Plants for Boys transcript

Plants are good Not only are they oxygen-emitting life forms that can give us a sense of purpose They can also, almost better than anything else, completely transform and elevate your home But unlike most of your other furniture if you don't take care of them, they'll die My house plant experience for most of my life went like this: Go to the store, buy a plant that I think looks cool Get a pot that I think looks cool Get home Water it a lot at first Maybe too much Notice it's dying, kind of Try and make it not die Notice it's dead Then I repeat the whole process Six months later, it's no fun I should be able to do this So me and Zach talked to some of our smartest plant friends We scrolled the pages of r/houseplants which is both wholesome and a little weird We read two books, skimmed a third went to some really cool nurseries, and finally we bought a bunch of plants And through this journey I learned how to choose a plant how to buy a plant, and finally, how to keep your house plants happy, healthy, and not dead How to choose a plant.

To pick out a plant There are really just three basic things to consider Think of it like three filters First, the environment that the plant will be in. Sometimes you pick a plant that you think looks cool Sometimes you have a specific room or spot and you choose the plant based on that Either way, you need to know what plants will work in a given environment This apparently is like one of the biggest if not the biggest thing I'm talking about the amount of sunlight the humidity, the types of animals in your environment because some plants are poisonous The biggest mistake is just like alright, let me grab this plant and then figure out where to put it after What people don't realize is when you're bringing a plant into your home that plant has to have the environment that it was in at the nursery because you can't stick a monstera or something like that in like a dark bedroom you have to be sure that you have enough light Are you putting a plant in a shady spot?

Well, a peace lily will love that Or is it by a window getting blasted by direct sunlight? Get a succulent like a jade plant Does your dog eat everything? Some plants are toxic to dogs, like aloe vera So maybe get a calathea A bathroom is a great place for a plant Immediate vibes, but the humidity from the shower could rot a little baby prickly pear cactus, but a Boston fern? A Boston fern would love it Temperature Temperature, I was surprised to learn usually is not a huge concern Most plants like the temperatures that we like So just don't put anything next to a heat source like a radiator or an AC vent And also, when you water it make sure that your water is room temperature and not super cold or super hot You can either cook the roots or shock them Number two What is your level of commitment?

What are your intentions with my plant? Be honest with yourself, right? You can go absolutely bonkers I'm talking humidifiers high-potassium fertilizers, testing the pH of your compost, artificial lighting asking friends to water your plants while you're out of town And if they do it wrong you can't be friends with them This plant, apparently hard to take care of Didn't know But for those of us who are just getting started, it's probably best to narrow down our options to relatively low maintenance resilient plants Because if you start out crazy and they die you're going to give up on plants for the rest of your life So let's get some wins under our belt and go from there I just want something that I can keep alive So with that in mind, here are five plants that you pretty much cannot kill I mean, you can.

You could You can burn them But they are very hard to kill accidentally Pothos or pothos? Nobody knows Never will No way to find out I say some people say pathos. Honestly because, like, it's your plant You can say however the hell you want You know, like who cares? They're the vine guys You put them on bookshelves, windowsills corner tables, anywhere that you need some vine Pothos will treat you fine And if you think that going down is cool wait till you see them go up So if you have like some exposed brick or wood beams, these mofos will climb them Snake plant, aka the mother-in-law's tongue Yuck Sounds like porn that Republicans watch You can neglect the snake plant for months and come back to a living plant They grow great in low light but they do better in medium to bright light NASA found them to be one of the best plants for filtering toxins from the air They also release oxygen at night so if you put one in your bedroom it's impossible to drown in your dreams Jade plant You know, we had to throw a succulent in the mix and this girl is fit Just make sure that it gets a lot of sun The only real way to kill a jade is to overwater it It's from the desert Perfect for a sunny windowsill Lucky bamboo Now, technically, it's not actually bamboo They need, like, zero light Just water it and you can't kill it.

Also I guess fours are bad luck They bring negative energy and are thought to be a death wish So make sure that your plant has any amount of stalks besides four ZZ plants These guys have water-storing rhizomes in their roots that let them survive months of neglect So sometimes people think like low light means no light, but it actually means like you have to have some type of light You know what I mean? But they're low-light tolerant to where Like if you have like a sliver of light, you can put a ZZ or snake plant in there I feel like those two plants if like you kill those, like you just shouldn't have plants And the third filter of how to pick a plant What looks cool to you?

Are you into Venus flytraps you freaking weirdo? Do you like the desert vibe? Do you like a tropical vibe? Do you like, like, more of a woody vibe? It's all very subjective but I do want to give you a few tips First, repeat one Vary the rest So when it comes to sizes textures, shapes it's good to have one element that remains consistent while everything else varies For instance, if you're going for a leafy jungle vibe got yourself a pothos got yourself a Swiss cheese plant you got a heartleaf philodendron and they're all basically the same size It's not going to feel very interesting So mix up the shapes with the snake plant's stiff vertical spikes, the colors with a rose calathea's purple leaves or the size with some large bird of paradise Which bird?

