#dj crestie

[animal-plant-or-rock-wumf]

Phalaenopsis Orchid

One of the trendiest plants of the 2000s was the orchid, and for good reason, and actually pretty easy to care for once you get the hang of it. Plus, they're incredibly diverse! There are over 22,000 different species! they come from diverse environments as well, some being air plants that grow off the sides of tropical trees, some being rock plants, that grow off of rocks, and still more grow in the detritus of the forest floor. Because there are so many to choose from, it can be hard to give a generic care guide, so I'm going to focus on the most common kind you'll find, the Phalaenopsis, or moth orchid.

I'm a big orchid person. They've always fascinated me, and they're one of my favorite flowers. If Phalaenopsis had a fan club, I'd be the president!

The problem most people have with orchids isn't that they're particularly hard to take care of, but rather that they're very different from most other plants in terms of care. They don't like to be buried in the dirt. The best sediment for the, actually, is larger bark pieces. You can find specialty orchid mixes from plant stores or places like Home Depot.

The biggest thing with them is to be careful about watering. You should let the roots almost dry out before you water again. With most orchids, the roots will be a pale, blue-ish green when dry and a darker green when wet. Typically, they only need to be watered about once a week.

You should also keep the crown dry at all times. The crown is a short, stem-like section above the roots where the leaves grow from. when it gets wet, it is prone to molding and rot.

So far, they seem pretty touchy about watering, right? This is because they are more tropical plants, so most of the water they naturally get is from humidity. As such, they're happier in more humid areas. Try to keep them away from any air conditioning vents, which will dry them out.

You should only trim the roots when you're sure that they're dead. Doing otherwise will harm the plant, and because they're slow-growing it can be difficult to replace them.

You should repot your orchid every one or two years unless they have outgrown their pot in the meantime. You should also repot them if you notice a strange smell coming from them.

Now, a lot of people end up throwing their orchids out once the flowers disappear. Which is awful! They think that they die after the flowers disappear, which is kind of a weird assumption to make. Does a rosebush die once it starts flowering? Orchids can flower for many years with proper care and pruning!

Though they can be hard to handle at first, Phalaenopsis orchids are gorgeous plants and a fine addition to any collection

[softichill]

Woob! 5k club and looking... Well I'm fine but my Blorbo isn't. I make a Terrible god. But I'm enjoying myself. That's all that matters. How are your projects? I hope that they're doing well. I do like your art. I feel like a request would be greedy of me. Would it? We do this every day so asking more of your time feels wrong. I'd just like to see whatever you scribbled down, if it is greedy. Your style is nice. I went to see a reptile show with my mother a day ago! Enrichment! I bought a 3d printed friend, a rock ( jasper unknown variety), a charm I do not know who it's of, and a boa morph in a bow sticker with shimmering stars! I could have bought a 3d printed moving creature but they were too fragile. And I could have got FOSSILS. I feel a fool for not buying less things before stumbling on ancient fish jaw plates. I am sad. BUT I got to see so many ball pythons ( I shortened this to balls when telling my sis. She snickered) a ton of leopard gecko morphs, monitors, a freaking b&w tegu, cresties (crested geckos), and even some hairless rats! They were male so my sis was correct in her laugh. I wish I could have a snake. Mom hates em and the economy sucks too bad to move out. I'll name a ball after her when she passes. They can live to 40! Oh... But you probably wouldn't like it there. Tarantulas. Others as well just not as many. Quick PSA: if you go to a reptile show be prepared to see spiders. Scorpions are arachnids as well but you could be fine with em. I dunno? Mom complained about people covered in tattoos. Next it will be the dyed hair. She says she'll be furious if I get a pyramid on my pyramid shaped cluster of birthmarks. Sis said she wants to see a picture of a co-worker's tattoo. I know her opinion on tattoos I guess. Some religions believe that tattoos are the only thing you can take to the afterlife. I think that's nifty. Today I hope you're in for a soothing Finnish folk song! Varttina made a song called little bird BUT the title is in Finnish so look for Linnunmieli ( album vers.) So glad sis showed me this. The live version isn't as good even tough it's faster, surprisingly.

I haven't been drawing as much sadly!! Though that's mainly because I've been playing a ton of games lol. I'd love to do a request!! :> Feel free to send in anything you'd like. Can't guarantee I'll get it done immediately but I'll still do it!

Ooo that sounds super fun!! Yeah I probably wouldn't really like it there thanks to the tarantulas haha, good to know that it was cool tho! Also I would have LOVED to get one of those jaw plates even if they're fake.....

My rec today is vs. DJ Supernova from No Straight Roads!! Super funky song, and a very fun boss fight too!

[animal-plant-or-rock-wumf]

Labrador Retrievers

Hi everyone! Welcome to the animal segment of our 1990s themed show. This week, we'll be covering the most popular dog breed of the 90s- and today- the labrador retriever!

