the soil damp but not soggy. If settling occurs, add more soil.
Water well to dampen the soil and let it drain.
Gently wipe clean with a soft, damp cloth or paper towel. Work gently from the stem's base toward the leaf's tip, cleaning both sides at once. After cleaning the leaves, remove any dead leaves or debris on the surface of the soil.
Refresh the soil mixture if needed.
Wear gloves to prevent skin irritation before pruning away damaged or diseased leaves. Cut down to the stem base with sterile scissors.
To shape your plant, cut above where the leaf attaches to the stem. Here the plant will stimulate new growth and branch into two stems, and form young leaves making the rubber plant bushier.
When giving them a shapely look, only remove one-third of the plant's branches. At this point, they may look a little barren but will fill in during the growing season.
Use the pruned stems for propagation.
Take a cutting between two nodes (where the leaves emerge from the stem) with several leaves on the cutting.
Remove the bottom set of leaves.
Dip the cuttings in a rooting hormone.
Use a pot with drainage. and place the stem in damp, well-draining, moist potting soil mix and tamp down around the stem securing it.
Place the stem at least 1-2 inches down into the soil. Place a clear plastic bag over the cutting to mimic a greenhouse and mist the bag.
Set them in bright, indirect sunlight while they are rooting.
Check the moisture and humidity each day and add misting to keep the soil moist while the roots establish.
After 6-8 weeks, roots will begin to establish. You can tug onto the stem to ensure the roots are secure.
Loves bright light so they can produce their colorful leaves.
Water when the soil begins to dry out, but do not oversaturate.
Enjoys high humidity. Spritz occasionally.
Keep this plant in consistent temperatures. Avoid drafts, heat or air vent outlets and windows and doors. Avoid moving this plant around or they will protest and drop leaves.
Outside: Place Crotons in morning sun to develop their vivid colors. Midday sun can burn the leaves. Leave outside in container pots until night time temperatures dip to 60°F.
Inside: Set this plant in bright, indirect lighting.
Water the Croton Petra one day prior to fertilizing. Fertilize once a month by diluting a liquid fertilizer by half strength. A slow release granular fertilizer can be added to the top of the soil and as you water will release nutrients for the plant. Let the plant rest in the fall and winter.
When receiving the plant, do not repot immediately but wait at least 6-12 months or if the roots are beginning to get crowded and growing through the drainage holes.
Repot in the spring, using a 2" bigger pot to keep the roots drier. (Too big of a pot could cause the soil to dry slower, which is not helpful.) Use a well-draining indoor potting mix with perlite to help with drainage.
Water your plant in the old pot before transferring over and let them sit an hour. Place a piece of screening at the bottom of the container over the drainage hole to secure the soil and allow it to drain. Add soil to the bottom to elevate the root ball. Lift the plant and release the roots against the existing planter. Use a clean knife or garden trowel to wedge between the pot and the soil to loosen.
Inspect the root ball. Notice if there are any dead or rotting roots and trim off with sterile pruners. If the plant is rootbound, cut through the roots to alleviate continued encircling.
Ensure the plant is sitting about 1" below the edge of the pot to avoid water spillage. Add more soil and backfill around the sides by tamping down. Fill up to the soil line but not over.
Water thoroughly, leaving the soil damp but not soggy. If settling occurs, add more soil.
Gently wipe clean with a soft, damp cloth or paper towel. Work gently from the stem's base toward the leaf's tip, cleaning both sides at once. After cleaning the leaves, remove any dead leaves or debris on the surface of the soil.
Refresh the soil mixture if needed.
Prune away damaged or diseased leaves down to the stem base with sterile scissors. They can be pruned down to a manageable size if overgrown to create lushness. When pruning, only remove 1/3 of the stem height at a time.
In the spring or summer, prune 3-4 inch stem cuttings from the parent plant with three to four leaves on the stem.
Dip the ends in root hormone (mixed in water at a paste consistency) and place in damp, well-draining, moist potting soil mix and tamp down around the stem to secure.
Use a container that has drainage and is deep enough for the roots to grow. Place the stem at least 1-2 inches down into the soil.
Mist inside a clear plastic bag to create moisture and humidity. Place the bag over the top of the plantings and let it set over the planter. There is no need to tie off the bag but allow a little airflow under and into the planting pot.
Set in bright, indirect sunlight while they are rooting.
Check the moisture and humidity each day and add misting to keep the soil moist while the roots establish.
After 6-8 weeks, roots will begin to form. You can tug onto the stem to ensure the roots are establishing.
Another way is to directly take leaf cuttings from the stem and place the ends in an inch of filtered or bottled water. Replace the water weekly and observe the growth each week. Once you have several healthy roots, combine a little rooting hormone into the well-draining potting mix to help get established. Water the soil and use a clear plastic bag, misting it with water, and place it over each leaf to create high humidity. Each week, check the soil moisture and water if needed. After 6-8 weeks, the roots should be firmly in place, and a new baby Croton will continue to grow fresh sprouts!
Place your Ming Aralia, where she'll get the brightest indirect light near your home's east, west, or south windows.
Keep your Ming evenly moist and use our plant thermometer to monitor her moisture needs.
Your Ming is used to the hot, humid tropics so keep her near other plants, on a plant tray and a humidifier to keep her happy.
Mings are used to tropical temperatures. If she experiences cold drafts or exposure to temps below 60°F, it will shed her foliage.
When in their native habitat, she will show off white to pale yellow blooms with five petals during spring and summer but don't expect any flowering indoors.
Fertilize with our Arbor plant food once a month during the growing season between March and October. To provide adequate drainage, your Ming likes soil mixes with pine bark, coir, perlite, or vermiculite. Keep her soil slightly acidic in the 6.0-6.5 range.
