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How to care for indoor plants

GeneralEdward Kiledjian

Photo by Annie Spratt

Indoor plants provide many benefits to your home. As well as improving indoor air quality, providing fresh oxygen, and reducing stress, they can help you relax. Plants can also boost your mood and make your home feel more positive. Additionally, indoor plants can help purify the air of toxins and chemicals. As well as reducing noise levels, they create a more peaceful environment. Last but not least, indoor plants can increase your home's value. Consider adding some indoor plants to your home if you're looking for a way to improve your indoor air quality, reduce stress, and boost your mood.

Snake plants, spider plants, and peace lilies are three easy indoor plants that produce lush foliage and clean the air. Snake plants thrive in low light and release oxygen at night, making them perfect for bedrooms. Spider plants are easy to care for and they filter out toxins. Peace lilies are also easy to grow and have beautiful white flowers. These plants require minimal care and will improve your home's indoor air quality.

Checking the soil moisture level is one way to figure out how much water an indoor plant needs. Insert it about two inches into the potting mix. Water the plant if the mix feels dry. Wait a few days before watering again if the mix is still moist. You can also look at the leaves to figure out how much water an indoor plant needs. The plant needs more water if the leaves are wilting or drooping. Too much water will make the leaves yellow or brown.

Fertilizer gives indoor plants the nutrients they need to grow. Different plants need different kinds of fertilizer, so it's important to choose the right one. Nitrogen fertilizer is the most common type of fertilizer for leafy plants. Fertilizer with phosphorus is suitable for flowering plants, and fertilizer with potassium is suitable for fruit and vegetables. All of these fertilizers are available at nurseries and garden centers.

You'll need to know the size of your plant to figure out how much fertilizer to apply. For every square foot of plant space, use one pound of fertilizer. It would take 10 pounds of fertilizer to fertilize a 10-square-foot plant. Once you've decided how much fertilizer to use, you can apply it to the soil. Make sure you follow the directions on the fertilizer package. Fertilizers can damage your plants if you apply too much.

If you're not sure what kind of fertilizer to use, ask a nursery employee. They can usually recommend the right fertilizer for your plants. They can also help you with questions about fertilizer application.

Indoor plants need bright, indirect light to grow. When you don't have a lot of natural light in your house, you can grow plants under artificial lights. Plants grow best under fluorescent lights. Incandescent lights are also an option, but they're less efficient and produce more heat.

Plants need 14-16 hours of light a day if they're grown under artificial lights. Turning the lights on and off with a timer will do the trick. During the winter months, when there's less natural light, you may need to keep the lights on 16-18 hours a day.

Sunlight can damage most indoor plants. Too much direct sunlight will burn the leaves. You should only put plants in the sun for a few hours a day if they need direct sunlight. It's best to give your plants bright, indirect light.

Here are 10 tips for taking care of indoor plants:

  1. Water your plant thoroughly, making sure the soil is soaked.

  2. Make sure your plant gets plenty of indirect light.

  3. Keep an eye on your plant's water needs, as overwatering or underwatering can be bad for it.

  4. Give your plant a light feeding once a week with a water-soluble fertilizer.

  5. Check your plant regularly for pests or diseases and take action if needed.

  6. In enclosed spaces, make sure your plant has enough ventilation.

  7. You may need to add supplemental humidity if you're growing a tropical plant.

  8. Don't shock your plant with sudden temperature changes or light changes.

  9. Make sure your plant is pruned as needed to keep it healthy and shaped.

  10. You'll enjoy your new indoor plant for many years if you take care of it

Keywords: indoor plants, plant care, watering, light, fertilizer, pests, disease, humidity, tropical plants, pruning

Description: Taking care of indoor plants doesn't have to be difficult. By following a few simple tips, you can keep your plants healthy and thriving. Watering, lighting, and fertilizing are the key components of plant care. Be sure to inspect your plants regularly for pests or diseases and take appropriate action if necessary. With proper care, your new indoor plant will thrive and bring you enjoyment for many years to come.

Why you need a Glo-toob LED powered Glow Stick

GeneralEdward Kiledjian

Each year, I test hundreds of new and different items that compete to find a place in my everyday carry kit (EDC). To be clear, my EDC is build for the urban environment and not wilderness survival. 

4 years ago, I tested and fell in love with the Glo-toob lights and it has been part of my kit ever since. I just realized I have never written about it an wanted to share it with you. 

Why not use a cheap glow stick?

Anyone that is building a serious EDC kit knows that you need redundancy. My main everyday carry (EDC) flashlight is the OLight S15R baton with a rechargeable battery. My secondary flashlight is the Ti3 by thrunite (which uses easy to find AAA batteries). there are times when you need a glow stick type of light and for those times, I rely on the Glo-Toob.

Why not use a cheap $5 glow stick? The typical (even high quality) glow stick or Chemical light stick is first and foremost not environmentally friendly (it is disposable and an environmental pollutant). Anyone that has carried them knows that they leak (which also means it won't work when you need it). Plus once you activate it, that's it.

