Native species are vital to ecosystems by forming the base of the food web, providing essential food and shelter for local wildlife, and supporting biodiversity. They are adapted to local conditions, which makes them more resilient and helps maintain the health of the ecosystem by improving soil health, preventing erosion, and regulating water flow. Supporting food webs and wildlife - Foundation of the food web: Native plants are the primary food source for many native insects, which in turn feed birds, fish, and other wildlife. - For example, oak trees support a vast number of insects that are critical food for birds and their young. - Habitat and shelter: Native plants provide essential shelter, nesting sites, and breeding grounds for local animals like birds, mammals, and insects. - Pollinator support: They provide essential nectar and pollen for native pollinators like bees and butterflies, which are crucial for the reproduction of many plant species, including crops.  Maintaining ecosystem health - Soil health: Native plants, with their deep root systems, help stabilize soil and prevent erosion. They also improve soil structure and increase organic matter, which enhances nutrient cycling and water absorption. - Water conservation: Because they are adapted to local rainfall patterns, native plants often require less water and are more drought-tolerant, helping to conserve water resources. - Flood and stormwater control: The dense growth and deep roots of native plant communities are effective at slowing surface water flows, which helps prevent flooding and filter runoff.  Building resilience - Biodiversity: By supporting a wide range of native species, they contribute to a healthy and diverse ecosystem that is more resilient to environmental changes, diseases, and invasive species. - Pest resistance: Native plants have often evolved alongside local pests, which can give them natural defenses and reduce the need for chemical pesticides. - Climate regulation: They help combat climate change by sequestering carbon, and their ability to manage water and soil is vital for mitigating the impacts of climate change.

Now that summer is over, its time to break out the humidifiers! Besides helping us humans with moisture, it also helps our plants!! They love the moisture. Different ways you can provide moisture aside from having a humidifier are: 🪴Grouping plants together- if you group plants closer together, they retain the moisture and help each other out! 🪴pebble trays- simply putting some rocks in a shallow dishe with water under plants can also provide some moisture in the air for your planta. Just make sure you are letting them sit in the water, which can cause root rot. Im curious to know how many of you use any of these techniques?

I had the HARDEST time growing an albo out. I would buy seedlings, cuttings and even 3 to 4 leaf established plants and I would lose them to root rot. I had a watering and fertilizer schedule and grow lights and great natural light. I would research and still screw it up. So I threw away my scheduled watering/fertilizer regiment and went to lifting the pot to see if it was light weight, best thing I could of done...I added a humidifier that runs for 16 to 18 hours a day, and I have gorgeous albos with amazing variegation and the grow light I have for them...is the very first and cheapest one I have. I have some really nice T5 Barrinas but my albos love the clip on, 3 light rod Amazon blue light special grow light for $8 two years ago. When I take cuttings and root them out all I use is fluval and IMO the best for rooting any cutting.

🦎🐍🌿 #Plants for #Reptile Enclosures Reptiles (and #snakes!) love plants too. In a #bioactiveterrarium /enclosure, plants can: ✨ Provide climbing & hiding spots for security ✨ Add aesthetic beauty to the setup ✨ Offer edible options for herbivores & omnivores 🌴 Tropical / Humid Setups (#geckos, snakes, anoles, tree #frogs, dart frogs) Bromeliads Pothos (durable climber) Philodendrons Creeping Fig (Ficus pumila) Calathea / Maranta (Prayer Plants) Ferns Spider Plants Peperomias Tradescantia (Wandering Dude) Orchids 🌵 Desert / Arid Setups (#beardeddragons, leopard geckos, uromastyx, some snakes) Haworthia Echeveria Sedum (Stonecrops) Opuntia (Prickly Pear Cactus — edible pads/fruit!) Agave (small, non-spiny types) Aloe vera (moderation only) ⚠️ What’s safe for reptiles isn’t always safe for cats & dogs. For example, pothos and philodendrons are reptile-safe, but toxic to mammals. Do any of you have reptiles?

Here's the video on what plants are good and bad to plant around your chicken coops, and runs. Please be kind, its been awhile since I've been on video! lol any questions please ask! I am also uploading this to my youtube channel!