Plant Disaster – My Giant Rhaphidophora Snapped

If I had given this plant the proper support, we wouldn’t be here right now…

I was innocently walking through my living room and I heard a snapping sound followed by my huge, beautiful Rhaphidophora tetrasperma tipping off of a plant stand and crashing down onto the floor. Lechuza pon spilled all over the carpeting and the three stems of my plant had all snapped right off the top of my plant.

This Rhaphidophora had been growing in my living room for just over two years. It came to me in September of 2019 as a four leaf stem cutting. This was back when you could not buy a Rhaphidophora in the United States. I had attempted several disastrous imports of the plant, each dying more quickly than the last and completely destroying my planty confidence. Finally, I found a U.S. seller with a few stem cuttings for sale. It arrived in rough shape, but I managed to baby it through that rough transition time and slowly but surely, it became the huge jungle leaved plant that I had been dreaming of.

Until I broke my poor baby.

So be warned by me and give your plants some proper supports to climb. I’ve actually linked the moss poles that I’m now using down below if you are interested. No more bamboo poles for my plants. I’ve learned my lesson.

Upon further reflection, I also think that my plant was terribly unbalanced because I refused to propagate it. What I mean is, if I had taken cuttings and grown them all around my bamboo poles (or a moss pole), they would have balanced each other out and the potential for tipping over would have gone down drastically. So I’m vowing to you now that I will not be afraid to cut my expensive or rare plants anymore.

I plan to start cutting immediately…I’m looking at you, Philodendron ‘Florida Ghost’!

Thanks so much for reading! If you’d like to see this in a video format, here’s the YouTube video.

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For Mercy, Peace, Love merchandise click here

Products I use and (therefore) recommend:

Planty friends – Feel free to use these links to the products that I use for my houseplants.  I receive a small percentage of any sales through these links, so feel free not to use them if that bothers you.

Stackable Moss poles – https://amzn.to/3nzgDoo

Velcro Plant Tape – https://amzn.to/3qUcHk5

Horticultural 1/4” pumice – https://amzn.to/2KfcNPT

Horticultural perlite – https://amzn.to/3f9wwvE

Coco coir – https://amzn.to/2UBBiZF

Orchid Bark – Extra small chips – https://amzn.to/38OXWWJ

Orchid Bark – Small chips – https://amzn.to/3kA8HOU

Earthworm castings – https://amzn.to/38TRkGw

Coco Loco potting mix – https://amzn.to/2UHV3OY

GE Balanced Spectrum grow light bulb – https://amzn.to/3fdeAAu

Aosbeic Grow light 4ft.x 4ft. – https://amzn.to/3x3l8uu

Monios L LED grow lights – 2 ft. – https://amzn.to/391NmeS

Heat Mat (for propagating) – https://amzn.to/2MSezbk

Heat Mat w/ Thermostat – https://amzn.to/2PIjCwc

Bonsai scissors – https://amzn.to/33a6F29

Hygrometer (humidity monitor) – https://amzn.to/32WtiqO

Moisture meter sticks – https://amzn.to/35FR7Vk

Horticultural charcoal – https://amzn.to/2UKOv25

Organic houseplant fertilizer liquid – https://amzn.to/3pIb7ij

Insecticide/Miticide – (many bug sprays don’t kill spider mites, this one does) – https://amzn.to/3pHKREw

Systemic houseplant insecticide – https://amzn.to/36MuoX8

Espoma Rose Tone (fertilizer for roses and flowering perennials) – https://amzn.to/3m8OGkU

Full disclosure – the last four product links will be much cheaper if you can find them in your local garden center.  I’ve put them here so that you can see what they are called and what they look like, but I’d advise that you buy from these links only as a last resort.

Mercy, peace and love be multiplied to you.