Most of the time, I need it for 5 minutes, 60 minutes or even 180 minutes but that's it. With a chemical glow stick, once you activate it, it's end of life. 

Why I chose the Glo-Toob

I knew I wanted something else as my everyday carry glow stick alternative, but it took several tries until I found the Glo-toob.

First thing you notice is the solid construction (it can withstand the rigors of constant travel and being bumped in a pocket, bag or briefcase). It's waterproof to 200 feet (60 meters). I have taken it night scuba diving to 135ft and have never had issues but it's most common use is in rain or snow and it has worked flawlessly.

It is a small rounded cylinder which means it is small enough for everyday carry. This is something you overlook until you start carrying it all the time. Small and light are critical and the Glo-toob is 10/10 on both points (weights 34g with the battery).

It can be powered with different types of batteries (depending on the model) but I chose the AAA powered one (Original GT-AAA). As I travel and carry this with me, I need to know that I can buy the required power source for my gadgets easily and AAA batteries are available in every street corner anywhere in the world.

The last point was that it had to provide a 360 degree stream of light (similar to a glow stick), which it does. 

Using it

I own 2 GT-AAAs: one with a white LED and one red a one. It has 3 modes (you activate by twisting the cap on and off) high intensity (100%), low intensity (25%) and rapid strobe. Other models offer up to 11 modes and I saw a Chinese competitor with 21 modes but... and the but here is that simple is better. If I need to use this in an emergency, I don't want to fiddle with my EDC gear. By having only 3 modes, choosing the right one is simple.

In low power mode, it is a great long lasting marker light that you can strap on a dog collar or backpack. In high powered mode, it is a great emergency light (during a power outage) or a light you can give the kids without worrying about it breaking.

I have used it while camping to mark our campsite. I have used it when I had to stop on the side of a busy highway at night as a safety beacon. I have used it as a market when canoeing at night. I have used it during power outages and once when  I was stuck in a stopped elevator.

I have used it in high powered mode for about 6-7 hours (with a single AAA battery).

Negative comments

When working on a review, I scour the internet looking for comments (positive or negative) from other users. In this case, I saw a handful of comments touching similar points and I wanted to address these ones:

  • disappointed by the amount of light : this is not a flashlight replacement. If you buy it thinking it is you will obviously be disappointed. This is a replacement for a chemical glow stick.
  • leaked during a dive : With over 85 dives under my belt, I can tell you that I have lived through all kinds of equipment failure at depth. That's one of the reasons everything is done in twos. You never dive alone, you have 2 regulators, etc. Anytime you are in a remote location (whether on land or in the water), you need backups for all your primary systems. Failures happen either because the gear is defective, improperly maintained or improperly used. 
  • worked only a couple of times : I have 2 of these lights and other friends have bought them after testing my units. My units have been in my EDC kit for 4 years now and even after diving, camping and being abused in torrential rain and deep snow, they perform flawlessly. Of the 10 or so units owned by friends and acquaintances, none have failed. It's important to realize that any electronic product can fail and buying it from a reputable reseller (like Amazon) means you have someone to contact if you do need a warranty replacement. 

The Chinese knockoffs

Search AliExpress.com for Glo-toob, EDC warning light or a combination of these types of keywords and you will find hundreds of listings selling these types of tubular lights. I ordered 3 of them ranging from 8.99-14.99 and most ended up being branded EDCGear. 

These are cheap knockoffs and you can feel it immediately. The plastic is light and flimsy. The units have cheap O-rings and none of them lasted more than a couple of uses. The light quality wasn't as good. Build and construction weren't as good and all 3 died immediately when I performed the sink dunking water test (even though they were marketed as waterproof). 

Sometimes the Chinese versions as just as good but this is not one of them. Save yourself the frustration and buy the original from a retailer that will stand behind the warranty.

Conclusion

Priced at around 4-5 times the price of a high quality chemical glow stick, these Glo-toobs are a great investment and will quickly become part of your EDC, camping and survival gear. I love them and recommend them.

Eagle Creek Travel Gear Pack-It Specter On Board Packing Cube Review

TravellingEdward Kiledjian

I started travelling the world almost 20 years ago and haven't stopped since. I have been to all 4 corners of the world and over the years have refined my travel "recipe". In this case, my recipe is how to pack the most while still being able to travel (in most cases) carry-on only using the one bag approach. 

The competition

Before looking at the Eagle Creek Travel Gear Pack-It Specter On Board, I want to take a second to talk about cheaper products. 

The cheapest of the bunch are Chinese made knock-offs you can buy from Aliexpress, DHGate, DealExtreme or eBay. I bought a handful of these to test, ranging from the very cheap ones at $4,99 all the way up to their top of the line one listed at $36.05. 

