Ask The Plant Expert:

I have a China Doll plant which was sent to us for my Mother's funeral. It really means a lot to me to save this plant and care for it. My question is this: is this a plant that I can plant outside in the ground? Will it survive through weather changes? Or is it better to keep inside the house? Thank You!! – Meko

Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply: Radermachera sinica (China Doll) is typically used as a house plant only and not an outside plant.  If you lived in Hawaii, or maybe Florida, you could leave this plant outside.

As a house plant, it will need the following care:

• A bright indirect light
• Protection from drafts
• Moist well-drained soil (be careful not to over-water)
• Keep temperature above 60 degrees
• Occasional pruning to keep shape
• Fertilize spring through fall with a balanced-fertilizer.

Hope this information is helpful.

Ask The Plant Expert:

I received this Bonsai plant as a gift about 10 days ago. I don't know what kind of plant it is, and don't know how to keeping and taking care of. There are some problems with it; it's leaves fall down every day in a large number, both young leaves and old leaves. Also in these recent days, some of its leaves are wilting. Here the weather is cool so I water it once a week. I put it about 1/5 meter away of the window. The room is light, but there is no straight sun light on it. I attached a photo of its location too. Please help me with its wilting and the leaves falling down. Please guide me how to taking care of it and a perfect location for it. And please tell me my plant's name.
Looking forward your answer
Gisou

Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply: Gisou,
I believe what you have is a type of jade. If I had to guess what the problem is with your plant, I would put my bet on transplant shock coupled with a water issue. Check you soil and make sure it isn't too wet. The leaves have the ability to store water. If the soil is kept too wet, the plant will get root rot and the leaves will fall off. So let the soil dry slightly before you water it. This type of plant requires a very stable temperature range. Make sure that it is not in the pathway of a door or air vent. You can give it a slight bit of fertilizer once a month from March through November. Be sure not to over-fertilize it. Too much fertilizer can cause severe damage.

One more thing to check is the position of the bonsai. If it is too high in the pot, the plant could be drying out which can cause the leaves to drop.  I don't think this is a problem, but it is hard to tell from the pictures.

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

Ask the Plant Expert:

I have a limp Christmas cactus.  How large a container & what kind of soil mixture should I use?  This is a cutting that is special.  Also, there are bugs on the soil – not the plant – help, please!

I don't have a photo, but the plant hasn't bloomed since I planted the cuttings.  The cactus has been in the house and I wonder if I should put it outside since I live in Palm Desert, CA.

Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply: You do need to re-pot your Christmas cactus. I like to use a potting soil specifically blended for Christmas cactus (for example Fafard Cactus and Succulent potting mix). I would transplant it into a pot that is 1½ times larger than the existing pot.  If you have mealy bugs, try to remove all of them as your transplant the Christmas Cactus.

Christmas cactus can bloom up to two times a year inside. So moving it outside is not necessary. However, you may need to fertilize it or prune it.

Please read Flower Shop Network's article, The Unique Beauty of Christmas Cactus, it has very valuable information about Christmas cactus.

Add Your Comment To "Help! Christmas Cactus Has Lost It's Spirit"

Ask The Plant Expert:

Hi, My lucky bamboo (dracaena sanderiana) stalks started growing roots in the middle of the stems (nodes) where leaves have grown. This is the first time I have encountered this. Would like to know why this happens, and what should I do. I suspect it's not getting any water and thus the leaves are yellowing…

Thanks in advance for your help! – Meng
Continue reading "Lucky Bamboo Growing Extra Roots" »

Ask the Expert: Care of Jerusalem Thorn ?

It's a plant that is usual grown in the hot climate. It has many thorns. Has a yellow or red small flower. Gloria

Plant Expert Reply:
Please take a look at the first picture shown below. Since common names like Jerusalem Thorn can be used for more than one and often different plants, I am assuming that the plant you have is a Parkinsonia aculeata and not a  Euphorbia milii var. splendens (shown in the second picture)

Jerusalem Thorn (Parkinsonia aculeata) is grown as an ornamental tree for its attractive flowers and delicate foliage.

Location preferences: Jerusalem Thorn is a drought tolerant plant preferring a full sun location and sandy or gravelly soils. It tolerates chalky or alkaline soils. It thrives in hot climates and is susceptible to severe damage in climates that see temperatures below 18 degrees Fahrenheit or -7.8 degrees Celsius.

Water preferences: In the spring and summer, water this plant moderately and once a month apply a balanced fertilizer (something where the percentage of the primary nutrients are all the same. ie 13-13-13). During the winter water it sparingly.

