Moon Cactus Care and Tips

Red Moon Cactus

Moon Cactus is known for its unique looks and colorful tops. But did you know that Moon Cactus is actually two plants? The top colorful part of the Moon Cactus is a separate plant from the bottom green stalk. The two plants are grafted together to create the unique looking Moon Cactus.

On its own, the top of the Moon Cactus would only live a couple of months. When it is grafted to the bottom stalk, it prolongs it's lifespan to a couple of years. The top is able to gain nutrients from the bottom plant.

Isn't that cool!

Caring for Moon Cactus is fairly simple. They are very durable, hard to kill plants which makes them perfect for any plant beginner!

Yellow Moon Cactus

Light: Moon Cactus are high light plants. This means they need to be in direct sunlight close to a window.

Water: Moon Cactus needs to be watered once a week except in winter. In winter they need to be watered every 2-3 weeks. Moon Cactus is drought tolerant, so if you are someone who forgets to water your plants, that's okay. Moon Cactus will not die as long as you water it every once and a while. However, overwatering could kill a Moon Cactus so just make sure to not water it more than once a week.

Soil: Cactus and Succulent mixes work best because they have good drainage. Soil without good drainage could lead a Moon Cactus to rot.


Pot: Terracotta pots work best because they allow the soil and roots to breathe. This helps prevent rot.

Growth: Moon Cactus will not grow any taller. The only growth you may see is the development of more "balls" on the top of the Moon Cactus.

Add rocks to dirt for
added flair!

Pests: Moon Cactus can develop Mealybugs. Mealybugs are tiny white furry pests that will slowly kill your plant. To get rid of Mealybugs, simply wipe them off with a Q-Tip and spray the plant with a mixture of half rubbing alcohol and water. Be persistent because it will seem like they keep coming back even after you wipe them all off. Separate your infected plant from your others so the Mealybugs do not spread. Mealybugs are slow to harm your plants, so do not worry if it is taking a long time to completely get rid of them.

Color Varieties: This is what makes Moon Cactus so fun! They come in TONS of vibrant colors including pink, red, yellow, orange, purple and more!

Lifespan: I have read that Moon Cactus will only live for 1-2 year; however, I have had one of my Moon Cactus for two years now and it shows no sign of death. I think Moon Cactus will live longer depending on how goof of conditions you give them. If you are worried about your Moon Cactus not living very long, I would say go ahead and get one. They are hardy plants that will live past your expectations.

Give lots of sunlight!

Bright yellow!

Good Luck!

Lily's Indoor Jungle

How to Propagate Plants From a Cutting

Cutting

Do you have a favorite plant that you want more of? Or do you have a plant that is struggling that you don't want to lose?

Well, the good news is you can propagate it! Propagation is basically making a copy of your plant.

Neat right?

Not only can you make one new plant, but you could also make a whole army of one of your favorite plants! This is useful for plant swaps or gifts for friends. Or if you want, you can keep them all to expand your jungle. All for almost no money!

Here are the steps to propagate your own plant. In my example, I am propagating an old Purple Waffle plant of mine that was pretty ugly from a spider mite infestation I had last spring.

Cutting in bag

Step 1: Cut off a branch of your plant. Make sure that it is either an entire branch or has a couple of nodes. This will ensure that it will be able to root and make a new plant. Try to pick a branch that will not be noticeable if it is gone. You do not want your plant having a bare spot on it. Also if you are propagating a plant that is struggling, make sure the branch you chose is not completely dead or else it probably won't root.

Step 2: Place the cutting of your plant into a small cup or pot filled with dirt. I push mine in about half an inch or 2-3 centimeters. If I do not have any pots on hand, I take a small plastic cup and cut a hole in the bottom. This is also useful for a cheap way to start seeds!

Step 3: Water the cutting until the dirt is completely moist. If there is water running out of the bottom, let it completely drip out. You do not want the dirt to be overly moist or else mold might grow.

Step 4: Place the entire plant into a plastic bag and seal the bag completely. Do not reopen the bag throughout the rooting process, you do not want to let the moisture out of the bag. The bag creates a tiny greenhouse environment for the cutting.

