*tap tap* ...Is this thing still on? Our hiatus has lasted slightly longer than we expected, but Maria from Growing Joy is on the very short list of people who can coax us out of podcast retirement. We hope you enjoy this conversation about caudex plants– a flavor we both love!

From Growing Joy Podcast:

"Are you ready to add some unique, eye-catching beauty to your plant collection? Meet the caudex plant—also known as the foot, Stephania erecta, or even the Potato Plant. While these plants may be stunning, they can be a handful to take care of without proper knowledge. Join us as we explore the world of caudex plants with expert guests Stephen and Matthew from the Plant Daddy Podcast. From the well-known Stephania erecta to other varieties that are more accessible and easy to care for, we'll share everything you need to know to be successful with caudex plants."

Growing Joy with Maria Podcast - Empowering Plant Parents Worldwide

Our Season 3 finale is here, and we’re wrapping up with a Q&A show covering succulent substrates, flowering plants for beginners, opinions on “rare” and “status plants,” favorite moments from this season, and more! Remember Lightning Rounds? To Stephen’s delight, Matthew throws one in. Have we forgiven our Mandarin Plants yet? And have we forgiven ourselves for the Paperwhite episode? Let’s just say we’re ready for a vacation!

Then on the After Show, we chat more about our summer plans – both planty and otherwise. To listen, head over to Patreon - Official Patrons get to listen ad-free with exclusive access to our After Shows!
https://www.patreon.com/plantdaddypodcast

Have a good summer, see you in August!

We have plenty of plant thoughts and goals on our minds as we sit down for our Spring-themed Chill 'n Chat! Should you put our houseplants outdoors during the warm months? As seasonal selections improve at plant stores, what are our current strategies to avoid plant burnout or over-collecting? Do you have to get a former goal plant if it’s cheaper now? And the real bombshell – is Stephen finally ready for a Pothos? Brace yourselves!

And a special thank you to our new Patrons for the month of April! Head over to Patreon to become an Official Patron to listen ad-free, and get access to our exclusive After Shows!
https://www.patreon.com/plantdaddypodcast

We’ve teamed up with Soltech Solutions! Save 15% on amazing plant lights with code PLANTDADDYPODCAST!

Show notes: https://www.plantdaddypodcast.com/podcast-episodes/ep-135-spring-strategies-grab-bag

In their first socially-distanced episode, the Plant Daddies discuss the String of Pearls, Senecio rowleyanus, and reminisce about the days when they could hang out and pilfer each other's plants. Whose succulent soil recipe is best? And how long will that poor cutting stay on Stephen's countertop? Brace yourself for some audio hiccups as we learn how to talk over the phone. It's hard for millennials!

Get ready to get dirty as we talk potting substrates specifics! Including our absolute favorite recipes and good options with easy-to-find materials. First up, succulent soil, which Stephen and Matthew agree is probably the most critical to get right for these plants' health. Listen to hear why they just do not use succulent potting mix off the shelves of most garden centers!

The Plant Daddies get together (at a safe distance!) to serve up a few quarantine-friendly plant project ideas. Hoya propagation box? Give those tropicals a spray down in the shower, or tidy up those plants, pots, and mounts that have gone unnoticed all winter? Pruning aroids for bushy growth or rapid maturity? We're here for you/it! We even manage to surprise each other with some of our suggestions.

Have you ever seen Plumeria on a vacation and wanted to bring that *feeling* home with you? Have you ever wanted to listen to two people in a wet, cold climate struggle with a tropical tree? Look no further than today's episode, where Matthew's Dwarf Singapore Pink Plumeria blooming success has truly gone to his head! Stephen forces a thorough audit of his past failures. Oh, and we have advice for you when you try, too!

The Plant Daddies cover Zamioculcas zamiifolia care, cultivars, some stories, and even patent law (before they turn tail and run!). And have you see the trending plant displays featuring the Black Raven ZZ Plant in American big box stores recently? We have all sorts of thoughts and feelings. Also, please sign my petition asking Matthew to STOP driving circles around Seattle looking for them. Thank you.

