As far as I can tell, the starter still lives.;
As do the plants. Well, and, for the last time, the schefflera is gone. Gone, but, obviously not forgotten.
It is a trauma, to be sure, however, not the first, nor the last. And, I will forget it, once the new cuttings get going.
Back to the starter; it is behaving just as a new starter should. It bubbles after being fed, inflates for a few hours, then deflates; waiting to be fed, once again.
It smells like paste, the kind one makes for homeschooled children. It smells like flour. Yuck. That is one of the things I miss about the mature starter; that lack of acidity to the smell. No difference when making a roux; if you do not cook it long enough, it, too, smells, and tastes like “just flour”. Yuck.
Time, and patience, is what this newest starter needs. I happen to have, as far as I can tell, a bit of both at present. I do believe the Lord is trying to teach me about patience; showing me that watering my plants too often, wanting them to grow before my eyes, is just a form of impatience.
I have listened, and have adjusted my practice; I no longer water all of the plants every morning. Duh!!! I have the philodendrons, the peace lily, and the airplane plants, all in the spare bedroom, as far away from me as they can be. Now that they are looking quite lovely, and healthy, and, now that I have stopped drowning them, I can take pride in knowing that they live. I have not killed them, and they are happy(ier).
The very small Sansevierias are all showing new offshoots, so they are all doing well, too. The palms are both upright, so, a good note there, as well. I have ordered six African violets, but will be receiving nine, as the order was delayed from Colima, six hours East of here. They asked if, by not cancelling my original order for six, would I accept having them send nine plants. Well, heck yes, I accept. I can find plenty of space for violets.
I wish you could have seen the violet I left up North. It was gorgeous. Once I learned to water it from the bottom, sitting in a saucer of water for fifteen minutes, weekly, it took off like wild fire. It was healthy, deep purple, with leaves that looked like velvet.
This company is sending a mix of colors; pink, purple, white, and yellow, I believe. I have never seen, personally, any other color than purple, so we shall see. I just hope they get here before we go to LA again. I would have for them to sit in a box for four days and nights.
When we get back, I will let you know how that all transpired. I am taking one of the Sansevierias for Jesús’ mom in exchange for the airplane plants she gave me. This way she will not have to worry about watering it very often. She is too busy a woman to have another mouth to feed.
That said, please, stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe. Wash your hands, cover your mouth, and protect your loved ones.