First you wait between 4-8 weeks to receive the Chinese products. Once you start testing them you realize all the issues wrong with them:

  • cheap zippers that don't open/close smoothly
  • cheap inconsistent stitching
  • cheap plastic material that either cant contain a small leak or that rips after a couple of uses
  • illogical compartment design

Unfortunately most travel stores in malls resell these cheap Chinese products with their store name on it (relabelled) usually at a premium price.

Why I love Eagle Creek

Over the next few weeks,  I will write reviews about various Eagle Creek travel tools that I recommend. The Specter line from Eagle Creek is designed with the frequent and light traveller in mind. They are extremely light weight, durable, easy to maintain and will simplify anyone's travel.

Pack-It Specter On Board Packing Cube

  • It has 2 smaller zip pockets on the top flap and 7 organizer slip pockets.
  • The central compartment  is large enough to accommodate a medium blow dryer, medium hair straightener or it can even carry a small travel cube with shoe polish, shoe brushes or whatever else you want to carry in there.
  • Eagle Creek has used a thin yet durable "silnylon" ripstop material which is lightweight, easy to maintain and allows you to see through it  ( making content identification easy).
  • It is water resistant and stain resistant. 

I purposely let a tube of toothpaste "leak" and the material contained it perfectly within the toiletry bag. I tried the same experiment with a face cream and once again the material contained it which meant nothing else got dirty or stained. Now I do recommend sealing creams and liquids in a ziplock style freezer bag during travel (freezer bags are typically more sturdy) but this will protect your luggage even if you don't.

Those that have been reading my blog for a while know that I love and only travel with RedOxx luggage. RedOxx makes light, durable and flexible luggage but the thing I love most about their products is the lifetime warranty, Well Eagle Creek offers a lifetime warranty on their products as well:

Travelling is extremely demanding on gear and the one time I tried to use an Eagle Creek product warranty, they replaced the item no questions asked (and without any hassles). 

Important considerations

I love reading internet comments related to products I am reviewing. I read a bunch of complaints from people that obviously don't travel much. Here are some elements I want you to keep in mind.

My main Redoxx luggage is the AirBoss and it has a soft flexible outer shell. This makes it incredibly light and expandable yet it also means I have to fully stuff it if I want it to be stiff and solid (which I don't of course). Same thing here.

The Eagle Creek Pack-It Specter On Board Packing Cube is made from a flexible material which means it won't stand easily on its own. But this is something you want. You want a light and flexible material not something heavy and rigid like leather or pleather.

The Eagle Creek Pack-It Specter On Board Packing Cube is washable but if you want to keep it working for a long time, don't throw it into the washing machine. To clean this product (or most other travel cubes or flexible luggages):

  1. first make sure it is completely dry and dry wipe any spots stains or dirt
  2. You can use a soft dry plastic bristle brush to gently clean the cracks and crevices. The important words here are soft plastic bristles and very very gentle strokes. 
  3. Using an air compressor, I then blow any dust or debris away
  4. Using a mild soap (like Dr. Bronner’s Magic All-in-One Soap) hand wash the Pack-It Specter On Board Packing Cube in lukewarm water. Gently stirring the item in a tub of water or a large sink. 
  5. Then I rinse it off with fresh lukewarm running water and let it air dry. Never dry it in the automatic dryer or under the sun.

Because it is flexible, you will need to 2 hands to open and close the zipper. The zippers are equipped with pull ties making opening and closing easier.

The downside

Overall I think this is a fantastic addition to anyones travel kit and I know you will get years of satisfaction from it. The only 2 issues I had with it are:

  1. I wish the price was a little lower ($45 on Amazon.com LINK). Don't get me wrong, I would gladly pay $45 for this product because I know all of the careful thought that went into the design of this uber useful toiletry kit but casual travellers may find it a bit too pricey.
  2. As a single man that shaves his head, I travel with a very limited number of toiletry items. I found that product was often 50-60% empty for me but remember it is light and flexible so it doesn't take any extra space. It curls and compresses around the items it is protecting.

Verdict

If you travel moderately (or more) and are looking for the most convenient toiletry bag than this is it. You should go buy it. You will love it. 

If you travel once a year for a beach vacation, I would still say buy it because I hate cheap travel gear that breaks, but you could be forgiven for buying something a little cheaper. 

Amazon (link)

A light tough enough for your GoPro action cam

technologyEdward Kiledjian

A lot of people buy the GoPro adventure camera (cam) as the family vacation video camera. Putting these people aside, the real adventure seekers are the ones that are ready for a challenge anytime day or night. But the GoPro doesn't work at night (quality really degrades quickly as it get's darker and darker). But fear not my friend, the Knog Qudos is here to shed light when ordinary lights scare away and break. 

The GoPro friendly accessory mounts next to your beloved recorder and shines a very bright 400 lumens in wide angle mode (175 in target spot and 275 in ultra wide). The Qudos is waterproof to 40m (131 ft for my american readers) which means this light can go anywhere your GoPro can rain or shine, mountain or ocean. 

The add-on can be used for only $119. Get info on the company's website (link)