Craig is someone I’ve spoken to quite early on when I started Instagram. Another human who legit has magic fingers or something because all his plants are growing beautifully and into INSANE sized specimens in his plant room. I have so much respect for how he can turn everything he brings in, into something insanely beautiful (I’m just jealous and want him to take care of all my plants lol). His Instagram is one of those that deserves more recognition in my eyes! Let’s get to know him more.

 Belle: Let's start with something super basic, what is your day time job and what are your other interests that's not plants?

Craig: My day job is super boring, I work for a local council dealing with environmental crime and antisocial behaviour/neighbour disputes.

One thing I’ve realised over the last couple of years is how much I love to be outside in nature, so I love going for walks or just sitting outside somewhere with a nice view. We’re lucky to live a 5 minute walk from the countryside so we make the most of that.

Belle: When did you get into plants and what was your first plant?

Craig: I had quite a big collection of cacti in 2015/16 but I properly got into plants in the second half of 2018. My first plants were a string of pearls and Philodendron brasil from Twisted Leaf and Vine. It was realising Lois (who runs @twistedleafandvine) lives in the same city as me and we could go plant shopping together that really concreted the obsession.

 Belle: Do you think reading about plants and care helped you turn everything you touch into gold?! Lol or is it more learning from experience over time? And what’s one plant you’re extremely proud of?

Craig: A bit of both! I think you need to have a certain level of knowledge which you can gain from reading others’ experiences, but I much prefer to give it a go and learn from my own mistakes - at the end of the day they’re just plants.

That’s a tough one! I have quite a few plants that have grown better than I expected, I’d say I’m probably most proud of my Philodendron billietiae, I got it from a really shady exporter for stupidly cheap and it’s grown like crazy, it’s inconveniently big now…

Belle: What are the conditions you grow your plants in? (temperature, humidity, light) Would you say you tailor to your plant’s needs or also let them adjust to your space too … kind of like survival of the fittest. 

Craig: So most of my plants are in my grow tent, I have quite a big one from Mars Hydro that I’ve put a few shelves in. I don’t supplement heat in any way so temperatures are dropping to around 16 degrees overnight, rising to around 20/21 in the day. It’ll be much warmer in spring/summer. Again, I don’t really need to boost humidity as the tent keeps everything between 90-100% most of the time. I air it out and let it drop as low as I can once a day. Light wise I have the TS1000 from Mars Hydro and run it at around 25% strength, I’ve arranged the plants so that the ones that need higher light are closer to it, velvet plants in particular can tolerate much lower light so I have them further from it.

Luckily all my plants have pretty similar requirements, I definitely don’t try and meet the exact needs of every plant so I’ll avoid anything that needs really specific conditions or just hope it’ll adapt 🤷🏻‍♂️

Belle: I know you own a few things that might not be as popular in the mainstream, what are some of your favourite plants in your collection that you think are underrated?

Craig: I think my favourite less common plant that I have is my Anthurium propinquum - it has huge, really tactile leaves and bright purple roots! I’m currently working on pollinating it. Ulearum donburnsii is another fave that hasn’t quite gained the attention it deserves. 

Belle: Tell us 3 useful information that other people might benefit from:

Craig: Don’t try and collect every single plant! I definitely made this mistake early on and wanted to buy every plant I liked. You’ll quickly find it too much hard work, too expensive and too time consuming.

Don’t neglect airflow. Especially if you have a humidifier close to your plants or grow them in an enclosed space.

Pests are just a part of growing plants, there’s no point getting stressed about them. Try to keep on top of your plant care so your plants are as healthy as they can be. A healthy plant is less susceptible to pests than an unhealthy plant.

Belle: What have you learnt from the plant community since you started this Instagram?

Craig: That everybody else’s plants will always look better? 😂 

I’ve realised how much we all have to learn! There’s so many knowledgeable people out there who are willing to share information which is great. I love reading through posts where someone is asking for advice and picking up tips, but I always keep in my mind to take everything with a pinch of salt. What works for one person may not work for me. 

Belle: A lot of your plants are from private sellers and some sellers wouldn’t want people to disclose their name. How would you recommend a new hobbyist to find and approach private sellers?

Craig: Be nice! Seriously, just be nice to people. Don’t just hit someone with a “how much is this?”, most people are just collectors and it comes across as really entitled. Just speak to people, make friends, learn, and don’t expect to be able to track down every one of your wishlist plants as soon as you decide you want them.

Belle: How do you ensure that the plants you own don’t overwhelm you?

Craig: That happened to me quite early on and it became more stressful than enjoyable. I sold/swapped/gave away probably around half of my plants to get down to a number I was happier with. Lately I’ve not really been buying plants unless it’s something that I really want for a good price. If I see something I’m tempted to buy I’ll stop and think about it for a while to make sure I really want it. A lot of the time it’s sold already so that solves it for me, but mostly I realise I’m not that bothered anyway.