How not to kill plants? Tips from the authors of the book "Plant Project"

The book by Ola Senko and Veronika Mushketi won the hearts of those who love greenery at home. The Plant Project reappears, this time in an expanded version. This is a good starter book! - they provide.

– Tomashevskaya

Interview with Ola Senko and Veronika Mushket, authors of the book “The Plant Project”

– Tomashevskaya: As a person who is just learning how to care for plants, I am surprised how many myths exist on this topic among my relatives and friends. One of them is the famous "immortal plant". When I asked for advice from a man with beautiful green window sills, I usually heard: "choose something undemanding." At the moment, I have several such idiots on my conscience. Maybe it's time to finally debunk the myth of a plant that will survive everything?

Veronica Musket: In our opinion, there are unpretentious plants, but it is worth considering what “immortality” means in this case. Every plant is a living organism, so it has the right to die. Maintenance is very important - it will affect how it will function and look. The only truly indestructible plants are those made of plastic.
Ola Senko: We can safely say that we are debunking this myth - an immortal plant that does not require anything at all. And you can certainly disprove the myth that something is suitable for a dark bathroom without a window. This is a very popular question, many people ask us about the species that will survive in such conditions. Unfortunately, a plant is a living organism that needs water and light to live.

Ola Senko and Veronika Mushketa, authors of the book “Plant Project”

So we should not only debunk this myth, but also note that you should not think about plants only in terms of their longevity. Especially if we realize that we will not be able to create favorable conditions for them - for example, to guarantee access to daylight.

Veronica: Exactly. We look at plants through a wider lens. Of course, we see that there are undemanding, average and very demanding species. But each of these categories has its own needs that must be met.

What about the myth of a man who has a "hand for plants"? You have described this legend quite well in your book, which was first published three years ago and will be republished in May. You just wrote that there is no such thing, but I have the impression that the awareness of what we are talking about at the very beginning can replace this “hand” in the sense of flair or skill.

Ola: We can say that "a hand to plants" equals knowledge about plants. Our store in Wroclaw is visited by lovers of fresh greens and complain that they bought several different types, but everything dried up.
Then I advise them to start over, buy one plant and try to make friends with it, tame it, understand what it needs, and only then expand its collection. Experience plus a willingness to learn are the keys to making plants have fun.
Also, if we watched our parents take care of plants at home, we might adopt a natural ability to take care of flowers, or a desire to have them at all. If so, it's worth using intergenerational tricks.
Veronica: I think we are also a good example. We do not deal with botany or any other branch of nature. With experience we have gained knowledge. We are still learning. We try to take each plant home and observe it. Check what she needs to be able to tell her clients about it later. Everyone can have a hand in flowers, so let's try to debunk the myth that this is some kind of rare talent.

Photo by Michal Serakovsky

How to choose a plant? What should be the starting point? Our preferences, particular room, season? Is choosing a plant something like a compromise between what we want and what we can?

Veronica: The most important thing is the place where we want to place the plant. During conversations with clients, I always ask about the position - is it on display, is it large, etc. Only when we figure it out do we start moving the visual aspect. It is known that the plant must be liked. Therefore, we try to match the species to the needs. If someone dreams of a monster, but there is a lot of sun in the room, then unfortunately. Monstera does not like full daylight. It is also important whether there are drafts or a radiator in this place.
Ola: I think the starting point for buying plants is the local vision of our space (laughs). We need to check which cardinal directions our windows face - simple information that the room is bright may not be enough.

So in order to generally be able to ask for help in choosing a plant, you need to be well versed in your capabilities.

Veronica: Yes. People often come to us with photos of the place where they want to exhibit the plant. Sometimes we are shown a whole photo gallery and on that basis we choose their views and views for each room (laughs). Fortunately, we have the knowledge that allows us to do this, and we share it.

Do you enjoy sharing your knowledge and passion? Do you enjoy giving advice to newbies? Probably, many questions are repeated, and the frequent realization that not every plant can be placed on a small windowsill can be a problem.

Veronica: We are very patient (laughs).
Ola: We have come to the point where our team has expanded. We don't always serve customers in person, but when we do, we treat it as a welcome return to our roots. I do it with great pleasure.

Photo - mat. publishing houses

Do you meet many plant enthusiasts who come to your place to talk more than go shopping?

Ola and Veronica: Of course (laughs)!
Ola: There are many people who love to come, talk, show pictures of their plants. I think it's nice to come in, sit on the couch and have a good time, especially during a pandemic. Now there are not many places where you can go and relax. We are as open as possible and invite you to factory negotiations.

Let's go back to the plants themselves and how to care for them. What is the biggest "sin" of plant care?

Ola and Veronica: Transfer!

And still! So there is no lack of light, no window sill too small, just an excess of water.

