Ask The Plant Expert:

I have had my Schefflera for nearly 4 years.  I live in OH and this plant lives indoors next to our south-facing window from late-October through mid-May.  During the other months, the plant is kept on the outdoor porch which is just on the other side of the south-facing window in indirect light.

This plant has been transplanted once last Spring and seemed to be doing well.  However, after I brought the plant in from my outside porch last month, I noticed that there are branches curving downward and the plant is losing its attractive shape.

It doesn't help that my cat likes to pounce on the curved branches she can reach. How do I fix this? – Heather

Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply:

Heather,

You have a very nice schefflera. There are a couple things that you can do to help shape the plant. Prune out those branches that droop down, and with no regards to the basic shape of the plant. Then start a rotation schedule for the plant. Every week turn the plant 90 degrees; this will keep the foliage from unevenly bending towards the light. You can also prune flimsy and weak stems.

In fact, it looks like your plant has produced a lot of new growth in a short period of time. If this is true, and a result of you fertilizing the plant, cut back on the fertilizer by half. When plants rapidly produce new growth, that growth can be a little weak and flimsy. This new growth over time can strengthen, but if it is causing the plant to look mis-shapened it is better to trim it.

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

Ask The Plant Expert:

I've just discovered i had four spiderplants growing closely in the same pot, I've subsequently seperated them so their now in two equal sized containers. I've been as gentle as I could, but am afraid I've damaged the roots, or are they tougher than I think? – Matthew

Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply:

Every plant will go through some shock when transplanted, especially when the roots are disturbed. As long as you were able to keep the majority of the roots intact, your plants should be fine. However, they will be stressed for a few weeks. So, don't over water them, and don't fertilize them. Keep your environment as close to the same conditions they were before you separated them.  Then just be patient while they over come the stress.

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

Ask The Plant Expert:

Hi there
Thanks for your help with my Jade plant, but I still really don't know what's wrong with it. I water it when the soil gets dry. I fertilize & mix its water with Bonsai's vitamin too but it's still loosing leaves.The great number of its leave wilts & drops. I attached you some photos that you can see its changing over these 2 months. I'm really worry. The color & shape of the new leaves are different. When I received it, the leaves were dark green & plump. But now all of them are light green & thin. I'm not sure if these leaves can store water as much as the prior leaves, & 1 more problem: It's small branches are wilting & falling; as u can see in one picture the short branches are wilting & some fell off branches are in my hand. In your previous reply you told me "if it's high in the pot" ,sorry but I don't understand your meaning by this sentence. Plz guide me through taking care of it. My Jade is too weak; its leaves & branches fall off by itself & even with a small shake. It has no new sprout anymore too.
thanks. -Gisou

Continue reading "Help! My Jade Plant Is Getting Weaker" »

Ask The Plant Expert:

I have read what was said about not enough water for my peace plant. However it is very large, 12"+ pot. When I water it water goes immediately to the bottom of the self watering tray and leaks out, but when I put my finger 1 knuckle down it feels dry. It is potted in potting soil. I have it in front of a west window. All the leaves are turning brown, green/brown, then yellow, but there is new growth in it as well. Do I cut off the brown leaves, or just cut off the browned area? – Joanne

Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply:

Joanne,
I would remove the brown leaves. Also, it sounds like your soil has at some point dried out completely, and has pulled away from the pot.

Fast & Complete Soil Re-hydration Method

In a case like this, you will need to let the soil hydrate completely from the bottom up, as well as from the top down. In the greenhouse, we submerse the pot in a five gallon bucket filled with water to let the plant absorb from the top and the bottom. This way the soil will be completely hydrate and will make it easier to water the soil in the future.

Hope this information is helpful.

Ask The Plant Expert:

My Christmas cactus has not bloomed the last 2 years. I love my cactus and have not had the problem before. I get new growth, but no blooms. -Loree

Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply:

Like poinsettias, daylight length is a major blooming factor for Christmas Cactus. Blooming is triggered by short days. If the cactus doesn't receive the right short-day light exposure, the plant will not bloom.

