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Revenea Palm Yellowing

This is a Revenea or majesty palm. When grown in the landscape they can get quite large. They are native to the moist, humid tropics and grow in warm climates out in full sun, which gives you an idea of what they need indoors. In order to do well inside you need to keep the soil in the pot evenly moist but not swampy. When the plant dries out too much in between waterings, it will lose lower leaves first and then the rest of the plant will show dried tips and yellowing leaves.

Your plant could first use a larger pot - use one with drainage holes and a deep saucer underneath. Do not fill the bottom of the pot with rocks or anything other than soil. When you water, water well until the plant drains into the saucer. Let it sit in the saucer of water for up to three hours - if after that time the plant hasn't reabsorbed all the excess water soak it up with an old towel or use a turkey baster to remove it from the saucer. Look to see that all the dirt is moist, not just right around the stems.

Your plant looks like it needs more light as well. These palms do not do well in darker places, but need to be grown near bright windows such as an eastern or western facing exposure. If you have a place outdoors that gets morning sun and afternoon shade, or dappled light through trees, you could put this plant (after repotting) outside at the end of May for the summer and it will be quite happy. Water outdoors (with the pot not in a saucer) every other day.

By | 2015-12-13T23:55:45-08:00 December 13th, 2015|House Plants|0 Comments
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Yellow Leaves On Pothos

The yellowing of older leaves is pretty common on most houseplants as they occasionally shed the old while growing new foliage. So if the leaves that are turning yellow are the oldest ones, near the bottom of the stems not the ends, it might just be this natural process. If the yellowing leaves are more numerous and are happening over the entire plant the first thing to consider is the watering. Plants will shed more of the older growth if they are drying up in between soakings. When water isn't abundant the plant sheds some of the leaves in order to preserve the new growth.

Leaves that go yellow are also a sign of over-watering or poor drainage, however. Pothos do best when allowed to go slightly dry (but not wilting) between waterings. If your soil has been kept constantly wet that causes root rot which leads to yellowing leaves.

The other thing that can affect indoor plants at this time of year is cold drafts from being too close to a cold window, and hot drafts from a heating unit too near the plant.

To figure things out the first thing to do is to tip the plant out of the pot. If the plant has white roots that means it probably isn't root rot in that rotting roots are tan and brown. If the plant is very root bound, with congested roots that circle around and around in the pot, it's time to put the plant in a new pot with new soil. (Note: don't put any rocks or shards at the bottom of the pot - it's the holes in a pot that are for drainage and other debris is bad for plants!)

If the roots are healthy and not too crowded, decide if you've been watering well enough - soak the entire root ball well every time you water but don't let the plant sit in a saucer of water after it has gotten well hydrated. Don't bother "misting" the plant - that does little to raise humidity and causes leaf-spot fungi.

Pick off the worst of your yellow leaves so you can monitor if the problem is continuing. You can fertilize the plant sometime in March when the days are getting longer - use fertilizer according to directions.

By | 2015-12-13T06:48:00-08:00 December 13th, 2015|House Plants|5 Comments
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Gardenia Problem

Did you see any signs of this before the plant was repotted? Blackening of the leaves in this manner wouldn't be caused by insects, so we can put that aside for now. Such symptoms could be caused by fertilizer burn, contact with other products, nutritional issues or fungus. Of all of these, the most likely would be fertilizer burn or contact with other garden or household products. Did you fertilize when you repotted? If so, might you have used fertilizer that was mixed too strong, or applied fertilizer to a thirsty plant? If you think that this is possible, I'd say that this is fertilizer burn. Might there have been window cleaner, or a plant spray that hit the leaves? Could it have gotten drift from another cleaning product or was a pesticide applied?

It's impossible to diagnose a fungal problem or nutritional deficiency from a photo alone - you'd need a lab culture or soil analysis for this.

But the bottom line, that you want to know is, what do you do now? 1. Be sure the plant's new pot has a drainage hole and that there isn't any other stuff (rocks, shards, screening) covering that drainage hole. No matter what our mothers told us, nothing should be in a pot but potting soil and the plant. 2. Keep soil evenly moist - not swampy or sitting in a saucer of water and not drying out between waterings. 3. If you think too much fertilizer or contact with another product is a possibility, flush the soil well with lots of water by placing the plant in a sink or shower and running room-temperature water though the pot for awhile. The plant will shed any such damaged leaves but as long as the stems didn't get burned too much it will recover. 4. Place in a bright location but not right next to a southern window - in an eastern window is fine, or a foot or two out from a western or southern window. 4. In late May you can put this outside in a morning sun afternoon shade location if you have one - water every two or three days depending on the temperature outside.

By | 2015-12-12T18:05:24-08:00 December 12th, 2015|House Plants|0 Comments
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Palm Houseplant Problem

This palm appears to be getting too much light. Indoor palms or "Parlor Palms" can suffer from too much or too little light. Symptoms of too much direct sunlight include gray or brown-colored scorched leaves and leaves that shrivel and die. Most indoor palms require natural bright light all year, so if you place the palm near an east-facing or south-facing window with filtered light, it should get enough natural light.

