17 October 2026
Black soap for plants: gardens, vegetable patches and balconies in Morocco
Roses covered in aphids, sticky citrus trees, tomatoes overrun with whitefly: black soap is the Moroccan gardener's basic remedy. Here's how to use it.
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The Living Journal
Articles, advice, plant profiles and botanical inspiration.
01 The Living Journal Writing & advice 02 Botanical Plates Reflective notes 03 Reels Videos & moments 04 Un instant The podcast
17 October 2026
Aphids: how to recognise them and rid your plants of them
Curled leaves, sticky young shoots, colonies of tiny green or black insects: aphids multiply fast, but they're simple to treat.
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17 October 2026
Whitefly: what to do about them on your plants?
A white cloud flies up when you shake the plant: whitefly. Stubborn, but a methodical approach gets rid of them.
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17 October 2026
Sooty mould: the black deposit on leaves, and how to remove it
A black, soot-like dust on the leaves of citrus, oleanders or houseplants: that's sooty mould. It always has a cause.
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17 October 2026
Cleaning your plants’ leaves: why, how and how often
Dust dulls the leaves and deprives the plant of light. A monthly habit, five minutes per plant, makes all the difference: here's the right method.
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17 October 2026
My plant has stopped growing: lack of fertiliser, or something else?
A plant that stalls isn't always hungry. Before adding fertiliser, check these five causes, in this order.
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17 October 2026
Repotting an orchid: when, how, and in what mix
An orchid isn't repotted like a foliage plant: no potting soil, a clear pot, a very airy mix. Step by step.
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17 October 2026
Cuttings and seedlings: why perlite and vermiculite make the difference
A cutting rots in potting soil that's too heavy and dries out in a mix that holds too little water. Perlite and vermiculite strike the balance.
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8 October 2026
Yellow leaves: why your plant is turning yellow, and what to do
Yellowing is a signal, not a diagnosis. Before watering or adding fertiliser, here's how to read what your plant is telling you.
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8 October 2026
Mealybugs and scale: how to recognise them and get rid of them
White cottony clumps, small brown shells, sticky leaves: mealybugs and scale insects are stubborn, but a methodical approach gets rid of them.
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8 October 2026
Thrips: recognising the silvery marks and taking action
Silvery patches, tiny black dots, distorted leaves: thrips are minute and discreet. Here's how to spot them and get rid of them.
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8 October 2026
Spider mites: spot them early and save your plants
Dull leaves speckled with yellow, fine webbing under the leaves: spider mites love the dry air of our summers and air conditioning.
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8 October 2026
Gnats in your plants: how to get rid of them
Little black flies that take off when you water: these are sciarids, or fungus gnats. The remedy is mostly about watering.
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7 October 2026
How to organise team building in Rabat: formats, budget, steps and mistakes to avoid
Successful team building takes preparation: objective, headcount, format, duration, venue, budget, timeline. A guide to organising it in Rabat, with the botanical workshop option.
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7 October 2026
End-of-year corporate gifts in Morocco: budget, lead times and personalisation
What budget per piece, what lead time, what personalisation, which plant? A guide to choosing and ordering end-of-year corporate gifts in Rabat and Casablanca.
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7 October 2026
Reading a potting soil label: peat, compost, fertiliser, pH… what really needs checking
A potting soil label says a lot, if you know how to read it. Composition, peat, fertiliser, pH, volume, claims: the points to check before buying a bag.
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7 October 2026
Which potting mix for which houseplant? Monstera, Calathea, Alocasia, orchids, cacti…
A potting mix is chosen according to how the plant lives in the wild: forest, damp understorey, tree trunk or desert. Here's the right mix for each family, with starting proportions.
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7 October 2026
Black soap and houseplant pests: mealybugs, aphids, spider mites, fungus gnats
Black soap works on contact against soft-bodied pests. It doesn't solve everything: here's what it treats, what it doesn't, and how to use it without damaging the leaves.
