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Fungus Gnats, Failing Fiddle Leaf Figs & The Gap of Death: Fix Your Top 3 Plant Problems with Happy Happy Houseplant, Ep 303

If you’ve ever watched your fiddle leaf fig drop all its leaves, battled fungus gnats that fly into your ear, or poured water on your plant only to watch it run straight through the pot without soaking in, this is your wake-up call. I called in the big guns for this one with my plant friend Mandi from Happy Happy Houseplant. Between our two communities, these are the plant problems we get asked about the most, and she’s got science-backed fixes for each of them. We’re going to be talking about failing fiddle leaf figs, fungus gnats that refuse to leave, and that dreaded “gap of death” in your soil. So let's get to it!

Get my Houseplant SOS course here!

In this episode, we learn:

[02:26] Get to know my “Plant SOS” mini-course!
[05:29] How Happy Happy Houseplant began
[09:51] How did Mandi grow a million-follower plant brand on IG?
[11:01] Building a team and scaling operations
[12:52] How did they get into plant products?
[15:16] Give the gift of music and memories with a Wind River Chimes!
[17:03] Grow your plant collection with The Ultimate Guide to Houseplant Propagation and master 80+ methods today!
[18:42] Why did Mandi revamp and launch a new product?
[23:54] What is a project that she has put her all into and is genuinely proud of?
[27:35] Common plant problem #1: What are the biggest reasons why people kill their fiddle leaf figs?
[28:24] Why light is the #1 factor in fiddle leaf success
[31:08] How to trigger growth for fiddle leaf figs?
[34:32] What are some fertilizing and leaf cleaning tips for fiddle leaf figs?
[36:50] Common plant problem #2: The gap of death (hydrophobic soil)
[37:30] Check out her new Hydration Renew product for soil rehydration!
[39:23] Large plant repotting challenges
[41:18] How often should you use these products?
[42:45] Skincare analogy for dry soil treatment
[43:39] Common plant problem #3: Fungus gnats
[44:12] How fungus gnats show up: repotting, new plants, open doors/windows
[46:06] How do you treat fungus gnats? (The life cycle of a fungus gnat and how to break it)
[46:45] What are death drops?
[47:12] Does cinnamon work for fungus gnats?
[50:18] Some personal questions for Mandi
[52:36] Monstera Deliciosa (why it's called “deliciosa”)
[54:43] What’s the biggest surprise in Mandi’s plant journey?
[56:30] Who does Mandi look up to in the plant space?
[58:20] Heartwarming customer stories
[59:59] Where to find Happy Happy Houseplant and their products?

Get my Houseplant SOS course here!

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Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants) by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha Leung

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Problem #1: The Fiddle Leaf Fig

If you’ve seen a perfectly styled living room in a magazine, chances are there’s a big, beautiful fiddle leaf fig in the corner. And if you’ve bought one, chances are you’ve also watched it slowly drop every leaf.

Mandi’s number one diagnosis: not enough light.

Fiddles aren’t “bright indirect” plants, so they want as much light as you can possibly give them. All of hers sit in 7-foot-tall south-facing windows. If you love the look of a fiddle in a darker corner, invest in a good grow light and make it part of your decor.

She’s also famous for her dramatic fiddle leaf fig chops (“the big chop”), which is a bold prune that forces branching and fuller growth. If your fiddle is just a stick with leaves at the top, you may need to cut it back hard, let it branch out, and repeat the process in following seasons.

Fiddle leaf fig maintenance checklist:

Fertilize every time you water (she uses her own products called Plant Food).
Clean dust off leaves regularly
Give them space, patience, and lots of light.

Problem #2: The Gap of Death

This is when your soil becomes hydrophobic. It repels water instead of absorbing it. You water and it runs straight down the sides, and the roots never get a drink.

I’m a chronic underwaterer, so I’ve met the gap of death many times. Mandi mentioned that she created Hydration Renew, a surfactant that changes how water interacts with dry soil, helping it soak in evenly again.

You can use it as an occasional rescue treatment or mix it into every watering if, like Mandi, you don’t repot often.

Problem #3: Fungus Gnats

Nothing makes us rage faster than a fungus gnat flying up our nose. They sneak in with new plants, fresh soil, open windows (even fruit on the counter).

Mandi attacks them at two stages:

Larvae in the soil: with Death Drops (a natural bacteria called Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis that stops them from maturing).
Adults flying around: with Killer Smiles, which are yellow sticky traps.

Also, forget cinnamon from your spice rack or diatomaceous earth (it hardens like concrete in soil) because according to Mandi, these don’t work. What you should do is to break the life cycle at both ends so they can’t keep multiplying.

Why I Love Mandi’s Approach

Mandi’s products are smart, but it’s the personal touches that really make her brand special, like tucking rainbow sun catchers into starter kits so you get little rainbows in your room as a reminder that someone’s cheering you on.

She’s even releasing Monstera deliciosa fruit-flavored taffy, a candy inspired by the rare, tropical fruit the plant produces in the wild.

And she never stops finding ways to connect with her community, like her Instagram Q&As or “Dear Mandi” postcards you can mail back with plant questions or fun gossip.

Your Plant SOS Kit

If you deal with any of these plant problems or want to be ready when they show up, here’s where to start:

Happy Happy Houseplant: Shop Mandi’s products here (use my code Growing Joy with Maria for a discount).
Houseplant SOS Mini-Course: My $25 crash course covers how to identify and treat common plant issues and the top seven houseplant pests. Grab it here and you’ll have lifetime access.

Your Common Plant Problems, Solved

Even the healthiest plants hit bumps in the road, but now you’ve got real, tested solutions in your back pocket. With the right light, the right tools, and a little attention, your plants can bounce back faster than you think.

Mentioned in our conversation:

Thank you to our episode sponsors:

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Quarto: The Ultimate Guide to Houseplant Propagation by Lindsay Sisti

Whether you're snipping your first cutting or diving deep into air layering and seed germination, Lindsay Sisti's The Ultimate Guide to Houseplant Propagation: Step-by-Step Techniques for Making More Houseplants . . . for Free! is your new best friend! Get to learn over a dozen propagation methods for 80+ popular houseplants, with step-by-step techniques and beautifully illustrated pages. Lindsay also included the best tools to use for different propagation techniques and tips on how to use different growing mediums, so you get the best possible outcome when propagating. Ready to level up your prop game?

Grab your copy of The Ultimate Guide to Houseplant Propagation at quarto.com and wherever books are sold.

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