Pull up a chair for a geeky chat about houseplant pests with one of our favorite local experts, tackling everything from spider mites to multi-syllabic chemical names. After a quick detour discussing plants that look like body parts (like our new mascots!), we tackle the worst pests for your urban jungle, how to prevent, identify, treat, and then continue to re-treat, until you finally come to terms with your indoor ecosystem! Are the Plant Daddies gleeful about each other's pest stories? You be the judge!

Are we still thinking about our Fiddle Leaf Figs? The Plant Daddies attempt a Ficus lyrata deep dive, with special attention paid to those mature plants we may have bought during that craze a few years ago. If yours is now growing into the ceiling and/or misshapen… what now?? Matthew details his myriad attempts to create bushier trees, and then hatches a bold new plan. And don't miss another one of Stephen's vaguely rude descriptions of a plant he just isn't that into!

Do you want a plant that does more? Well… in this case the Plant Daddies don't necessarily. But they both agree that Mimosa pudica, also known as the Sensitive Plant, is a botanical oddity that they've enjoyed and will likely grow again. Is a plant capable of rapid movement one that can melt the hearts of those strange people in our lives who aren't into plants? Have we finally found a flower that only Stephen likes?

Join us as we talk all things mounting! From plant choices, materials and techniques… to tree crotches. Fellow Plant Daddy James Gray joins us to share his unique perspective on artistic mounting, with particular advice for mounted ferns and Tillandsia xerographica. Please take a shot each time Matthew says “humusy tree crotch.”

Is Aspidistra the holy grail of hardy houseplant? We suspect that since they’ve been called Spittoon plants in the past, they must be pretty cast iron. The Plant Daddies discuss this plant's surprising, lengthy, and poignant presence in British history, what to look for when you're buying one, and treat you to an argument about something they've agreed upon! Matthew is kind enough to include a book review of one he hasn't read.

Looking for a low-stress succulent with beautiful, unusual flowers? Then Huernia zebrina should be on your list. We’ve both kept this plant for years, so we’ll share plenty of mistakes for you to learn from! What is soil compaction? What is the easiest way to propagate? And what about the other amazing plants in the Stapeliad group? This is one we’re both excited about!

Then we did another After Show - head over to Patreon to hear it! https://www.patreon.com/plantdaddypodcast

We’ve teamed up with Soltech Solutions! Save 15% on amazing plant lights with code PLANTDADDYPODCAST!

Show notes: https://www.plantdaddypodcast.com/podcast-episodes/ep-134-lifesaver-plant

It's a special day, everyone: Stephen has his first "real Aroid," and according to Matthew, his first "real tropical foliage plant!" After years of gnat-free living in a home brimming with carnivorous plants, tune in to hear Stephen struggling to wrap his mind around the unexpected side effects of suddenly-broadened horizons. We discuss our skepticism about the supposed R. pertusa mix-up in tissue culture, our care advice, and how this plant can give you a living wall without much effort.

Sansevieria have been popular since they first entered cultivation… thousands of years ago? The Plant Daddies dig into this classic mainstay to answer some questions about this near-perfect houseplant - like why leaf cuttings don’t always produce the same cultivar as the parent. Matthew also shows his first genuine interest in variegated plants, but that might have to do with the fact that he learned that they are chimeras. Tune in to hear about this often overlooked, nearly-invincible Snake Plant!

Did you miss us? Awww, shucks. If so, join us as we ease into the new year during this bonus episode, where we have an unstructured conversation about recent houseplant trends and interesting data from the GrowIt app. Geeky plant chat alert! We hope this tides you over before the Plant Daddies resume regularly scheduled programming next week!

