Growing Joy with Plants - Wellness Rooted in Nature, Houseplants, Gardening and Plant Care

Caring for houseplants often means dealing with pests, diseases, or cultural issues at some point. Having a houseplant first aid kit prepared allows you to quickly treat problems and nurse your plants back to health. In this episode, our favorite horticulturist Leslie Halleck shares must-have items to include in your DIY houseplant first aid kit so you can effectively treat plant problems as soon as they pop up!

In this episode, we learn:

• [00:17] What is a Houseplant First Aid Kit?
• [09:46] What is horticultural oil, when is it used, and how does it differ from neem oil?
• [12:57] Neem vs neem oil
• [15:03] How to brighten up your home and keep your houseplants happy all year with high-quality grow lights
• [17:28] DIY houseplant first aid kit essentials: Fungus Gnats Death Drop and neem oil!
• [19:44] Is neem oil safe as a leaf shine for plants, or does it potentially harm them by clogging stomata or pores?
• [22:58] Why should you include fungicide/bio-insecticide in your first aid kit for houseplants?
• [25:52] Does fungicide reverse leaf damage?
• [27:46] Sanitizing vs sterilizing (plus products you should use while pruning)
• [28:48] What is insecticidal soap?
• [30:18] What are systemics, why do they work, and when should they be used? (heavier chemical)
• [32:18] Where can you find the best houseplants with scientific care guides and color-coded collections?
• [34:15] Where can you find high-quality organic fertilizers and potting mixes?
• [40:50] How do hydrogen peroxide and BT work in dealing with houseplant pests?
• [41:43] What is a "drench" in systemic pesticide application?
• [44:16] Why should you have rooting hormone in your first aid kit?
• [45:19] Best tools/gears for your first aid kid!
• [45:20] What are sticky traps? (monitoring tool)
• [47:07] Rubber gloves Leslie recommends!
• [50:15] Why should you use separate snippers/tweezers/pruners for gardening tasks?
• [51:57] Folding potting mat!
• [53:58] Hygrometers/glass domes
• [57:31] Grow lights
• [01:00:19] PAR Meter (for professionals)
• [01:03:36] Maria’s favorite—magnifying glass!
• [01:16:17] Moisture meter
• [01:08:49] Check out Leslie’s books!

Mentioned in our conversation:

• Amazon storefront for all products mentioned
• Physan
• Leslie Halleck’s Books
• Episode 204 How to Identify Houseplant Disease
• Episode 200 Common Houseplant Pest Identification and How to Get Rid of Fungus Gnats, Spidermites, Scale, White Flies and Mealybugs
• Episode 196 Overwatered Vs Underwatered Plants, How Much Light Do Indoor Plants Need and More Common Houseplant Problems
• Episode 46: Understanding Natural Light: General Rules
• Episode 47: Understanding Natural Light: Measuring Tools
• YouTube How to Save and Revive a Dying Houseplant: Saving My Prayer Plant from the Brink of Death!
• Vita Grow Light

For a complete list of houseplant first aid kit must-haves,

Check out the amazon storefront with links to many of the products discussed today

Grab the Fungus Gnat Death Drops and/or neem oil at happyhappyhouseplant.com and get 10% off with code GROWINGJOY at checkout!

check out the full show notes and blog here!

Thank you to our episode sponsors:

Soltech Solutions

Ensure your plants are getting enough light indoors! Soltech Solutions makes the grow lights you’ve heard me talk about for years: whether you are looking for a pendant light, track lighting, or a simple bulb to screw into any standard light fixture, Soltech has got you covered. They offer quality products with great customer service, free shipping, and a 5-year warranty. Keep the sun shining and the plants green inside your home with Soltech Solutions.

Check them out at soltechsolutions.com and get 15% off with code "bloom15".

Fungus Gnats Death Dro...

If you interact with the houseplant community online at all, you've definitely felt the impact of The Sill on our plant niche. I honestly can't believe that it took me a whopping 230 episodes to finally have Eliza Blank, founder of The Sill, grace the Growing Joy with Plants podcast! Her female founder story of recognizing a need for a houseplant brand and building it into a million-dollar company would make you feel empowered, as it did me.

In case you didn’t know, The Sill was one of the OG plant brands that helped start the houseplant craze before the pandemic. And when I first started my podcast, they were also the first to reach out and show their support! So I want to take this opportunity to show you the story behind the success of The Sill live on stage at the Northwest Flower and Garden Festival in Seattle.

In this episode, we learn:

• [00:30] The Sill and its impact on the houseplant community
• [05:23] How did Eliza get into houseplants?
• [07:28] How exciting/challenging is it to launch a houseplant brand early on?
• [11:20] How did The Sill come about?
• [13:13] How Eliza built a multimillion-dollar brand
• [14:25] Why “fake it till you make it” mindset works WONDERS!
• [15:47] Create the perfect Danish hygge atmosphere with Wind River Chimes
• [18:57] What was the struggle for The Sill during COVID?
• [20:34] Navigating challenges in the plant industry
• [22:23] What’s the process of sourcing and acquiring plants?
• [24:14] What’s Eliza’s definition of success (and has it changed over the years?)
• [25:10] What it feels like being a woman in a male-dominated industry
• [26:56] Trends and customer preferences in 2024
• [29:01] What’s next for The Sill?
• [30:01] Eliza’s personal life and hobbies beyond plants
• [32:30] Eliza’s favorite client story!

