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Posted 3w ago by @sarah10orio

Hey #GregGang!Β  Can you BELIEVE it’s January 2026 already...

Hey #GregGang!Β  Can you BELIEVE it’s January 2026 already?! It's time for another #GregGivesBackGiveaway! πŸ“£
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Since we are at the beginning of a new year, what is something that you have learned over the past year about plants?  What is something you would like to do differently?  🌱
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This year I have learned about balance (and not just the settings in my Greg app!).Β  I have learned to slow down and allow #SurvivaloftheFittest to flourish in my oasis. It’s okay to kill a plant (I should know - I’ve killed so many!) but with each plant that has entered the #PlantGraveyard for one reason or another, I have learned a lesson.Β  (:
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Something I would like to do differently this year is hop back on Greg, the #bestappontheinternet, and get to know some of the amazing new folks I’ve seen come across my screen.Β  My life has been so wonderfully full, and I would like to put some effort into revamping my oasis and posting some new pictures of my plants. Β πŸͺ΄
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I type all that to say: It’s TIME for another #GregGivesBackGiveaway! 🎁
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🌿 HOW TO ENTER: Make a comment below letting us know something you’ve learned this year AND something that you might do differently. Β 
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🌿 WHEN TO ENTER: The #giveaway is open NOW: Tuesday, January 13, 2026 through Thursday, January 15, 2026. 
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πŸ† One winner will be drawn at random by the magic wheel and the #GregGivesBackWinner will be announced on Friday, January 16. Be sure to follow our #GregGivesBack tags to stay posted!Β 
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🌿 WHO CAN ENTER: Any #Gregger that has not won yet AND lives in the United States! If you are a previous #GregGiveawayWinners or live outside the US we want you to comment below, but you are not eligible to win the #Giveaway THIS TIME.
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🌿 THE FINE PRINT: All winners have 7 days from the day they are announced as a winner to claim their prize by getting us all the required information. A new winner will be drawn on day 8. All participants may comment as many times as they would like but only one entry per participant (who has not previously won and lives in the United States) will be entered into the wheel.
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🌿 DON'T FORGET 🌿
This giveaway has been put together by the #GregGivesBackSquad and donations from YOU!! Thanks to everyone who has expressed interest in spreading joy and smiles and plants! Feel free to reach out to the Giveaway Squad anytime by shooting us an email at greggersgive@gmail.com to find out how you can participate in the NEXT giveaway! If you want to help us out, we are in need of shipping and physical donations; each prize box is valued around $35 and shipping each box is around $10 to $15 each. #plantyboxofgoodies #BestFronds #BestAppEver #PlantFriendsAreTheBestFriends #GregGiveaway #HappyPlants #GregGiveAwayDay #PlantsMakePeopleHappy #PlantAddict #NewGrowth #PropagationStation #succulentsquad #succulentlove #plantsmakepeoplehappy #plantshelfie #EcoTherapy #PlantAddict #NewGrowth #PlantTherapy #WhatTheSuccWednesday #giveaway #PlantingOnABudget #PlantGraveyard #NewPlantMom #HoyaHangout #Hoya
Ahh, that’s so funny I was just wondering today when the next giveaway would be and alas it pops up on my screen! I always knew I was a little clairvoyant πŸ˜‰πŸ˜ŒπŸ€£

Anywho, what a good prompt. What I learned this year.. a lot actually, oof… I learned that every house is its own environment, even different from your own neighbors. Different light, heat, humidity, and water. And you have to adjust accordingly after a move lol.
I also learned how devastated I could be killing a plant. 😭

As for what I might do differently, is placing my plants in the house with more intention and thought, and spend more time examining each one when I water.🚿 πŸŒ»πŸŒ±πŸ§˜β€β™€οΈ

Anyway I love Greg and This is truly the #bestappever ! 😁🩷 good luck everyone!
I learned that just because a pot looks like it has a drainage hole doesn't mean it actually drains well.

Going forward, I'm going to try to plant in inserts that slide into the decorative pot.