Stephen and Matthew slide (or limp?) toward the 2019 finish line and attempt a little walk down memory lane under the influence of holiday beverages (and more)! "Read between the blurred lines," Matthew says... I know... Anyway, we'll cover our plant highs and lows for the year, what we've learned about the houseplant hobbyist community, and our indoor gardening resolutions for 2020 before taking a brief break for the holidays. See you in early January!

Are millennials less inclined to participate in "holiday plants?" The Plant Daddies discuss experiences and options, including fake vs. real trees and post-season poinsettia care. Then Devin Wallien stops by to share his favorites… from a dumpster dive? And Stephen, fresh from his discovery that amaryllis is actually a real plant (not a fanciful IKEA prop), may be more interested in other bulbs with weird foliage. Yes, typical.

String of Hearts, Tangle of Hearts, Rosary Vine… whatever you call Ceropegia woodii, you’re probably already in love with this beautiful trailing succulent vine. But this simple plant has one critical care detail you must observe before you can sit back and watch her vines trail down to the floor. And Stephen does not hate this plant! Why did Matthew think that?! How rude. Plus a bonus Taxonomy Time segment from Matthew.

Michael Perry of Mr. Plant Geek fame joins The Plant Daddies from China to chat about gardening, identity, and pretzels. We discuss his globe-trotting life with a partner who is decidedly NOT a Plant Daddy, and learn a bit about how Michael became the Plant Geek he is today! Grab a pretzel and get cozy.

In our Thanksgiving bonus, we sit down with Devin Wallien, a fourth generation horticulture professional and fellow Plant Daddy. We chat about myriad things, from Plumeria and Adeniums to composing the perfect balcony container garden-- all the way down to zone 4! Does anyone else think PP Plant should be the new name for Pilea peperomioides?

The Plant Daddies have been fashionably late before, but we're YEARS late to the Nerve Plant and Polka Dot Plant party. However, something inspired us to give them a try - perhaps the videos we’ve seen online of their dramatic revival after getting some water - and we made it a point to try them ourselves. Listen in to hear our verdict on these charismatic, colorful little survivors!

Pinguicula, butterworts, pings... whatever you call them, this carnivorous plant with beautiful foliage and showy flowers has a secret: it moonlights as a succulent. Bob Beer joins the Plant Daddies to walk through caring for these surprising, approachably easy houseplants.

We found articles calling Ficus Audrey and Ficus umbellata “the next Fiddle Leaf Figs.” So we decided to put this bold claim to the test. Do they live up to the hype? How similar is their care to the FLF? And years later, how are Matthew’s "It Plants" doing? Stephen does a wellness check, and one of these shows promise!

Then we tried something we’re calling the After Show! Head over to Patreon to hear it! https://www.patreon.com/plantdaddypodcast

We’ve teamed up with Soltech Solutions! Save 15% on amazing plant lights with code PLANTDADDYPODCAST!

Join us as we geek out about propagation, from aroids to succulents, where we'll try to take you a level or two deeper than just *how* to do it. Why does propagation from leaf cuttings work for some plants but not others? And why didn't that heart-shaped Hoya kerrii turn into a full plant? Then Matthew tries to move some of his plants into Stephen's windows. Stephen says NO.

Matthew tries again to expand Stephen's "very particular" tastes with a sweeping introduction to the Prayer Plants and Calatheas. Will he succeed? And can he pronounce Zingiberales? Tune in to find out!

Matthew and Stephen dive *deep* (drunkenly) into a favorite classic movie, Little Shop of Horrors, with the crew from 24 Flames per Second, one of our favorite podcasts! In 2019, is this a problematic narrative? Is Seymour even a plant person?? Wait…Jar Jar? Somehow this is a Halloween episode, OK?

Want to hear what it sounds like when we thoroughly agree on a plant? Behold Brassavola nodosa, a fragrant, tough orchid that we have both kept and loved for years. We'll walk through our different approaches and histories with this outstanding windowsill orchid.

