Journal

Plant care, design notes, and the science of climbing aroids

Guides for getting more out of your plants, the reasoning behind the things we make, and the occasional behind-the-scenes from our studio.

Tutorials

When to replace your aroid mix (and the signs it is already too late)

Aroid substrate degrades on a predictable timeline. Here is what happens at each stage, how to spot it before it becomes a root problem, and when to act.

30 July 2026 5 min #substrate #soil

Plant Science

Why smooth stakes do not grow bigger leaves

A bamboo stake holds a plant upright. It does not trigger the biological response that produces larger, fenestrated foliage. The difference is surface texture and moisture — and it matters more than most care guides admit.

23 July 2026 4 min #moss-pole #science

Plant Science

Humidity vs. watering: which one actually matters more for aroids

Research shows aroids in high humidity can gain weight between waterings by absorbing atmospheric moisture. Most people optimise the wrong variable.

16 July 2026 4 min #humidity #watering

Tutorials

Why tap water can quietly damage your moss pole

Chlorine evaporates overnight. Chloramines do not. Over weeks of evaporation, they concentrate in moss to levels that damage root tips — and most people never make the connection.

9 July 2026 4 min #moss-pole #watering

Tutorials

The 24-hour window: what to do when aerial roots dry out

Dried-out aerial roots can recover quickly — but only if you act before they cork over. Here is what happens and how long you have.

2 July 2026 5 min #aerial-roots #monstera

Plant Science

What the holes in monstera leaves are actually for

Fenestration is not decoration. It is a developmental switch triggered by climbing — and understanding it changes how you think about growing aroids.

25 June 2026 5 min #monstera #aroids

Plant Science

Your plant is hunting for a tree (using darkness)

Most plants grow toward light. Climbing aroids do the opposite — and once you understand why, a lot of weird plant behaviour suddenly makes sense.

18 June 2026 4 min #monstera #philodendron

Tutorials

What goes wrong with aroid soil (and when)

Standard potting mix starts failing after 6–12 months. Here is what actually happens inside the pot, and how to build a mix that lasts.

11 June 2026 5 min #substrate #soil

Tutorials

How to actually keep a moss pole moist

Top-watering usually floods the soil while leaving the pole bone dry. Here is what the research says works, and why most people are doing it wrong.

4 June 2026 5 min #moss-pole #watering

Plant Science

What your aerial roots are trying to tell you

Silver, green, brown, mushy — root colour and texture are the plant's live health display. Here's how to read it.

28 May 2026 4 min #monstera #philodendron

Maker's Log

Why I started printing self-watering pots

Root rot, inconsistent watering, and a sub-irrigation detail I found in a 1970s greenhouse manual — how the second product came to exist.

21 May 2026 4 min #self-watering #design

Plant Science

Why moss poles exist

From rainforest tree trunks to a 3D printer in Freiburg — the science of climbing aroids, and how one stubborn monstera made me start printing my own.

14 May 2026 6 min #monstera #philodendron