Ask The Plant Expert:

Hi, I recently read a response of yours to a comment on a blog regarding the sticky white substance, and I have the same problem with mine. I’d been away over xmas and with no one around to water the plant. All the leaves have wilted over the edge of the pot and there’s this residue. I’m currently watering it regularly to try and save it, but I don’t know what to do about this white stuff. I’ve attached a photo for you to see. -Mathew

Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply:

What you have is plasmodial slime mold. It isn't harmful to you or your plant. You can just let it be unless it starts to take over then you can get a fungicide from your local garden center.

To keep this mold from occurring, be sure to keep a good watering and care-taking routine for your plant. Check out this article on How To Care For A Peace Lily Plant for more information on Peace Lily Care.

Continue reading "Help! What Is This Slime On My Peace Lily?" »

Ask The Plant Expert:

I received this plant from my dad's funeral. The tag on it only said "green plant" I've had it for 2 months and the leaves just continue to fall off. It was a very full plant. (The orange Gerber daisies are fake.) Do you think if the all of the leaves fall off eventually, that it is dead, or do you think I can save it? What type of fertilizer do you think I should use? (I have very little plant experience) – Jenny

Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply:

Jenny,

It is difficult to tell from the pictures. My best guess would be a type of Ficus. It could be Ficus lyrata (Fiddle-leaf fig, Banjo fig) or Ficus pumila (climbing or creeping fig).

Ficus are funny. I once had a ficus we named Truman. In the 10 years that we had it, all the leaves fell off 3 times. Every time we corrected the problem and the plant flushed back out with new healthy leaves. Yours should do the same thing as long as the stems are still green.

To care for Ficus plants, you will need to keep the soil moderately moist and fertilize it once a month from April through August with a water-soluble, high-nitrogen fertilizer. You can use a water soluble fertilizer like Miracle Gro or Peters.  I would wait until the plant has some new growth forming before I fertilized the plant. Keep the plant in a brightly lit area, but away from cold drafts. I would remove it from the foil wrapping, and make sure that it is in a container that allows for drainage. If you need to re-pot the plant use a humus-rich potting soil.

For more, check out our Ficus Care & Information Page.

Hope this information is helpful. Please let me know if I can help with anything else. Continue reading "Help! What Is This Plant From Father's Funeral & How To Revive It?" »

Ask The Plant Expert:

I've just got back from holiday and my peace lily's leaves are turning black at the edges. I watered it before I went 2 weeks ago, but the curtains have remained closed. Could the lack of sunlight be causing this, or the water? – Matthew

Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply:

Mathew,

I am going to assume that water is the issue here, or possible cold temperatures. If the soil became dry while you were gone, the leaves would turn brown first, and then turn black. The peace lily would also appear to be wilting.  If you turned your heat way down while you were out of town, the leaves would turn black.

Both of these situation can be overcome. Begin by hydrating your soil. Make sure that all soil particles are rehydrated. However, you want to make sure that excess moisture can drain away from the peace lily plant.  Then make sure the room with the peace lily is kept between 55-68 degrees at night, and 68-90 degrees during the day.

I would remove all leaves that have turned black, and then wait for the plant to produce new growth. The new growth should be healthy and green.

If you want more information about peace lilies go to What Causes Black Leaves On A Peace Lily  and/or Peace Lily Plant Care & Info.

I hope this information was helpful. Please let me know if you need help with anything else.

Ask The Plant Expert:

I planted 4 ranunculus bulbs, in a 3 inch plastic pot 10 weeks ago. I had germination signs after 3 weeks; leaves are getting taller, now 4-5 inches tall. Only a couple of days ago they started to wilt, and now they are completely hanging from the sides of the container. I keep the pot in a sunny room, and I water them once weekly from beneath!!!!!!! -Amjad

Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply:

Sounds like you're doing a good job. Let's go over the basic ranunculus care and growing information and see if there is a step you may be missing.

Your new ranunculus plant should be placed in a sunny location with well-drained soil. This plant likes to live in slightly cooler temperatures. Although they can be planted in containers, the ranunculus produces a large root system.

I would say the problem is either:

• It's possible your plant has already out-grown it's container.
• It is too warm.

Try adjusting these and see if it helps! Let us know if you have any more questions.

Ask The Plant Expert:

Ok, so it's winter, and I put my one-year-old avocado tree inside to prevent it from freezing, but some of its leaves have crunched up and the tips of some leaves are brown. What's wrong with it? What should I do? Any ideas? – Cassy

Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply:

Cassy,   It looks like an environmental factor and not a disease problem. When you move a plant indoors during the winter humidity becomes a problem. The heating system in most houses decrease the moisture level in the air. So, you need to increase the humidity around the plant. You can do this by misting the  air around the plant with lukewarm water once a day.  Your plant may need a little more light as well. If you can move it closer to a light source, I recommend doing so. Hope this information was helpful. Please let me know if I can help with anything else.

Ask the Plant Expert:

I do have another plant for you to look at; it's a money tree with 3 braided stalks… It only gets "some" morning direct sun… I just moved it there a few days ago and its looks better but… I do still having continuing yellowing/browning leaves on it… Maybe it's that time of season for new leaves to appear? Hope that wasn't a silly question there. I have several plants… I have a chinese evergreen, a birds nest fern, spider, snake, aleo vera, sago palm, jade plant and a croton plant… All of those are very healthy…which I'm thankful for.

