The picture is how the moss is looking right now. it is usually sealed the whole day except for about 3 hours around the afternoon. I only used regular potting soil to plant them in along with the soil that they came with when i bought them which i assume is also potting soil. I water using tap water and I do not have an ionic exchange water softener. The soil is mostly all moist on the same level but slightly drier on the bottom. The activated charcoal under the soil seems a bit moist as well. The pebbles on the bottom are completely dry. I heard not to use fertilizer because it would make the plants grow too fast and I don't have any at home as well.

Hi, Sarah - don't worry about 'fitting in'. Everyone is always anxious to help a fellow grower who's in need. A couple of things I noticed, one of which isn't too important, but the other is, is that lifting your pots can be an extremely effective way to gauge the moisture content of the soil. The soils I use are so porous that it's very difficult to over-water, yet I have at least a dozen plants I check regularly by lifting them to see how heavy the planting is, which instantly tells me if they need water. That technique works best for smaller plants in light pots. The second issue that I think warrants additional discussion is whether or not the effluent (water that has exited the drain hole) needs to be removed from the collection saucer. You can decide, but I left this, which directly addresses that issue, on another thread yesterday: The reason we are wisely instructed to flush the soil when we water so a significant fraction of the total volume of water applied when we irrigate exits the drain hole are two. One is to help ensure the entire soil volume is moistened, but equally or even more important is the fact that this practice purges the soil of accumulating solubles (salts) that make water/nutrient absorption increasingly difficult as the TDS/EC levels (salt levels) become more concentrated. At best, too high concentrations of solubles in the soil solution spoil the appearance of foliage, usually first becoming manifest in burned root tips and leaf tips/margins, at worst in the collapse of the plant. We need to note though, that the soil the plant is in needs to be able to support this type of watering w/o the grower having to be concerned about extended periods of impaired root function due to soggy conditions, or worse, root rot getting a hold because of the same concern. Isotonicity is the process by which the level of dissolved solids in the effluent in a collection saucer will quickly balance or equalize itself to/with the level of dissolved solids in the soil solution. When there is a 'connection' between the effluent in the collection saucer and the water in the soil that results from a wick dangling in the effluent or the fact that a part of the soil is in contact with the effluent, all the solubles in the collection saucer will find their way back into the soil solution until the level of solubles in the effluent is equal to the level of solubles in the soil solution. If you take a new sponge that is saturated with fresh water and stand it on end in 1/2" of salted water or fertilizer solution, using an inexpensive moisture meter you can measure the increase in electrical conductivity at the top of the sponge within a very short time - seconds - a clear indication of isotonicity at work, of the fact that salts in the effluent will quickly reach a balance with the salts in the soil solution. So, not removing the water from the collection saucer ensures all the salts flushed from the soil can make their way back into the soil unless the connection between the soil and the effluent is broken. Best would be to water over a sink if plants are small enough & return the plant to the collection saucer after the pot has stopped draining, or for larger plants to set the pot up on 'feet' or blocks that are inside the saucer, the object of which is to effectively lift the soil above the effluent in the saucer, high enough to ensure the connection between the effluent and soil or any wick you might be using is broken. I hope that was helpful. Welcome to the forum - have fun! Al

Oh my goodness... they SO did NOT have them a while back when I placed MY HUGE order with them! LOVE THEM!! mmmm..... I promised myself I wouldn't buy anymore seeds this winter but I also promised myself no more seed trades until I get my ws'ing done & I broke that promise today cause I signed up for yet another! LOL Guess it's the day to break promises to myself. Gonna go check out their goodies & see what else is new since I ordered last... THANKS!!!!! Jodie

My miniature hypoestes has become awfully crowded at the bottom with lower shoots trying to grow but not having the space to do so. I don't want to damage the plant, or waste stems with healthy leaves but I would like to give the various offshoots their own living space. Do I just snip the taller stems and replant them? Is it as easy as it sounds? Will these cut stems grow new roots that will eventually anchor them?