Quote Originally Posted by koxka View Post
Pomtzu:

Maybe you can give me some advice how to keep them that long.
I found the best way to take care of them, is to ignore them! They are not fussy plants that require a lot of maintenance.

The worst thing you can do, is to over water. Generally, I watered no more than once each week, but not a saturating watering so that water is standing on the top and not absorbed. The top of the soil should be very dry to the touch before giving any more water, but still that doesn't mean that it isn't moist further down in the bottom section of the pot, and the bigger the pot, the more difficult it is to judge what's going on toward the bottom. I have a little gadget that came in handy - it is a meter that reads the amount of moisture in the soil. It looks like a meat thermometer and you just stick the end into the soil and it gives readings anywhere from dry to wet and everything in between. This was especially handy in checking to see if the soil at the bottom was wet, even when the top was very dry.

A pot with good drainage is a must, since you don't want the plant sitting in a soaking wet soil. Don't put them in an area that gets a lot of heat and and direct sunlight all day. The one that I had that I just lost was in a window that got early morning sun, and it bloomed twice each year - in November & December, and then again in early Spring. The one before that one that my former relative killed, got the mid to late afternoon sun, but I think that only bloomed once each year.

And you can start new plants by breaking off a branch (3 or 4 leaves long), and just putting that in a cup of water so that the bottom leaf only is in the water. When you see roots sprouting on the bottom, then just plant it in a good potting soil, and you have a new plant started!

Good luck.