I went to check on some plants...

I went to check on some plants because I knew I'd have a flower to see. I was surprised by 2 guests in the greenhouse. Can you spot them? It's a terrible photo.

I was gonna repot these plants in the last photo... But I might just wait.

Some pics from this month.

Some pics from this month. I keep meaning to post and forget to.

Last picture is quality control.

The supervisor.

The inspector.

👀

😂😂😂

Mmmm. The textures.

The colors!

My hands were a mess from repotting, but look at this poor thirsty thing! It has since got a new pot and soil and now lives in the house temporarily.

The gnarly ones are really growing on me.

Is this the plant version of a C-section? That's not where the babies usually come from. 😂

Spring is springing!

Helper helping. Can't do anything without this one participating. 😂❤️

Doing plant bondage in the middle of the night...

Doing plant bondage in the middle of the night, because why not?

I did some more night-repotting last night. 😂

I did some more night-repotting last night. 😂 I'm just more awake and all of my dirt and tools are in the house. I'd rather bring the plants in for a sleepover than drag the dirt and tools outside.

I knew that one of my agaves had a bunch of pups on her, but one of my plants surprised me with some hidden babies. Most of them seemed to need more time attached, but one was large and detached basically by itself. It's a little Quasimoto looking dude (for now), but that's ok. 😂

I was shocked by how green they were despite being in the bottom of the pot!

I actually did a little repotting today...

I actually did a little repotting today. I started small:  On my 3 nursery trays of Teddy Bear Cholla, Opuntia Little Rita, and Agave offsets. I wasn't up for it earlier in the day, but after Bear went to bed (because he ALWAYS gets hurt with the prickly plants around), I brought the plants in and did it in front of the TV. 😂

You would think that with as many plants as I have that I would be really great at caring for them by now, but I don't think I have been. They are succulents, so aren't necessarily very picky, but that doesn't mean I don't feel bad for incorrect soil mixes or lack of fertilizer. There is a difference between surviving and thriving. In any case, I want to be better.

This part may be controversial:  I used Gemini to get a plan in place to help me fine-tune my care. I'm aware of the environmental impacts of using AI, but it's not going anywhere, and I personally do not use it in a way that I believe to be frivolous. I hope I don't lose friends over that, but I'm not going to lie or omit the truth. I literally feel like I can't NOT tell y'all. I don't know why. But it feels very dishonest and I can't function like that.

I let it know what soil components I have, as well as what types of plants I have. Taking the greenhouse and the dry weather/high altitude into account, it gave me ratios for what soil to mix and use and told me in foot candles the type of light the plant needs. I have a light meter, so now I can find the best placement for everyone, be it in the greenhouse or the house house. I also have a schedule for when to apply pesticide and fertilizer. I can generally tell when they need water, so I don't need too much help on that.

I don't yet know if I have ADHD and/or Autism, but having a care guide with specific instructions that take into consideration all of the factors I provided feels like a huge relief. I've always preferred written instructions/lists because then I can just follow the rules and be ok. I've been researching plant care for years and have made enough progress that I don't lose many these days, but some have clearly been struggling and/or not doing as well as I would expect/hope, and I wanted to fix that. Using Gemini helped me see where I was going wrong without more YEARS of research and trial and error on living things. It always hurts my heart to kill a plant, so I'm trying very hard to avoid it.

Anyway, that's all I managed to do today. I hope I can go hard and get everyone that needs repotting repotted by Monday. That would be nice.

Some flowers from today. 😊

Some flowers from today. 😊

Most of my plants are doing well, but I think that some could be doing better.

I have many of them potted in straight Bonsai Jack, which I don't think holds enough moisture in this dry climate. I would be repotting some today if I felt better, but I woke up with a headache and haven't been able to shake it yet.

Hopefully this ibuprofen will kick in and I can do things today. If not, I'm just going to enjoy having no obligations.

Some flowers from today.

Some flowers from today.

We lost a family member this morning. She would've liked these.

I spent most of my day working in the greenhouse because it needed work and felt like the right thing to do.

I went to the greenhouse today...

I went to the greenhouse today. I have some flowers. Also some mealy bugs. 🫠 I have some serious work to put in out there soon.

Can anyone tell me what my Huernia Zebrina is doing? That growth looks far too large for how they usually flower.

I watered some plants today.

I watered some plants today. They were thirsty. It's not gotten cold enough for them to sleep, I don't think.

I've missed them. I probably need to spend more time in the greenhouse.

It's been a couple of weeks...

It's been a couple of weeks since I had time to peek in the greenhouse. Most of the plants are doing pretty well, if a little thirsty. I'll have time this week to clean up, tend them, and get them hydrated. I'm excited to spend some time with my babies. 😊

Some flowers from today. 😊

Some flowers from today. 😊

I'm so behind on my life, but thankfully succulents are quite forgiving of a little neglect.