Tips
and Tricks page 2
Caring for Plants in the Home - Questions 21 - 40
(my humble attempt at answering the question I once had)
21. Q: Why are dracaenas (corn plant and marginata) dropping leaves?
A: Overwatering is a possibility. check the root system. These plants need a
lot of humidity and they should be kept away from a heat source. They also
require moderately bright light. Leaves drop from the bottom of old plants
making them leggy. Could air layer and start new plant. They also require
more fertilizer than most houseplants. The new leaves will rob fertilizer
from the older leaves so the older leaves turn yellow then brown and drop
off.
22. Q: Older leaves on ficus tree in greenhouse have brown spotches on back and
leaves eventually fall off.
A: Check for scale insects. If you can remove brown spots it is scale.
Generally ficus looses leaves when it is moved from one location to another
and there is a change from more to less light. Ficus needs bright light and
plenty of water. Older plants lose old leaves as new ones come on. Ficus
also have a disease called Oedema which is a nonparasitic disease. When the
relationship of the plant with water are abnormal as under conditions of
exceptional humidity, small masses of tissue may expand and break out on the
surface causing a watery swelling or gall. Frequently the exposed surface
becomes rusty in color so that the lesion may be mistaken for a rust caused
by a fungus.
23. Q: Which houseplants help 'clean the air'?
A: Any plant will help clean the air. Plants with large leaves such as
fiddle leaf fig, philodendrons and dumb cane (dieffenbachia) are a few
examples. The bigger the leaves the more cleaning effect they have.
24. Q: Can you prune indoor ficus tree?
A: Yes. Can be pruned rather severely. Prune as you would a normal tree.
Thin out branches; do not top the tree!
25. Q: Fronds on palm are turning brown. What is the cause.
A: Needs lot of water and humidity but can not stand wet feet. Check the
root system for overwatering. Roots will be dark brown to black. The skin of
the root can be slipped out leaving the center part of the root --
overwatering caused this. After the soil dries out, drench with a root rot
fungicide such as Ban Rot or Subdue; follow label directions and control
watering and humidity.
26. Q: What is causing black 'grit' or 'soot' at base of a few leaves on fiddle leaf fig plant?
A: It is insect caused probably scale, aphids or whitefly. Any insect that
produces honeydew could cause the problem. Control the insect and you will
control the sooty mold. In this instance, it is probably scale because it is
localized at the base of the leaf.
27. Q: When can houseplants be moved outside?
A: It is best to wait at least until the last frost free date. Better to
wait until middle of April.
28. Q: How do you care for African Violets.
A: Very carefully. The African Violet Society likes the wicked type pots
specifically made for growing African violets. Most are grown under
artificial light unless there is bright natural light; not direct sun
however.
29. Q: How do you induce bromeliads to bloom?
A: Patience is needed. As a general rule the minimum time for flowering is
three years from seed or about two from vegetative propagules (pups). If
your bromeliad is mature and still not showing a flower bud, a change of
environment is in order. First apply fertilizer rich in phosphorus. If this
doesn't work, try placing the plant into a brighter and/or warmer spot.
Should all these techniques fail to produce flowers within a year, it is
time for the apple-in-the-bag trick. First pour off any water in the
bromeliad cup. Obtain a fragrant ripening apple and enclose it and the
bromeliad in a sealed, clear plastic bag. Keep the bagged plant out of the
sun, but in a warm place. after one week remove the bag and apple and return the bromeliad to its former location.
This method can be used to force pineapple or any other bromeliad to produce
flowers and fruit within one year. The apple while ripening produces a gas
called ethylene, which stimulates bromeliads to flower. Most cases of
failure occur because the apple is underripe or overripe, at which point
ethylene production is minimal. Chemicals are available which produce
ethylene, but they are expensive and/or flammable. They are best left alone.
If this trick doesn't work the first time, wait a few months and try again.
Forced blooming may produce imperfect blooms or premature blooming in young
offsets not yet detached from the parent plant. If you should decide to
attempt to force blooming, be sure your plant is at a mature stage and
well-established on its own.