First two plants repotted! Hopefully one of them makes it. πŸ˜…
This year I learned how important proper spacing, tree size, and timing are when planting in my yard, especially to avoid problems years down the road. If I could do something differently, I would plan the layout first and choose dwarf or semi-dwarf trees from the start instead of focusing only on what I wanted to plant right away.
@Stephazar do you have a crystal ball for plants?! 🀣
@sarah10orio hahaha I wish! That’ll be my next goal πŸ˜‚
@sarah10orio this year, I've learned how all of you feel when you complain about mealybugs! I had my first (and hopefully only!) batch of the stinking buggers and y'all are right, it is a frustrating and slow process gah! And something different I'm going to try this year is not being so stringent and to go with the flow when it comes to my plants. And maybe not buy so many........ we'll see lol.
I've learned English Ivy help absorb odors. I will learn about my plants watering and light needs.
@Stephazar what have I learned in my short time on here? Where do I begin????
I think the biggest thing is that this community is amazing. No matter what questions I have, someone is always around to help me out. That's probably the best thing that I've learned 🩷 but I've learned so much, what lighting REALLY means, I learned about silica @DreamMachine ! I've gotten so much just from this community that honestly it's the best thing I've learned about. This app and the wonderful people on it! I can't even list the people ( bad memoryπŸ€ͺ) from buying a Boston Fern to track progress with... πŸ€¦πŸ»β€β™€οΈ forgive me she's written down somewhere, to just all the fabulous posts with our pets and information about our plants. I just want to thank you guys!!! Truly you are all amazing 🀩
I learned about PON!! Never heard that term before and once I found out what it was I did a deep dive into the product . Will be buying some soon. Thank you to everyone in the Alo/plants of all kinds community πŸ₯°
This was my first year and I learned a lot about how different amounts of light impact each of my plants! πŸ‘€ going forward I’m going to introduce my plants to light slowwwly.. but also make sure everyone is close enough to the window to stay happy and healthy!
This past year (idk why it took me so long??) I’ve learned that you can’t just use potting soil out of the bag. Adding amendments is key! For my tropicals, I add orchid bark, extra perlite, a little bit of turface, and a little charcoal or worm castings!

This next year I hope to lessen my stress by letting go of plants I struggle with - and stop taking in foster plants. I simply don’t have the time or the room πŸ˜‚
Learned: how remarkably resilient plants are. This summer was wet, humid, and miserably hot but I somehow got the Sempervivums through it. This winter has been all over the place but the succulents are still hanging on. Oh, and the joy of moss poles. So glad I got a pothos to start climbing up some.

Different: revamp my usual potting mix for the succulents and focus on quick drainage. After the amount of rain we got this summer I want to set them up for success, and I'm finding that MiracleGro is just too moisture retentive. I wanna try making my own mixes and seeing where that goes.
I’ve learned to use my watering meter along with Greg. I’ve learned that some pots hold the moisture longer than others. I also learned the value of a plant hospital with a grow light.
Here’s a short reflection you could comfortably share:

Caring for my indoor plants has taught me how to slow down and find peace in small, quiet moments. My first plants came into my life after my mom passed away, and over time they’ve become a gentle reminder of love, patience, and continued growth. Tending to them helps me breathe, reflect, and stay connectedβ€”to her memory and to the people around me who share this same love for plants. In nurturing something living, I’ve found healing, connection, and a sense of calm I didn’t expect. 🌿
@tiabih that's a good idea! You can also drill your own holes, if you're brave enough! (:
@FairyFly 🀣 Sorry you're dealing with #mealybugs! They are no fun, but at least you can see them!
Something I’ve learned this year is it’s okay not to be completely on top of things like watering and repotting. I gotta give myself grace. Something I might do different is try to budget the hobby a little better. I spent too much money on plants and plant related items last year whoopsiesπŸ˜† thank you to the #greggivesbacksquad and everyone who donated for doing this! I wish everyone luck!
I have learned the main reason plants don't thrive; over watering. Easy but very important point I'll remember.
I'm new here. Just joined a couple days ago. I've enjoyed reading everyone's posts. I like seeing the kind connections people have here. I'm hoping to learn any tips. I have a great interest in plants so it's interesting to see what everyone has and learning about the proper care.
Yay!! πŸ₯³πŸ₯³Thank you @sarah10orio and the #GregGivesBackSquad @AwesomePlants @PlantMompy @Boymom-plantmom for hosting another giveaway!! I’ve learned so much this year, because I’ve never been able to stop my big mouth from saying, β€œwhy?” I learned the best search parameters for planty research, and how adding β€œsite:edu” at the end of my search will turn up educational sources instead of all that cookie cutter plant nonsense. I learned that the Missouri Botanical Garden has one of the world’s largest living collection of aroids! I found the best soil in existence comes from a small business in Tacoma WA. I learned the importance of silica and how fun it is to nerd out with @Jho and @Idplantthat and how much I cherish my friendship with @princesspitstop and @MusicalRedmint and simply wayyy too many other people to tag. I love you ALL.

