In this edition of Plantfluencer Stories – we hear from Los Angeles based plant dad and Sill ambassador Kyler Hurley.
Kyler, how did you get into plants?
I’ve always been fascinated by plants but my real obsession began after I moved to Los Angeles. Everyone I knew had plants in their apartment and I quickly realized that I wanted to fill my home with plants too. It was a slow start at first. Buying one plant every month or so figuring out how to take proper care of it. Then I’d move on to another plant. Now my apartment is filled with 80+ plants and is still growing! My friends soon started coming to me for advice and urged me to start an instagram account to share photos and experiences with them. That’s when I discovered how amazing the online plant community is. Everyone is there– teaching and learning from each other, identifying plants, diagnosing problems, giving advice, sharing plants, even supporting local businesses. It’s been an amazing journey so far and I’m so happy to be a part of it.
Tell us more about Kyler:
I grew up surrounded by plants in North Florida. I spent most of my childhood in the ocean and traveling to different countries to surf with my friends. A lot of time was spent in tropical places which is where my love for tropical foliage started. I bought a small cactus when I moved to LA 5 years ago and that started what would become a house-plant obsession (I still have that cactus!).
Tell us about your Instagram feed:
On Instagram I go by @Plntdude. I started my account merely to have a place where I could share pictures of my plants/propagations and have my friends ask me questions about theirs. It turns out a lot more people have questions about their plants too. It’s been so much fun being a part of the plant community and helping others with their plant problems. I’m no expert but I’ve learned a lot through experiences of my own.
What's your favorite plant?
Sansevieria, doesn’t need much attention but will thrive virtually anywhere.
Any plant care tips you can share?
(1) Underwater don’t overwater. (2) Plants are smart, the less you do the better.
Tell us about your weekly care routine:
I start by checking my plants for new growth or signs of stress. I try not to panic if I find a yellow leaf. It’s best not to change the plants environment too radically so that they can adapt over time. That being said I move my plants around my home quite a bit to find out where their optimal growing environment is. Next I check the soil to see if they need more water or not. Most plants can go a couple weeks without water if kept in the right conditions. Since I travel for work I try not to water until the day before I leave for a trip (Those couple extra days won’t hurt anyone!). Finally, once a week I give some of my plants a gentle wipe down with a water & neem oil solution. This helps remove dust and potential pests (Also makes them shine!).
P.S. Follow Kyler's plant parenthood journey on his Instagram.
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Words By The Sill
Empowering all people to be plant people—a collection of articles from The Sill's team of plant experts across a variety of plant care topics to inspire confidence in the next generation of plant parents. Welcome to Plant Parenthood™.