Indoor palms require warm temperatures. The ideal temperature is between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and about 60 F at night. The exception to this is when plants are not actively growing, in winter. In winter, the plants can withstand cooler temperature of 55 to 60 F. Palms that are kept too cool show signs of cold injury, which includes brownish-red areas on the leaves. To prevent chilling injury, keep plants in a room with a temperature above 45 F and away from drafty areas, such as near air-conditioning units, windows and doors.

Additionally, Proper watering is important to the health of an indoor palm. If a plant doesn't get enough water, it can suffer from dried leaves and brown leaf tips and margins. Palms need to be kept moist, but you should never allow them to dry out or sit in water. You can allow the soil of the palm to dry out slightly below the surface between waterings during active growth and allow the soil to become dry out a little deeper between waterings in winter. When you do water, pour water until it comes out the drainage tray and empty the tray immediately. Be sure to avoid too much fertilizer. Too much fertilizer can harm indoor palms and, like improper watering, can cause brown leaf tips and margins. When fertilizer builds up and the soil is allowed to dry out, it can cause leaf burn. Palms require a slow-release or diluted liquid fertilizer, but only when plant is actively growing. The active growth period for palms is from late winter through early fall. If you are unsure about how much fertilizer to use, it is best to under-feed than over-feed the plant.





By | 2015-12-11T01:57:03-08:00 December 11th, 2015|House Plants|1 Comment
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Dracaena Problem

There could be one or more of several reasons why the leaves are drooping: make sure when watering (about once every 7-10 days) that the soil feels dry down to the first knuckle before watering again and that the water drains out without allowing the plant to sit in water (if there is a saucer under the plant, a pot within in a pot such as yours, or it is in a pot without drainage holes and it is sitting in the water after watering, then this may lead to root or stem rot ); feed with a slow-release or organic fertilizer formulated for container plants; the potting soil should be a well-draining commercial potting soil or cactus potting soil (sterile and well-draining); needs bright, indirect light. Also mealy bugs are insects that suck the nutrients from the leaves and branches. Get rid of them by washing them off - look for them topside and underneath the leaves - with a strong stream of water. If the infestation is extensive, use q-tips dipped in denatured alcohol (available at your pharmacy) to wipe off the mealybugs, then rinse off with water or spray with Neem oil. Finally, if the leaves continue to droop, suggest you switch to steam iron water - many houseplants come from the rainforest and are sensitive to the salts in tap water. There could also be some disease issues, but we think it is more of a cultural issue as well as mealybug problem. Here is more info: http://www.hgtv.com/landscaping/qa-leaf-spots-on-dracaena/index.html

By | 2015-12-10T11:53:27-08:00 December 10th, 2015|House Plants|0 Comments
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Necrotic Tissue

Necrotic leaf spots such as this are impossible to accurately diagnose without culturing the tissue in a lab. Sometimes damage such as this is called "water soaked" spots because it's yellowish or olive green instead of tan turning to brown. This type of damage can be caused by fungus, bacteria or virus. Fungi are far more common, but these usually cause the tan-or-yellow-turning-brown type of spots and not as yellowish-green. Fungi are treated with a fungicide. Unfortunately viruses and bacterial problems in plants aren't usually able to be treated.

SO, not knowing what is causing the damage you are seeing, what should you do? Here are some possible courses of action and you can decide what makes the most sense to you:
1. If you have other plants in the area with this one, separate the infected ones from the healthy ones asap.
2. Clip off the worst of the leaves. This makes the problem easier to monitor, and gets rid of some fungal spores should the problem be caused by fungi.
3. Never get the foliage wet - don't mist the plant or spray the leaves with water. No matter what causes the problem this can spread the disease or make it worse.
4. Spray with a multi-purpose fungicide. Get recommendations from your local garden center and choose the product that meets with your approach to plants and gardening. (Some people prefer organic fungicides, for example, but others like a synthetic systemic.)
5. Don't over or under water the plant and keep it in the light that it's preferred in the past. In other words, no huge changes.
6. Either the plant will grow out of the problem or it will continue and get worse. If it gets worse, be willing to say goodbye.

By | 2015-11-13T20:38:03-08:00 December 10th, 2015|House Plants|0 Comments
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Trouble With Tropical Hibiscus

Without laying eyeballs and fingertips on this plant directly it's hard to say for sure what is causing the symptoms you see. Also, it's often true that what we see happening in plants isn't just from one cause but from several situations piling up one on another. So here are some suggestions of things you should look for and try doing to help this plant.

1. Look under the leaves for signs of insect activity. Tiny webs or a "dirty looking" appearance would be the sign that this plant has mites. Mites are too small to see usually, but you can see the litter they leave behind in that the underside of the leaves looks dusty and dirty. If you think you have mites, ask at your local garden center for a Miticide as a regular insecticide usually doesn't work on mites.