Like several other people it seems, I’m going to try to not feel like I have to take in EVERY rehab plant I see. But that will be hard. I just want to save every plant!! πŸͺ΄
οΏΌ I was a biology teacher for 30 years with a degree in horticulture and when I retired, I decided I would do primarily two things, painting, and gardening. Unfortunately, I’ve developed arthritis in my back and gardening outside has become something. I have to let other people do. But I had some succulents out there that I brought into the house where I have a solarium and they seem to do so well inside that I kind of got attached to the idea of getting some more. I started acquiring succulents in September and I now have 147! Most of them are little bitty and I enjoy learning how to propagate them and I’m just about to try to grow some from seed. It’s been very enjoyable to me to re-awaken the knowledge I acquired with my masters degree and pursue some new knowledge. I think the thing that I have learned more than anything else is that I don’t have to do this all by myself. I live alone, but because of the Greg app, I have a whole bunch of fellow plant lovers that I can talk to every day that like what I like and are becoming My Friends. I also enjoy trying to answer the questions that people have because I learned as a teacher that teaching is the best way of learning. When I look up things on the Internet to help people with their plant problems, I learn about the practical side of raising plants myself. I don’t think it’ll be too long before I will start painting pictures of my succulents and combining my two favorite things to do.
@sarah10orio #GregGivesBackGiveaway Well if it were not from some truly diligent people, that did a great job researching all about light meters I would still be in the dark so to speak! And yes I believe it was you @DreamMachine that got me hooked! Light meter wise. What do I want to do differently this time around/year? Good question!! Not buy so many plants, just be happy with what Iβ€˜ve got, and enjoy it!
@Stephazar ok I have to say over the years I have started putting my babies and more loved ones right next to the sink because I knew I would see them everyday πŸ€·β€β™€οΈπŸ€£
@GreenBaeInMN definitely πŸ’―
@tiabih this took me forever to learn!! Plus so much since
@Ms.Persnickety yesss πŸ™ŒπŸΌ I am here for this Monika!! πŸ˜‚πŸ₯°πŸ’‘πŸ‘πŸΌ
It’s been quite a year for me! I learned about microclimates and plant grouping and how to use them to help my plants thrive.

I’ve always had lots of plants but felt like I was always playing catch-up to whatever they needed. This year I’m planning to be more proactive and intentional around pruning, fertilizing, and watching for pests.

