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Ask any questions regarding the houseplants and we will try to answer those questions for you or get an expert who will answer those question for you. There is a huge demand for the Q & A service. Even though we try to answer all relevant plant related questions, we might only get to answer the ones that benefit a wider audience. We do not answer repeat questions that have been answered previously.
On June 15, 2005 Ellie asked:
Q

I just recently bought a schlefflera. It is approx 3ft tall and green and yellowish,the leaves are falling off.What would be causing this?

 

Often times when plants are first brought home, they go through a period of shock and re-adjustment. When plants are coming from a greenhouse, they are accustomed to growing in optimum conditions (optimum light levels, humidity, temperature, etc.). When plants are moved into a home environment, they are exposed to different conditions than they were used to growing in. It often takes time for a plant to adjust to a new environment, but once it adjusts, symptoms such as losing leaves should go away.

Another possibility is that your schlefflera may have an insect pest, such as scale, which would be visible as flattened brown spots on the leaves, accompanied by a clear sticky substance. You may also want to check for insect pests as well.

Answer from Adrienne Kleintop, Plantoasis.com Chief Editor. Contact info@plantoasis.com for more information.

On June 14, 2005 User asked:
Q

I have two nice healthy plants, one Dieffenbachia an done Peace Plant. They are indoors, but I wonder if I can put them outside for the summer?

 

Your Dieffenbachia and Peace Lily would probably benefit from being placed outdoors during the summer months. Just be sure to place them in a shaded location, as they will not be able to take direct sunlight. For more detailed information on summering houseplants outdoors, you may want to take a look at our article on summering houseplants outdoors.

Answer from Adrienne Kleintop, Plantoasis.com Chief Editor. Contact info@plantoasis.com for more information.

On June 14, 2005 Nina asked:
Q


I have a stalk of a dumb cane plant. It has no leaves or roots and I'm trying to get it to grow roots. What should I do?

 

If your Dumb Cane has no leaves or roots, I cannot guarantee that it will grow, but it is worth a try at least. One easy way to grow roots is to place the stalk in water, and just let it sit. It should develop roots over time. Another option is to purchase what is called "rooting hormone". You should be able to find this at most garden centers or plant departments. It is usually available in either a powder or gel form. You just need to apply rooting hormone to your cutting. Then you can place the cutting in soil. You can also place the cutting and its pot inside a plastic bag, as that will help to raise the humidity and help the cutting to root better. Just be sure to give it some air from time to time.

Answer from Adrienne Kleintop, Plantoasis.com Chief Editor. Contact info@plantoasis.com for more information.

On June 9, 2005 Robin asked:
Q

I have a yellow mushroom like fungus growing in several of my houseplants. I scrape them out and they have a root base attatched to them. Are these fungi's poisonous and how do I get rid of them?

 

Unfortunately I am not sure if the fungus you described is poisonous or not. Scraping the fungus out of the soil is one option. But if that does not work, you may need to remove as much of the soil as possible and re-pot the plant into fresh soil. The spores may have been present in the soil to begin with. In addition, warm, moist soil can sometimes promote fungus growth, so make sure that the soil does not stay excessivly moist.

Answer from Adrienne Kleintop, Plantoasis.com Chief Editor. Contact info@plantoasis.com for more information.

On June 9, 2005 Mark asked:
Q

I have a Ponytail Palm, for some reason it got given to much water. The soil was wet and the leaves of the Palm have turned brown and are falling off. Is there any way in which i can bring him back to life. Can you cut the Palm to generate new growth. Please help the Palm is very important as it was a present from someone special.

 

I am sorry to hear about your pony-tail palm. As long as your plant's roots were not completely rotten, your plant should be able to recover with a little care, although it may take some time. You could start by withholding water until the soil completely dries out. If there is a location where you plant may dry out quicker (such as a sunnier, or warmer location) you could try moving your plant there.

While your plant is recovering, you should cut back on watering, and withhold fertilizer (fertilizer can burn newly emerging roots).