Step 5: Leave the bag in the sun or under a plant light. Here is a link to the plant light I use from Amazon. Give it as much light as you can. If you are putting it in the sun, put it directly up against a window. If you notice that the plant leaves are burning, you may want to move it a little farther from the window. Each plant has different light needs during this process so you just have to try multiple locations out!

Cutting under my plant light

Step 6: Wait a couple of weeks and you should start to see roots or sprouts coming off the plant. Remember DO NOT open the bag.

Step 7: Do not remove the plant until it outgrows the bag. The plant will be fragile until it creates a good root system. After it begins to outgrow the bag, plant it into a bigger pot to give the roots room to grow.


Good luck growing!!!

Sprout!

Good Luck!

Lily's Indoor Jungle

8 Easy and Unique Plants for Beginners

Are you discouraged after killing plant after plant? Or do you just want an easy plant to take care of? Here are six easy and unique plants that even the worst of plant killers can keep alive and healthy!

1. Banana Plants

These plants are fast-growing and very satisfying to watch put out new leaves. During peak growth, a banana tree will get one new leaf a week! Banana trees will tolerate a variety of light conditions. As long as you keep them watered, they will look beautiful! There are many different varieties of houseplant banana trees including Ornamental Banana Tree, Little Prince Banana Trees, and Musa Banana Trees.

Ornamental Banana Tree

Ornamental Banana Tree

2. Water Plants 

Water plants are an awesome option for plant killers that still want a little green. You never have to water them, or do anything to them once you have them planted! These little guys also don't need any soil, just some rocks to hold them down. The best thing, you can get them for cheap. The best place to find water plants is at a pet store. There are a bunch of options for aquarium plants that you can buy, and you don't have to put them in an actual aquarium. 

My little water plant

3. Wandering Jew

If you are looking for a colorful plant, Wandering Jew is the way to go. This fast-growing plant trails making an impressive-looking plant. Wandering Jew is a pretty hardy plant. As long as you give it enough light and remember to water it twice a week, it will stay looking gorgeous!

Wandering Jew

Wandering Jew in a hanging basket

4. Swedish Ivy

Swedish Ivy has a green and a purple variety. Both varieties are trailing if you are looking for a jungle vibe in your plants. These plants do not require a lot of light so they are perfect for spaces only get a little sun. These plants are fast-growing and hard to kill as long as you remember to water once a week.

Green Swedish Ivy

Purple Swedish Ivy

5. Peace Lily

Peace Lilies are probably one of my favorite plants. Their white showy flowers bring a pop to any room. These plants can tolerate very low-light and need to be watered only once a week. They will bloom on their own without any special fertilizer!

Peace Lily

6. Cactus

Okay, so you have probably heard this one before... BUT cactus can be really rewarding to grow. Besides being nearly impossible to kill, they will get flowers in the winter! Cactus are drought tolerant so it is okay if you forget to water. Just leave the cactus in a windowsill and it will do just fine!

My Cactus

7. Dumb Cane or Dieffenbachia

Dumb Cane plants have uniquely colored leaves that will brighten up your room. Dumb Cane plants can tolerate low light so they are perfect for a bare corner in your home! They also come in many different leaf color varieties so they will fit any space! Be careful though, the sap from the stem is toxic to pets.

Dumb Cane

Dumb Cane

8. Aloe Vera

Yep, as long as you have sun you can have Aloe! Aloe is a VERY hard to kill plant! You can also make your Aloe plant whatever size you need it to be by taking off the stems or letting them grow!

My precious Aloe

My other Aloe

Good luck with your plant journey! I hope this helps you chose a plant that will be right for your home!☺️

Lily's Indoor Jungle

How to Care for Bromeliads

Bromeliad

Bromeliads are the go-to houseplants for beginners. With their attractive bright flowers, they can brighten up any room. And the best thing is, they are easy to care for and hard to kill!

These tropical plants come in a multitude of colors including orange, pink, purple, and yellow.