Finally, I am teaching the next generation of plant lovers- my son bought a home and I have had a lot of fun propagating and dividing my own plants to gift to him. πŸ™‚
I learned that it is nice to hop back on here, that yes plants give back so much and ask so little, it's okay to talk time to learn things, I'm doing that with seedlings many didn't germinate or rotted but even if one one lived I was happy, to learn better ways to deal with rot, both in plants and life and that the people here are quite nice β™₯️
@Kayjay I love your comment and I couldn't agree more. I refuse to be on any social media anymore. Long story short those apps are not good for my mental health. I don't have Facebook, Snapchat or Instagram. Absolutely nothing not even a Pinterest. But I have Greg, this app and the people on it truly give me joy. It makes me happy being here! Everyone is so kind and helpful and caring, it's sooooo rare to have a community like this. It's unbelievable in the most amazing ways.
We are all different cultures backgrounds age groups, getting along like we've been friends for years. πŸͺ΄πŸ’šπŸŒ»
@sunfliwerlover1 I'm like you and I'm no longer on social media also. I was playing a game and this app popped up so I decided to download it and see what it was all about. I couldn't believe how interactive the people are on here. It was beyond interesting seeing everyone's plants and the close connections with people here. It made me feel like I'm at home lol I don't have people in my life who has interest in plants so I felt all alone. No one wants to hear me talking about plants πŸ˜‚ so I feel like I found my people! I like it here and I'm excited to meet new people and continue learning. I'm self taught with what I know but I know there's so much more to learn. Ty for your response and nice to meet you 😊
This giveaway seems like a great way to start the new year!! Something I learned in 2025 was about the rooting hormone in pothos ! It may seem simple, but now if I have a prop that could use a little help, I give it a little buddy πŸ˜‰
Something Im doing differently in 2026 is understanding that "I can't save them all" some plants in the clearance section of a big box store will either find a caring home.. or enter the graveyard - the way nature intended. πŸͺ΄
(I also realize I need to be more active with my fellow #greggers so that'll also be a goal for this year!) 🫢πŸͺ΄
Thank you for hosting! Community wise, I’ve learned that asking questions is the best way to help people find an answer to a plant problem. You can’t always tell what’s going on by a picture, and asking questions helps you get to the bottom of things. Plant wise, I’ve learned that tinkering and trial/error is half the fun. Finding YOUR way of raising plants is the right way! Some folks like data and chemistry, others like playing and observing, others like trying new technology….its ALL right, because in the end, it’s the interaction with our plants and this plant community that is healing and good for the soul! πŸ’šπŸͺ΄
I’ve learned that certain things are inevitable. Some plants will die no matter how well I care for them. I will have to deal with pests πŸ₯Ί and mishaps (the dog ate my plant) but it’s all okay. I am going to stop trying to grow plants that just don’t want to live in my house (spider plants for one 😫) and I’m going to enjoy the ones that are thriving. I’m also going to let go of the plants that are clearly on death’s door because experience tells me I’m not a miracle worker. πŸ€·πŸ»β€β™€οΈ It’s okay to send them to the plant graveyard in order to make room for the plants that want to hang out with me. πŸ˜πŸ€ Thanks for all the advice given in the last few months (since I joined this group). I look forward to interacting more in the new year. My goal is to one day be an advice-giver not just an advice-seeker. ❀️❀️❀️
I LEARNED , The App is a guide , I dont .need to measure out water πŸ’§ for each plant. Did that for almost a year until it Finally Clicked! I know what they need .I trust myself ..Iam the one hanging out with them all the time!
I have learned that corn plants bloom, and leave brown seed pods about the size of your thumb at the highest joint! I’d like to get the watering schedule straightened out so that it’s actually working for me with as many plants as I have it would make it much easier And I’d also like to learn how to make a post to everyone at the #at the @ so that I don’t have to constantly go back-and-forth when I wanna post something. Bless you all and have a great day.
Good morning dear friends πŸ’—πŸŒ…
Oh boy... another contest!
The greatest thing that I learned so far this year is that plants don't necessarily go dormant and can thrive year-round.
And, even so, late Spring through early Fall is the best time to repot.
Greg is my life-line and our community is the best ever!!! πŸ₯°πŸ™πŸ
Thanks for all of the goodies over the years and I certainly don't qualify or need anything so I'll give a big congrats πŸ‘ πŸŽ‰ ahead of time to the new winner πŸ†...
GREG ...BEST APP ON THE INTERNET
@Kayjay @sunflowerlover1 I couldn’t agree more! When I joined last year it was because I always felt like I was a couple steps behind on plant care and wanted to be better organized, but then I found the community posts and it was like the organization was the cherry on top of the actual community cake πŸŽ‚ πŸ’ πŸ˜‚ It’s pretty surreal and wonderful to have randomly found the best people ever. I’ve thought for a long time that lack of true community is a big reason for things being the way they are these days, and now I feel like I’ve found my tribe. And it’s even OK that we’re all virtual and spread out because it comforts me that all you people are EVERYWHERE πŸ₯°
Sadly not eligible for the giveaway, but still:
I've learned to stress less ( the tiniest smidge, but that's a lot for me) about pests and infections (until they actually happen that is πŸ˜…). Which is big. Every tiny bit helps πŸ™ƒ additionally I've learned to be more relaxed with my daily plant care. The new approach might have killed one special miniature orchid and my seed grown lavender, but it has left me with a lot more energy for the rest of my exploding collection, so I'll still take it as a win.
Have a great year, Greggers around the world and keep learning.
@DreamMachine site:edu you say, hmm? πŸ˜… also: 🫢 and right back at you)
@PrimoBacchus42 are you kidding?! I need to put that in my boys' room! πŸ€ͺ
Aw man, @CleanTurmeric92! That is the coolest! I also use tree fern also! It's pretty amazing for plants like orchids that need moisture without being wet. (:
@Uzi I think the best of us have burned leaves! πŸ€ͺ The good thing is, when the new growth comes in, the leaves are much more resilient to the sunlight.
@kaleena I think that's the balance I found last year- let things go. I don't have to be good at growin ALL the plants. πŸ˜‰
@sarah10orio Kansas winter is just too dry for some of these plants!! Humidifiers can only do so much plus that’s just extra work and remembering to buy distilled water is too much. Cacti and pothos all the way!! πŸ˜‚
@BogBody it IS okay to not be totally on top of things. (: It's also good to have a plant friend to recruit when you have lots of repotting to do. I keep telling @Boymom-plantmom that she's coming to my house soon to help me! 🀣
@GreenBaeInMN that is SO TRUE! Oftentimes less is more.

