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

If you're looking for a large, tree-like plant, a pop of color, or a cool, structural statement piece for your home, might I suggest the rubber plant? Ficus elastica is one of the most underrated houseplants out there, and today we're giving it the hype it deserves!

In this Best of Growing Joy series, I pulled my conversation with Raffaele of Ohio Tropics, a fellow rubber plant lover, where we talk about everything you need to know about rubber plant care: how to help your rubber plant truly grow, how to stop it from dropping its leaves, and how to keep those glossy leaves from crisping up.

Because whether it's a simple green rubber tree or a stunning variegated variety like my beloved Ficus Belize on my green wall, those huge, glossy leaves make such a statement in your home. Listen in to learn simple rubber plant care tips, plus the most common mistakes plant parents make (and exactly how to avoid them), so you can grow your very own iconic indoor tree.

In this episode, we learn:

[00:43] Maria’s plant and personal updates

[02:12] Introducing Raffaele from Ohio Tropics

[03:14] Your invitation to a free 10-day virtual garden festival!

[03:58] What to expect from this rubber plant episode

[06:40] How Raffael became the plant parent he is today

[10:06] What is a rubber plant?

[11:26] Do rubber trees produce latex?

[12:53] Where can you find rubber plants in nature?

[14:33] What are the different types and varieties of rubber plants?

[18:54] How to water rubber plants

[21:27] Raffaele’s watering tip using a turkey baster

[23:21] How much sunlight does a rubber plant need?

[27:35] Are rubber plants low-light plants?

[28:35] What kind of soil mix is good for rubber plants?

[30:52] Where to get pre-grown plants and seeds for your spring garden

[32:09] The best indoor and outdoor gardening products

[34:49] How to fertilize rubber plants

[37:11] Rubber Plant FAQ #1: Why is my rubber plant not growing?

[39:03] Rubber Plant FAQ #2: How do I get my rubber plant to branch and be bushier instead of taller?

[39:51] What is the air layering propagation method?

[44:15] Rubber Plant FAQ #3: Why are my new leaves smaller than the older ones?

[45:32] Rubber Plant FAQ #4: Why are my rubber plant leaves dropping?

[48:20] Why overwatering can cause issues to your plant (in ways you might not expect)

[49:12] Rubber Plant FAQ #5: My plant looks healthy, but the branches are all over the place; why is this happening?

[50:26] Rubber Plant FAQ #6: What are the tiny white spots on my rubber plant?

[51:26] Rubber Plant FAQ#7: Why are the edges of my variegated rubber plant browning?

[54:09] Rubber Plant FAQ #8: My rubber plant has aerial roots, but do they grow better in slightly cooler conditions?

[55:18] Raffaele’s recommendations of the best rubber plant varieties for beginners

[57:35] What Raffaele’s book Houseplant Warrior is about!

[59:41] Where to connect with Raffaele

[01:01:52] Upgrade your plant education with these two events!

 

Mentioned in our conversation:

Houseplant Warrior: 7 Keys to Unlocking the Mysteries of Houseplant Care, book by Raffaele Di Lallo

The Great Grow Along Virtual Garden Festival

 

Which rubber plant variety are you most excited to try?

Check out the full show notes and blog to start growing your own statement rubber plant!

 

Follow Raffaele:

Blog

Instagram

YouTube

Book

 

 

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 and Grow Radio by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon!

Instagram: @growingjoywithmaria

Tiktok: @growingjoywithmaria

Subscribe to the Growing Joy Youtube channel! /growingjoywithmaria

Website: www.growingjoywithmaria.com

Pinterest: @growingjoywithmaria

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Propagation is your best friend as a plant parent. It's a free way to make more of the plants you already have, and watching new roots grow is so much fun! But there's more to it than sticking a pothos in a glass of water, not to mention that if you get the humidity wrong, you’ll get mold. So I invited over my go-to propagation nerd, Lindsay Sisti, to guide us through the different ways you can propagate successfully. She’s a propagation expert, plant breeder, and author of The Ultimate Guide to Houseplant Propagation. She’s been in the podcast before, and we've both survived mold cleanup in our own homes. Listen in!

