Ask the Expert: Can you help with soil condition of spaths?

We purchased 4 spath gigantica plants for our church @ Easter. The soil on all has a white sticky residue that makes the water milky. Leaves are dark green with new growth of white ‘flowers’ so it plants appear healthy. Any idea what’s wrong with soil and will it eventually affect plant?
Thanks for any info.  Carol

Ask the Expert: I live about 20 miles north of Montgomery, AL and

I would like to know more about the white bird plant.  Can it be planted outside and how can it be propagated?

Hi Jamie,

I have a dumb cane that was given to me.  I sat it in water to root.  Once it rooted I potted it.  The plant has not grown and still have the same 9 leaves as it did when I started.  Where did I go wrong and how can I correct it?

Thank you

Sharon in Chicago

Ask the Expert: i have a very rare plant that i can’t find the name

i have a houseplant that i took a clipping from and started it at home. it has green heart shaped leaves and the flower is amazing. it is red, wax like, with a middle
that looks like a spiked light green yellow i don’t know what to call it. could it be a lily of some kind. it looks almost tropical but it is not a floor plant, it is table size plant.  Louise

Ask the Expert: My cactus is growing white hairs. Is this okay?

My cactus, which I keep in the kitchen has begun to grow a lot of short white hair at the top of the plant. I’m wondering if this is natural, or if maybe I’m over/under watering it. I attached a picture of it.

Thanks for your help. Sammy

Ask the Expert: Can you please tell me the name of this flower?

I bought this plant because I loved the delicate white flowers. It had no information at all on the container, no name of the plant, what type of sun exposure or soil it prefferred…nothing, just that it was an annual. My girlfriend bought the exact same plant because she liked it so well and the same thing…no information. We are stumped, we’ve asked everyone we know and no one has a clue. Please help us with any information you can. Thanks, Kim

Every week I get at least one lucky bamboo question. Yesterday I received a call from Stephanie who was having trouble with her lucky bamboo. During our conversation I ask if she could send me some photos of her lucky bamboo. She was gracious enough to do so and below are the photos she sent.

So often I have to explain the how to correct problems with lucky bamboo with out the benefit of photos. With Stepahanie’s photos I am going to walk through the procedures and reference the photos.

First Stephaine was having a common problem - Yellow stems. Lucky bamboo stems will turn yellow for a couple reasons — too much fertilizer or too much light.

When lucky bamboo is in this advanced state of yellowing it will not come back. So it is best to cut the yellow parts off. If there is any green part to the stem then there is the possibility of starting a new plant. For example in the next two pictures, we can find a place where we can cut the lucky bamboo and start new plants.

In the photo above, we could cut the lucky bamboo about an inch from the node (see the raise brown ring to the right of her thumb that is called a node - see the red line cut it there). I am guessing that the section with this node is attached to the roots. If we leave the section with the roots in water and start misting the cut end three days after it has been cut, new growth will form. In the lucky bamboo picture below, the end attached to the roots is unhealthy so we will have to cut the plant and encourage root growth. For example, I would make a cut an inch above the first node on the green stem (this will be to the left of the index finger in the picture - see the blue line cut it there). You will need some rooting hormone (the one we carry at our nursery & garden center is called Greenlight root tone but other brand have the same product just make sure it is in powder form). After you cut the stem dip it in the rooting hormone and let it dry overnight then place it in a container with water (use distilled water or let the water sit overnight to release the chlorine). In a few weeks you will see new roots form.

In the lucky bamboo photo below, you can start a new plant in several placed. The key is finding a node and making your cut an inch above it following the procedures above. Stephanie was a little concerned with the paleness of the stem which could be caused by too much light or a little too much fertilizer. In a case like this I would put it in fresh water and move a little farther from the light source. Watch the stem if it starts to turn yellow you are losing the stem and will need to start new plants before it is too late.

In the next two lucky bamboo pictures we are concerned with the blackness of the cut end and the paleness of the stems. The black is not really a concern except that is accompanying a yellowing which indicates a problem. I would create two new plants from this one which will already have roots and another which will need to form roots. Cuts should be made an inch above the node at the bottom of the picture and will follow the same procedure as the first cut instructions above (this one will have roots already and will new to form new growth). The second cut will be made at the first node of the part that is growing form the curve piece at the top of the photo. This plant will need to form new roots and will need the rooting hormone treatment.

I hope these will clarify some of the issues with lucky bamboo. If anyone else has lucky bamboo pictures that you want discussed just go to the ask the expert page and upload your photos.

Ask the Expert: I saw these flowers in TN and would like an ID

On vacation in the Smokies, we saw these in someone’s front yard.  We’d like to have an I.D. if possible.

Ask the Expert: Flamingo Lily care

I recently acquired a plant at a yard sale. The lady who had it didn’t know what it was but said that she kept it in direct sunlight and when she moved it it didn’t bloom. She also said it was quite huge and she had given it a “hair cut” and it’s come back beautiful.
I did some research and found out it’s a Flamingo Lily? It has beautiful Salmon pink blooms. It looks very healthy , and is starting to get root bound in its 6″ pot. My question is this.. I’ve tried to research proper care for this plant and have come up with variations from full sun to shade, and from keep it wet to dry it out. The only common factor is to keep the humidity up by misting it. HELP!! Also, how root bound do they like to be? Should I be transplanting it to an 8″ pot? What kind of fertilizer should I use, how often?
I’ve attached pics of my Flamingo Lily?

Thank you for taking the time to read, and answer my question. Shannon

Ask the Expert: Yellowing leaves

I have a large peace lily that has yellowing leaves, it gets misted once a week and gets early morning sun. I transplanted it last fall and it was doing well until recently. I water every 4th day. The entire plant is now looking very yellow and I’m afraid there is something else going on can you help?