Answer from Adrienne Kleintop, Plantoasis.com Chief Editor. Contact info@plantoasis.com for more information.

On June 9, 2005 Sherri asked:
Q

My lucky bamboo is "planted" in water and has been doing quite well until recently. I've noticed striations in the stems...almost as if they're drying out and the leaves are starting to turn yellow. I'm continuing to get new growth, and even some new shoots, but the yellow leaves concern me.
Do you know what it could be?

 

If your lucky bamboo is continuing to produce new growths, that is a good sign. Sometimes lucky bamboo can be affected by water quality, so sometimes it helps to replace the plant's water with fresh water every so often (about every 1-2 weeks). Another thing you could do would be to add 1-2 drops of liquid fertilizer on occassion. This would help if your plant is getting yellow leaves as a result of nutrient defiency.

Answer from Adrienne Kleintop, Plantoasis.com Chief Editor. Contact info@plantoasis.com for more information.

On June 8, 2005 Layla asked:
Q

Can you take clippings from any house plant and start new ones? If so, ware should I clip at?

 

Most (but not all) houseplants can be propagated by stem cuttings or leaf cuttings. To find out which type of propagation method works best for a particular type of plant, you can check the houseplant directory.

For stem cuttings, it's often best to take a cutting that is a few inches long, and it's often best to cut above the leaf node (where the leaves grow on the stem). After you take your cutting, you can remove some of the bottom-most leaves of the cutting, and then you can either place the cutting in water until the roots develop, or else you can sprinkle rooting hormone on the end of the cutting, and place it directly in soil.

Answer from Adrienne Kleintop, Plantoasis.com Chief Editor. Contact info@plantoasis.com for more information.

On June 8, 2005 confused asked:
Q

My poor little aloe plant needs some help and I don't know what to believe.One day I noticed its older, larger leaves were browning at the tip and eventually shriveling up flat and curling until there was no life left in them, like they were dry and juiceless. I decided to replant it into a slightly larger pot as it was top heavy (the pot was only the next step up in size) when I discovered the reason it was top heavy was it had no roots, just a ball kind of like an onion. My plant which once had 9 beautiful leaves now has 6 and only 3 are older, bigger leaves. None of the current leaves have dried out and curled but some have gotten brown tips and most feel mushy soft instead of firm, and the heaier ones have even got creases like a fold in them from hanging down. Unfortunatly my research has found the symptoms of over watering and underwatering almost the same and I don't know how to tell which one it is. Since I started my research on what could be wrong with my poor aloe I read that they like the sun and I had decided to place it in a different window in the house hoping to help it recooperate. the window only recieves sunlight around 5:00 pm when the sun is setting. After the second day in the window I noticed my poor aloe plants large leaves had turned a brownish green, not dried but just turned more of an olive color. After reading more it sounded like it had recieved overly large amounts of sunlight. I know my plant has lived in artificial light but shouldn't it be able to handle an hour (max) of sunlight in a window or does the color change have to with something else? Please help me identify the problems with my plant before it withers away more, all the info out there is confusing me.

 

It sounds like your aloe is suffering from rot. It is possible that the rot could have developed from a combination of slight overwatering, which may have been worstened by the plant being in low light and in a larger container. Wilting can be a sign of both over and under watering, which can be confusing. Wilting and brown tips in general are caused by lack of water reaching the leaves. Sometimes if the roots are badly rotten and damaged, they cannot function properly and cannot take up any water. So the plant will show the same symptoms as if it hadn't been watered at all.

Moving the plant to higher light is a start. The plant may be showing signs of sunburn because moving from low to high light might have been a shock to it, and this could have been exaggerated due to the plant's stressed condition. Although as your plant should eventually become adjusted to the higher light. Another thing that you could do would be to re-pot the plant into a smaller container (if most of its roots have rotted away). You should look for a pot that's just big enough for the plants roots, and then fill around it with fresh potting soil. You could also try brushing on some rooting hormone to encourage new root development, and then watering the plant less frequently.

