Episode 64: Darryl Cheng aka House plant journal
Photograph: House Plant Journal/Darryl Cheng.
Darryl Cheng - timelapse photographer extraordinaire, Instagram maven and houseplant doctor - is my guest this week.
We discuss everything from why instructions to grow a plant in ‘bright indirect light’ doesn’t really help houseplant growers to the dangers of anthropomorphising plants. Follow Darryl on Instagram and Twitter and support his Patreon here.
Below is a list of the plants and topics we mention in this episode:
Darryl’s mighty Monstera. Photograph: House Plant Journal/Darryl Cheng.
Monstera deliciosa (here’s a theory about why the leaves have holes, and here’s more info on Darryl’s Monstera and his trellis system)
The light meter Android app Darryl mentions is this one.
If you want to chase after the elusive variegated ZZ plant, start here.
Could Rhaphidophora tetrasperma be the next must-have houseplant?
We all love a #propagationstation…
… and Pilea peperomioides.
But other Pileas are available including Pilea cadierei, P. involucrata and P. ‘Moon Valley’.
Darryl loves it, I hate it: yes, it’s the peace lily.
I am a bit mean about the fiddle leaf fig, Ficus lyrata, too, preferring the delights of Ficus ‘Audrey’.
I am excited to hear Darryl has a book coming out in the spring: I’ll post details here once it’s out.
Question of the week
Darcey has a Hoya lanceolata subsp. bella that’s dropping flower buds before they open, but what’s the cause? Sadly there are many possible reasons for this, a common complaint about hoyas: it could be that the plant has been moved, there’s a draught, irregular watering or too much fertiliser. I run through some of the options for Darcey to consider.
Want to ask me a question? Email ontheledgepodcast@gmail.com.
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Credits
This week's show featured Roll Jordan Roll by the Joy Drops, A Man Approaches with Bowed Sitar by Samuel Corwin and Overthrown by Josh Woodward, all licensed under Creative Commons.