Bromeliads will only flower once in their lifetime. This means that Bromeliads do not have a long life-span. Once the plant begins to die, it will begin to have offsets or pups so do not throw your plant out until you separate the pups. Each pup will become a Bromeliad plant on its own! You will likely have 1-4 pups depending on the plant. Even if the mother plant dies, you will still have the pups.


Light: Give them bright light but not direct sun. This means put them near a window, but do not put them too close. If they are too close they will start to get brown ends. If this happens, just move the plant away from the window a bit. If you do not give your Bromeliad enough light, it will begin to lean to one side. To correct and prevent this, rotate your plant a little bit every week.

Water: Keep the plant moist. This means water twice a week. For Bromeliads, you do not want to water directly in the soil. You should water Bromeliads between the flower and the base. It is okay for there to be standing water in this area. Do not let your Bromeliad dry out completely.

Pot: Any pot will work. It does not have to be very big as Bromeliads have very small root systems.

Soil: I have found that all-purpose potting mix works fine. You could also get a specialty mix for Bromeliads.

Pests: Bromeliads are prone to spider mites. To prevent spider mites, dust off the leaves with a damp washcloth once a month. Make sure you do not underwater your Bromeliad as this can weaken your plant and make it more susceptible to spider mites. Another good prevention measure for spider mites that works on Bromeliads is neem oil.

Propagation: Once the plant gets old enough, it will start to produce pups. One the pups get big enough pull the mother plant and the pups out of the pot, and then carefully separate them. You can not force propagation for Bromeliads with cuttings. You generally just have to wait for the plant to produce pups on its own.

Pup

Where to water

The actual flower is only the very center part!

Bromeliad

Bromeliads have become a popular houseplant due to their bright colors and hard to kill nature. Bromeliads are also pet-friendly! They are not poisonous to cats or dogs so you do not have to worry if your pets like to nibble on your plants! Bromeliads are also safe to have around young children.

If you are looking for a plant to brighten up your space, Bromeliads are a great choice. The main care points to remember are keep watered, dust off every once and a while, and give it a good amount of light!

Good Luck!

Lily's Indoor Jungle

Kalanchoe Tubiflora Succulent Care Tips and Propagation

The Kalanchoe Tubiflora is a succulent that is easy to care for and propagate. This plant is perfect for all plant beginners and accidental plant killers. I love this plant for its unique look and rapid growth!

Light: High light. Place as close to a sunny window as you can! If your plant begins to lean, you may want to rotate your plant slightly each week to help keep it straight.

Soil: Cactus and succulent mix. Any soil that has a lot of drainage. You may also place small rocks on top of the soil to make your plant prettier!


Water: Water once a week, except in winter water once every other week. This plant does not need a lot of water when you do water it. Water just enough to cover the surface of the pot, and do not water it so much water comes out the bottom of the pot.


Issues: Not prone to a lot of pests. Be careful not to overwater because this plant can get root rot. Root rot will eventually lead your plant to die. If you suspect root rot, remove your plant from its pot to help the soil dry out. If this does not work, carefully remove the soil around the plant's roots and completely replace the soil and repot.

Pot: Use a terracotta pot to prevent root rot. Terracotta pots allow the roots to breathe more than ceramic pots. Terracotta pots are porous which allows moisture to escape through the pot.

Propagation: The Kalanchoe Tubiflora propagates quickly and easily. Follow these steps to make your own Kalanchoe Tubiflora army!

1. Take the "seeds" off the ends of the branches and put them in soil.

2. Place the seeds in a bright, sunny spot. I put mine under grow lights to help speed up the process; however, any sunny spot will work!

3. Water them whenever the soil is dry. This will be about every other day. If you forget to water them that often, it will be okay. They will grow much faster if they are kept well watered.

4. After they get big enough to resemble the mother plant, move them to pots. At this point, if you were using grow lights to speed up the propagation process, you can move them out from under the light to where you would regularly keep this plant.

