Catalino Lopez, above, transplants rex begonias in the greenhouse. Bromeliads line a long table, right, with dracaena sun ray plants in hanging baskets above.
area of the house or office they want to place it,” she said. “They need to know what the lighting is.” Also: “How tall do you want it? Do you want trailing plants? What’s the pot size? What are the water needs? Are there any pet issues?” New plant owners might want to look at what Bettencourt calls “starter plants,” such as pothos or peace lily, which are more forgiving if you forget to water for a day or two. She also recommends gauging how often you’re home. Two plants she suggests for busy people: sansevieria and dracaenas, each of which can stand varying light levels and need not be—indeed, should not be—watered every day. “You want plants like that so that you’re not failing at being a plant parent,” Bettencourt said. “People don’t want to fail and we don’t want them to fail, either. That’s why education is so important.” Godfrey stressed the impor tance of checking moisture levels in the soi l, a long with l ight and temperature levels, before filling up the watering can. “As you get into higher temperatures and higher light levels, the plant is going to be more metabolically active,” Godfrey said. “If it’s cooler and darker, the plant
isn’t photosynthesizing as much, and so it’s not going to need as much water.” Looking ahead Bettencourt said she expects 2022 to look a lot like 2021, to an extent—while the rare-plant fans will still be out there, she also sees people who have gone back to the of f ice or changed jobs and adjusted their interests accordingly. “I think the trend is going to be that they’re going to now want plants that are easier to take care of because they are back to work,” Bettencourt said. Godfrey said she thinks the pandemic prompted “rethinking of what’s important in different types of relationships.” “I don’t think that connection of plants is going away,” she said. “I think it’s going to really stay with us—the importance of having some life in your home and being able to real ly enjoy that at night when you’re inside.”
Kevin Hecteman khecteman@californiabountiful.com
14
January/February 2022
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