30. Q: How do you remove deposits of salts from clay pots?
A: Soak in a solution of one part bleach to nine parts water; This will not
completely remove the salts from the clay pot. If the pots are in bad
condition from salt build up, it would be best to start with new pots. The
pots could also be buried in soil over the winter and they will leach out
from natural rain.
31. Q: What causes tips of plants to curl?
A: Many things could. Aphids and other sucking insects such as mites and
scale can sometime cause curling. Low humidity, low light, too hot a
temperature and over and under watering can cause curling.
32. Q: What is causing ficus tree to lose leaves. Took it outside and sprayed it
with Malathion. It has not been repotted in at least 6 years.
A: Ficus are very picky plants when it comes to losing leaves. It has been
said many times if you look at them wrong they will drop leaves. Possible
causes was moving the plant around; may need to be repotted; drafts going
across the plant; change in temperature. Ficus are known to drop leaves in
the spring and fall because of the change in the location of the sun. Also
over or under watering could cause leaf drop. It is doubtful that Malathion
would have caused the problem.
33. Q: Ficus plant has tiny insects and leaves are speckled yellow.
A: Plant has spider mites. Use approved miticide for use indoors. Mites are
difficult to control.
34. Q: Gardenia plant growing indoors won't bloom even though it appears healthy.
A: Gardenias kept indoors must have high humidity and cool nights as well as
plenty of sunlight. The plant will not set buds if night temperatures exceed
65 degrees F.
35. Q: I recently brought home a bromiliad that's in bloom. How do I care for is plant (water,light,fertilizer)?
A: Bromiliads are good house plants if put in an area with high
relative humidity (some folks put them in the bathtub in the restroom!)
As with all plants, the more light the better. Filtered (through a tree
canopy or curtain) rather than direct light is best to avoid foliage
damage or sunburning. Fertilize once every two or three weeks by
spraying to runoff with a water soluble fertilizer such as Miracle
Grow, Rapid Grow or Peters 20-20-20. Remember, bromiliads are
saprophytes and take most of their nutrition through the leaves --
roots are largely for anchorage.
36. Q: I was looking for basic information on growing, varieties and medical properties of aloe vera. Can you help?
A: Aloe Vera or, more correctly, Aloe barbadensis, has been around for
a long time. The spiny, yet tender leaves of the aloe plant have been
harvested and put to use since the days of the Roman Empire. Initially
they were valued for their medicinal properties. In the Middle Ages,
however, aloe was an ingredient in the mysterious compounds used by
witches and charlatans. In Egypt, aloe is believed to bring good
fortune. Often these plants thrive for months, even years, without
water or soil.
Although aloes can be started from seed, it is best to obtain young
plants, called pups, that develop near the bse of the mother plants.
Aloes like sandy, well-drained soil and full sun. In Texas, the
desert-looking aloe is often used in rock gardens along with other
plants that have unusual shapes or striking configurations. Aloe is
winter hardy in zone 10, requires protections in zone 9, and must be
brought indoors or protected from freezing throughout the rest of the
state including San Antonio some years.
Aloe is ideal as a potted plant. It requires little water and little
fertilizer. It can be put on a windowsill that receives direct
sunlight, or a coffee table or plant stand that receives indirect
sunlight. For indoor culture use a potting mix of 50 percent sand and
50 percent loose soil.
The clear, smooth jelly of the aloe plant is used in the home to reat
minor kitchen burns, abrasions and sunburns. Any leaf can be harvested,
simply cut one off and peel back a portion of the skin. It dries
quickly when applied. Aloe leaves will keep a few days in the
refrigerator. Unused portions also can be wrapped tightly and stored in
the freezer.
37. Q: I bought a beautiful potted hoya
plant from our Horticulture Club here at the University of Missouri
-Columbia about a year ago. Since then, it has grown a great deal but
it doesn't seem interested in blooming. I keep the soil fairly moist
and fertilize with Jobe plant spikes.
A: The Wax-Plant (H. carnosa) grows to 8 feet or more. The clustered
flowers are whitish with a pink center. Since your plant is living and
growing I must assume it is getting adequate drainage or it would have
died otherwise. I imagine that it is not getting enough indirect sun
for a long enough period to stimulate bloom. You might try moving it
outdoors in the spring and summer and locate it in a place where it
gets morning sun and afternoon shade. Keep them in a resting stage
during the winter but do not cut off the old flower stalks as they
produce flowers for several years once the stalk is formed.
