I need help with some of my houseplants. Some aren't looking so well, others I just have some questions about.
Plant # 1
[img]https://i44.tinypic.com/15x3cye.jpg[/img]
Here's the deal. I've been having issues with leaves slowly drying out and fallin goff. The plant is slowly dying, but I can't figure out why. I replanted it into expensive potting soil, and have made sure no to over/under water it. What could be causing it to die?
Plant # 2
[img]https://i44.tinypic.com/2qnnqqh.jpg[/img]
This one is doing fine, but just doesn't look good. Is it gonna fill out more sideways, or will it just grow more vertically.
Plant # 3
[img]https://i40.tinypic.com/2w7o2dk.jpg[/img]
This one is doing good as well, but the edges of the leaves are drying out and turning brown. How can I help preven this?
Plant # 4 & 5
And now for my peace lillies. I just wanna know when I need yo up pot them They're all kinda pot bound. I'm bad about this.
[img]https://i44.tinypic.com/29cow7c.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i44.tinypic.com/e5gp6d.jpg[/img]
-
applestar
- Mod
- Posts: 30551
- Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
- Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)
Expensive or not, the soil looks pretty dense to me....
I'm not really sure what else the problem might be, but a colorful plant like Croton needs good light. The leaf tip looks a bit like what you might get from the leaves touching cold window glass?
As for the Peace Lilies, when the stems fill the pot like the first photo, it's time to repot. With a plant that size, I think you'd want to provide about 2" all around. The 2nd photo, it's obviously top heavy and likely to topple over. It also visually doesn't look balanced. I would use a larger pot and, in this instance, fill the bottom with a layer of gravel to weigh the pot down. This way, you'll also avoid uppotting to too much soil volume.
In both cases, tease out the roots a bit instead of just popping the container-shaped root ball into the larger pot of soil.
The Peace Lilies look good, but the leaf color looks yellower than I think they should be (unless it's just the photos). They would probably do better with more light.
I'm not really sure what else the problem might be, but a colorful plant like Croton needs good light. The leaf tip looks a bit like what you might get from the leaves touching cold window glass?
As for the Peace Lilies, when the stems fill the pot like the first photo, it's time to repot. With a plant that size, I think you'd want to provide about 2" all around. The 2nd photo, it's obviously top heavy and likely to topple over. It also visually doesn't look balanced. I would use a larger pot and, in this instance, fill the bottom with a layer of gravel to weigh the pot down. This way, you'll also avoid uppotting to too much soil volume.
In both cases, tease out the roots a bit instead of just popping the container-shaped root ball into the larger pot of soil.
The Peace Lilies look good, but the leaf color looks yellower than I think they should be (unless it's just the photos). They would probably do better with more light.
The croton (#1) is very tough and can bounce back from near death, but also known to be very fussy about its surroundings. If it's a recent purchase, it might just need time to adapt to its new location. It might just be in a pout. Make sure to allow the soil to dry to about 1/2" below the surface, and then water until the water runs freely out the drainage holes. The potting mix should drain freely and rapidly, but it doesn't necessarily need to be the type used for cacti & succulents.
I'm not positive whether plant #2 is a Chinese evergreen, or a very sad little dieffenbachia. There's something about the stem structure that makes me think it's a dieffenbachia. Either way, it won't branch out and become bushy. It looks to me like it needs to slowly be moved into much stronger light. They are sold as low-light houseplants, but they really do better with very bright indirect light. I move mine around to different areas. It stays in my not-so-brightly lit living room for about 3 weeks, then gets a 3 week vacation to a spot about 3 feet from the window in my south bedroom.
I'm not sure what plant # 3 is, but first of all, I would check to see if it's pot bound. Knock it out of its pot just before you water it, so you can see if the soil is staying too wet in the bottom half of the pot. If the root ball looks good, then I would check for pests. If it's free of pests, the leaf browning is most likely due to lack of humidity in the air. Although it's the fashion these days to mist plants with a spray bottle, I've always gotten much better results from setting the plant on a humidity tray. Misting raises the humidity temporarily, but a humidity tray will add moisture to the air on a long term basis.
The peace lilies need repotting. Don't put it off, or their leaf tips will begin to dry and turn brown.
I'm not positive whether plant #2 is a Chinese evergreen, or a very sad little dieffenbachia. There's something about the stem structure that makes me think it's a dieffenbachia. Either way, it won't branch out and become bushy. It looks to me like it needs to slowly be moved into much stronger light. They are sold as low-light houseplants, but they really do better with very bright indirect light. I move mine around to different areas. It stays in my not-so-brightly lit living room for about 3 weeks, then gets a 3 week vacation to a spot about 3 feet from the window in my south bedroom.
I'm not sure what plant # 3 is, but first of all, I would check to see if it's pot bound. Knock it out of its pot just before you water it, so you can see if the soil is staying too wet in the bottom half of the pot. If the root ball looks good, then I would check for pests. If it's free of pests, the leaf browning is most likely due to lack of humidity in the air. Although it's the fashion these days to mist plants with a spray bottle, I've always gotten much better results from setting the plant on a humidity tray. Misting raises the humidity temporarily, but a humidity tray will add moisture to the air on a long term basis.
The peace lilies need repotting. Don't put it off, or their leaf tips will begin to dry and turn brown.
The soil the Croton is in isn't really dense, it's actually quite light. Usually dries in a few days for most pots. I'm thinking it's the old soil around the root ball, because everything else planted with this soil dries real fast. It's the most highly recommended soil from our nursery, and he says it's perfect for any inside potted plant. Is there any way to dry the soil out some, this is the only one that seems to stay wet. Or should I repot it again. I'm weary about this cause I only repotted it about a month ago, but I'll do anything to keep it alive. This plant means alot to us.
