Don't Quit -- Keep Counting the Blessing!!!: OVERCOMING MY BLACK THUMB SYNDROME

Inspired by my grandma and my mom who is a green thumb, I've attempted to grow plants several times in my life; perhaps since I was in high school. Unfortunately, I was a black thumb!!!!! I killed plants.

My first plants were yellow banana cactus and green footprint cactus I bought in Puncak. People believe that cacti require VERY minimal maintenance. The gardener who I bought the cacti from told me that I only needed to water them a tablespoon a week. One weekend, I went back to Sukabumi to visit my parents. Thus, I left my cacti unwatered. The following week when I returned, I watered each of them 2 tablespoons to make up from the previous week that I forgot. When I got up the next morning, I found a very shocking view of my rotten cacti. I killed them! I called my mom that morning; and she laughed at me. Telling me that I totally didn't inherit her green thumb nature.

The second plant I attempted to grow was an aloe. My mom told me that the thinner the leaf, the more it will require maintenance and water to grow. Same story happened to how I killed my cacti. I thought that aloe would need more water than cacti, so I watered my aloe double. There died my second plant .. an aloe.

I felt discouraged by then. Seven years later, I decided that I would overcome my black thumb syndrome by planting again. I started with 2 aloes I got from Ci Julia Tan at church. Two months later, they're bigger and growing in my pots. So I added 3 more pots of aloes. A year later, they're still growing in my balcony. None had died! Thanks to Vicky who shared with me some of her plant nutrition to keep my aloes healthy.

In celebration of my aloes' first birthday, I introduced a new member to my plants family: a Golden Pothos. These are the pictures of its growth at 6 weeks. Right now, I only have 5 leaves and tiny bit of roots. Hopefully I get to pot it soon when I have enough roots.