Unless you've been living as a hermit in the woods somewhere, whose only connection to the modern world is my wonderful radio show, you've met someone who has a lab. And for good reason! They're sweet, cuddly companions, and can always brighten up someone's day. They also have a rich history, so let's get started with that.

Labrador retrievers were bred from a now-extinct breed of water dog from Newfoundland called the St. John's water dog. They were imported to the UK in the 1830s, and used as gun dogs, like last week's Cocker Spaniels. However, they were prized for their competency in waterfowling. In the 1880s, a set of Dukes and Earls decided to create a new breed from them and other English hunting dogs, which they named the Labrador retriever, after the area of Newfoundland that they originated from. The much beloved "chocolate" coloration first appeared in the 1890s.

While labs are still used as hunting companions, their energetic disposition and willingness to learn have made them very popular in a number of other fields. In the Vietnam war, they were used as scouts to find wounded soldiers, as well as enemy positions. Labs also have the highest success rate of any breed for completing guide dog training. They can even be taught to administer very basic first-aid care! Some Labradors are trained as medical response dogs to help people with disabilities. They can place their owners in recovery position and even call emergency services. They are also used for water rescues in some areas since they're great swimmers.

They're also generally a healthy breed. They're only prone to a few diseases, mostly inherited disorders. They're more likely to suffer from joint dysplasias, which are common in larger breeds, and exercise-induced collapse. This is when dogs overheat and collapse after relatively short bouts of exercise.

One of the biggest issues for labs, though, is obesity. And it may not be for the reason you think. Most labs you'll meet are probably regular family pets. Many people just assume that their owners are sneaking them some extra table scraps on the side, but this may not be the case at all. Most Labs are missing or partially missing the POMC gene, which regulates appetite. They don't know when to stop eating!

Labrador retrievers have been the most popular breed in the US since 1991, and for good reason. They're sweet, fun-loving companions that are great for families. Just make sure to watch what they eat!

Join us next week for a surprise, when we switch up the theme for our animal care segments!

[animal-plant-or-rock-wumf]

Hello everyone!

I'm DJ Crestie from the WUMF 91.5 radio station. I run an hour-long radio program from 7:00-8:00 pm est about animal and plant care, along with cool music of course.

Sometimes I have to reference information from past shows, and I think it can be a bit confusing for newer viewers to tune in. So I've decided to post my speaking segments here, so people can go through them at their leisure!

This blog is a resource for people, and it will have transcripts of my animal and plant care guides, as well as any other speaking sections. New posts should go up after the show has aired.

If you have a correction to any of my information or a request on what I should do next, my ask box is open. Any corrections will be verified with secondary sources. If they're deemed true I will correct them during the next show, and amend the information in the original post on here as well.

I hope people enjoy this blog, even if they don't listen to the radio show!

[animal-plant-or-rock-wumf]

Snake Plant Care

Today’s plant section is on one of my favorite house plants: the snake plant. I’m absolutely enamored by the long, stiff leaves and gorgeous striped patterns. They’re pretty long-lived, and come in a bunch of colors; light and dark green, yellow, silver, and white, to name a few. They’re relatively slow growing but will grow faster in strong light than in the dark. Typically, darker-leafed plants do better in darker spaces. Ones with lighter leaves tend to lose definition in their markings after too long without sun. While they prefer more moderate lighting, they’ll live in pretty much any lighting condition. They get anywhere between 6 inches and eight feet at full size, so be sure to choose a variety that works best for the space you have available.

While they are prone to root rot, they will be fine in normal potting soil, so long as you’re careful about watering. You should wait two to eight weeks between waterings, depending on how quickly the soil is draining. You should only water it when the soil is completely dry. They prefer, wide, medium-height pots, and only need to be repotted every 2-5 years at their most frequent. If they’re not growing very quickly, you can get away with repotting every 5-10 years. They do well when a bit rootbound.

These are great plants to gift people because they’re really easy to make more of. Not only are they super easy to propagate, but they’re also one of those plants that produce sister plants, or pups, from its root system. You can gently remove these smaller plants as I described last week. 

While they are mildly toxic to cats and dogs, most people don’t have an issue with their pets trying to take a bite, most likely because the rigid leaves are unappealing to chew on in comparison with the softer leaves of other toxic plants.

Another great thing about snake plants is that they’re amazing air purifiers. They also don’t need a lot of air circulation to be healthy, so a lot of people put them in places like bathrooms and basements to try and freshen the air up there. They’re fine with pretty much any temperature too, just keep them away from heating vents and particularly cold drafts.

Snake plants are the #1 plant that I recommend to beginners. They’re super laid back about their care requirements, and those are really easy to begin with. Overall, they’re practically indestructible so long as they’re not overwatered, and they’re beautiful plants to have!

*I also plugged the blog in this segment but opted not to plug the blog on the blog. Listen to Animal, Plant, or Rock with DJ Crestie on WUMF 91.5!*