5. Once they develop seeds, you can cut back on the watering to once a week.

"Seeds" in soil

At this size move to pot

Ready to cut back watering

Kalanchoe Tubiflora adds a unique look to any plant collection. Because of how easy they are to propagate, they make a great plant to give away at plant swaps or for gifts! I find that giving these away brings a smile to anyone's face and it won't cost you a thing!

Kalanchoe Tubifloras can produce blooms. Mine has yet to do so, but I also think mine are not quite big enough. I will update as soon as mine do!

Good luck on your plant journey!

Lily's Indoor Jungle

How to Care for Aloe Vera

Aloe was the very first plant I ever bought and owned by myself. Aloe is a relatively easy plant to take care of as long as you have the right conditions in your home.

My Precious Aloe

Light: As much as you can give it. This means have it right up next to the window. If you do not give your Aloe enough light, it will begin to lean. To correct this, give your plant more light and rotate your plant to even the plant out and straighten it.

Water: I water once a week most of the year and then every other week in the winter. Let the soil completely dry out between waterings and then water thoroughly.

Soil: A well-draining soil. A cactus and succulent potting soil mix from the store work fine.

If you want to harvest the Aloe, take the stems from the bottom. Once you remove the stem, remove the sap within it. Removing stems can also help keep your Aloe smaller if you are working with a small space. Make sure to rotate which side you harvest your Aloe from to keep your plant balanced.

If you notice that the bottom stems of aloe seem to be rotting from the base, that's okay. The bottom ones may rot off as the plant grows to make room for the bigger stems above it.

Aloe Pup

Pot: Use a terracotta pot as it allows the roots to breathe. A ceramic pot will trap in moisture which may lead to root rot. Also, use a pot that is more wide than tall. Aloe roots will grow out more than down. Only re-pot if you see roots coming out the bottom of the pot.

Issues: If watered too much, aloe can get root rot and die. To prevent this make sure to use a well-draining soil and water only when the soil is dry. If you suspect your plant has root rot, cut back on watering immediately. If it seems like your plant is continuing to die, take it out of the pot to help the roots dry. If this is also not working, carefully remove all soil around the roots of your Aloe plant and repot it with new soil.

Propagation: Once the aloe gets big enough it will start growing pups. After the pups get big enough you can separate them from the mother plant.

Aloe is generally a fast-growing plant if given the right conditions. Once it gets big, try not to move it around very much as you could accidentally break or bend a stem

Aloe will thrive in any space as long as it gets enough light. Be careful with your aloe plant around pets. The sap from Aloe is poisonous to cats and dogs so make sure your plant is out of reach. I would also not recommend eating any of your Aloe plants. Some varieties of Aloe are poisonous to ingest. So unless you are sure that you have an edible variety, don't eat it. It is better to use your Aloe for burns and on your skin which is perfectly safe.

Good Luck!

Lily's Indoor Jungle

Neem Oil Leaf Burn

Oh no. You thought you were doing your plants good by applying neem oil, then you notice that your leaves are starting to brown, yellow, and fall off. Don't worry, I've been there.

The leaves can be burning because of a couple of reasons...
     a. you put them in the direct sun after you sprayed them
     b. the concentration of neem oil was too high
     c. the plant may just be sensitive

For reason a...
Move your plants out of the direct sun and keep them out of the direct sun until you get all the neem oil off. To remove neem oil, spray your plants with a mixture of water and a little bit of dish soap. Then rinse the plant completely. You may want to cover your soil so you do not get soap or too much water on your plant. Repeat this until you can not smell or feel the neem oil on your plant.

For reason b...
You should be using a concentration of 2 teaspoons of neem oil to one gallon of water. If you use more neem oil than that, it can really damage your plants. Remove the neem oil the same way you would for reason a. Spray your plants with a mixture of water and a little bit of dish soap. Then rinse the plant completely. You may want to cover your soil so you do not get soap or too much water on your plant. Repeat this until you can not smell or feel the neem oil on your plant. Do not reapply neem oil to your plants for a couple of months to make sure they have time to recover. Never just eyeball your neem oil measurement, and make sure that the neem oil is evenly mixed throughout the water.