The Plant Daddies grudgingly admit the numerous merits of the pedestrian but perennially-dependable Pothos plants! Even some with rabbit proteins. Matthew admits that he is secretly propagating them. And listen, we don't get into care advice, but just give them some light and water once in a while. OK? 

!!! OK, today we welcome one of our very favorites, Jane Perrone of On The Ledge podcast! She shares where her houseplant journey began, some of her current favorites, and even a few plants she would NOT grow-- and the Plant Daddies take sides! After our interview, we continue to dish on plants that we "do not prefer." Fans of variegation, shield your ears!

Everyone has seen pictures of the internet’s current favorite Begonia on social media, Begonia maculata ‘Wightii’. AKA Polka Dot Begonia, this is a beautiful cultivar loved for its graphic, colorful foliage and white flowers. The Plant Daddies have a checkered [terrible] record with Begonias, so wanted to figure out if this popular but hard-to-find specimen would be their silver bullet to Begonias fit for paradise. More importantly, is this a flowering tropical foliage plant that Stephen can get behind?

Is there anyone online who hasn’t seen Pilea peperomioides? For a plant that has graced Scandinavian window sills since the 1940s, but wasn’t described in science until the 1980s, it has an explosive impact on the global houseplant community in the last few years. As Matthew says, the Pilea is so easy to propagate that they should be free. The Plant Daddies have grown it for years, and have opinions to dish about the Chinese Money Plant, Pancake Plant, UFO Plant, Missionary Plant, Pass-it-Along Plant...

Want to listen ad-free? Head over to Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/plantdaddypodcast

Are staghorn ferns a vegan alternative to mounted taxidermy? According to our guest, they are! Platycerium ferns are known for their coarsely branched fronds that resemble antlers more than the delicate, airy foliage of other ferns. They have certain cultural requirements for success, but these are fantastic as houseplants and one of the best ferns for indoor success. We bring a friend on the show to teach him how to mount (“with ruthless efficiency”) and care for these botanical oddities.

Want to listen ad-free? Head over to Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/plantdaddypodcast

Not all cacti are from the desert! Some live in tropical forests, adapted for far less light and far more moisture than their desert brethren. Orchid cactus, Christmas cactus, and many others are epiphytic tropical plants, offering indoor gardeners an interesting alternative to the hot and dry-loving cacti we all know and love… And offering Matthew a chance to talk about his current favorites, the zig zag and fern leaf cactus! OK?

Want to listen ad-free? Head over to Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/plantdaddypodcast

We’re back with another classic that may straddle the world of houseplants and…indoor herbs? Beyond impressively easy care, we'll explore our own experiences with this ubiquitous plant over the years. Does it have uses beyond soothing burnt skin? Has its efficacy as a home remedy been studied? Will we find any good aloe recipes? And is this the first time we consume a plant as we talk about it?

Want to listen ad-free? Head over to Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/plantdaddypodcast

Want to listen ad-free? Head over to Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/plantdaddypodcast

We’ve teamed up with Soltech Solutions! Save 15% on amazing plant lights with code PLANTDADDYPODCAST at checkout!

Succulents are tremendously popular, as much for their sculptural desert beauty as their reputation for being hardy and tough. But when “succulent” is used to describe plants, what does it actually mean? The Plant Daddies attempt to clarify that, talk about how they grow their own favorite succulents, and share some advice for the plants most often being described when someone says, “I love succulents!”

Want to listen ad-free? Head over to Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/plantdaddypodcast

Matthew reveals *his* favorite indestructible house plants. And his dream bathroom. In the end, Stephen forces him to make some difficult choices.

In this episode: Anthurium clarinervium (2:45) | Main Topic (8:43) | Our Recommended Plants (23:54) | Plants for Different Home Scenarios (34:10) | Plants for Different Watering "Personalities" (51:18) | Plants to Avoid (1:00:00) | Our Very Favorites! (1:07:43)

Want to listen ad-free? Head over to Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/plantdaddypodcast

Stephania erecta, with its woody caudex and contrastingly delicate, round leaves, is gaining popularity as a social media “It Plant.” The Plant Daddies are so enamored that they wanted to highlight it in their first Plant Profile mini episode, where they will discuss culture and care of specific trending houseplants. Will this become a permanent fixture in houseplant collections? Tune in to hear their prediction!

