Do you have a green or black thumb?

Culture & Society Forum

Some people are just naturals when it comes to raising and maintaining a healthy plant. These people are generally known for having a "green thumb", a magic touch that helps their gardens and houseplants flourish.
Then there are those of us who have what I like to call a "black thumb", meaning that plants in their possession usually shrivle up and die from a lack of proper maintenance, or that person's complete inability or bad luck regarding plant life.
Personally I have a black thumb. If it's not an animal that I can tell when their food dish is empty, it's just not going to survive around me. Perhaps when I get a real home instead of an apartment, I'll try to change the color of my thumb, but for now, it's plastic plants for me!
What's the color of your thumb?

I too have a black thumb, I think it runs in my family, my mum had one too, so i never learnt any love of gardening or anything like that.

My lawn is dying at the moment and i have tried EVERYTHING i can think of to get it to grow, but it won't do it. Everyone else in teh street has glorious green lawns and I have dead horrible patchy lawn. I am so embarrassed by it, so if anyone has any tips? Cheers.

Try covering your patchy lawn with pebbles or small rocks.

I have one green thumb and one black thumb. I get started in gardening and do well, but my mother ends up having to rescue my plants. She loves gardening.

I get bored with things very easily, so I get off to a good start on gardening, but want a new project.

I think that's why I'm in the business I'm in. There are such a variety of projects coming and going that it's always changing. I would rather hire landscapers and plant care takers to do gardening.

I don't even own any plants anymore. They all belong to my mother. They see me coming and they curl up their leaves and hide.

My thumbs have a split personality. One wants to care for the plants, and the other wants to be lazy about them.

I have one of each. My flower garden is very nice. All the neighbors love it in the spring. However, I have a black thumb with house plants. They never survive.

I come from a long line of "green" thumbs. And the one thing I have learned is that anyone can do it.

I am mainly an indoor person, I don't have any outdoor gardening space. You have to choose a plant that works with your level of care. Something low maintenance will grow well. Then you need the right conditions. After that you water and prune at will.

You may not believe this but you can do it. I have 34 plants at home and 25 plants at work all of various sizes and types. Some of the ones at work would not survive at home because they need that constant light.

I have one plant that is 20 years old, it was passed on to me by my mother. It is still alive and it has had many off shoots that are also doing well. It is a Pothos. They are hard to kill.

Come on "brown" thumbs, get one plant and learn about it, I know you can do it.

I love trying experiments with plants to see how they will survive. I have a "dumbcane" that I decided to try and grow in a water only environment. It works very well. It "dwarfs" the growth. Dunbcanes can get really huge when grown in dirt.

I also have a peacelily growing in water instead of dirt. It has lasted longer than than I could ever have hoped. It does better in water than in dirt. I love when my experiments become success.

Pothos also grows well in water only. Snip off a few trails (this also makes the potted pplant bushy) and drop them in a small vase or container, fill with water. Best place to keep it is on top of the fridge. It's warm there and you usually have constant artificial light in the kitchen.

I haven't ever owned a jade, but now that you mention it I think I am going to give it a try. They are so beautiful when they "grow up".