One of the few things that I remember most about my grandmother, though still alive, is that she loves houseplants. Her favorite is one that reminds me of the Heartleaf Philodendron plant, though the name of the other escapes me.

Heartleaf Philodendron Houseplant

Grammie’s favorite plant is very similar to heartleaf philodendron plants (Philodendron scandens oxycardium). Both have distinctly shaped leaves, are easy to care for, and are a beautiful shade of light green. Both make her smile when she receives one as a surprise gift from one of her family members. Both lighten the atmosphere in her dark house, made so by the architecture.

Grammie is a fun woman to be around. She always has a story of something that happened as far from my birth as today is only that many decades before it. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve sat her dining room table while she sat in her personal chair and regaled her grandkids (my brother, sister, myself) with stories from her vague memories of the Great Depression, picking cotton as a young woman, marrying a sailor during the second World War, raising three kids and carrying for a physically disabled but mentally functional husband, and then raising her grandchild as her son when he was born just after my mother.

She’s a very strong woman and something about her makes me want to give back but I don’t usually know how. I’ve tried a lot of different gifts and she loves them all because she adores the giver (*smile*) but her favorites by far are houseplants. They cheer up her dreary days and give her something to tend that will occupy her mind. After 70 years of caring for other people, now she has only herself and her houseplants. It’s not as depressing as it sounds. She deserves the break and keeping her hands busy is what she prefers.

My gram is something of a trooper. I know that this year she’ll be getting a brand new houseplant from me as we transplant the bigger ones to her garden or give them to a neighbor. I couldn’t help but think of her and smile when I saw the heartleaf philodendron plant in the houseplant gallery. I smiled and I hope she’ll smile too when she receives her fresh, green houseplant. No–I know she will.

Ask the Expert: where are the seeds on a white bird of paradise?
I want to propagate my white bird of paradise but am unable to get the entire root system of the babies. I’ve attempted it and not been successful, seeing as how they’re too deep in the ground. They stay green for about a week or two then die. Is there a specific time when I should be doing this? I’m thinking maybe the seeds. Are the seeds in the flower itself? If not where? Arcelia

Plant Expert Reply:
To propagate Bird of Paradise (Strelitizia) you divide the root suckers from the plant in the late spring. You want to dig up clumps that have 4 or more shoots. You will separate them into single stems removing the dead leaves & roots. You can wash the roots and even soak them in a bleach water solution (1 part bleach - ten parts water) for ten minutes - this will help with any bacterial problems that can arise. Then you can plant the divisions - be sure they are plant at the same depth as they were originally. It can take up to 12weeks for new roots to form. So be patient. This propagation method will take 1 to 2 years to achieve a mature blooming plant.

You can start Bird of Paradise from seed. However, it will take 3 to 5 years for the seed to become a mature plant. If you plan on harvesting the seeds from your own plant, look for black round seeds that have a fuzzy orange cover on one end. Before you plant them you will need to soften the hard exterior of the seed. Do this by soaking the seeds in room temperature water over night. You will need to also nick the seed before you plant it. Keep you soil moist as the seeds germinate.

Good Luck and let me know how it goes.

Ask the Expert: tiger lilysme mature flowering plants.
i have some tiger lilys and i was wounering if the little black things on the leavs are seeds and if they are when can i plant them. thank you Brantlee

Plant Expert Reply:

If the black things are actually on the leaves axils, they are called bulblets.  When bulblets mature and fall to the ground they can sprout into new plants. It usually takes 3 years before these bulblets will become mature flowering plants.  However the seeds that form in pods after the blooms dissapear can become mature blooming plants the next year.

If you want to harvest and plant the bublets, collected as they start to fall to the ground.  THe best time to harvest is after a few drop to the ground.

Ask the Expert: Golden Pothos propagation question
Hi
I would like to propagate my Golden Photos and I have found a lot of instructions and advice on the web. But my question is:
My plant hasn’t branched yet, it’s just one long plant, probably almost three feet if you would unfold it. So there isn’t a side branch to cut of.

Is it advisable to simply cut of the top of the plant - three or four top leaves (this would leave 13 or 12 leaves on the mother plant)? Would the mother plant automaticly start growing one or more branches afterwards if i did it?

I’m surprised it hasn’t branched yet. I got the plant from a friend half a year ago - he had had it in his bathroom and it had only about five sorry looking leaves on it. Now it look really healthy and perky, but it anoys me a bit that it’s just one long snake - that it doesn’t split itself.

I’ve been redirecting it towards the soil surface, so that it could re-root itself ith every new length (because it looked like it needed it). I’m wondering if doing his could have caused it to not branch - the fact that it never grew more than five new leaves away from the latest firmly rooted root. Shold i stop doing this in that
case?

Thanks

David

Plant Expert Reply:

Redirecting the plant as you say is one form of propagation.  Once those section have a strong root system you can cut them off the mother plant and you have a new plant.  When you cut it off the mother plant both plants will start to form new leaves.   You can also propagate a new plant by taking a leaf with a node and stick the node in the soil.  You can do this multply times from one long runner.  By doing this you will encourage more growth from the mother plant and often lateral grow as well.  Many times the plant will begin to form roots at the nodes on their own.  This makes it easy to propagate golden pothos. 

The nice thing about pothos is the tolerance of this plant.  You can cut, abuse it or ignore it and it will still live.  I personally find that trimming my pothos makes it healthier and thicker.  Sometimes I will start new plants from my cuttings and other times I don’t bother with it.  The one thing I do when propagating these plants it to keep the soil moist when the roots are forming.

