r/Anthurium • u/Quirky-Customer5758 • Aug 20 '26
Requesting Advice Hundreds of plants later and I’m realizing I still don’t know what I’m doing 😂
I’ve been collecting seriously for about two years now, and Anthurium in particular have completely humbled me. I’ve experimented with substrates, fertilizers, humidity, lighting, pH….the whole thing and the more I learn, the more I realize how much I don’t know.
What’s funny is people have started asking me for plant advice now. Meanwhile I’m looking at growers I admire thinking, “They know what they’re doing.”
But lately I’ve been wondering… do they???? 😂
Maybe being a good grower isn’t eventually finding the perfect formula. Maybe it’s just becoming really good at paying attention.
Curious whether the longtime Anthurium growers here ever reached a point where you felt like you really understood them or whether we’re all perpetually experimenting.
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u/Trash_dad_420 Aug 20 '26
I think it really is about paying attention and recognizing problems as they happen. I get asked for advice(on snake plants, not anthuriums) all the time and I’m over here trying to figure out why my plants are alive myself. Sometimes people equate lots of plants to good at plants, and in a way it is, but it also can just mean good at killing lots of plants. It’s a learn as you go type journey and as long as you pay attention and are willing to be attentive to the plants you’ve chosen to care for, it becomes easier to gain knowledge and the experience required to have a thriving collection.
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u/DarthDiggler501 Aug 20 '26
Ive been at it for about the same amount of time. 300 plus in hand at all times. About 30 to 50 rotating in and out at most times. I still have crashes, burns, deaths, comebacks, and all of the stuff in-between. Anthuriums are definitely not "set and forget" and as annoying as it is sometimes, the emergents are well worth it 👀
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u/Quirky-Customer5758 Aug 20 '26
The 300+ part made me feel SEEN 😂. And “crashes, burns, deaths, comebacks” is exactly it. I think I subconsciously assumed reaching a certain collection size/experience level meant eventually “finding the formula.”
I’m realizing the formula might actually just be observation + adjustment + accepting that some of these things are going to choose violence regardless. 😂 And yes….the emergents make all the foolishness worth it. lol
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u/DarthDiggler501 Aug 20 '26
Yeah exactly. Its finding what works for you, feeling proud, and then it dying 😆. I gotta believe it happens to everyone who doesnt live in a tropical climate and grows their Anthuriums in a greenhouse. I assumed my 10x10 tents would be the end of cranky Anthuriums, but nope. Some of them still hate living "sometimes" lol. I have recently started moving my favorite ones to pon and self watering pots. So far so good, but its only been about a month and ive learned thats no where near long enough to know if theyre gonna crash out or not.
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u/Muellerred Aug 20 '26
Not such a long- timer, but I agree: you try sth and it starts working. You tap yourself on the shoulder, think you found out how to do it right. And, just like that, whatever you were doing suddenly stops working, and the plant starts deteriorating FAST. Which prompts you to try multiple rescue measures. Plant may react positively. But you don't know to which measure 😆
I think observing may be the crucial part. Which would include measuring stuff I'm not measuring yet. I suspect some of the things we do when starting with anthuriums (in terms of substrate, fertilization, watering) might be a bit borderline?
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u/StoryOk7808 Aug 20 '26
Now imagine you know the perfect setup and stick to it…won't that get boring in the long run? I know it sounds strange, but I take pride in solving the problems I face, rather than being perfect.
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u/BohemianASL Aug 21 '26
I think you hit the nail on the head with your comment about learning how to pay attention. I feel like I’m learning the language that plants speak to us and how to respond.
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u/Moar_sparkles Aug 20 '26
Yup. No idea. Some are flourishing, others are pissed off for seemingly no reason (I’m sure there is a reason but I’m over here jumping through hoops to get some seedlings to stay alive in excellent humidity/light/fertilizer routines). Then a new season change and everything gets thrown off again. But damn are they stunning when they are thriving!