 

In this episode, we learn:

[02:22] Welcome back, Lindsay, my propagation nerd and friend of the pod!

[04:28] What tropical houseplants are found in the rainforest?

[06:00] Why your heating/AC sucks the humidity out of your home

[10:00] Why growing houseplants indoors in Florida is hard!

[10:56] When does humidity become a big aspect of plant keeping? (common plants vs. the divas)

[14:51] Experience the richness of single-origin honey with 3x more antioxidants with Manukora!

[16:36] Why filling your house with humidifiers isn't realistic

[17:45] Lindsay's black mold nightmare in her 100-year-old home!

[21:20] How humidity travels through your HVAC and grows mold where you'd never expect

[23:29] Humidity hacks that fail (sorry!)

[25:09] Why misting is mostly pointless and when it causes problems

[28:31] IKEA grow cabinets 101: the MILSBO, Rust-Oleum, and building your glass box

[33:40] Choosing grow lights: Barrina, Monios, and T8 vs. T5

[35:53] Why you need fans and airflow (transpiration and guttation explained)

[40:18] What prop boxes are and why they root plants better than a glass of water

[43:21] Building a prop box (containers, sphagnum moss, and the "wrung-out sponge" rule)

[46:30] Lindsay's layered setup!

[49:44] Do you really need to "burp" your prop box?

[52:31] How to rebuild Raffi the Rhaphidophora from node cuttings

[58:16] Should you let cuttings callus first? Variegated vs. non-variegated

[1:01:16] Mold vs. algae, and the diluted hydrogen peroxide fix

[1:03:18] Final steps: lid on, into the window, and when to transplant

[1:06:56] Can you crowd the nodes?

[1:08:11] Why are prop boxes low stakes?

[1:09:43] Where to find Lindsay and her propagation book!

[1:11:21] Update: how Raffi's prop box actually turned out

 

Mentioned in our conversation:

The Ultimate Guide to Houseplant Propagation by Lindsay Sisti

IKEA MILSBO

Barrina Grow Light

Monios-L Grow Lights

LECHUZA-PON

 

For Lindsay's different propagation methods,

check out the full show notes and blog here!

 

Follow Lindsay:

Website
Instagram
YouTube
TikTok

 

Thank you to our episode sponsors:

Manukora

Go to manukora.com/bloom to get up to 31% off the starter kit that includes their 850+ Manukora honey jar, 5 honey travel sticks, a wooden spoon, and a guidebook, PLUS $25 worth of free gifts!

ZenAI

Visit zen.ai to start your first vibecast for free.

 

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

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

Support Growing Joy with Maria by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon!

Instagram: @growingjoywithmaria

Tiktok: @growingjoywithmaria

Subscribe to the Growing Joy YouTube channel! /growingjoywithmaria

Website: www.growingjoywithmaria.com

Pinterest: @growingjoywithmaria

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Have you ever thought about growing your own luffa? Someone sent me a packet of luffa seeds about four years ago. I think I won them in a giveaway, and they just... sat there. I never planted it because something about luffa felt kinda different. It's not your classic garden edible, and I couldn't picture how it worked. So I invited Janice Cox over to talk about growing luffa! Janice is a garden and natural beauty expert, and she's written a whole workbook on this plant. Now I can't stop thinking about growing luffa, harvesting it, and figuring out what to make with it. Turns out it's way simpler than I built it up to be in my head. Learn with me!

 

In this episode, we learn:

[01:47] Meet Janice Cox, the luffa queen!

[02:34] What is luffa, and why does it have so many surprising uses?

[04:10] How Janice backed into gardening through natural beauty writing

[05:57] Why clean beauty pushed her toward aloe vera and label-reading in the US

[10:12] How luffa went from ancient Egypt to WWII oil filters

[12:18] Turning a luffa harvest into soap, crafts, and pet toys

[15:29] Feed your midsummer garden with Espoma Organic!