When receiving the Ming Aralia, do not repot immediately but wait at least 6-12 months or if the roots are beginning to get crowded and growing through the drainage holes. (They like to be a bit rootbound anyway!)
Repot in the spring, using a 2 inches bigger pot to keep the roots drier. (Too big of a container could cause the soil to dry slower, eventually leading to root rot.)
Place a piece of screening at the bottom of the container over the drainage hole to secure the soil and allow it to drain. Use a well-draining indoor potting mix with perlite to help with drainage.
Water your plant in the old pot before transferring and let it sit for an hour.
Add soil to the bottom to elevate the root ball. Lift the plant and release the roots against the existing planter. Use a clean knife or garden trowel to wedge between the pot and the soil to loosen it.
Inspect the root ball. Notice if there are any dead or rotting roots and trim them off with sterile pruners. Cut through the roots to alleviate continued encircling if the plant is rootbound.
Ensure the plant sits about 1 inch below the edge of the pot to avoid water spillage. Add more soil and backfill around the sides by tamping down. Fill up to the soil line but not over.
Water thoroughly, leaving the soil damp but not soggy. If settling occurs, add more soil.
Let the soil drain thoroughly before placing it in a cachepot.
Ming Aralia shrubs grow slowly, so there's not a lot of pruning to do. When pruning your Ming Aralia, do it during cold months when she's in dormancy. To thicken the density of leaves, trim the tips to encourage branching. If a branch looks out of place, prune it to control its upright habit. Conquering Aralias pruning can produce a beautiful and elegant plant shape. Also, clean the soil of any foliage debris and trim off any dead, damaged, or diseased limbs periodically.
In the fall season, hydrate the plant the night before taking cuttings. Take a young stem cutting between 4-6 inches long with several leaves attached from the top of the shrub. Cut 1/4 inch below one of the sets of leaves.
Remove the lower leaves to expose the nodes (the spot where the leaves were attached)
Dip the end of the cuttings in water, then in a rooting hormone.
Use a pot with drainage and place the stem 1 inch down into the well-draining, moist potting soil mixed with coconut coir, perlite, and coarse sand. Tamp down around the stem securing it.
Place a clear plastic bag over the cutting to mimic a greenhouse and mist the bag. Set it in bright, indirect sunlight while they are rooting.
Check the moisture and humidity daily and add misting to keep the soil moist while the roots are established.
After 6-8 weeks, roots will begin to establish. You can tug on the stem to ensure the roots are secure. Cut a slit in the plastic bag and keep the plant's soil damp until rooting has developed. This will help acclimate the plant to normal humidity levels.
Once the roots are secure, transplant them to their new home, place them in bright, indirect sunlight, and water them each week, providing the necessary temperatures and humidity.
Indoors: Bright indirect light.
Keep your Moonlight fern consistently moist but not in soggy soil. Use filtered, bottled, or tap water that is sitting 24 hours to release the chemicals and water enough to discharge out of the drainage holes. Once the water is fully drained, replace them into the cache or decorative pot.
This heart fern enjoys and thrives in 50% humidity.
Warmer room temperatures and adding a humidifier to their surroundings will help them thrive.
Outside: This Moonlight fern thrives in part shade to full shade where temperatures are above 55°F at night and high humidity.
Apply a balanced, liquid fertilizer specially formulated for indoor plants at half strength every month. Apply during the spring and summer seasons. Let them rest during the winter.
When receiving the Moonlight Fern, do not repot immediately but wait at least 6-12 months or if the roots are beginning to get crowded and growing through the drainage holes.
Repot in the spring, using a 2 inches bigger pot to give the roots room to spread.
Place a piece of screening at the bottom of the container over the drainage hole to secure the soil and allow to drain. Use a rich, well-draining indoor potting mix amended with 25% compost and to help with fertility.
Water your plant in the old pot before transferring over and let sit an hour.
Add soil to the bottom to elevate the root ball. Lift the plant and release the roots against the existing planter. Use a clean knife or garden trowel to wedge between the pot and the soil to loosen.
Inspect the root ball. Notice if there are any dead or rotting roots and trim off with sterile pruners. If the plant is rootbound, cut through the roots to alleviate continued encircling.
Ensure the plant is sitting about 1 inch below the edge of the pot to avoid water spillage. Add more soil and backfill around the sides by tamping down. Fill up to the soil line but not over.
Water thoroughly, leaving the soil damp but not soggy. If settling occurs, add more soil.
Water well to dampen the soil and let drain.
If the leaves on your fern dry out or become crispy, trim off the stems down to the base. Keep the base and roots moist and new fronds will form eventually. Place them on a pebble tray to keep the humidity high. Remove any debris on the soil and replenish if necessary.
Propagate and divide your Moonlight Fern in the spring.
Hydrate the plant the night before.
Pull from the container and brush or wash away the soil carefully around the roots. Carefully divide or cut through the clump with a sterilized knife. Repot the fern in rich, indoor peat-based potting soil Be aware that each new plant needs several leaves with sufficient roots attached.
Use a container 2 inches bigger than the root ball with drainage and deep enough for their roots to grow. Place the plant at the same level as the previous pot adding soil at the bottom.
Water the soil and add more soil if settling occurs.
Set them in medium to bright, indirect sunlight while they are rooting. Place a large, clear plastic bag, spritz with water on the interior and place over the new plant to create a humid environment.
Check the moisture and humidity each day and add misting to keep the soil moist while the roots establish.
After 6-8 weeks, roots will begin to establish. You can tug onto the stem to ensure the roots are anchoring well. Remove the plastic bag but keep the air humid around them with a pebble tray and misting.
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