I have what I think is a Peace Lilly. But, it has beautiful lightly colored coral flowers, but when I bring it in for the winter it seems to do badly. The leaves get big brown dead spots on them and eventually I have to cut them off. Last year I almost lost it, it came back when I put it outside. What am I doing wrong? Help Robin

reply

Thanks for writing to Flower Shop Network with your plant question.

Based on your description, I am going to assume that you have a variety of Anthurium, which is a plant that is related to the Peace Lily (in the Aroid family) and has similar flowers. Below is a picture of an anthurium hybrid called “Lady Ruth”. Could this be your plant? Anthuriums are native to the humid jungles of South America, and as such they need a humid environment indoors in order to thrive. This is often difficult to achieve indoors, especially during the winter when the heat is on. You can increase the humidity around the plant by placing the pot on top of a shallow tray that is filled with pebbles which are kept wet. Do not place the pot down into the water, but allow the pebbles to support the pot above the water line. As water evaporates from the pebbles, a more humid atmosphere will be maintained around the plant. Misting the plant frequently with water can also be beneficial.

Besides dry air, the brown spots you describe can also be casued by over- or under-watering. Over-watering when the plant is not in active growth can be detrimental. Be sure the soil is kept lightly moist, never water-logged. Anthuriums need a highly organic soil that is well-aerated and fast draining. Water when the top inch or so of the potting mixture is dry. In the winter, when the plant is not in active growth, cut back slightly on the watering (but not to the point that the plant wilts). Resume regular watering as the days lengthen in the spring.

Anthuriums prefer bright light, but no direct sun, which can burn the leaves. Fertilize the plant during spring and summer with any standard houseplant food, diluted to half the recommended strength. If fertilizer salts accumulate in the soil (and these may even be present in the soil from the nursery where the plant was produced), tender root hairs can be burned if the potting mix gets too dry, which can also show up as brown spots on the leaves or leaf edges. If this is the case, leach the soil by running water through the pot continuously for 10 or 15 minutes, allowing it to run out the drainage holes in the bottom. We hope this answers your question, Robin. Thanks again for writing to Flower Shop Network!

Kim Asks:

I recently put liquid carpet deoderizer into my lucky bamboo plant. What can I do to keep it alive? Should I cut the roots off the bottoms?

Brock’s Reply:

Remove the plant from its container. Clean the container thoroughly with liquid detergent and water. Rinse the roots and stems of the plant and replace in fresh, clean water. If any part of the stem is damaged or rotted, cut it off with a sharp knife or pruning shears. If the roots are dying back, then cut them from the stems. Keep the plant warm and in bright light. Lucky Bamboo is pretty durable, so it ought to be able to recover from the accident.

Linda Asks:

Several years ago, I read about house plants that are good for ‘eating’ unpleasant or toxic house odors.
I have forgotten what they were, except maybe the Peace Lily. I live in a small apartment, am not able to care for large or troublesome plants,  and have limited sunlight. Any suggestions?

Thanks for any help.

Staff reply:Thaks for your question. We touched lightly on this subject way back in our April, 2001 newsletter ( http://flowershopnetwork.com/pages/newsletter/NewsletterApril2001.php ). Many studies have shown that houseplants are effective at removing carbon dioxide and toxic gases such as formaldehyde from the indoor environment. Members of the easy-to-grow Aroid family– including peace lilies, philodendrons, Chinese evergreens and deiffenbachias — are especially effective at this, as are Areca palms, spider plants, ivies, and ficus trees. Interestingly, some of this research has been conducted by NASA, with the intention of studying closed, self-contained environments — such as a space craft — that can utilize plants to generate oxygen while removing toxic elements from the air.

Here is a link to an article from ‘Peace and Environmemt News’ that gives more details on the subject: http://perc.ca/PEN/2000-05/s-battle.html .

Nita Asks:

Do have “care and handling tips for calla lilies”? How well they hold in a bouquet? Do they turn brown tips quickly out of water?

Brock’s Reply: Callas should be prepped as any other flower as far as cut, and placed in water containing hydration and food solution. They do not like an extremely cold cooler. They have excellent vase life, but don’t hold as well in foam. When you mention bouquet, if you mean a wedding bouquet, they certainly will hold long enough for the wedding and other events. Most of the time they are just tied together as stems for bouquets. Callas will eventually turn brown on the tips. The key to using callas is to buy them very fresh or tight. You don’t want callas that have sat at the wholesale house for several days before you get them.