Splitleaf Philodendron

/Splitleaf Philodendron/

Splitleaf Philodendron

Grown as a house plant most places, this survives outside in areas that are virtually frost free. In the wild, this epiphyte can grow 65 feet tall; in nature it is a vining, climbing plant. Indoors provide bright, indirect light, and water when the top half inch of soil feels dry

Overall, your plant look healthy and the brown leaves seems to be only those two at the bottom. It's normal for plants to lose their bottom leaves as they grow, just the way we lose a small amount of hair every day. We suggest you remove the damaged leaves and examine the undersides closely for signs of insects or spider mites. If they look clean, continue to observe the plant. As long as you are giving it the right amount of light and water, it should be a trouble-free houseplant for you. It might look more attractive if you took it off the metal trellis and let it sprawl naturally. That way the loss of the bottom leaves wouldn't be so obvious.

If there's more damage throughout the plant that we can't see in the above photo, please let us know.

By | 2016-03-07T11:49:20-08:00 March 7th, 2016|House Plants|0 Comments
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Donkey Ears

A fast growing succulent perennial from rocky areas of northwestern Madagascar that grows to 1212"-18" tall and wide with leaves that can be enormous, from 12"-20" long. The leaves are bronze-green covered with a waxy white covering to look overall gray-green and splotched with maroon-brown blotches. These leaves often have small plantlets developing along the leaf margin. The flower spike begins to rise in fall to grow to a 2'-3' tall stalk that branches near the top with several clusters of pale peach-colored buds that darken and become the calyces holding the darker reddish-salmon petals with flared tips and yellow interior. The whole flowering process lasts nearly 2 months at which point the “mother plant” declines but the many plantlets on the leaves develop rapidly to bloom within 2 to 3 years. Great in a hanging baskets or as a specimen or mass planted in a dry garden. Plant in full sun to partial shade.

By | 2016-03-07T09:38:47-08:00 March 7th, 2016|Succulents|0 Comments
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Peace Lily Spathe Flower

This does appear to be one of the Aroids known as Spathe flower. There are ~35 wild species, plus forms of garden origin. All make good houseplants. Tolerates low light but does best in medium light, well-drained soil, with moderate amounts of water and fertilizer. We suspect your plant has dried out. Peace lily would rather be a bit too damp than a little bit dry. Remove all the dead leaves. Then, assuming the container has a hole in the bottom, place it in a larger container and fill the larger container so that water goes up the sides but not over the top of the plant's container. Leave it like this until the top of the potting soil is moist. Then remove the plant and allow the container to drain. By watering from the bottom up in this way you will rehydrate the plant and the potting soil and get it back on the road to health. After this one-time soaking, water when the potting soil is dry to the depth of the first knuckle on your finger.

By | 2016-03-07T08:01:09-08:00 March 7th, 2016|Tropical Plants|0 Comments
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Satellite Plant Chinese Dunce Cap

An attractive small succulent from Japan with soft lavender to gray-green leaves in 1"-2" wide open rosettes that offset readily producing small plantlets on spaghetti thin stems that radiate up to 6" away from the mature rosettes to form an open plant to about 1' across. After several years these rosettes can produce tiny pale yellow flowers with greenish bracts on 6" tall spikes that are described as the shape of an inverted ice cream cone, or as the common name implies, like a Dunce Cap. Some say Satellite plant because of all the tiny "satellites" orbiting their mother plant. Flowering often starts in early autumn but may begin as late as November. The flowering rosette dies after flowering but is quickly replaced by the "satellites". Plant in sun or partial shade in a very well-drained porous soil. It is hardy to at least -5°F (some say -35°F) and tolerates infrequent irrigation but looks best when given an occasional to regular watering but does not like to be in wet soil in winter so good drainage is an important requirement.

By | 2016-03-07T05:29:26-08:00 March 7th, 2016|Succulents|0 Comments
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Aphids On Leafy Vegetables

They will typically feed on the newest plant growth. You can identify Aphids (with a magnifying lens) by the two "cornicles" (structures that look like tiny tailpipes) extending from the rear. If you see the cornicles, you will want to control these insects with a pesticidal soap, available at your local garden center or wash off with a strong stream of water. These insects reproduce rapidly (giving live birth, rather than laying eggs), so you can also narrow the possible insect species down if you see that some of them are smaller versions of the larger ones. Sometimes an adult will develop wings and they look a bit different than the rest, but they'll still have the "tailpipes". Also, the white bits are probably the cast-off exoskeletons of aphids, while the green or grayish moving creatures are the aphids themselves.Here is a link that you might find helpful: http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/QT/aphidscard.html