Mentioned in our conversation:

• Northwest Flower and Garden Festival
• Tropical Plant International Expo (TPIE)
• Growing Joy Ep 18: Prepping Your Houseplant For Spring and the Science Behind Fertilizer With Chris Satch from The Sill
• Growing Joy Ep 30 Orchid 101 with Chris from The Sill
• Growing Joy Ep 38: Transitioning Your Plants Back Indoors for Winter with Chris from The Sill

For a deeper dive into The Sill's story,

check out the full show notes and blog here!

Thank you to our episode sponsor:

Wind River Chimes

Turn your home into a relaxation oasis with chimes! Wind River is a Virginia-based company creating premium handcrafted and hand-tuned wind chimes for over 35 years. They are launching a new collection of chimes called Eclipse, which are Corinthian bells uniquely tuned to the Lydian mode, a scale that creates an ethereal atmosphere of enchantment that matches the mystery and wonder of the solar eclipse and of outer space. Plus, these chimes make for amazing personal gifts to your loved ones!

Visit windriverchimes.com and use code GROWINGJOY to receive free engraving on all engraveable wind chimes.

Follow Eliza:

Website

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YouTube

LinkedIn

Follow Maria and Growing Joy:

Order my book: Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants) by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha Leung

Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Party Community Platform & App AKA the plantiest and kindest corner of the internet! Get your FREE 2-week trial here!

Take the Plant Parent Personality Quiz (Get the perfect plants, projects and educational resources for YOUR Lifestyle)

Support Bloom ...

Plant friends, we are diving deep about how and why plants are such a fantastic tool for cultivating curiosity. Beyond making my home look beautiful, the greatest gift plants have given me is reinvigorating my connection with the natural world, and my inner student and child. As kids, we are blessed with this childlike wonder that gets so easy to lose touch with as we grow older, and plants bring that back to us. Our guest, Tyler Thrasher, is just the kind of person to learn how to cultivate curiosity with plants, as he is one of the most innovate, unique plant people hanging out on the internet. So get ready to not just care for your plants today, but to cultivate your own curiosity within you!

Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Society!

The Bloom and Grow Garden Society is your one-stop shop for plant parenthood growth. When you join, you'll gain full access to the Garden Party Community Platform and App PLUS monthly plant care lectures with Horticulturist in Residence Leslie Halleck, monthly office hours with Leslie to troubleshoot your personal plant care issues and monthly Growing Joy Calls with Maria to develop our community of Society Members and explore the plant/person connection.

Click here to join us!

Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast,

so you don't miss the amazing episodes we have coming up!

In this episode we learn:

• [01:21] Exciting Growing Joy announcements!
• [03:55] How Tyler became the plant parent he is today
• [06:16] What was Tyler’s experience exploring his interest in nature as he was growing up?
• [07:44] How plants teach us about growth and resilience
• [09:42] Do you need a degree to study plants?
• [12:43] How plants reignite our curiosity about the world around us
• [16:13] How do you cultivate your curiosity even during the bad times?
• [19:57] Why human curiosity is evolution speaking
• [23:54] How Tyler’s greenhouse has changed over the years
• [27:17] What does Tyler’s collection look like at present?
• [28:24] Safe and quality indoor and outdoor gardening products
• [29:48] How to grow your food year-round!
• [32:14] What is a sport in plants?
• [33:24] Developing The Sport Hunting Guide and making variegated plants more accessible
• [38:19] What are different ways to rediscover your passion and love for plants?
• [41:24] What steps did Tyler take in exploring his curiosity about his first hybrid?
• [44:35] How many hybrids does Tyler have today?
• [46:31] How did Tyler learn how to crystallize flowers? How did he explore this curiosity?
• [48:17] What does Tyler’s lab setup look like?
• [49:02] How long does it take to crystallize something?
• [51:32] What does Tyler’s learning process look like? What resources does he use to explore his curiosities?
• [56:00] What’s next for Tyler and Moonbeam Flora?
• [58:18] Tyler on being a human dad and a plant parent, and raising a kid around plants
• [01:01:28] Where to find Tyler online

Mentioned in our conversation:

• Braiding Sweetgrass, book by Robin Wall Kimmerer
• Tyler Thrasher’s Sport Hunting Guide
• Moonbeam Flora
• Monstera Sports

Thank you to our episode sponsors:

Territorial Seed Company

Excited for this year's growing season? If you’re looking for plants for your garden, skip the lines at the garden center and let Territorial Seed Company deliver top-of-the-line, healthy and hardy vegetable plants right to your door! They have a great line of pre-grown plants, an expansive seed catalog, and over 40 years of experience delivering the best seeds and plants for everyone's garden. They are offering an exclusive discount just for listeners of Bloom & Grow Radio, use code GROW10 to get 10% off your first order. Order now at territorialseed.com

Espoma Organic

Espoma Organic is dedicated to making safe indoor and outdoor gardening products for people, pets, and the planet. They have an amazing variety of high-quality, organic potting mixes, garden soil, fertilizers, and pest control products that are organic and eco-friendly. To learn more about their pet safe indoor and outdoor gardening products, visit espoma.com to find your local Espoma dealer or check my