Answer from Adrienne Kleintop, Plantoasis.com Chief Editor. Contact info@plantoasis.com for more information.

On June 7, 2005 Mike asked:
Q

Is Neanthe Bella Palm poisonous to dogs?

 

According to the SPCA (http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=apcc_nontoxicplants), this plant is not toxic to pets. Although, you may want to check with your veternarian to be sure.

Answer from Adrienne Kleintop, Plantoasis.com Chief Editor. Contact info@plantoasis.com for more information.

On June 7, 2005 Laura asked:
Q

I have a dumb cane diffenbachia,that I have let get over-grown.It stands over 12 feet tall.I really don't want to lose the plant.My question is how do I re-pot the plant,I know there are several different methods,I'm just not sure how.I really need some advice.

 

To re-pot your dieffenbachia, first check to see if it is root-bound. You should then choose a container approximately 1-2 inches larger than the one your plant is currently in. You should fill potting soil on the bottom of the new pot until your plant's root ball is level to the top of its new container. You can then fill in around the sides of the rootball with new potting soil. A more detailed re-potting tutorial is available.

Answer from Adrienne Kleintop, Plantoasis.com Chief Editor. Contact info@plantoasis.com for more information.

On June 7, 2005 Oliver asked:
Q

Hi , I would like to know what proper car should a Portulacaria Afra receive , because mine is dropping leaves frequently , I dont water it oftenly when its not hot , but it get no sunlight.
Thanks

 

Yor Portulacaria afra (commonly known as elephant bush) is a succulent, so it should be kept on the dry side. It prefers high light, so it would probably do best in a sunnier location, or under artificial lights. I would try placing your plant in higher light. Perhaps that would help to remedy the dropping leaves.

Answer from Adrienne Kleintop, Plantoasis.com Chief Editor. Contact info@plantoasis.com for more information.

On June 3, 2005 Sandy asked:
Q

My Norfolk Island Pine has reached the ceiling and still has new growth. Can I prune it from the top? Or do I have to find it a new home with higher ceilings? I hate to give it up!

 

Congratulations on growing such a large, healthy norfolk island pine. I would not want to give up such a wonderful plant either. You should be able to prune the plant from the top to keep it from outgrowing your ceiling. Just prune off what you think is necessary to maintain the plant's shape, and to keep it within the height needed.

Answer from Adrienne Kleintop, Plantoasis.com Chief Editor. Contact info@plantoasis.com for more information.

On June 1, 2005 Heather asked:
Q

I have a Jade tree that my Nana gave me for my 21st birthday. But I was unaware that the Jade tree was a member of the cacti family. I have had it for about 2 years now and it has steadily been dropping small branches. But it continued to grow smaller ones so I didn't think anything was out of the ordinary. But just recently a very larg branch fell off and another one is indager of doing the same. The main trunk of the tree is a littel soft as well. I talked to my Nana and she told me I was over watering it and that the inside had turned to mush. I replanted it in some dry soil and have not touched it since. This was about 2 weeks ago. It doesn't look like it's doing much better. Is there anything else I can do? Maybe something that neither my Nana or myself knows about? Please help me....I cannot stand the thought of that gorgeous tree dying due to my ignorance.

 

I am very sorry to hear about your jade plant. I understand the sentimental value in a plant such as yours. Jade plants are unfortunately very easy to over-water (I have done this myself too so don't feel bad). I think you are off to a good start by re-potting the plant in fresh soil, and letting it dry out. You might also want to try applying a product such as Physan20, which is a fungicide/bactericide. Jade plants can be easily propagated by stem cuttings, so in the worse case scenerio, you could cut off unaffected parts of the plant, root them in water, and then repot them into new soil to form a new plant, that way your plant would still live on.

Answer from Adrienne Kleintop, Plantoasis.com Chief Editor. Contact info@plantoasis.com for more information.