Paradise Basically, if everything is the same, it's kind of boring If everything is different it feels chaotic, so having one or two unifying elements helps create cohesion while the variety in other areas keeps it dynamic Even just having the same style of pot can unify some pretty chaotic mixes of plants When you're first getting into plants I think the easiest way to do it is terracotta Terracotta holds moisture so they're kind of helping you in a sense So like the terracotta material holds moisture So like it's kind of like a cheat code and it kind of looks sick too, like just having everything all uniform like mixing plants in the same room I don't think that's the worst at all Our second piece of aesthetic advice Size matters Again, consider the space that the plant is going to live in Do you want a plant for your side table?

Well, don't get something that takes up the whole table because then the table is useless Want to put something in your corner? Well, make sure that it adequately fills up the space A short plant on the floor looks awkward Plants can make a great centerpiece on a coffee table But beware, because those are places where you want to have conversations and it's very easy to accidentally block sight lines with a plant that's too big So get some little guys like succulents or nerve plants And with all of this remember that if everything goes well your plants are going to grow Final piece of aesthetic advice think in three dimensions Now you might remember this from our interior design video Don't just put your plants on shelves or tables that are basically the same height That's boring Put a big guy like my fiddle leaf fig over here on the floor.

Put some little succulents on the credenza Hang a pothos up high Think in three dimensions Your room is not just wide it's tall So once you've figured out the environment, commitment level and what we want our plant to look like How do we buy a plant? Chapter two how to buy a plant Big box stores can be very tempting and while they're not a bad option for some of the standard stuff like a $5 polka dot plant or a $10 pothos there are drawbacks I mean, honestly, when I first started I bought a plant at Home Depot because it's like, that's what we all know Like it's just there It's cheap So at like a big box store there's bugs and pests and stuff like that that come with those plants because they're just like, they're not grown ethically, I guess you could say.

Like once you get into it, you realize, like you know, the quality of plants is what truly matters 100% Like, if I can get it local no matter what it is, I'm getting it local When you go to a plant shop, this is literally like their bread and butter So like, this is all they do This is what they specialize in So like you know, you're getting a good plant when you shop local And there are good reasons that you should go to your local nursery instead One, they generally take better care of plants Think puppy mill versus breeder.

Two The workers themselves are a great resource Come to the right place Say you have an empty corner or an empty shelf Then you can ask whoever works at the nursery or the plant shop Like, hey Like, even show them a picture You're like, hey, this is the lighting I get What type of plant can I put? So that way you're not just blindly choosing and then setting yourself up with that And three, nurseries carry plants that you really can't find anywhere else Local nurseries will source varieties from local growers And just in general like buying stuff locally is better By the way, we've been using the common names for plants this whole video but there is a formal naming convention That's good to know if you're really going to start getting into it The genus and species are the main way to label a plant but there are genetic varieties within species as well as human-bred cultivars So someone could be like hey, nice monstera It's actually a Monstera deliciosa Borsigiana Albo Variegata And they'll be like Okay So nurseries typically price plants based on how much work that they put into them So mature plants tend to be more expensive And if you want something more full-grown at a really good price Facebook Marketplace is full of plants We actually got all these plants right here from easyplant Not technically a sponsor of this video but they did send us some plants and they said that they would give you guys a discount if you want to get a plant immediately You can go to easyplant.com/speeed for 10% off.

They're self-watering and only need water once a month So it's super easy if you're, you know, watering challenged Yeah, dude, this big-ass plant showed up with the UPS guy and he was like, there's plants in here And I was like, I guess And then we opened them up and turns out really nice plants in there Oh, also no bugs Okay so you've bought a plant How do you make sure that your new plant doesn't die? Chapter three how to take care of a plant So there are three primary things that you can control to keep your plant alive and healthy Number one killer of indoor plants is too much water I know you'd think it would be too little water Turns out everyone thinks that.

I get it Watering your plant is kind of the plant version of, like playing with your pet It's not a very interactive experience so don't get all bored and water it every day Because if your soil is soggy you're going to get root rot Put that On Garm We have this thing called On Garm our limited merch program where we'll say something in a video Then we'll put it on a shirt or a hat, and it's only available until the next On Garm item comes out So usually maybe a week, but it's super limited so if you want it, go ahead and get it Good luck Godspeed Only available at speeed.com Cool I won't water it too much I'll figure out a schedule What about...

What about every other... What about every Tuesday? Wrong You can't do it on a schedule A lot of factors can affect when and how much water your plant needs The more sun they get, the more water they drink What time of year is it? Are they surrounded by a bunch of other plants? How humid is the room? Just check in on it Say, hey. Hey, buddy How you doing? And then you feel the top two inches of the compost with your fingers So I stick my finger into the soil about, like, my first knuckle And if you feel any moisture leave it alone.