By | 2016-03-07T05:08:51-08:00 March 7th, 2016|Plant Pests|0 Comments
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Unknown Apple

There are so many hundreds of apple varieties that we don't try to do positive i.d.'s on them. Your best bet is the Home Orchard Society: http://www.homeorchardsociety.org/

Hope this information below is helpful.
Here are a few suggestions that you may want to try and identify yourself: Gala:A small to medium-sized conic apple. Thin, tannic skin is yellow-green with a red blush overlaid with reddish-orange streaks. Flesh is yellowish-white, crisp and grainy with a mild flavour. Cross of three of the world's best known apples: Kidds Orange Red (a cross of Red Delicious and Cox's Orange Pippin) × Golden Delicious. One of the most widely available commercial fruit. New Zealand 1970's

Fuji: Red Delicious × Ralls Genet. Dark red, conic apple. Sweet, crisp, dense flesh is very mildly flavoured. Keeps very well. One of the most widely grown apple varieties in the world. From Japan developed in 1930's.

By | 2016-03-07T03:19:36-08:00 March 7th, 2016|Fruit Plants & Trees|0 Comments
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Bromeliad Vriesea

This is a bromeliad, possibly in the genus Vriesea. Vrieseas are native to Central and South America, but are grown as indoor plants throughout the world. There are about 250 recognized species of vriesea bromeliads, all native to Central and South America. There are also dozens of hybrids. Roughly speaking, vriesea are divided into plants that are grown primarily for their foliage and those that are prized for the flat, brightly colored flower spikes.

They are more tolerant of dense shade than other common bromeliads. The more sunlight a Vriesea receives, the more humidity it will need to avoid scorching the leaves. The foliage will also become more brilliant in color when exposed to more light. Moderate temperatures are preferred by Vrieseas, but they can withstand a range of low and high temperatures from just above freezing to 90F for a short period of time. They will not, however, survive a hard freeze.

By | 2016-03-07T01:33:44-08:00 March 7th, 2016|Tropical Plants|0 Comments
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Traditional Jade Plant

Your plant is likely a jade plant, Crassula argentea, a popular succulent. Grows well indoors in very bright indirect light or outdoors in full sun, but does not tolerate freezing temperatures. Water when the soil feels dry down to the first knuckle. Do not over-water. Also make sure if in a container has drainage holes. Do not allow plant to sit in water as this may lead to root rot. Common names can be confusing, entertaining, and interesting! Also known as Chinese rubber tree, money plant, or dollar plant, these plants were once thought to bring good luck to their owners so were often given as housewarming gifts. Many people who practice Feng Shui say that having one of these plants in your home, with their roundish leaves like coins, helps to bring money into your life. Also the fact that fallen leaves can readily start new plants is another analogy for increasing wealth and abundance.

By | 2016-03-06T23:19:56-08:00 March 6th, 2016|Succulents|0 Comments
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Peace Lily

Your plant is probably a large peace lily. There are several species, some make great window sill plants (the smaller types) and others are floor specimens (like yours). Have you ever seen it flower. Peace lilies produce white flowers. It would help us to see a photo of the entire plant, focussing on the stem where the leaves emerge. There are a few other tropicals that have leaves like this (bird of paradise, ornamental bananas) but their stems are very distinctive. If you send us another photo of the stem base, we'll try to confirm our identification. Peace lilies grow best in bright, indirect light indoors, never direct sunlight. If the plant doesn't get enough light, it won't bloom, but if it gets too much direct sun on the leaves, it may get leaf burn. Give it regular water and feed with a slow-release fertilizer formulated for blooming container plants. Must have good drainage. Do not allow plant to sit in water as this leads to root rot.

By | 2016-03-06T21:19:17-08:00 March 6th, 2016|House Plants|3 Comments
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Heat Stress Or Fertilizer Burn

This rose bush seems to be suffering from heat stress or possibly fertilizer burn. Spotty brown leaves is a typical sign of both. Typically, the browning of "Knock Out" rose leaves may be the result of too many nutrients. They do thrive in fertile soil, however, over-applying fertilizer may lead to high salinnity content in soil as well as brown leaves. Also, high boron content can cause browning edges of new leaf growth. Stunted growth is another result of these excesses. If you have over-applied fertilizer or if a soil test exhibits high salt levels or boron levels, then definitely change to a fertilizer with lower levels of salt or boron. Apply a 2 to 3-inch layer of organic mulch, such as compost, without smothering plant stems. Mulch offers a natural way to maintain fertility and deter weed growth while conserving moisture. Be sure to water roses at the bottom of the plant to prevent fungal issues.

By | 2016-03-06T20:40:05-08:00 March 6th, 2016|Shrubs|0 Comments
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