2. Is the plant root bound? If it's been in the same pot for a long time the roots might be clogging the drainage hole and preventing the plant from growing. Root bound plants are often either too wet or too dry because the roots prevent good watering. If you tip this plant out of the pot and see lots of roots circling the bottom, or roots coming out the drainage hole, it's time for a larger pot and fresh soil. Be sure not to put rocks or other stuff in the bottom of the pot "for drainage" - it's BAD for plants! Just soil.

3. Has the plant been fertilized lately? If not, water the plant well and then give it an application of fertilizer mixed according to directions.

If you see no signs of insects and the plant isn't root bound, please contact us again and we'll reach into our collective "green brains" further to help!

By | 2015-11-13T20:55:07-08:00 December 7th, 2015|House Plants|0 Comments
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Pothos Problems

Houseplant leaves turn yellow and brown and dry for a variety of reasons: when grown in too little light, an irregular watering pattern, or the plant is sitting in water and may be the beginning of root rot. Usually if the problem is over-watering the entire plant will turn yellowish - if the problem is uneven watering, that is drying between waterings, then the older leaves turn yellow and brown first but the new foliage looks OK. So evaluate your plant by looking to see if all the new growth is fine but the older leaves are the ones that are going - if that's the case you need to water the entire plant really well and then check it in a few days to see if it is dry.

Often our houseplants dry more quickly at this time of year when the heating is coming on more frequently. Be sure to water really well when you do water - never give a plant "just a little" because you don't want to over-water, don't want the water to leak out of the drainage holes, or don't have time to fill up a container with enough water. In other words, soak the entire root ball well when you water and let it drain into a sink or saucer for a couple of hours - then remove from any standing water and test the soil in a few days to see if it's dry ready for watering again.

Plants also dry up more quickly when they've been in the same pot for awhile. When you see brown leaves on a plant, tip it out of the pot and see if it looks root bound. If so, putting it in a new, larger pot with fresh soil will help.

This does not look like a nutrient deficiency but most houseplants should be fed a slow-release or organic fertilizer formulated for indoor container plants. They do not need fertilizer in the dark months of November through January.

By | 2015-11-13T20:33:02-08:00 December 6th, 2015|House Plants|0 Comments
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Cyclamen Woes

Although cyclamen are beautiful, winter flowering plants they are not the easiest to care for. Your plant looks like there are probably a couple of things that are making it unhappy. Here is what you need to provide for a long-lived cyclamen, although know that even those plants that people keep in flower and healthy through the winter often go into a dormant period and stop flowering in the spring. This is not a plant that flowers continually.
1. This plant needs to be in a very bright location - an eastern window is ideal. If you have southern or western exposures put it near but not directly in those windows, and keep the shades open.
2. Cool temperatures. This plant gets leggy and stops flowering in warm temperatures. So if your house is heated to 70 or above it's likely to go into decline.
3. Bottom watering. You may already be watering this way, but what is best is to fill a bowl with water, put the pot in that bowl for an hour, and then take the pot out and let it drain into a saucer. Don't leave the pot in standing water for more than a couple of hours.
4. Don't ever let the plant get so dry that the plant wilts. When this happens the buds that are growing dry up and don't recover. Some plants are forgiving and bounce back if they go dry and wilt, but a cyclamen isn't one of those.
5. Be on the lookout for insects. This photo isn't close enough for us to see any signs of cyclamen mites or whitefly but you should watch for fine white "litter" on the foliage or sticky leaves or table under the plant. If you see signs of this ask for a miticide or insecticide at your local garden center.

By | 2017-09-11T15:49:32-07:00 December 3rd, 2015|House Plants|0 Comments
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Black On Coffee Tree

Although it's impossible to diagnose a problem from a photo alone, here are our impressions and the questions to ask that should lead you to some help.
1. This does not immediately strike us as a disease problem. Fungi, bacterial and viral problems on houseplants have a different look.
2. Browning on leaf margins such as we see here is usually caused by either drying out in between waterings, fertilizer burn or a combination of the two - see below.
3. Has this plant been in the same pot for a long time? Since we can't see the container, it's difficult to know if it's too small for the plant at this point. But what happens to all container plants as they get larger is that the pots become congested with roots and this makes it harder to hold water in that container. So you might be watering as you always have been, but because the plant is root bound that same amount of water is no longer enough. If the plant has been in the same container for three years or more it needs to be repotted.
4. Has the plant been moved to a new location that might have more sunlight or be drier because it's close to a heating unit? If so, that can cause the soil to dry more quickly.
5. Did you fertilize in the last two months, and if so, was the fertilizer either mixed slightly too strongly or applied to a dry plant? Either of these can lead to fertilizer burn. If you think that this might be the problem, flush the soil with lots of water, repot if the plant is root bound, and in the future mix at low rates and never fertilize a thirsty plant.

By | 2015-12-02T21:33:20-08:00 December 2nd, 2015|House Plants|0 Comments
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