Meet Albert Tang, a young Chinoy plantito since 2012 and a student currently studying at Ateneo de Manila University, taking up a Bachelor of Science in Management.
Discovering a passion for plants
“I discovered my passion for plants when I was 12 years old. In 2014, I was the youngest member of the Cactus and Succulent Society of the Philippines. I was an active member and would attend trips and lectures about caring for cacti and succulents and even growing other types of plants. However, this is just the beginning as aside from my love for succulents, I also learned how to care for other types of plants such as Begonias, Sinningias, Jewel Orchids, Hoyas, Aroids, Palms, and Cycads. I am truly lucky to have a supportive family especially when it comes to my hobby.”
The young plantito experience
“With my hobby, I’ve met a lot of great people who share a common love and interest in plants. This has also allowed me to share my interest with others especially when I was invited to shows in malls such as Evia Center to share my passion, by teaching people how to grow plants indoors especially with the challenge of space constraints. Being part of the plant community has helped me improve in growing plants. The exchange of ideas and information is essential since you can’t find everything on the internet.”
“My interest in plants has grown mainly because of urbanization which has caused us to have a gap with nature. I want people to bring nature to their offices or homes. Especially now due to the pandemic, we are stuck in our homes. Growing plants has always given people a break from the anxiety and it gives us something to look forward to.”
“Whenever a new leaf unfurls, my plant blooms. I feel excited and genuinely happy, at the same time proud of myself that I can successfully grow a plant especially when it has a reputation of being difficult to grow.”
Favorite plant collections
“Some of my favorite plants from my wide collection are Begonias, Jewel Orchids, Pachypodiums, and Haworthias. I love growing Begonias and Jewel Orchids, because of the challenge and the reward of growing interesting plants. Even if these plants live up to their reputation of being challenging and difficult, learning how to grow these plants are worth your time. As Begonias and Jewel Orchids leaves present to us a wide array of colors and textures.”
“Another favorite collection that I have is succulents particularly Haworthias and Caudiciforms. Caudiciforms are succulents that produce a fat stem. I love these plants as it reminds me of the Baobabs when I read Little Prince in high school. Caudiciforms look like plants that come from another world which makes them interesting to grow the peculiar shapes of the plants’ caudex. On the other hand, Haworthias live up to its name of being the Jewels of the Succulent world, not only are they pretty but they also stay small which is a good choice for those who want a specialty plant even if they have space constraints.”
Advice for other plant enthusiasts
“I think people should not buy plants simply as investments rather buy to genuinely take care of them. My advice for new plant lovers is to always research before buying the plant and always consider the time they could dedicate to caring for their plants. Plants are not only decoration but they are also living things that require time and effort to provide their plant’s needs such as the correct amount of sunlight, soil, watering, temperature, and air circulation. Whenever buying a plant it is always a must to do your research of the plants’ natural habitat to learn about its needs and to seek advice from other plant lovers.”
“In my 8 years in the hobby, I learned that there is no one right way in growing a specific plant, growing plants requires patience and one to accept failure. To be successful in growing plants one must also adjust based on their conditions and also experiment. I hope new plant lovers would not be discouraged when they make mistakes in growing their plants, rather to use this as a learning experience.”