Good luck and let me know how it goes.

Red Margin Draceana

Ask the Expert: What type of Plant is this
I have had this plant for some time now and I would like to know what it is.  I am looking to see if I can possibly re-plant it shortening the trunks.  I don’t like how deadish it looks and so empty on the stalks. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Please let me know if you were able to view the pictures.  The top leaves seems to be healthy but the bottoms don’t seem as colorful.  Most are falling off dead.

Lisa

Reply:

What you have is a Draceana marginata also known as Madagascar Dragon tree or Red-edge Draceana.  You can shorten the plant and create new ones at the same time.  First cut the stems to the height that you want the plant to be and leave alone for a couple of days.  Then mist the air around the plant every few day. Make sure to water your plant as you always have.  In a few weeks the stems will put out new foliage.  In the meantime, you can take the tops that you cut off and dip them in rooting hormone and place them in a pot with moist soil.   Keep the soil moist but not soggy in a few weeks the plants will start to form new roots.

Good luck and keep me posted.

Flamingo Flower

Ask the Expert: How do I split My flamingo plant
It is very large & has been repotted several times - is it possible to split it without causing to much damage. Elaine

Reply:

Anthurium (Flamingo Flower) can be propagated by division.  You will need to remove the plant from its pot.  Check for any off-shoots or ariel roots.  These will be plant that are attached to the main stem but can easily be remove and still have a complete root foliage system.  Some people refer to these as “babies”.  You will remove them from the main stem and pot them in the same kind of soil as the parent plant.  Care for them the same as the parent plant.  I would not recommend splitting this plant in half.

Ask the Expert: how to repot a peace lilly? i have a peace lilly about 11 years old. tryed to repot it and it stop growing. i tried seperating it into two. i think i made a bad mistate. i need help

thanks Thelma

Reply:

The nice thing about peace lilies is that they are pretty tough. First, anytime you separate a peace lily it goes through a little shock. This shock will keep the plant from growing temporarily. So, if it has only been a week give it time. If it has been longer then we need to look at a few other factors. When you repot a plant it is important to keep the top of the root ball at the same depth as it was originally. If you planted it deep (add soil to the top of the rootball not just at the sides), it will cause problems. In this case you will need to lift the plant up — you will need to take the plant out of the container and shake the extra dirt off the top and place it back in the container filling to close the gap between the plant and the container. At this point the plant needs to be watered in and kept moist but not soggy. If you have been watering because it looks droopy - stop! Water is not the problem transplant shock is and the plant needs rest not more water.

If you are still not sure what is going on, send me a picture of the peace lily and I will try to help.

Ask the Expert: how can i start another sansevieria from one that i I want to start another plant off of the one I already have. How can I do that? joni

Reply:

There are two methods by which you can propagate sansevieria.

1) Separate a sucker from the main plant or divide the rhizome. I do this by removing the plant from the container. If I see a sucker (a piece that looks like it is slightly separate from the main plant), I cut it away from the main plant. I then take the sucker and pot it. Be sure to pot it the same level it was originally. You can also simply divide the plant by taking a knife and from the bottom cut upwards towards the foliage until a piece separates from the main plant. Then you can pot this piece.

2) Leaf cuttings are another way to propagate sansevieria. However, leaf cutting will take longer and are not always successful. For leave propagation you will need a piece about three inches in length. Start at the tip of the leaf and go three inches down. Now cut the leaf horizontally and take the three inch piece cut side down and dip into rotting hormone. Then place the piece in moist soil. Be sure to keep the soil moist but not soggy until the roots form.

Good luck and keep me posted.

Ask the Expert: Peace Lilly out growing pot
I have a peace lilly and have had it for about 11 years (one of the few I haven’t killed) and I have it in a huge pot but it seems to be growing close in I want to know how can I separate the plant, it has a huge root ball and replant to give it more room to grow to it’s full potential? Sandy

Reply:
Although peace lilies like to be a little root-bound, you should re-pot or split them when the roots overflow the container. It seems your peace lily is definitely overgrowing its container. In your case, I would split the plant rather re-pot it. You will need:

• Pot (around the same size as the one it is now)
• Potting Soil (a good houseplant potting soil)
• Large Serrated Knife

Begin By removing your plant from the container. Don’t worry about tearing the roots or losing a few leaves. Lay the plant on its side. This will give you a view of the root system as well as the foliage attached to the rootball. Now you are going to cut the plant into two pieces.

To do this, take the knife starting at the bottom of the rootball and work it back and forth until you have made a cut all the way to the foliage. Now you should have two separate peace lilies. Each one will have foliage attached to a portion of the rootball.

Now place one of the peace lilies in the center of the original container. Be sure the rootball is at the same depth it was before the plant was split. Then add soil to close the vacant space in the container. Be sure to water it when done. This will get rid of any air pockets that have formed around the roots.

Now pot the other peace lilies in the new container. Once again, make sure the rootball is planted at the same depth as it was in the original pot. Fill in the vacant space and water.

These plants will go through a little transplant shock and may wilt. Resist the urge to pamper them. Instead, place them in the same environment as before and water accordingly. In a couple of weeks, you will have two thriving peace lilies.

Good Luck and keep me posted.

Ask the Expert: how and where do you snip the flower for replant  one is a golden pothos, other is a parlor palm i want replant.

Laura