House Plants

[chipmonkey]

I've recently started on having plants in my office and then shortly after, in my flat. They are a most welcome sight each time I step into my office and also when I step into my flat after work.

This house-plant thing started at my office...when I 'plant-sat' for a colleague who went away for a short vacation and asked if I could look after her corn plant. It was just about two stems (do you call them that?) of leaves on a 6-inch 'trunk' and wasn't looking too well, as in the leaves were kind of browned out on the tips and edges of a few leaves and some leaves were yellowing. Anyway, five days later, colleague came back and took away what I thought was a much improved plant.

Bereft of plant, I went and got a few plants (2 African violet leaves to start off) and a few others...not sure what their names are.

Recently, my colleague (same lady) returned to ask if I wanted that corn plant. I jumped at her offer. She came bearing that corn plant to my office and then said "not sure why but the plant is very smelly. I've tried washing it many times, even with salt but it remains smelly". Yesterday was when I took possession of it. Before I left my office, I thought I'd give it a wash as it was looking a bit poorly. When I lifted it - it's not potted but sits on a bowl of shallow water - boy, does it smell! The leaves don't look too bad. Two other 'stems' are sprouting which is nice...however the bark - parts of it - are coming off the main stem ('trunk'?). I suspect that it might be rotting... Now and then, I'd get a whiff of the 'bad smell' as I sit and type away.

What should I do? Any tips from anyone of you would be most appreciated.

Thanks.

[rainbowgardener]

The bad smell would be stagnant water that's gone sour and probably rotten roots. Unfortunately, it may be too late to save the baby corn plant. I never heard of growing corn plant (dracaena fragrans) in water, although it is related to dracaena sanderiana which is sold as lucky bamboo, growing in water, so I guess it is possible.

If you want to try to save the corn plant, throw out the water and check the roots. If there are some that are still firm and white, trim off all the mushy smelly ones, and then repot in potting mix. Since it has been used to being in water, you will need to keep the potting mix quite damp all the time for awhile, until it grows new roots that are adapted to soil.

[applestar]

If there ARE no healthy roots left like Rainbowgardener proposed, and the base of the "trunk" is brown and mushy, you nay have to take drastic measures.

The fact that it still has healthy leaves could mean you can save it by cutting off ALL of the spoiled base up to healthy tissue, then rooting it again.

[imafan26]

It sounds more like it was lucky bamboo which can be grown in water, but the water does have to be changed. Sometimes if the trunk is firm, you can cut it off where it is soft. let it callus off for a day and plant it in soil or if you want to clean the bowl and pebbles and plant the dracena again in the water and pebble mix. A little plant food helps too as well as good light.

[chipmonkey]

Thank you all for your advices re my 'sick' plant. My colleague mentioned something about the roots going bad. Now that it's with me, I can see that there are only two very short tiny roots (like 1 cm long). Coming into my office this morning however, I can see little wispy roots (more like hairs!) growing from the base of the roots. And yes, it's puzzled me that these corn plants are stood in flat bowls of water. I've seen a few of my colleagues with such plants, usually about 8 inches tall with the main stem (the trunk?) about 3 inches in diameter with healthy roots. I've asked all of them if their plants were kept in water all along and their replies were all in positive.

I'm a bit uncertain if I should keep this ailing plant in water or to pot it. I'm pleased to say that the smell is gone. Pot or not? If pot, what size pot and how much depth of soil should I give?

Thank you again for your help!

[chipmonkey]

Thank you all for your advices re my 'sick' plant. My colleague mentioned something about the roots going bad. Now that it's with me, I can see that there are only two very short tiny roots (like 1 cm long). Coming into my office this morning however, I can see little wispy roots (more like hairs!) growing from the base of the roots. And yes, it's puzzled me that these corn plants are stood in flat bowls of water. I've seen a few of my colleagues with such plants, usually about 8 inches tall with the main stem (the trunk?) about 3 inches in diameter with healthy roots. I've asked all of them if their plants were kept in water all along and their replies were all in positive.

I'm a bit uncertain if I should keep this ailing plant in water or to pot it. I'm pleased to say that the smell is gone. Pot or not? If pot, what size pot and how much depth of soil should I give?

Thank you again for your help!