My gardening skill experiences

It is only recently that I was also getting more into gardening (might be due to my interest in planted tanks in my another blog) that I feel that it would be good for me to keep a record of the plants that I have been taking care of and also update them for people to appreciate them if they share the same hobby as me.

Below are the plants and other info as well:
- Aloe Vera

This is the granny aloe vera. The deco was for CNY but lazy to remove them.

This is mommy aloe vera. She now has 3 plantlets with her now. Here you see only 2. Beside her you will also see a small aloe vera (from granny aloe vera) with a small xue liu.

This is the 2 aloe vera in a pot. They come from granny aloe vera. They are growing now. May separate them or plant them in a bigger pot.

I have 4 pots of aloe vera. The first one was from my mother-in-law which she kept for many years and gave it to me as a gift. It was brought from Malaysia and is the bigger version, similar to the ones we saw in the market where they are sold for consumption. Since it cannot grow anymore (due to pot size), it is big but not as big as you see those on sale in the market. Since then, it has been providing me with many small aloe vera which I had to dig them out and replanted them. I shall call this one granny aloe vera. I have just bought a new pot for granny so hopefully, maybe this weekend, I would be able to transfer her to a new pot and see her grow.

I have another aloe vera which I have digged out from granny aloe vera and has been growing well. Recently it just got promoted to be a mother (got 2 small aloe vera at the side of it. Will call this mommy aloe vera).

I also have 3 more small aloe vera which does not look well now but hopefully they would be well like the rest of the aloe vera that is beside them. Putting small aloe vera with bigger ones seems to provide them a better environment to grow. At least I have not tried isolating them.

- Jin Qian Shu (Zamia zamiaculous)


This one is also given to me by my mother in law. It initially was a big bunch and my mother-in-law split it into two. She took half of it while I took the other half. Initially it does not grow any shoots and I was wondering what was wrong with it. Finally it started to have shoots (before Chinese New Year) and does constantly have shoots now. Also had 2 flowers but grows to the side (must be growing towards the sunlight).

- Money plant (Heartleaf Philodendron)


Another gift from my mother-in-law. It was in a bad state after I got it from her. She has helped to replanted it (she mentioned someone had cut the tip of the money plant so cannot grow). Anyway, it was growing too much that I decided to put two of it to decorate my shallow planted tank and recoil the money plant. How slightly better.

- Xue Liu (Puncia granatum)

The one on the left was almost bare when I came back from ICT. The other one was completely bare. I have removed the other one and transplanted another xue liu into this pot (since it is bigger).

The xue liu on the left is an interesting one as it is the only that split. Beside it is a small xue liu (like that ever since).

Just got some seeds from a lady at FarmMart and my sister and I tried to grow them. I have managed to grow 7 initially and they have been with me since. I have transplanted 2 to a new and bigger pot before I go ICT but they lose most of their leaves when I came back. Was taught by a lady at the nursery to cut the top of the plant so it can grow at the sides. I have tried that on these two only. Also have a pot of three but one of them is always so small. Still lazy to shift it.

- Ju Zhi shu (Citrus sinensis)
The better looking one and now growing many new leaves. Also got a flower blossom.

The one on the left (repotted twice). Now looks better. Should have seen it when I came back from ICT.

Got two of them as a gift from my father-in-law for my Chinese New Year and house warming. Was initially placed between the main door and now are placed at the corridor. One of them was placed at the staircase before (try out the environment) but too much sun and not enough water almost killed it (before I came back from ICT). It had a hard time too as it was previously on a pot stand and strong wind blew it down the stairs. Had to replace the pot twice as the initial one was too small. Now it is recovering but still has many leaves dropping around.

- Chilli padi
They look lazy since I think the afternoon and evening sun was too strong. After u water them, they will be up again. Heavy water drinker. See them you will know. Good indicator for water requirement.

Had tried to keep these before but failed miserably. Had managed to keep a few tall ones but had very little flowers and also most keep losing their leaves. Finally I removed all of them and start all over again. Now got seven of them (five in a long pot while two in a pot with another unknown plant). Now the 5 are growing well after I have transplanted them to a long pot. Some are rather big but still no flowers yet. Also removed 2 since I have too many already.

- Guan Yin Zhu


This is another gift from my mother-in-law. It looks ok when it was here but things turn for the worse as leaves turn brown and it looks like dying. Because it grew a long branch (it can survive), I decided to cut off all the leaves and leave the branches, hoping that they would grow new leaves and branches. This is what it looks like after cutting off most of the leaves.

- Unknown plant 1


My wife wanted me to eat the leaves so reduce my cholesterol. I don't like the taste (poison as my wife put it whenever she has to drink tonic) so I ignore her but still kept the plant. Once we cut the stem gave away the top of the plant to her colleagues. Then we saw it grow at the sides again. Last Sunday I took it all out and replanted 2 while giving away the rest. One of them is recovering from the transplanting while the other is not so good yet.

- Unknown plant 2
This plant is given to me by my mother-in-law due to its medical use. It looks nice (purple colour plant and can grow anywhere, as long as it has contact with the soil and it will grow roots from the stem). Had some but have been throwing quite a bit.

- Unknown plant 3

This plant was found growing in the pot of granny aloe vera. It looks interesting so I decided to keep it. Have managed to transplant it into a small pot and growing quite well. Hope it stays that way. It also seems easy to keep.

- Unknown plant 4

Also found growing in the pot of granny aloe vera. However, it seems hurt during the second transplanting and looks like dying. Hope to take a picture of it before it completely died. Maybe tonight or in the weekends, if possible.