I, too, learned that some plants can become accustomed to less water and there are so many benefits to that!
Welcome to Greg, @Kayjay! We are glad you found the #bestappontheinternet

If you ever have any questions about plants, there are so many amazing folks here to help you out!
I’ve learned that you can listen and read all about a certain plant, but the best is to use your own intuition.
I learned that some β€œeasy” plants are not always easy and some β€œhard” plants are not always hard.
I learned that the plants that I thought I wanted turned out not to be what I wanted.
I learned to not get so upset when a leaf turns yellow or a plant dies. It’s just the circle of life.
I learned that I really needed the Greg app to help keep me on track with my schedule. #bestsappever #PlantsMakePeopleHappy
@SucculentBE that's so cool! One of my favorite things is a book that my daughter gave me. It's a journal and she painted a picture of each of my plants that I had at the time on different pages. It gave me a place to record information about each one.

I am always in awe of folks who are artistic!
@sarah10orio tree fern fiber is the BEST!!
@sarah10orio @BogBody You can totally also do virtual friend visits too! Is it called body doubling…or maybe mirroring? πŸ€” That phrase sounds weird to me, I might be wrong on the name of it, but you can totally have a zoom call with someone doing their own tasks. You don’t even have to talk, sometimes it’s just a great help to know there’s someone just THERE, also doing tasks. I’d do it with you! And I’m sure there are plenty of people on Greg who would be interested too! 😁

(But also, it is totally okay to just say, β€œI’m not doing anything today!” 😁)
@sarah10orio that is so amazingly sweet and wonderful. What a gift! And I also LOVE your screenshot of the comment you’re replying to. I don’t know why I didn’t think of that!! 🀯 sometimes it’s hard to work out which comment a reply is aimed towards πŸ˜‚
@MamaLinne this!! πŸ’―
Last year I started really loving plants, and I did not know they needed drainage!
Now I know and all have drainage except one that likes being moist 24/7. What I really want to do different is get all of my climbing plants on trellis and keep with their growth!! One other thing I really wish I could do is make my own soil mixes for different types of plants. I also just recently learned what Polka Dot Plant flowers look like! Mine grew a few!
Something I’ve learned this year is that plants need a lot less care than I had thought! Something I want to do differently is I need to start saving the nursery pots because I put all my plants directly into the pretty pots
I have learned that fiddle leaf figs are hardy. Next time I will be more patient and not chop them down into oblivion so that they don’t grow back as little short stumpy bushes 😞
I joined just today actually and I'm surprised how friendly the community is. Everyone seems to be so willing to help each other and it's overall such a positive atmosphere. I'm extremely new to plant care so I haven't learned anything this year when it comes to plants just yet.
I did learn that self-care is more important than it seems, since I personally overlooked how much it can effect daily living. What I'd do differently is better take care of myself (now including other plants!) in 2026. Taking care of them I feel will motivate me to take care of myself more.