Plant # 3 isn't root bound, I recently repotted it into a little bit larger pot. I haven't seen pests so I guess I'll add a humidity tray to see if ti helps. Only thing abot humidity trays, is the risk of mosquitos. Once they get established here, they never go away. Here's another pic to help ID it in case it helps.
[img]https://i44.tinypic.com/1620kdl.jpg[/img]
And I'll repot the peace lillies as soon as I can, what's the best soil to use?
Plant # 3 isn't root bound, I recently repotted it into a little bit larger pot. I haven't seen pests so I guess I'll add a humidity tray to see if ti helps. Only thing abot humidity trays, is the risk of mosquitos. Once they get established here, they never go away. Here's another pic to help ID it in case it helps.
[img]https://i44.tinypic.com/1620kdl.jpg[/img]
And I'll repot the peace lillies as soon as I can, what's the best soil to use?
To avoid mosquitoes in the trays, I just empty and refill them every couple of days. I do that with my birdbaths outdoors, too. The standard humidity tray is a simple shallow container filled with a layer of gravel, with water added to just below the surface of the gravel. (I know you knew that; I'm just trying to explain something. 
) The gravel trays can be attractive, but they're a pain in the neck to clean. Instead of gravel, I use plastic grid like is used for fluorescent light covers. I think it's called "egg crate," but I'm not positive. (I buy broken ones and cut them up with a hacksaw to fit my trays.) It's very quick and easy to lift out, wash the tray, drop the grid back in, and replace the plant containers. Anything similar would work as well. Let your creativity soar!
) The gravel trays can be attractive, but they're a pain in the neck to clean. Instead of gravel, I use plastic grid like is used for fluorescent light covers. I think it's called "egg crate," but I'm not positive. (I buy broken ones and cut them up with a hacksaw to fit my trays.) It's very quick and easy to lift out, wash the tray, drop the grid back in, and replace the plant containers. Anything similar would work as well. Let your creativity soar! -
serial_killer
- Senior Member
- Posts: 122
- Joined: Tue Nov 17, 2009 2:47 am
- Location: Ohio
Kisal where can you buy that, I've often need it when making hydroponic flood trays out of something not specifically intended for that it would be a huge help.
a0c8c- Sorry I don't know what it is called but I have that plant too and it is a very rapid grower if not root-bound so if your are not seeing good growth rate it could be a sign it needs up potted, but it looks like you have that covered currently. Another thing you probably know already but the brown tips wont repair themselves, just monitor the new growth to see if the problem has been corrected. As for watering I water about once every week and a half, I have so many plants around the house and now outside that I cant give everyone everything right when it needs it yet it still does fine becoming very dry between waterings. One thing that seemed to help its overall health was when watering (after watering the soil well) I treat it like a Bromeliad and pour water down into the crevasses of the leaves where it will store it for a bit.
This is in an east window that gets about 4 hours of direct sunlight in the mornings and then medium to high levels of indirect throughout the rest of the day. HTH
[img]https://i452.photobucket.com/albums/qq247/1badv8dime/SNC00320.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i452.photobucket.com/albums/qq247/1badv8dime/SNC00321.jpg[/img]
a0c8c- Sorry I don't know what it is called but I have that plant too and it is a very rapid grower if not root-bound so if your are not seeing good growth rate it could be a sign it needs up potted, but it looks like you have that covered currently. Another thing you probably know already but the brown tips wont repair themselves, just monitor the new growth to see if the problem has been corrected. As for watering I water about once every week and a half, I have so many plants around the house and now outside that I cant give everyone everything right when it needs it yet it still does fine becoming very dry between waterings. One thing that seemed to help its overall health was when watering (after watering the soil well) I treat it like a Bromeliad and pour water down into the crevasses of the leaves where it will store it for a bit.
This is in an east window that gets about 4 hours of direct sunlight in the mornings and then medium to high levels of indirect throughout the rest of the day. HTH
[img]https://i452.photobucket.com/albums/qq247/1badv8dime/SNC00320.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i452.photobucket.com/albums/qq247/1badv8dime/SNC00321.jpg[/img]
I have found the "egg crate" stuff at garage sales, and I've been known to drive down allies behind businesses looking for it (along with anything else useful I might discover. 
) I've even been known to do a bit of quick dumpster diving to get it. That was some years ago, though. I'm pretty careful with stuff, so it lasts a long time. These days, being older and somewhat more decrepit, I think I'd just buy it new at one of the big box stores. (Lazy, y'know ... 
)
I'd bet you could buy it new wherever fluorescent lighting is sold. I have no idea what it costs. It's commonly available online, with prices varying dramatically, so it would probably pay to shop carefully. I've seen it on eBay for just a couple dollars a sheet, but I don't know how often it shows up there.
Another place to check might be your nearest dump. Where I live, construction stuff ... old windows and such ... and lots of other kinds of stuff that can be reused, but ends up at the dump, is set aside and sold very cheaply.
) I've even been known to do a bit of quick dumpster diving to get it. That was some years ago, though. I'm pretty careful with stuff, so it lasts a long time. These days, being older and somewhat more decrepit, I think I'd just buy it new at one of the big box stores. (Lazy, y'know ... )I'd bet you could buy it new wherever fluorescent lighting is sold. I have no idea what it costs. It's commonly available online, with prices varying dramatically, so it would probably pay to shop carefully. I've seen it on eBay for just a couple dollars a sheet, but I don't know how often it shows up there.
Another place to check might be your nearest dump. Where I live, construction stuff ... old windows and such ... and lots of other kinds of stuff that can be reused, but ends up at the dump, is set aside and sold very cheaply.