Always Growing

by Catelyn Luckey with Tonya Stoutt-Brown

 

If you ask my family what I think about plants, the response would be that I am OBSESSED. Over the last five years I have collected, raised, and cared for about 100 different species.

 

The biggest thing I’ve learned in all of my time raising plants is that it is mostly trial and error. Nobody is born with a “green thumb.”  

 

It’s okay if you don’t know or understand much at the start of your faith journey. Just get to work growing from where you’re planted.

Learning to Grow

“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.”  – Colossians 2:6-7

 

I was convinced that I just wasn’t cut out to care for pants. Then I decided to prove myself wrong and learn. It wasn’t a one-time, overnight endeavor where I simply did a bunch of research and became the ultimate plant parent (We wish, right?). Each new plant type that I collected proved to be a new challenge – a new battle, if you will. I lost quite a few plants in my endeavors to learn how to care for them.

 

I killed about five Orchids in my attempts to learn to care for them. I now own four healthy Orchids that are flowering again, and one is currently putting out its first “pup” or baby Orchid (which I am VERY excited to see as it is quite rare!).

 

One of the most common, popular, and easiest house plants to care for in my opinion is the Pothos. This is a trailing houseplant with sturdy stems and heart shaped leaves. It comes in many different varieties and colors. 

 

I came about my first Pothos by way of propagation of cuttings that I received from a friend. Since then, I’ve grown these cuttings into massive plants that I am proud to call my own, and I would love to share with you what I have learned. I hope that this inspires you to try and grow a Pothos yourself and encourages you to keep growing in Christ.

 

You don’t have to be delicate like an orchid or strong like a tree to belong in God’s garden. A hearty Pothos is just a simple houseplant, but it can bring just as much joy as it grows and thrives even in the darkest and coldest seasons.

Growing the Pothos

The Pothos is a fairly common houseplant in North America. Hailing from the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia, it comes in many different varieties and colors. The most common varieties are the original Pothos, the ‘Golden’ Pothos, the ‘Marble Queen’ Pothos, and the ‘Neon’ Pothos (My personal favorite is the ‘Marble Queen’ Pothos).

 

This plant is fairly forgiving in terms of care. It can adapt to many different lighting situations and watering habits. It is easily propagated and can be a fast grower in ideal conditions. It is loved for its vibrant leaves and ease of care and abundance of forgiveness for new plant parents.

 

When you buy your Pothos in a store, it is most likely going to be planted in soil in a pot. This is important because it will affect how you care for the Pothos.

Water

“The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.”  – Isaiah 58:11

 

Watering tends to be a subject of difficulty for many would-be plant parents. They tend to over-water, or under-water their plants. Leading to a shriveled, crispy vine, or a black, gooey, pile of sludge.

 

When looking to water a Pothos, first check the pot for a drainage hole so that excess water can drain from the pot and prevent damage to roots. If you have a ceramic pot with no drainage holes, the plant nursery may have placed the plant in a plastic container that has drainage within the ceramic pot.

 

The survival rate of your plant goes up enormously if your plant pot has a drainage hole at the bottom. The only thing I’ll say about watering in a pot with no hole is to be careful.

 

When you go to water your plant, put your index or middle finger in the soil up to the second knuckle. If the soil is dry, it’s time to water and there are two ways to proceed. 

 

1. Top water the plant deeply until the soil is fully saturated from a hose or a sink, then allow the pot to drain all excess water. Make sure not to leave any excess water in any ceramic or glass pots with no holes.
2. Bottom water your plant, filling the sink or another container with water, then setting your plant inside. Let your plant rest and soak in the water for 10 – 15 minutes or until the soil is fully saturated. While this method is more time-consuming for a single plant, it has its benefits. It keeps the soil of your plant from compacting – which can happen when using the top-water method and can cause root rot – and it can be a time saver if you have to water multiple plants at once. You can allow your plants to soak while you complete another task.

 

Regardless of which method you use, be sure to allow the pot to drain thoroughly before replacing your plant back in its home. 

 

Don’t sit and soak in a puddle of sermons or Bible devotions. When you learn from God’s Word, let it soak in and nourish you, then get up and go apply what you’ve learned.

 

Light

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”  – John 1:5

Pothos need light, they love it, it helps them grow. Pothos (remember they hail from the rainforest floor) love light that is filtered, indirect, or in other words, less intense than what your average garden plants like.

 

In most places in the US, putting the Pathos in any window in your house should be just fine, but the leaves, just like human skin, can be burned. When this happens, the leaves turn brown and discolor slightly.

 

While it won’t kill the plant, it may make it unsightly. In order to avoid this, acclimate your plant to any sunnier areas in your house or outside slowly.

 

It’s okay if you don’t have all the answers. If you try too hard to take in too much of the “glorious light” too soon, you might find yourself getting a little spiritually burned out. Growth is meant to be a steady, lifelong process for both plants and people.

Propagation

There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.  – Isaiah 11:1

 

Propagation is the act of taking one plant and turning it into two separate plants via a cutting or separation of the root-ball. My favorite way to propagate plants is water propagation.

 

Water propagation allows me to grow much larger or bushier plants, or even create whole new ones. If you wish, you can even keep a new plant in water indefinitely.

 

 Here are some tips for successful water propagations:

 

●   Keep the water topped up, as you do not want the roots to dry out.

●   Change the water at least once a month, or when it looks dirty.

●   Once the cutting has grown roots, you can add a small amount of fertilizer to the water, allowing it to soak up some of the nutrients that it would normally get from its soil.

 

When you grow, good things and GOD things will come from your life. God wants to “propagate” your growth to bring new believers into the Kingdom.

 I see plants as a long-term art project and a lesson on patience. Just like the plants God has created, we grow and become beautiful in His time.

 

“…being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.    – Philippians 1:6