Duc

 I’ve spoken to Duc towards the start of my plant journey and enjoyed our chats and also the level of sass he brings into my life. Sometimes when I watch his reels, it legit gives me that extra energy to my day (one of his reels was shared by Instagram and now has 940k VIEWS!). He’s also raised approximately 2k Euros for the BLM movement this year. He always speaks his mind and has always been 100% authentic which I admire. So, let’s get to know him more!

Belle: Let’s start with the basic things in life that people would want to know about you. What is your day job?

Duc: I’m a speech therapist and mainly work with vietnamese children.

Belle: When did you start collecting plants and what was your first plant, do you still own it?

Duc: I started collecting plants in midsummer of 2019. Before that I just had random plants in different pots :D. The first plant I even did some research on and then bought was a variegated Monstera deliciosa. Meanwhile I’ve already sold the plant, but still have different cuttings of it here.

Belle: Could you tell us about your set up at home? Are your plants in a greenhouse? What humidity/temperature do you have your plants in?

Duc: All of my precious plants are in a closed environment - in cabinets, terrariums or selfmade “greenhouses”. I just want them to thrive and also cat secure haha. Overall they live in 60 % - 90 % humidity and about 19 ° C - 22 ° C. I also tend to not go too high on temperature and have some fluctuation to simulate night and daytime. Grow lights (more like normal LEDs with the right Kelvin and Lumen) are running about 14h a day.

Belle: What’s the easiest plant to care for, plant you struggle with, most difficult plant to root?

Duc: Easiest plant: Philodendron Mamei

Plant I struggle with: Alocasia Reginae

Most difficult plant to root: Philodendron Florida Beauty

Belle: I love how you’ve always spoken your mind on different topics, do you think with your growing following, you feel like you have the duty to ensure that people know the facts? Especially newer people who have recently entered this plant hobby.

Duc: With time, definitely! You can’t know everything in the beginning, but being open and doing your own research is essential. Information is key, so is sharing information. Most of us don’t have any background on botanics, we just learn by doing.

Belle: You’ve spoken a few times about the quality of plants sellers are providing, what are a few things you’d look at when buying to ensure that it is a decent plant, and what would you not accept when you unbox a plant?

Duc: I have! That took me a lot of courage to do so on instagram. Especially knowing that not everybody would like it. Talking about plant shops in general checking the plants before sending them off to the customer is so important, stem rot doesn't come from 2-3 days of shipping. I’d definitely take a good look at the stem and of the cut, also if there is a node where new growth can come from. Are the roots okay and according to the size of the plant?

I’d not accept stem rot, root rot, different plant than pictured.

Belle: This year your Instagram has shifted towards speaking about mental health especially sharing your own experiences. Do you think plants for you have helped in this area of your life? And what would you say to people who are struggling?

Duc: Ugh bby grl yes, I never thought I’d share this kind of information on my instagram. Plants have definitely helped me cope with harder times better. It’s giving and taking, there are times when I just can’t be bothered to care for my plants. But then, without my care, they would die and that’s not cute. 

If you can take care of plants successfully, you can also take care of yourself - or the other way round.

 All images belong to Duc @mrplantast