Want to listen ad-free? Head over to Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/plantdaddypodcast

Mike and Kyle from the Gayish Podcast join the Plant Daddies to explore tangents upon tangents and maybe a few rabbit holes (well, a parrot hole). Seattle queer podcasts unite! A certain weed may have been involved...

Want to listen ad-free? Head over to Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/plantdaddypodcast

We've all seen those top 5 best or easiest plant lists. Matthew and Stephen attempt to wade through this clickbait morass, attempting to clarify (and unloading a bit on) some of the vague buzzwords and "guidance." Tune in to see how those lists fared!

Want to listen ad-free? Head over to Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/plantdaddypodcast

Our first drunk episode! One of Matthew’s friends recommends a documentary about Judi Dench and her trees. Emma joins to watch and then discuss it with the Plant Daddies, but they drink ALL of the rosé and indulge in an unvarnished critique of this work, Judi’s garden coat, and their adoration for this peerless British National Treasure. Hilarity ensues. Judi Dench, trees, and Plant Daddy Podcast, what more could you want? 

Want to listen ad-free? Head over to Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/plantdaddypodcast

Carnivorous plants are some of the most intriguing and unusual plants you can grow, and conveniently, many are very easy to grow. Stephen and Matthew talk about the basic care and cultural requirements of some of the varieties best suited for indoor or balcony growing. 

Want to listen ad-free? Head over to Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/plantdaddypodcast

One of the most intriguing and exotic groups of plants are those that eat meat: the carnivorous plants! Stephen got into growing plants seriously when he got his first pitcher plant, and his collection has ballooned to include most of the common ones as well as some unique ones less frequently encountered. He shares how his interest grew with this fascinating group of plants.

Want to listen ad-free? Head over to Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/plantdaddypodcast

Stephen and Matthew banter about the gay stereotype that homos are all born decorators, talk about their own apartments, how they design their living space, why design is important to them, and how they incorporate plants into their homes.

Want to listen ad-free? Head over to Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/plantdaddypodcast

It’s time to talk about grow lights! Miles Jonard, owner of The Plant Store comes in to give Stephen and Matthew a primer on using artificial lighting for growing plants indoors, and their friend Chris joins for the first time!

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We can talk about techniques one by one, but sometimes a scenario – like adopting an old plant – is the best way to discuss how we think of them *all working together*. Today we’ll talk through fertilizing, potting substrate, pruning, and dividing, and when we’d consider each. Will we agree? Expect a few propagation and pruning tips in this one, and of course some teasing between us.

Want to listen ad-free? Head over to Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/plantdaddypodcast

We’ve teamed up with Soltech Solutions! Use code PLANTDADDYPODCAST at checkout to save 15%!

It’s another episode where Matthew puts on his plant geek glasses and lectures on a couple of his favorite types of plants, the Aroid family, and the Ficus genus. Stephen talks about carnivorous plants, and those that grow a caudex. They also introduce their first guest, Miles Jonard, owner of The Plant Store.

Want to listen ad-free? Head over to Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/plantdaddypodcast

Matthew researched some topics that were mentioned in Episode 2 - Seattle Pride 2019 Recap, in order to give more context to their mention of the Institute for the Science of Sexology and the rise in hate crimes in their local community.

Want to listen ad-free? Head over to Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/plantdaddypodcast

Matthew goes into full lecture mode and shares his introduction to orchids, focusing on their biology and background in horticulture, and discusses some of the most common types home growers are likely to encounter, especially the ubiquitous but still special Phalaenopsis orchid of grocery store fame.

Want to listen ad-free? Head over to Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/plantdaddypodcast