[Monday – Liza’s Plants] Insider Secrets Revealed

I’m not a horticulturist, but I have been taking care of plants at offices and homes in Albuquerque for several years now. I’ve learned a lot.

One of the reasons I started this blog is because so many people struggle with their houseplants. I can show you easy ways to turn your black thumb green.

Pretty Pothos plant in Susan's office at KOBtv

Step one is don’t be so hard on yourself! Think of your relationship with houseplants as a cheerful experiment. If it works, great. If it doesn’t, and the plant dies, oops. Start over.

I’m going to let you in a secret. I think most plant industry people know this, but I doubt the general public even knows it exists. I do have a green thumb, but I also get an extraordinary amount of help from one product.

Liza the Plant Lady's Secret Weapon, Superthrive

That’s right, Superthrive. Plant vitamins. Have you ever tried Superthrive? It’s crazy, I call it cocaine for plants. You’ll see new growth in record time. They guarantee that if the plant has even one leaf that’s healthy, Superthrive can bring it back to life.

Before I started my own plant business, Good to Grow, I used to work at a place called Conroy’s, which at the time was the largest indoor and outdoor landscaping business in Albuquerque. That’s when I learned of this magic potion. I was told that it was just vitamins, and that it had been intended for use for humans but for whatever reason, the FDA wouldn’t approve it. I remember Rex drank some to prove it was safe. That would’ve made me gag – the stuff smells awful.

You can find Superthrive at your local nurseries, and probably at your big box gardening centers, next to the MiracleGro (which works fine, but Superthrive works about a thousand times better). It’s expensive, about ten bucks for four ounces. But you only need to use a couple of drops at a time (I use a dropper to put two or three drops into my watering bucket, about once a month).

Plants love it. It’s not like fertilizer which can burn a plant if you use too much. Superthrive seemingly has no negative effects, even if you accidentally dump a bunch of it into your watering bucket.

If you don’t want your plants to grow, don’t use it.

Here’s another one of my secret weapons, courtesy of Tina back in the day.

Liza the Plant Lady's Secret Weapon

“The Houseplant Expert,” by Dr. D.G. Hessayon. Most plant books are mindbogglingly terrible, with such language you just can’t understand. “The Houseplant Expert” is easy to read, easy to understand.

If you’re just experimenting with houseplants for the first time, or if you’ve had a long but unhappy relationship with plants, try again. But this time, give yourself a leg up with Superthrive and “The Houseplant Expert.”

And let me know if you have questions. Ok, I’m off to the wholesale nursery now to check the progress of their poinsettias for Tuesday’s Flowers and Flowering Plants post. I hate poinsettias.