Pruning needs: Jerusalem Thorn is a small ornamental tree that can reach heights of 25ft and a spread of 20ft. Prune it only if you need to restrict growth.

Pests & Diseases: Jerusalem Thorn is susceptible to galls, spider mites, mushroom root rot, dieback and some types of leaf spot.

Hope this information is helpful.

Ask The Plant Expert: Recently someone gave me a large peace plant.  It is inside in a relatively low- light area within air conditioning. During the last 2 weeks the leaves have been turning brown around the edges, and a few days later look completely dead. I water them with a quart of water every 4 or 5 days  ( do not water until water leaks out the bottom into the tray) I see no sign of infestation. Help! – L.R.

Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply: It could be a couple of things:

• If the leaf is turning brown without any yellowing first I would say it is lack of water.
• If the leaf is turning yellow and then turning brown it is too much water.

Check the following – stick your finger into the rootball up to your first joint, if the soil feels moist, the plant doesn't have good drainage, and too much water is likely the cause.

Reply from L.R. - Thank you.  You have answered my question.  The leaves are turning brown around the edges with the brown gradually moving to the center of the leaf.  Not enough water.  Will concentrate on taking better care of the plant.

Ask The Plant Expert: Our azalea blooms appear to collapse after any sort of rain – yet other azalea plants,  (similar to ours) in the neighborhood, do not seem to have this problem.  Could you please explain why this could be so?  We have plenty of blooms, but they don't last in the rain. – Charlie

Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply: Charlie,

You might have a different type of azalea than your neighbors. Depending on the species of azalea, the blooms might be more delicate and thus not as sturdy during a rain.

• If you have the same species of azaleas as your neighbors, exposure is the culprit. Your azaleas may get more of the blunt force of the elements, especially the rain.  This will cause the blooms the collapse.
• Another factor can be the amount of blooms that your plant has. An abundance of blooms will cause the plant to catch more water. The weight of this extra water will cause the blooms to collapse.

I hope this information is helpful. Please let me know if I can help with anything else.

Ask The Plant Expert: I have a Schefflera that I have had for 35 years and it has gotten very big.  I was finally able to find a pot at least a little bigger than the one that it was in, so I repotted it this summer.  It's roots were wound around at the bottom of the old pot.  My new pot wasn't much bigger than the old one, so I rubbed off some of the old soil from it to give it new soil when I repotted it.  I let it rest inside for a few weeks and it seemed fine.  Then I put it outside for a few days this summer to get a good bath from the rain (I usually do that each summer) and since I've brought it back in, it has been dropping green leaves and some leaves are turning yellow and dropping off also.  What am I doing wrong?  After 35 years, "Charlotte" has become part of the family…I'd hate to loose her!  Thanks! – Amy

Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply:

Amy,

It sounds like the plant is in severe transplant shock. It usually takes a several days for the signs of transplant shock to appear and a couple of weeks for the plant to recover. In your case, the plant went from one situation (re-potting) that caused transplant shock to another (moving it outside) without ample time for the plant to recover form the first.

To help your plant recover,

• Make sure the new pot allows excess water to drain.
• Make sure the rootball has been thoroughly saturated and that you water it as you have always done.
• Let it rest don't move it for at least a few weeks.
• Don't fertilize it. The plant should start to recover during this time.

Once the plant has recovered and is stable, you can go back to your normal fertilizer schedule and other activities. Hope this information was helpful. Please let me know if you need anything else.

Ask the Plant Expert: I bought it a month ago at Home Depot. After returning from Sweden.  I have it in my basement by a window, but it is pretty low of light.  I guess I didn't water it enough and now the leaves have wilted; a couple are yellow.  The two flowers I had are brown.  How can I revive this plant?  It is still green is that a good sign??? – Gloria

Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply: You can try. First remove any dead or drying leaves and blooms. If the soil is dry, saturate it, and make sure any excess water can drain away from the plant.  Monitor the plant; give it water when the soil begins to dry out. In a week or so, you should see the sign of new growth.

Hope this information is helpful. Please let me know if you need anything else.

Ask The Plant Expert: I bought an Avocado Tree a couple of months ago and planted it outside. My soil is a sandy soil, and I live in south Texas. The heat here has been horrendous! I made a Teepee with a screen around two sides to keep the western sun out. I don't know if somethings attacking my tree or if it's heat related. My leaves turn brown and get brittle and fall off. No new leaves are growing back. -Bob

Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply: Bob, It may have Sun Blotch. It is hard to tell from the picture, but if you can take a leaf from your plant to the nearest Texas extension service office, they should be able to send it off to their plant diagnostic center. For more information take a look at this website http://plantclinic.tamu.edu/.

Please let me know if I can help with anything else.