During my high school years, I worked at a family-owned plant nursery, which took me from plant owner to plant mom. At this nursery, I learned that there are more varieties of plants than succulents, and subsequently became obsessed. I watched my manager take cuttings of plants, and grow more. We even had a jade tree, which gave us over a few dozen babies every few weeks. I began collecting cuttings of pothos and monstera plants to grow and got all the vases, cups, and even bottles that I could to store them. Today, I have two large plants that came from one single cutting, which makes me nerd out, happy dance, and honestly just smile. The journey is long but worth it.
- Becoming a plant parent and realizing you want your ‘family’ to grow
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Once you realize the benefit of having great air quality in your space and an amazing aesthetic, you become obsessed and want more plants. First, it starts with a succulent or cactus, before you realize just how many plants there are, and of course, you want them all.
- When you realize plants are expensive Af
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If you’re into rare, exotic, or trendy plants like the Pink Princess Philodendron, then you are definitely going to go broke trying to purchase them. As a college student at UMass Amherst, I loved watching the leaves change, but as the winter set in, I realized that I needed more life in my room ASAP to combat the winter blues.
- The moment you discover that you can grow your own plants
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From scraps on the floor at a garden center, or from your own plant babies, you can plop them in water and watch them grow. Sometimes it’s the smallest cutting of a plant that grows the longest roots!
- When you’ve been waiting for the stem to root in the water
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I know it doesn’t happen instantly, but c’mon! I try not to monitor them too much in the rooting process, as I feel like the plants have stage fright.
- When it has finally rooted itself
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And almost as if overnight, the roots have filled the whole container, so you have to decide if you want to keep it the way it is or attempt to pot it.
- When you finally plant it in that super cute pottery you got weeks ago, preparing for this very moment
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Now, when literally anyone enters your space or talks about plants, you will obnoxiously show off your hard work and debate if you should open your own greenhouse because you are so qualified.
Regardless of if you have a green thumb or not, I truly believe anyone can propagate plants, and it’s a fun way to bring some life into your dorm or space on a budget! I have found ways to reuse wine bottles and vases, and have even invested in beautiful propagation stations, which can match more of your dorm style!
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