38. Q: I recently found a 2' high poney tail
palm in very poor condition (lack of water). What is the proper way to
care for this plant? How much water? How often? What fertilizer
frequency & strength?
A: The poney tail palm requires
relatively little sun and often grow surprisingly well in the
living-room, where the atmosphere is usually too hot and dry for most
plants. For success with palms in the house a few basic requirements
should be remembered. Chief among them is never to allow a palm to be
chilled by a sudden cold draft from an open door or window; this will
cause the leaves to turn brown and eventually drop. As palms are not
expensive in the small sizes, it is better to buy a new one than to
endeavor to restore a chilled one. Another requisite is to water
thoroughtly whenever necessary, but never to allow stagnant water to
stand in the pot or in the saucer beneath it. It is best to water palms
from below, by setting the pot in a basin of water, and leaving it
their until the surface soil is damp. This treatment once a week is far
better than a daily sprinkling of the soil. To keep the leaves free
from dust and soot, sponge them frequently with clear water; regular
syringing with a fine spray and considerable pressure will normally
keep insects such as scale, thrips, red spider, etc., under control.
Repotting should be done only when absolutely necessary, and preferably
in spring or early summer. In shifting do not move to too large a pot;
one a single size larger than the former containers is about right as
palms do best when their roots are confined. The majority of palms
succeed best in a night temperature of 60 degrees F. and a day
temperature of 70-80 degrees F. This is usually not possible indoors.
Periodic fertilization with a water soluble fertilizer is recommended
or use a slow-release fertilizer such as Osmocote in the container.
39. Q: My the ficus and one rose have very
fine webs on them, and sometimes I can see tiny white specks moving
around on the webs. What are these and how do I get rid of the problem?
I need something safe for enclosed areas. Also, this same rose plant
and a couple others have what appears to be tiny pale spots all over
many leaves, looking almost like dust, but not brushing off when I
touch a leaf. It is spreading on all the affected plants.
A: You have done the most thorough job of describing the exact symptoms
of spider mites I have ever seen. Think about it! A spider has "webs",
right. Spider mites are small, almost microscopic, and "move around in
the webs". They are white because of the light in which you are seeing
them. The multitude of tiny spiders are sucking the juices out of the
leaves from beneath. Thus, resulting in the "tiny pale spots all over
the leaves but not brushing off". To confirm this, thumb the leaves
over a white sheet of paper -- if the "dust" particles run off or move
around, you definitely have mites. And guess what spider mites love
even more than miniature roses -- that's right, ficus!! Spider mites
ARE mites NOT insects so miticides such as Kelthane (Red Spider Mite
Spray) should be used every 5-7 days for 4 consecutive days being sure
to add two teaspoons of a liquid detergent (Ivory Liquid or Joy) per
gallon of spray mixed. Now, if you don't want to use a chemical control
you can use an insecticidal soap spray but BE SURE TO USE IT AT LEAST
EVERY 5 DAYS. Sprays of both should be directed to the bottom of the
leaves and bottom of all leaves must be covered THOROUGHLY if control
is expected.
40. Q: I am trying to grow a stephanotis
plant. I bought it in late January and the first five leaves grew
healthy and well shaped. The last six leaves are growing narrow with
wavey edges. They look extremely abnormal compared to the first five
leaves. What is happening to the leaves? What type of plant food should
I give it? I keep it in our hottub room. It gets some direct early
morning sun and I water it only after it dries out.
A: The Stephanotis plant or sometimes called Madagascar jasmine is in
the Milkweed Family. It may require more light that it is receiving to
grow normally. It is a tropical vine that grows well in containers. It
has oval, deep green leathery leaves and small tubular flowers. The
blooms are deliciously fragrant and are often used in wedding bouquets.
It should get morning sun (4-6 hours) and afternoon shade. Try
fertilizing it with a water-soluble fertilizer (Miracle Grow or Peters
20-20-20) every second time you water it and maybe it will stablize in
the low light situation.