If, like any soil is sticking to your finger leave it alone But if it's dry to touch then that's when you water it You can check once a week but that doesn't necessarily mean water once a week You want to make sure the entire root ball gets water, so water the top of the soil evenly and thoroughly until water comes out of the drainage holes Then make sure that you empty the saucer If your plant is sitting in a puddle of water, then your soil is going to get soggy And if your soil is soggy you're going to get root rot Succulents are a bit of a different story Even if the soil is dry You can wait until the leaves start wrinkling a little Then do a complete watering.

For succulents bottom watering is ideal You got to remember these guys are from the desert, okay? They don't want to They don't want a lot of water So what kind of water do I water my plant with? Should you use this like, distilled water or... I use either Brita or Zero If you water with just straight tap water, you start seeing like little brown spots on your leaves And it's because of all the chemicals But the most important thing no matter what type of water you use is make sure it's like room temperature I'm not going to get super into fertilizers plant-specific, but sometimes it might be worth adding a little plant food to your water especially in the spring or summer Plant food is a little cocktail of stuff like nitrogen phosphorus, and potassium Your plant is not going to die without it but it will grow faster with it Just be sure to water it with regular water first, then with plant food We found that a lot of people don't like it It's kind of like giving your plant roids You'll see a difference for sure Like you'll definitely see like greener leaves and, like, bigger leaves But like, I just think especially for beginners if the idea is for you to freaking not kill it, you're just overcomplicating it by adding fertilizer I think it's cheating because, like, there's no fertilizer in the jungle, you know?

Like so it's like, my plants too they're going to be hardcore Put that On Garm as well Bonus On Garm Who knew that a plant video would be so damn quotable? No fertilizer in the jungle That is badass Dude, that is so badass Next thing that you can control plant is light You got your plant, you put it in a spot and you're like, I think he'll be happy here Here's the thing You could be wrong So if your plant's leaves are yellowing or browning it might be getting too much sun If it looks like it's stretching out and reaching towards a light source it might not be getting enough sun And unfortunately, a lot of plant problems can show up as the same symptom It can be pretty confusing They can't talk to you yet.

Speeed and AI are working on something So make sure you subscribe so you'll be sure to hear about that Or the Legion of Speeed, our membership program will probably most likely be the first group to hear about talking plants if we crack that So you can learn more about that at speeed.com along with those two shirts that we made But generally, too much light affects the plant asymmetrically and on the higher, outermost leaves While too much water affects older leaves that are closer to the soil Now these are all generalizations So if your plant is sick look up what its symptoms mean for that specific species And when you see dead leaves whether from overwatering too much sunlight, or just old age Be sure to prune them Dying leaves take up resources from the rest of the plant Another thing which is kind of embarrassing that can stop your plant from getting the light that it needs, are dirty leaves So wipe down your leaves with a damp cloth Especially plants with big leaves And the third thing that you can control for the health of your plant is the pot and the stuff that goes in it Technically, it's not soil it's potting mix or compost Most common plants use an all-purpose compost, but the more niche your plant the more likely that you will need a specific compost Succulents, for example need a very coarse compost to let water drain away quicker And whatever you do don't use garden soil for indoor plants Gardens are part of a big ongoing ecosystem There's little microbes and little worms and stuff in there, things that can't be supported by your plants Cool pot Speaking of cool pots it's very nice to have a pot with drainage holes but if you have a really cool pot that doesn't have drainage holes you can always put your plant in a plastic pot and put that pot into your cool looking ceramic pot which will then just act as a big saucer Make sure that your pot is big enough for your plants roots, but not too big You want your plant's home to be about 2 to 5cm bigger than the root ball Too small and the roots will circle around themselves choking off their own water and nutrient flow The ratio of compost to roots will be off and it'll make it harder for the compost to stay moist but a pot that's too big can also be a problem Compost will stay too wet for too long and then you're going to get root rot Also, if it's too big, your plant is going to invest way more energy in growing out its roots before pushing the top growth And the top growth is the part that we want Now, over time you're going to have to upgrade your pot size If water starts draining straight through or you see roots coming out of the top or the bottom hey, it's time to get a bigger pot Even if you don't need to put your plants into a larger pot every year or two you should swap out their compost because they're going to eat all the nutrients in there Jesse has had the same plant for ten years We used it as a prop in Miracle Whips, which is a show that like a few of you really loved Look at that guy back then Look at it now Plants are little companions that grow with you throughout the years and remind you of the time that has passed It's not fatherhood Zach was very adamant that I say that But there is something that happens when you're responsible for a living thing You start to notice more You develop an eye for when something needs attention before it's in crisis Your plant doesn't care how busy you are It probably doesn't even understand the concept of a job It just needs what it needs And meeting that consistently without excuse is quietly one of the most grounding things you can do Plus, a house full of green stuff looks cool It is an absolute vibe Start with the pothos see where it grows Thanks, guys, for watching this video We make videos about all kinds of different stuff, so if you haven't seen those, go check them out And if you like a few of them maybe consider hitting that subscribe button Go to speeed.com We have a bunch of stuff going on We make clothes Go get a plant Honestly, they look sick More oxygen is generally a good thing and it's nice to take care of something that's relatively low stakes Get a shot of this for me for later Personal archives