Very kind and generous to see a giveaway hosted here! :)
I’ve learned that it’s very easy to over water your plants and cause root rot!!!
@sarah10orio Well…. I have learned A LOT since this is the first year I have had my greenhouse! I have learned that the GH can get as hot at 127 degrees in the summer and it is a whole lot easier to heat one than it is to cool one! I have also learned a crap-ton about begonias! I had 19 begonias join my crew this past year! But I haven’t taken the time to put but a few on Greg! It is time consuming to do it right and I spend all my free time watering plants! (Big Sigh!) I have also learned that one can have too many plants! I learned a lot about propagation this year as well and This year I am going to try not to buy many more plantsπŸ˜” I didn’t think there was such a thing as too many, I WAS WRONG! PICK ME MACHINE! PICK ME! πŸ˜€πŸͺ΄ #bestappontheinternet #plantpeeps #HappyPlants #PlantsMakePeopleHappy
This year I learned that planting zinnia seeds straight into the ground made them so big and beautiful!❀️🌼 This year I will focus on planting a ton of cut flowers in my garden instead of starting seeds way ahead of time. I want to slow down and enjoy my garden this year.🌷🌻
This year I learned that all of my plants need different care, and treating them all the same was definitely part of the problem. Once I started paying attention to what each one actually needed, things went a lot better.

Next year I want to slow down and be more intentional with my care. I want to actually learn each plant’s needs instead of using one routine and hoping for the best.
Wow this is my first year I have gotten Greg!! Well I got it in the start of 2025 πŸ˜… well somthing I learned this year was I definitely didn’t know that false Christmas tree cactus’s could get SO BIG my little guy has gotten so much bigger from where I first got him!!! And somthing that I might do diffrently is probably not forgetting to water them!! πŸ˜…πŸ˜…πŸ˜… I might have forgotten to water them a few times! πŸ˜… also I would like everyone for who’s plants have gotten sad and need help and they are in desperate need to be saved in order not to die! So I created this hashtag that is called #saveandrescue and it’s where you save your plants from dyeing gosh, I connot spellπŸ˜… and rescuing them! Basically the same word I guess? I don’t know but I would like you to join if you like!!!! Happy new year and I hope everyone has a good plant year! #GregGang #greggivesback #GregFeedback #Greggers oh!!! And definitely can’t forget I put my cactus in my beared dragons cage and he started eating them!!! Don’t worry I checked if it was toxic or not!!! But yes he can eat it as a snack!!!
These are the dragon photos!!
I am new to this group. Well fairly new. I joined sometime ago maybe like a year and a half now but I’ve learned so much in this past year about my plants. I’ve learned that fertilization time is just that fertilization time. You have to learn about your plant know when it’s time for them to be fertilized and no one is not the season to be fertilized.οΏΌ. It’s something that I might do different. I am definitely looking on making me a propagation station sometime this summer as I live in North Carolina and I can do some of my plants and fix them up outside. I absolutely love love love propagations does it make your plants? Multiply yes it does, on my Pothos. Yes, I can make them fuller when they start to lose leaves and make the pot look more inviting. I hope I win this giveaway. Oh did I mention this app is the best app on the market #Gregapp #Greggers #giveaway
To trust Greg and not over love my plants
I learned that I can keep sensitive plants alive by using distilled water-what a huge difference! And how important the right light can be. I had one plant I had completely written off as dead that came back to life (with a vengeance) after I moved it to a different window.
I've learned that sometimes a "dying" plant just needs a big trim and some will recover. I am determined this year to get an airplane to thrive...I was unsuccessful last year.
I am a succulent killer. But I have learned that they do well in clay pots and little water. I tend to drown my plants so control is a big thing.
Thanks for all your help.
I have learned that winter is not the best time to order plants( inventory) so next year I will order in reasonable weather rather than is sub zero temps. What was I thinking. Also I have invested to very high end grow lights and I am now able to grow my veggies during the winter as well. In May when I move them all outside to the community garden where I have 2400 sq ft to work with, I will focus on my houseplant business indoors. It’s great being retired!
I have learned the importance of plant positioning, proper humidity, and that tap water is not okay for some plants (oops, RIP golden mosaic 😭)
---- official cutoff ----
@valerieswitch oh my goodness!!!
Has a winner been announced yet?