[17:47] What does luffa need to grow? (full sun, pollinators, and a trellis)

[19:54] Male vs. female flowers and hand-pollinating your luffa

[22:06] What the luffa growth stages look like and how to know when to harvest

[25:24] Water and light requirements for luffa

[26:44] How do you process your luffa? (peeling, saving seeds, and cleaning for gifts)

[29:09] Direct sowing vs. starting luffa seeds indoors

[30:58] How to slice, flatten, and sew with dried luffa

[33:59] What are the different luffa varieties?

[35:52] What are the most common mistakes first-time luffa growers make?

[38:30] Why luffa makes a great gift and a full-circle, sustainable plant

[40:15] Luffa seed tips: nicking, soaking, and testing for viability

[42:06] Where to find Janice, her books, and her guides

 

Mentioned in our conversation:

Growing Joy 310: Digital Detox: What 3 Days in Nature Taught Me (and How You Can Recreate It at Home)

Growing Joy 319: How to Preserve Food From Your Garden with Staci and Jeremy Hill

Janice Cox’s books:

Natural Beauty At Home Handbook

Beautiful Luffa

Beautiful Roses

Beautiful Lavender

Beautiful Flowers



 

For foolproof luffa growing tips,

check out Janice's guide in the full show notes and blog!

 

Follow Janice:

Website
Instagram
Blog
Books

 

Thank you to our episode sponsors:

Espoma Organic

Visit espoma.com to find your local Espoma dealer or check my Amazon storefront.

ZenAI

Visit zen.ai to start your first vibecast for free.

 

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

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

Support Growing Joy with Maria by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon!

Instagram: @growingjoywithmaria

Tiktok: @growingjoywithmaria

Subscribe to the Growing Joy YouTube channel! /growingjoywithmaria

Website: www.growingjoywithmaria.com

Pinterest: @growingjoywithmaria

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Philodendron might just be the most underrated genus in the houseplant world, and plant friends, it's completely beginner-friendly! This isn't a plant you bring home from the garden center only to watch it shrivel, brown, and die within a week. It gives you trailing vines, climbing drama, bold pops of color, and incredible leaf shapes. It's one of my all-time favorites, and it's the star of today's episode of our Best of Growing Joy series.

We're breaking down everything you need to know about philodendron care, aka this iconic houseplant genus that's been beloved for decades and never goes out of style. Today's episode covers philodendron light requirements, philodendron watering tips, and the best philodendron varieties to add to your indoor plant collection.

You'll also learn how philodendron grow in the wild and discover which variety might just become your next plant obsession.

In this episode, we learn:

[03:50] Philodendron high-level overview

[09:38] Care #1: Light

[13:43] Care #2: Water

[15:38] Care #3: Soil

[16:05] Care #4: Humidity

[17:08] Care #5: Fertilizer

[17:39] Troubleshooting philodendron issues

[19:10] Thank you Proven Winners leafjoy™ for sponsoring this episode!

[21:01] Heartleaf Philodendron (Philodendron hederaceum)

[22:21] Philodendron ‘Brasil'

[22:37] Philodendron ‘Lemon Lime' (as seen on my podcast art!)

[24:13] Prismacolor™ Brandtianum

[25:16] Philodendron atabapoense

[26:05] Philodendron ‘Silver Sword' (Philodendron hastatum)

[27:11] Prismacolor™ Philodendron Fozzie™

[28:38] Philodendron ‘White Wizard' (Philodendron erubescens)

[30:18] ‘Prince of Orange' Philodendron

[32:08] Prismacolor™ Sun Red Philodendron

[32:33] Philodendron ‘Pink Princess'

Mentioned in our conversation:

Prismacolor™ Sun Red – Philodendron hybrid

Prismacolor™ Atabapoense – Philodendron hybrid

Prismacolor™ Brandtianum – Philodendron hybrid

Prismacolor™ Florida Green – Climbing Philodendron

Prismacolor™ Fozzie – Fuzzy Petiole Philodendron

Prismacolor™ Gloriosum – Creeping Philodendron

Prismacolor™ Hastatum – Silver Sword Philodendron

Prismacolor™ Pink Princess – Philodendron hybrid

Prismacolor™ Rojo Congo – Philodendron hybrid

Prismacolor™ Sun Red – Philodendron hybrid

Prismacolor™ White Wizard – Philodendron hybrid

Prismacolor™ Lemon Lime – Philodendron hybrid

What's your go-to philodendron, and how long have you had it?