Ola: Yes. And overdo it (laughs)! It seems to me that often overprotection, the search for problems and ways to improve the life of plants lead to the fact that too much water is poured into us. And as a result of overflow, putrefactive bacteria develop, and then it is very difficult to save the plant. Of course, there are ways to prevent this. Need a quick answer. Such a plant must be thoroughly dried and transplanted. Replace its substrate and trim the leaves that are in the worst condition. It's a lot of work. If the plant dries or dries out, it is much easier to water or rearrange the pot than to save a crumbling flower.
Veronica: There are other sins as well. Like keeping cacti in a dark bathroom (laughs). As for water, in addition to watering, the amount of water is also important. Just "watering once a week" can be a trap. You should check your hydration level. The easiest way to do this is to dip your finger into the soil. If the soil dries out earlier than expected, this is a sign that our plant is absorbing more.
Ola: Thumb test (laughs)!

[Here follows my admission of guilt and Ola and Veronica's confession of several errors. We discuss monstera, dying ivy and bamboo for a moment. And when I start complaining that my apartment is dark, I notice a flicker in the eyes of the interlocutors - they are ready to help with professional advice, so I pay attention and keep asking]

We talked about water or food. Let's move on to the topic of supplements and vitamins, i.e. nutrients and fertilizers. Is it possible to take good care of a plant without chemical fertilizers?

Veronica: You can grow plants without fertilizer, but in my opinion, it is worth fertilizing them. Otherwise, we will not be able to provide the flowers with all the necessary microelements, which are also found in natural fertilizers. We produce our own algae-based fertilizer. There are other drugs, such as biohumus. This is a solution worth striving for. It helps to increase resilience, take root and become more beautiful.
Ola: It's a bit like a human. A varied diet means providing a variety of nutrients. Our climate is specific - in winter and autumn it is very dark. And when life awakens after this period, it is worth supporting our plants. We brag about the fact that our fertilizer is so natural that even if you drink it, nothing will happen (laughs), but we do not recommend it! Interestingly, some people actually confuse this fertilizer with a food product. Probably, it's a glass bottle and a beautiful label (laughs).

Photo by Agata Pyatkovska

There are more products for home breeding on the market: planters, casings, shovels, coasters - how to choose these things?

Veronica: We must think in what style we want to decorate and green our interior. We prefer plants in production pots placed in ceramic cases. This allows us to easily drain excess water from the case. Which shell to choose is an individual matter. As for endpapers, we choose bamboo things, we don’t have plastic. However, you need to remember that there are elements made from recycled plastic. It is worth doing your research and looking for good quality braces. Some species require plant support. There are species that grow at first, but eventually want to climb. If we don't read and choose equipment in advance, it will be to their detriment. These are decisions that we make at the very beginning - even before the purchase of the plant itself.
Ola: Some people like plants in white pots, while others like a colorful hodgepodge. I think that because of our passion for aesthetics and design, we place a lot of emphasis on case selection. We like it when the beauty of the plant is emphasized by the pot. We have a bit of body on that (laughs). We are interested in interiors, we talk a lot about them. We love beautiful things (laughs).

Which plant is the least demanding and the most demanding, in your opinion?

Ola and Veronica: Sansevieria and Zamiokula are the most difficult plants to kill. The most difficult to care for are: calathea, senetia roulianus and eucalyptus. Then we can send you pictures so you know what to buy and what to avoid (laughs).

Very willingly. And that's right, since we're talking about photographs. There are many of them in your book “Projekt Plants”. In addition to interviews, descriptions of individual genres and curiosities, there are also many beautiful graphics. This makes it a pleasure to read and watch. I have the impression that this is an analogue of Instagram. You can also find a lot of inspiration and visuals on your social media profiles. Do you feel that the proximity of plants has made you more receptive to beauty?

Ola: Definitely. When I worked in a small marketing agency, this beauty was not around me. I focused on something else - the development of the company, the strategy. For four years now I have been constantly among plants and surround myself with beautiful things and photographs.

When creating the book, did you think of it as a compendium that can be a tool for anyone who wants to start an adventure in the field of plant breeding? It contains a lot of reliable data and details - this is not only clues or a story about passion, but also a collection of important information.

Veronica: I think the most. We wanted this book to show the world we have built. We learned the plants and were completely green, and now we have a store, we advise everyone how to care for the plants. We wanted to show that this path is not so difficult. Just read our book, for example, and find out a few things that affect plants. In the new edition, we have supplemented the interview book, because people are very important to us. We have always said that you can learn a lot from others. People inspire to the fullest. The book is aimed at beginners. For a completely green person, there is a lot of knowledge there and, in my opinion, a good start.
Ola: Exactly. A "good start" is the best resume.

You can find more articles about the books and interviews with the authors in our passionate reading.

Photo: mat. publishing houses.