short term purposes that grow; a blog about plants

entering a jungle

The jungle's heat met the sweet smell of snow
The red door jingled, trapping the soft glow

Leaves, flowers, tangled together as one
Sprouting colors, inhaling the bright sun

Spikes and prickles come in short and in tall
The cool lick of winter fire, sparks withdrawal

A busy canvas of spattered green paint
Crunch underfoot and rustle of leaves faint 

Trays lined displaying parts of our world

To choose with one grasp, once the fingers curled

Earth in hand, love in heart, held close to chest
Disappearing into night, at last, rest

Plants are living too;

There are all kinds of plants, from all over the world, growing in a variety of sizes, colors, and shapes. Each unique in their very own way, just like people. Plants do so much for us, and yet we continue to ruin their homes, they are one of the few things that the world need to grow and survive. Humans could die off, animals and plants would live together in peace and the world would not be harmed. Thats why I view plant as such a key aspect in our environment.

Why I love plants:

I love having plants because it enables me to wake up in the morning and feel a sense of purpose, they rely on me to provide water and care. They are also a great way to spend time, caring for each individual one. It's so compelling how something so exquisite can need so little to survive. Plants are important in my life because they are always there, no matter what they are next to you shedding beauty into the world, even when they are dying. They radiate a warmth to a room that can only be described as life. It brings me joy to see every new leaf, sprouting at barely a few millimeters large, entering the world with fresh eyes. I love how peaceful they are, moving so slightly that you can’t even see it. Growing so slowly that it takes weeks to see a difference.

Having your own:

Succulents are great plants for beginners and my personal favorite, for they require minimal needs, yet done so much with. They are so beautiful and unlike any other houseplant, their fat leaves are adorable.

      ★ proper ways to take care of them:

• When to water?

Even watering succulents is easy because most send you a sign when they are thirsty. The the majority of succulents their leaves will become squishy or soft when they lack water. The simple approach to this, is watering them around every two weeks, or when they send you a sign. Although it is clear when they need water, it can be confused with when they are being overwatered. Similarly to when succulents need water, their leaves will become squishy when too much water is provided. When the soil is too damp it can cause roots to rot and your plant to die, so be sure to only water every once in a while, most succulents can go long periods of time without water. 

• Not enough sun? 

A good sign that your succulent is not getting enough light is when the stem starts becoming leggy and leaves disperse further and further apart, with a rosette at the end. This happens because the plant is growing towards the light source to access more light. Try to keep your full grown succulent in direct sunlight. 

Propagation;

What is propagation?

Propagation is a form of reproducing plants. It can take a while for it to fully grow, so it requires patience and care. Certain plants can root faster and have higher percentages of success rates. Propagation most commonly performed with house plants, most specifically succulents, for their fat leaves store energy that can be passed down to the new succulent. The process usually starts from a cutting or leaf and can be done in multiple different ways. Although sometimes the plant lacks the cells that are required for propagation. This can make it so that only roots will emerge and no bud, or the opposite when a bud grows, but no roots.  

Removing leaves or cuttings;

All propagation starts with a leaf or cutting, but there are specific ways to go about removing a leaf so that it does not die. When removing a leaf to propagate you don't want it to rip at all or show flesh. Slowly rock it back and forth till it is loose and then twist to pop it off. If it is not a clean cut the leaf will most likely die or rot. Leave the cutting out in semi-direct sunlight for 2-3 day, this allows the exposed section, where the plant was cut, to callus over. Without this, the cutting would absorb too much water and this can cause it to rot. Once the leaf or cutting has sat, you can usually see the callus, as a brown mark or bump.

Propagation methods;

      ★ Water: Propagation by water is what I found to be quickest, although it does require more attention.

• When propagating with water, you begin with a cutting or leaf. 
• You then let it sit in semi-direct sunlight for 2-3 day
• At this point, you prepare your water, you need a jar of some sort, one that suits the size of your cutting. You also need plastic wrap and water. Start by filling your jar to a bit below the top and cut a piece of plastic wrap to go over the top. Retrieve a pair of scissors or knife and poke a hole the size of the end of your cutting, and put your cutting in it. The end should just about touch the water or hover above it, place it in direct sunlight and wait. 
• Check on it occasionally and you may have to add some water. 
• Once large roots begin to form you can choose to transplant it into soil, where you water it lightly every week, be sure to keep it in direct sunlight and a bud will begin to form. 
• Once the succulent has grown to be larger than the size of a quarter or the mother leaf has died off, you can gently remove the leaf being sure not to harm the new plant. This is a similar process for other house plants, although when enough roots form you can just plant it in soil and let it grow normally.

       ★ Dirt: In my experience dirt is the second fastest method of propagation, it works best with roots that were previously developed in water.

• Starting with a cutting or leaf, you leave it out in semi-direct sunlight or on a windowsill for a few days or until a callus forms. 
• Move the cutting to a container with soil, just lay it on the top, or bury the end a bit. 
• You can then dampen the soil every 3 days or so, when it begins to dry, you can easily do this with a spray bottle. 
• roots should form in a few weeks, and a bud will appear. 
• wait for the bud to be large enough to remove the mother leaf, do so carefully without breaking roots.  

       ★ Air: This is by far the easiest way, but I found not as successful and fast.

• This requires you to place the cutting is mostly-direct sunlight, or on a window sill and wait. A callus will appear on its own and then roots will begin to grow. 
• Roots will form and once large enough can be transplanted into soil.

Note: The leaf can sometimes dry out and preventing it from growing, if notice this occurring, you can switch to water and hopefully the leaf’s moisture will return.

I hope that this inspires you to go out and buy a plant and care for it with the love that I do. Try propagating, watch it grow into something that makes a difference in this world, even if its purpose is too small for anyone else to see.