Houseplant Rescue
Help is here! The Birds & Blooms garden pro offers solutions to the most common indoor plant problems.
THE FIRST STEP in treating your plants is to understand the likely dilemmas and their solutions. Here are a few common questions I receive about ailing houseplants and how to address them. Once you know what to look for, you’ll be surprised by how quickly your diagnostic skills improve.
Why Are the Leaves Yellow?
Start by evaluating your regular watering habits. Watering too frequently or infrequently can cause leaves to yellow. Tropical plants prefer moist soil, while cacti and succulents like the soil to go dry between watering.
Always use your finger to check the top 1 or 2 inches of soil for moisture before watering.
Increase success by using containers with drainage holes or self-watering pots with weep holes that allow excess water
to escape. Pour off any water that collects in the saucer to avoid root rot, or place pebbles in the saucer to elevate the pot above the excess water.
Once you rule out improper watering, it’s time to review your fertilization schedule. Let the plants be your guide. Pale, yellow or stunted leaves may mean the plants need a nutrient boost. Use a diluted solution of houseplant fertilizer and only fertilize actively growing plants from spring through early fall, even if they’re always indoors.
Mites, aphids and scale pests suck plant juices, causing the leaves to yellow and turn brown.
A strong blast of water dislodges many of the insects. A couple of applications of insecticidal soap will also manage these pests and immature scale insects. Organic horticulture oil labeled for use on houseplants is effective at controlling pests at all stages.
What Do Brown Edges Mean?
If your plant is sporting crispy, dark edges, it may mean you need to water more often. Check the soil moisture, and slowly reduce the number of days in between watering. Watch your plants for signs of improvement.
Lack of humidity could also be the cause. Tropical plants prefer higher humidity than we have in our homes. When we turn on the heat in winter, there’s even less moisture in the air. Group plants together so that as one loses moisture through its leaves, the neighbors benefit. Or place plants on saucers or trays filled with pebbles and water. Set a pot on the pebbles above the water.
As water evaporates, it increases the humidity around the plant, where it is needed.
Why Is My Plant Spindly and Leaning?
Light is likely the cause of these problems. Give plants a quarter turn every few weeks to promote even growth. Let in more light if plants have thin stems and excessive space between each set of leaves.
Plants that need a lot of light thrive when placed in front of an east- or west-facing window.
Low-light plants can be 6 feet back, off to the side of these windows or near a north-facing one. Once you provide the right
amount of light, pinch off the growing tips of leggy plants to encourage compact growth.
What Are These Spots?
Brown, spots on black leaves and and water-soaked stems often indicate a fungal or bacterial disease is the problem.
Adjust the watering schedule and do not allow plants to sit in excess water. Often that alone is enough to stop the disease’s progress. Remove and dispose of any soft, discolored stems and leaves. Trim off any rotten roots and repot in fresh potting mix in a container slightly larger than the remaining roots.
Why Are the New Leaves Small?
When than normal, new leaves the plant are smaller could be pot-bound or may need to be fertilized or moved to a brighter location. Look for other clues when making your diagnosis.
If the water runs out of the pot quickly and roots are filling the container, it’s time to move your plant to the next size container.
Avoid moving pot-bound plants to much larger containers, which can slow above-ground growth and lead to root rot. If the pot size seems adequate, evaluate your fertilizer schedule and light.
What’s the Sticky Stuff?
Pests and juices, mealy such secreting bugs as mites, drink the aphids, excess. up plant scale This clear sticky substance is called honeydew and is often the first clue these pests are feeding on your plants. As I described earlier, try rinsing off the bugs first. If that doesn’t get rid of them, move on to insecticidal soap or organic horticulture oil labeled for houseplants.
How Do I Get Rid of the Small Flies?
Fungus but certainly gnats are are annoying. not harmful The immature gnats feed on organic matter in the soil while the adult flies flit around your home.
To evict them, allow the soil to go a bit drier and trap the adults with a container of apple cider vinegar on the countertop. You
Bacillus
could also use organic thuringiensis israelensis,
which is in Mosquito Bits. Sprinkle the product over the soil surface and repeat as often as the label
recommend.• directions
Houseplants were Melinda Myers’ gateway into gardening and a career in horticulture. She is excited to see so many others growing indoor plants and is happy to lend a helping hand.