For reason c...
Some tiny, thin leafed plants have trouble with neem oil. If this is the case, you should probably find an alternative to neem oil. To try and save your plant, wash the plant off and remove it from direct sun until it recovers. If the plant looks like it is about to meet its end, take a cutting from it and try to propagate it. The new growth should come back healthy!

Leaf burn on Desert Rose

Leaf Burn on Flowering Maple

Leaf Burn on Firetails Chenille

Neem oil is great to use for pest prevention in your home. Do not let the thought of leaf burn stop you from using need oil. Leaf burn can happen with any insecticide, miticide or plant oil. Neem oil is a great alternative to these products because it is non-toxic. Whatever you use for pest prevention, make sure to read the label to know what you are spraying. While the front label of the bottle may make it seem safe, you will often find a ton of warnings on the back. Make sure to use products that you feel comfortable having in your home.

If you have a problem with the way neem oil smells, try spraying it outside or in your garage and let your plant sit there for a while. The smell will not stick to your plant and smell up your house after it drys.

Good Luck!

Lily's Indoor Jungle

Spider Mites on Succulents and Cactus

Do you have a spider mite problem? If yes, don't panic, there are plenty of things you can do to save your plants! Spider mites on succulents and cactus need to be dealt with differently than regular plants. Information on spider mites on regular plants can be found here.

Spider mites can be identified by their tiny webs. Spider mites themselves are so hard to see, you often do not notice them on your plants until after they start doing some serious damage.

Cactus and succulents need a different treatment because they do not like to have water on them. For a regular plant, you would spray them off with water to remove spider mites. If you did this to a succulent or cactus, it might cause your plant to rot. To treat cactus and succulents for spider mites, follow these steps.

1. Take a Q-Tip or pick of some kind and remove the webs by hand.

2. Spray the plant with a mixture of half water and half rubbing alcohol 70%.

3. Apply neem oil to your cactus or succulent. I do a mixture of 2 teaspoons of neem oil to 1 gallon of warm water. Adding a bit of soap will help mix the neem oil and the water. Use a pure cold-pressed neem oil. DO NOT use a concentrate or extract because they are not as effective. I order my neem oil from Amazon. Neem oil has a strong smell to it, but do not wash it off. The neem oil will not kill the spider mites on contact, but rather when they eat the plant that has neem oil on it. Once the spider mites eat the neem oil, it will stop their life cycle.

4. Repeat these steps once a week until the spider mites are gone.

Remove webs with Q-Tip

Old perfume bottle with water and alcohol mixture

Spray plant with the mixture

Spider mites are less common on succulents and cactus than your regular type plants. If you do not see webs on your cactus and succulents, you probably have a different pest problem.

A common pest culprit on cactus and succulents is mealybugs. Mealybugs look like tiny, white, furry slugs on your plant. The damage they do to your plant could often be mistaken for spider mites. However, you can deal with mealybugs in a similar way to spider mites. Instead of removing the webs, you would remove the mealybugs. After that, follow through with steps 2-4.

If you are not a fan of neem oil, you can use a commercial horticultural spray. Just make sure to always read the label carefully to make sure it is safe to have in your home. Often these products look safe to use on the front, but when you look at the label more carefully on the back, it is filled with warnings.

If the neem oil smell bothers you, spray your plants outside or in your garage, and then let them dry before bringing them back in. Once the neem oil dries, the smell goes down considerably.

Good Luck!

Lily's Indoor Jungle

Identifying Spider Mites

Are you noticing something weird going on with your plants? Well, it just might be one of the worst things that could ever happen to you, spider mites. Just kidding, spider mites are not difficult to deal with as long as you notice them early on.

It is important to monitor your plants regularly for all types of pests. While your plants may seem fine, upon closer inspection you might see a problem that is about to start. The earlier you identify and start to treat any pest, the easier it will be.

Spider mites suck the life out of your leaves making them turn yellow and fall off. Spider mites can be extremely difficult to deal with once they take over your plant, and if left unattended, they can kill your plants.