Check out the full show notes and blog for all my favorite philodendron varieties!

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 and Grow Radio by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon!

Instagram: @growingjoywithmaria

Tiktok: @growingjoywithmaria

Subscribe to the Growing Joy Youtube channel! /growingjoywithmaria

Website: www.growingjoywithmaria.com

Pinterest: @growingjoywithmaria

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What if your backyard could feed you for decades with way less work than a tomato patch? You can achieve this with fruit trees! I met arborist Allen Taylor at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show earlier this year. He's the founder of Conservation Tree Care, and he shares how to grow fruit trees in your own backyard with confidence and patience. I'm a homeowner now, and I am so excited to finally have fruit trees of my own!

 

In this episode, we learn:

[01:52] Meet Allen Taylor, founder of Conservation Treecare!

[02:17] What is forestry, and how did Allen get into it via a college course?

[03:22] How arboriculture differs from forestry (individual trees vs. whole ecosystems)

[04:45] The Overstory and tree climbers who work up in the canopy

[09:37] How his passion for large trees relates to small fruit trees

[10:51] Seattle's century-old orchard trees!

[12:32] What are the two starting points for fruit trees? (assessing a bare site vs. inheriting mature trees already there)

[14:07] Why you also have to think about harvest volume you can handle

[15:02] Check out The Essential Guide to Ecological Gardening by the American Horticultural Society!

[16:17] Set your fruit trees up right from planting with Espoma Organic!

[18:21] Why it's okay to treat a fruit tree as a low-maintenance shade tree (that happens to fruit)

[19:38] What makes something an "orchard" vs. just having a tree?

[22:30] Why fruit exists (spreading seeds) and how domestication changed fruit itself

[24:10] Fruit tree timeline! What age of wood trees fruit on?

[26:55] Which fruit trees are most popular by region, and why local zone/climate matters so much?

[29:19] Why local extension services and nurseries beat big box stores for picking trees

[31:41] What does the yearly care for fruit trees look like (pruning, planting, harvest windows)?

[34:17] Planting and transplant shock!

[35:52] Fruit trees planting basics: hole size, soil, mulch, watering to establishment

[39:03] Sun and site selection (full sun, flat ground, and thinking about ladder access)

[42:38] Why you should prune fruit trees compared to other edibles

[43:58] Why does dormant pruning work with the tree's stress response?

[46:14] Should you remove blossoms in year one, or just leave the tree alone and wait?

[47:33] Pruning vs. training explained

[48:59] Pruning intensity tips

[52:10] What are the top beginner mistakes you commit with trees?

[57:10] The 3 types of pruning cuts (removal, reduction, heading) and how the tree responds to each

[59:06] Why fruit trees are a great gateway into caring about trees generally

[59:51] Allen's favorite fruit tree and the joy of sharing homegrown harvests with neighbors!

[1:01:33] Where to find Allen, Conservation Treecare, and his work at the Amazon Spheres

 

Mentioned in our conversation:

Robert Jan Van Pelt’s Books

The Overstory by Richard Powers

 

For Allen's fruit tree tips,

check out the full show notes and blog here!

 

Follow Allen:

Website
Instagram

 

Thank you to our episode sponsors:

Quarto

Grab the Essential Guide to Ecological Gardening at quarto.com and wherever books are sold.

Espoma Organic

Visit espoma.com to find your local Espoma dealer or check my Amazon storefront.

ZenAI

Visit zen.ai to start your first vibecast for free.

 

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

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

Support Growing Joy with Maria by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon!

Instagram: @growingjoywithmaria

Tiktok: @growingjoywithmaria

Subscribe to the Growing Joy YouTube channel! /growingjoywithmaria

Website: www.growingjoywithmaria.com

Pinterest: @growingjoywithmaria

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.