Thanks Elaine and Anne for the responses :).
I've taken it out of its pot and it has plenty of room to stretch it's feet. I can only see fine/thin roots on the sides and the thicker roots directly on the bottom of the soil. I'm guessing these things like to burrow deep but don't really spread their roots out much.
Yes, Portland weather is very random. Summers are hot but will sometimes rain out of nowhere and the winters are either really mild or really freezing and windy. You really never know what you are going to get.
Thanks for the recommendations on the lights. I'd like to upgrade mine since it isn't big enough for my rangoon or the other 5 plants under it or atleast after they get a good size.
Very helpful tip Anne! I've been considering getting some kind of heating instrument for my plants... I don't have any that are ultra tropical or at least to my knowledge. I did buy a kahili ginger that isn't doing good but I'm not surprised. It must not be humid enough. I used to enjoy misting my plants but the jury's out on whether or not it does anything so I kind of just stopped doing it. Misting is a very controversial subject from what I've read online :).
I love the idea of growing plants indoors and find it fun seeing how each will do... so just for fun I will list my successes and failures!
Success,
Gardenia-touchy and doesn't bloom a lot but I don't think I could handle 3 or more open flowers at once in an enclosed space lol.
Fuchsia "Double otto"- Bloomed like crazy in my room in the dead of winter. Unfortunately this one succumbed to whitey after I moved it outside for the summer.
Morning glory "Sora blue"and moonvine.
The most amazing accomplishment... the morning glory had 10 new flowers a day and bloomed non stop for a period of several months. I was very shocked. The moon vine had one huge flower open but I didn't detect any fragrance. In fact, I've never been able to smell them.
Michelia figo- happily growing but still young so no flowers.
Wandering jew
Zonal geranium, - will happily bloom with decent light.
Climbing rose, very fast growing and may actually bloom.
Failures,
Osmanthus fragrans- leaves got dry and stiff/hard
Vigna caracalla aka snail vine - can overwinter but needs way more light then likely any house could provide.
Flame vine- I've tried 4... I admit defeat ;)
Gingers- very high humidity requirements.
-Any plant in the trumpet vine family
Jacobs ladder - (see heliotrope)
Heliotrope - seedlings will just stop growing and then die and adult plants dont do much either
Rhododendron/azalea... never tried either of these indoors but they hate my mom and I as neither of us can grow them... oddly enough they are everywhere in our city but we have no luck.
Japanese honeysuckle- for such an aggressive and invasive plant I feel ashamed to add this to my list of indoor failures. It got powdery mildew on its leaves that I couldn't get rid of.
So there you have it. Some plants can adapt to indoor life quite well. Others will just drop dead the moment you bring them inside. Next I'm thinking about trying a Chinese wisteria but don't really wanna wait 10+ years for a flower so I think I'll pass it up for something else.