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7 October 2026
Drainage for houseplants: clay pebbles, pots without holes, saucers — what really works
A layer of pebbles at the bottom of the pot doesn't drain. What drains: holes, an airy potting mix through the full height of the pot, and an emptied saucer. Here's what works, and what's a trap.
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7 October 2026
Repotting a houseplant: when, how, which pot and which potting mix
Repot in spring, into a pot 2 to 4 cm wider, with an airy mix suited to the plant and no layer of pebbles at the bottom: the complete step-by-step guide.
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Potting Mix for Houseplants in Morocco: The Complete Guide (Potting Soil, Compost, Perlite, Pozzolana, Biochar)
A good potting mix holds water, lets air through and feeds. The ingredients, the proportions, what's specific to Morocco (hard water, heat, air conditioning) and the right mix for each plant.
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30 September 2026
Biochar: what does it really do in your plants’ potting mix?
Biochar is everywhere in the promises and rarely in the explanations. Here's what it really changes in a potting mix, and where its effects end.
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30 September 2026
When should you water your plants? Forget the calendar, touch the soil
"Water once a week" is the most widespread and least reliable advice there is. A plant doesn't read the calendar: it responds to light, heat and the soil.
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30 September 2026
Bright, indirect, soft: what these light terms mean for your plants
"Bright but indirect light", "partial shade", "soft light": plant labels use these words without defining them. Here's a clear scale and a test you can do at home.
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30 September 2026
Organic fertiliser for houseplants: compost tea, seaweed and how to use them
A potted plant lives in a limited volume of potting mix, and its reserves run out. A well-chosen, well-dosed organic fertiliser replenishes them, as long as you follow a few rules.
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30 September 2026
Compost and plants: why it improves potting soil and why it replaces peat
Compost does for potting soil what humus does for a forest. And it offers an alternative to peat, whose extraction destroys one of the planet's largest carbon stores.
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30 September 2026
Perlite, vermiculite, pozzolana, coco chips: what are they for, and which should you choose?
These four ingredients look alike on paper and play completely different roles. Mixing them up is one of the most common causes of failed potting mixes.
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30 September 2026
Cactus and succulent potting mix: what it should contain and how to make it
Cacti rarely die of thirst. They die of rot, and the first cause is almost always the potting mix.
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28 September 2026
Which plant to give a colleague or a client?
Giving a plant to one person is simple. Giving one to fifty people whose homes you know nothing about calls for different criteria.
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28 September 2026
Plants in an air-conditioned office: what works and what fails
It isn't the cold that kills plants in an air-conditioned office. It's the dry air and the constant draught.
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28 September 2026
Terrarium or kokedama: which to choose for team building?
On paper, the two workshops look alike. In a group, they have completely different effects.
Read → 28 September 2026
Eight easy-going houseplants for Rabat
A plant that's easy elsewhere isn't necessarily easy here. The water is hard, winter is damp and apartments have tiled floors.
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28 September 2026
Tap Water Is Harming Your Plants — What You Need to Know in Morocco
White marks on the leaves and a pale crust on the surface of the soil aren't a sign of poor care. It's limescale. And it does more damage than you might think.
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28 September 2026
Your Plants Slow Down in Autumn: What to Change
Most houseplants don't die of cold in winter. They drown, because we keep watering them as if it were summer.
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28 September 2026
Which plants for a dimly lit office
No plant grows without light. But some make do with very little — and they're the ones that survive open-plan offices.
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28 September 2026
Giving a plant: the guide to getting it right
Giving a plant means giving something that will need attention. That's the beauty of the gesture — and its whole risk.
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15 May 2026
All-Purpose Compost or Signature Potting Mix: What’s the Difference for Your Houseplants?
When you're new to houseplants, it's easy to think that potting soil is just potting soil. After all, they often look alike: dark, rich, ready to welcome a plant. Yet, as with cooking or gardening, not every mix meets the same needs. At Instant T, we offer a Signature Potting Mix designed specifically for tropical […]
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