Spider mites are almost impossible to see with the naked eye, and the first sign of them is often their webs. Spider mite webs look almost like regular spider webs, except they are more compact. You also probably won't be able to see the actual spider mites on the web without a magnifying glass. Webs will be on the top of the soil, on the leaves, and between stems.

If you think it might just be a regular spider, you are probably wrong unless you can actually see the spider.

Another sign of spider mites is black dots on the back of your leaves. These dots are spider mite eggs.

To find out how to get rid of spider mites go to my post Spider Mite Help.

A trick that I have found to monitor your plants for spider mites it to spray them with water. Water makes the webs more visible so that you do not miss them. The water also acts as a way to deter spider mites as they do not like moist environments.

Leafy plants are more susceptible to spider mites than plants that do not have a lot of leaves like cactus. This does not mean that spider mites will not get on your plants that do not have a lot of leaves, but you should make sure to inspect your leafy plants a little closer.

Spray Bottle filled with water. 

Before water spray

Spray with water

Webs are now visible

Make sure to regularly check your plants for pests. It is much easier to deal with a small spider mite problem on one plant than an infestation on all your plants!

Checking your plants at least once a week is the best way to go. As soon as you notice a problem, make sure to separate that plant from the rest of your plants to prevent spread. If you keep your plants placed tightly together, spider mites can easily jump plant to plant.

Wash your hands and tools between dealing with one plant to another. Even if you do not see any pests, it is a good precaution to take.

If it doesn't seem like spider mites are your problem, you may have some other type of pests. Some common types are aphids, mealybugs, scale, and thrips.

Good Luck!

Lily's Indoor Jungle

Spider Mite Help

One way or another, every houseplant owner is going to run into spider mites. What seems to be a small problem at first can easily take over your entire collection.

Spider Mites

Spider mites are hard to see with the naked eye. The first sign of spider mites will be tiny little webs all over your plants. Once you have a spider mite problem, you need to take action immediately.

Spider mites spread very easily so it is important to isolate any infected plants from the rest of your collection.

I have found that commercial miticides and insecticides to little to help cure my spider mite problems. Here are some ways that I have found to be effective in getting rid of spider mites.

Spider Mite Webs 

1. Wash your plants. Either hose them down in the shower or wipe them with a wet wash cloth. Make sure when you are rinsing them that you put something over the soil like plastic wrap so the mites do not just fall into the soil.

2. Use a mixture of 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 1 cup of water, and 1 teaspoon of baking soda. Apply this to the entire plant, including the bottom of the leaves. Leave for 2-3 hours and then rinse off. Do not have your plants in direct sunlight when you do this, otherwise, you may burn your leaves.

3. Apply neem oil to your plants. I do a mixture of 2 teaspoons of neem oil to 1 gallon of warm water. Adding a bit of soap will help mix the neem oil and the water. Use a pure cold-pressed neem oil. DO NOT use a concentrate or extract because they are not as effective. I order my neem oil from Amazon. Neem oil has a strong smell to it, but do not wash it off. The neem oil will not kill the spider mites on contact, but rather when they eat the plant that has neem oil on it. Once the spider mites eat the neem oil, it will stop their life cycle.

4. Continue doing this process once a week until you are clear of spider mites. After you are clear of them, it is a good idea to wash your plants and apply neem oil once a month to prevent another outbreak.

5. Make sure that you separate any plants with spider mites from your healthy ones to prevent spread.

To help identify spider mites go to my post on Identifying Spider Mites

Make sure to wash your hands and any tools after dealing with an infected plant. Spider mites can latch onto you or your tools, and you won't be able to see them.

If you chose to use a commercial horticultural oil, read the label carefully. Some can be toxic to you or your pets so make sure to read the ingredients and the safety precautions.

Neem oil is a great non-toxic alternative to commercial products. If the smell bothers you too much, try spraying your plants outside or in the garage and then let them dry before bringing them in. The neem oil smell goes down a lot after it dries.

Do not get discouraged if it seems like your spider mites keep coming back. As long as you keep at it, they will eventually go away!

Good Luck!

Lily's Indoor Jungle

"Spider Mite" Image from CSIRO [CC BY 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)]