Welcome back plant friends to sadly the last plant of the week for spring 2021. I felt like this week, I would share with you my first self-purchased plant: the philodendron micans.

I got this bad boy fall 2019, which was my first year in Pullman. This plant holds a special place in my heart. I walked into A Modern Plantsman in Colfax as a naive 21-year-old not knowing what to expect.

I had owned a few plants prior to this one, but I had help from my very knowledgeable mother. This one was all on me, and I had to figure out how to take care of it.

I spotted her hidden behind a bunch of plants and pots, and I felt that instant connection, that love at first sight type of feeling. I quickly snagged Lisa up, no idea what plant it was or how to care for it. Eight dollars later, I was the proud owner of a micans.

Looking back now, I scored an incredible deal. Micans became very popular throughout 2020, and prices jumped from $8 to about $45. I am very thankful that I paid the lowest amount.

I did mess up with this one, and I didn’t even realize it. Thanksgiving break 2019, I went back home to spend time with my family and left that bad boy sitting on the windowsill in my apartment. Big mistake, HUGE.

Apartments tend to have thin windows, so when freezing temperatures hit, they hit hard. My poor baby froze half to death sitting in that sill for five days.

I watched her get really sad, but after about six months, she perked right back up and was growing like crazy. As many philodendrons require, Lisa can tolerate bright indirect light to low indirect light. For her to grow back, I did have her in bright indirect, but once she settled and was comfortable, I moved her to low indirect and she’s doing just fine.

One of my favorite things about any philodendron is that you can very obviously tell when they need to be watered: their leaves collapse dramatically and will perk up when rehydrated.

With growing season upon us, I fertilize Lisa every other week with an organic fertilizer. I find that Fox Farms sells a great selection of all-natural fertilizers that don’t smell! As much as I love my fish emulsions, I can’t tolerate the stench of it.

Fox Farms fertilizer doesn’t have a smell to it, so I can fertilize my babies inside the house. I personally like the Big Blooms Liquid Concentrate as it can be used universally with indoor plants.

I love my micans and find that she is a very easy house plant to take care of. Vining philodendrons are probably the easiest plants to take care of, and they come in so many varieties. Other than micans, I also love my brazil and my heartleaf.

I hope, after following along with plant of the week, you found some inspiration to get some houseplants, and you can always reference these columns for any advice. You don’t need to have a green thumb to take care of plant babies, it’s all about practice. Who cares if you kill a few plants, it’s all about the journey.