Here's a pictures of the money tree I told you about:

Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply:

At some point the plant may have had a water issue, but it looks like that has probably been corrected. Since the plant was moved it may be going through a little transplant shock. Give it a few weeks to overcome the move. Be sure to watch the new growth, if it is healthy your plant should be just fine.

Ask The Plant Expert:

I do have another plant for you to look at. It's a money tree with 3 braided stalks… It only gets "some" morning direct sun… I just moved it there a few days ago and its looks better but… I do still having continuing yellowing/browning leaves on it… maybe that time of season for new leaves to appear? Hope that wasnt a silly question there.
I have several plants… I have a chinese evergreen, a birds nest fern, spider, snake, aleo vera, sago palm, jade plant and a croton plant… All of those are very healthy… which Im thankful for. Heres a pictures of the money tree I told you about… -Carolyn

Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply:

Carolyn,
At some point the plant may have had a water issue, but it looks like that has probably been corrected. Since the plant was moved it may be going through a little transplant shock. Give it a few weeks to overcome the move. Be sure to watch the new growth, if it is healthy your plant should be just fine.

Ask The Plant Expert:

I water my plant every 2 weeks, when the soil is dry, but not completely dry. My plant, at first, was so beautiful; then when it started to turn cold. It became wilted and yellowing, then brown… I always baby my plants, and I do talk to them… I mist them all daily, but not a lot… I have it sitting in a low light area… no sun or direct sun, just a low light area. Can you tell me what I'm doing wrong? – Carol

Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply:

Carol,

• Was the plant left outside as the temperatures turned cold? If so, this could be a case of cold damage. Remove any of the brown or yellow leaves, and make sure the plant is in a warm environment. You should be able to continue with your normal care procedures.

• If the plant has been in the spot and not moved, check the air vent flow in the room. If the air flow blows directly on the plant, and you recently turned your heat on, the hot air might have damaged the plant. In this case move the plant out of the air flow and remove the damaged leaves.  Once you have done this simply continue with your normal care procedures.

• If neither of the above cases fit, it may be time to re-pot or trim your plant.  Re-pot the plant if it looks as if there are more roots than soil. Your new container should be 1 1/2 times larger than the current one. As you re-pot the plant, make sure the top of the current root-ball is not covered with soil in the new container. It should still be the top of the potted plant.

Trim the plant if the tendrils are long and sparse. This encourages new growth, and allows for a better concentration of nutrients. Hope this information was helpful. Please let me know if I can help with anything else.

Ask The Plant Expert:

Hi.
I had a Polyscias for three years, and it's the most important plant in my home. Six month ago it started to lost some of the leaves began to lose some limbs. When I realized everything had fallen trunk with no branches and the trunk was soft and smelled of alcohol. I cleaned and put sulfur, waited for it to dry and then sealed with beeswax. However it was not good, because the rot has continued to rise. Now I've cut to see if I can save what remains of plant and I found this (pictured below). I do not know what to do, if you cut the remaining logs to try to save them or what. I would greatly appreciate your advice, I'm pretty desperate as it is a very beautiful plant, and the rest of the logs seem to be ok, but it also smells like alcohol. Thanks in advance for your attention. – Marina

Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply:

Yes, it is best to remove any soft decaying tissue completely from the plant. The smell of alcohol indicates the wood has soured, likely because of oxygen deprivation. This causes anaerobic activity, which creates a build-up of acetic acid. From your photos, it doesn't look like there is any mulch, but often the soured wood is due to too-much mulch piled up around the base. Be sure not to do this; spread mulch thinly around the base and always allow it to dry between waterings.

If no mulch was used, it could be an over-watering problem. Hold back on watering your plant until the soil is dry to the touch. It may take a while to air out, but smell should go away.

If all else fails, Polyscias is a very easy plant to propagate from cuttings. Simply take a stem of your plant and place it in water. To ensure rooting, apply a rooting hormone easily found at your local garden center.

That is my best guess, but perhaps our readers will have more suggestions.

Ask The Plant Expert:

I've just read about coffee grounds being beneficial for spiderplants. Would this work for all plants? -Matthew

Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply:

The answer would be not necessarily. I personally have never used coffee grounds around my plants, so I can't speak from experience.

Coffee Grounds and Plants:

• Coffee grounds are acidic. So they are used around plants that are acid loving. Azaleas, hydrangea, gardenias, hibiscus, roses, camellias and blueberries are types of acid-loving plants.
• Coffee grounds are said to be high in nitrogen (I have no scientific evidence of this). Potentially They can help with leafy growth.
• Coffee grounds are good for earth worm beds and compost piles. However, be cautious of the amount of coffee grounds you use in these beds since they are acidic.
• Coffee grounds are used as an organic repellant for snails, slugs and cats. (I have no first-hand knowledge if this works. I understand it works best if mixed with crush egg shells.)

If you want to use coffee grounds around your plant, find out first if they are acid-lovers. Then apply only a small amount and see what reaction your plant has to the coffee grounds.

I would be very careful using coffee ground with your spider plant. Chlorophytum comosum (spider plant) prefers a pH of 6.0 to 6.5.  Keep in mind 7.0 is neutral.

Hope this information was helpful. Please let me know if I can help with anything else.

Continue reading "Are Coffee Grounds Safe For Plants?" »