To force your Christmas cactus to bloom place the plant in a dark bedroom, or cover for 15 hours a day. Do this for up to 30 days. Once the bloom buds appear the plant can be returned to its usual viewing location.

Be careful not to exposure the plant to extreme temperatures since this will cause pre-mature bud drop/loss.

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

Ask The Plant Expert:

I have an purple oxalis plant that is growing very well, but leggy. Is that natural or do I have to trim?

Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply: You can prune the plant to encourage shorter new growth. I recommend selectively pruning, instead of a straight across the board pruning. This will leave some leaves in place while the plant produces new ones.

Hope this information helps.

Ask The Plant Expert:

Me again. I also have a Ficus Benjamina which has shed most of its leaves since I bought it 4-5 months ago. It was in my porch which gets good light most of the day, but there is no new leaf growth. I've pruned the bare branches back some as I was advised by the garden center, but it remains bare, any suggestions to get it growing again, I realize it's winter and its slowing down, but there should be some sign of growth. – Matthew

Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply:

Matthew,

Ficus can be temperamental and will drop leaves for a variety of reasons.  I once had a Ficus I named Truman. I let it get too cold and it dropped all of its leaves. I up the heat, gave it the proper amount of water, (moist, but not soggy) and waited about 6 weeks. It finally put out new leaves.

So, it is important to know why the leaves dropped in the first place.

• Loss of lower leaves is an indication that the plant needs to be pruned to allow light to reach the lower limbs.
• Dry/shriveled leaves are a result of low relative humidity or too much sunlight.
• Yellow leaves, or leaves that have red spot and drop off, are a result of too much water.
• Green leaf drop can be a result of ethylene exposure or low light stress.

Correct the problem that caused the leaves to drop, and give it time to recover. To ensure that the plant energy is not wasted prune out any dead stems.

If you plant has been over watered, make sure the plant can drain off excess moisture.

• If the air surrounding the plant has been too dry, misting the air every other day with lukewarm water.
• If the plant is not receiving enough light move it into an area with more light.

Once you have corrected the problem, the plant should make a full recovery.

Hope This Helps.

Ask The Plant Expert:

I have some spider plants which are brown at the tips of the leaves, I'm using tap water that has been standing open to the air for a few days, and have been trimming these bits off, will this help? – Mathew

Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply: Matthew,

This is a problem I have seen first hand in our greenhouse. What you have is most likely fluoride damage.  These plants are very sensitive to fluoride. Unlike chlorine, fluoride doesn't evaporate effectively from an open container. We had trouble in the greenhouse until we started using well-water instead of city water. I recommend catching rain water or use distilled water. Once you switch the browning should stop.

Hope this information was helpful.
Flower Shop Network

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Ask The Plant Expert:

I have a 3 trunk Robellini palm.  On one trunk there is a "hole" that seems to be getting bigger.  I have attached a picture.  There is no sign of insects or bugs, but I am concerned as it does seem to be getting bigger.  What do you recommend?   Thank you

Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply: Spray with a permethrin or pyrethrin based insecticide, depending on whether its outdoors or indoors, to prevent insects.  If there is sponge-like or slimy tissue, it may need a fungicide, otherwise it should heal over.

Expert Neal Adams is an Arkansas Certified Nurseryman.

Ask The Expert:

I've got two corn palms and a yucca plant which require soil with good drainage. Knowing from past experience that normal soil gets waterlogged easily I've mixed in equal parts sand and a small amount of pea gravel; am I right in thinking that this will be more suitable? – Matthew

Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply:

The idea soil for most plants is loam (a mixture of sand, silt and clay). This type of soil is ideal because it allows the water to drain freely while still retaining nutrients and moisture.

Although your soil mixture will drain well, it won't have the right organic (nutrient) content, and may not allow for proper water reserves. I would try adding peat moss, humus or compost manure to your mixture. All components should have a 1 to 1 ratio.

I hope this information was helpful.

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