On June, 2005 Mmoy asked:
Q

I bought an Easter cactus during the Easter holiday because of its beautiful and bright pink blooms. For a couple of weeks thereafter, everything bloomed and the plant was gorgeous to look at. Then all of a sudden, all the blooms shriveled up. I don't think it was due to overwatering because I live in SF and we had a spell of wet weather which I thought would take care of its needs. What do I need to do to bring this plant back to its former health and beauty?

 

It sounds like you are taking good care of your Easter Cactus for it to be blooming. Often times, bud blast can be caused by a sudden change in a plants environment. For instance, maybe your plant experienced a sudden chill, or else maybe it experienced a change in light, watering, or humidity. It sounds like you cut back on watering during the wet weather, which is a really good practice. But maybe the plant became too dry, which could have caused the bud blast.

If your Easter cactus is blooming then it sounds like you are taking good care of it. I would say continue what you are doing, and the plant should be fine. If you haven't already done so, you may want to fertilize it a little during the summer. Then once it gets closer to blooming time, just make sure the plant is exposed to the environmental cues that it needs, such as lengthening days, and cool nights.

Answer from Adrienne Kleintop, Plantoasis.com Chief Editor. Contact info@plantoasis.com for more information.

On June, 2005 User asked:
Q

How do you tell the difference between POTHOS and PHILODENDRON?

 

Heartleaf philodendron and pothos are often confused as one another. They can be difficult to tell apart, as they are both vines, and both have similar heart-shaped leaves. One way to tell the difference when looking at the leaves is that pothos leaves are usually longer, and shinnier and glossy. Also, the edges of poths tend to fold up, whereas the leaves of heartlead philodendron are usually flatter.

Although there are rare variegated forms of heartleaf philodendron, usually you will only see the pure green form, whereas the most commonly seen pothos are golden pothos (with yellow variegation, or marble queen pothos (with white variegation).

Answer from Adrienne Kleintop, Plantoasis.com Chief Editor. Contact info@plantoasis.com for more information.

On June, 2005 User asked:
Q

My jade is dying, why? I transplanted it when I brought it home, one pot seems to be doing fine the other is all soft and mushy. Have had jade plants in the past with no peoblems.

 

Were both of your jades transplanted under the same conditions (for example, are they both the same size, and were they transplanted into the same size pots)? Also, are they being treated to the same conditions?

Jades do like to be kept on the dry side, and can develop rot if they are kept too wet (either from getting too much water or being in a pot that's too large). I am wondering, could the pot that it was transplanted to be too big for it?

Answer from Adrienne Kleintop, Plantoasis.com Chief Editor. Contact info@plantoasis.com for more information.

On June, 2005 Charles asked:
Q

Is there anything I can do about the plants (Asparagus Fern),as far as when its stems/leaves grow to big for a certain housing? I am interested in trimming if down a little can this be done?

 

If your plant (Asparagus Fern) has gotten too large, one thing that can be done is to divide the plant. For this, basically you would unpot the plant and then divide it into smaller sections, keeping the roots of each section as intact as possible. This would also enable you to propagate your plant into more plants for yourself or others.

If it is a specific frond that has grown too big, you could trim it off at the base as well.

Answer from Adrienne Kleintop, Plantoasis.com Chief Editor. Contact info@plantoasis.com for more information.

On June, 2005 Vivien asked:
Q

Some of my Devil's Ivy plant has gone wilted. What is the possible problem that causes it. Pls assist. Thank you.

 

In most cases, wilting is usually caused by the plant (Devil's Ivy)not getting enough water. This can be caused by one of two things a.) Either the plant dried out too much and did not get enough water or b.) The plant cannot take up water through its roots because they are rotting (usually caused by overwatering).

I know it is confusing that two different things like under and overwatering can cause the same symptoms. My guess would be that the plant may not be getting enough water. I would say check the soil and see if it feels really dry. Even if the plant is being watered frequently enough, lack of water could also be caused by things like the plant being too rootbound, or if the water is running down the sides of the pot rather than sinking into the soil.

Answer from Adrienne Kleintop, Plantoasis.com Chief Editor. Contact info@plantoasis.com for more information.

 
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