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Help! Why Are There Spots On My Avocado Tree?

Ask The Plant Expert:

Hello, I bought a 2 year old avocado tree and transplanted it to a larger pot about 3 months ago, and the plant looked perfect. Now 3 months later I am getting these spots on the plant…

It is planted in a large pot and on one of the pictures you can see where the main middle stalk has died, but the other stalks off of the main are alive. It is potted (extra large pot) in miracle grow moisture control soil and I water once a week. No rain since the issue began. I live in Houston, Texas and the temp is high 79° and low of 46° right now. I am presently spraying Bonine copper fungicide, and Bonine neem oil on the plant once every 7 days. The moisture has been extremely high at night and foggy. Can you possibly tell me what this is? -Michael

Avocado Leaf Avocado Leaf Avocado Leaf Avocado Leaf

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Help! Repotted My Red-Margined Dracaena & Now It’s Dying

Ask The Plant Expert:

I re-potted my red-margined dracaena and now it appears to be dying.  The leaves from the bottom are brown and falling off and the entire plant is looking droopy.  Is there anything I can do to revive it?

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Help! How Do I Save My Anthurium?

Ask The Plant Expert: I got a baby anthurium as a Christmas gift, and I have been watering about 300ml of water every second day. Most of the leaves have like brown, dead patches on them, and the flowers are turning brown slowly as well. What do I do?? Please help.

Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply: Anthuriums are a tropical plant originating in Central and South America. That means Anthuriumthey need a lot of water and humidity. It is a good idea to mist your anthurium every day and keep watering every other day. You can also keep your anthurium on a tray of pebbles with water to increase moisture and humidity.

  • The Water Test

The best rule of thumb is to do the soil squeeze test. Stick your finger down in the soil up to your first joint. Pull a small amount of soil out. If you can roll the soil into a ball and squeeze out water or if the ball stays together, you don’t need to give the plant anymore water. If you can’t roll the soil into a ball and it is powdery, give it some water.

The plant will tend to need more water during the spring and summer even if kept inside. During the fall and winter, you can reduce your watering depending on your specific environmental conditions.

  • Sunlight

Sunlight could also be a factor for the browning of your anthurium. While, they do enjoy long sunny days, they prefer it to be filtered. Do not put your anthurium in direct sunlight. If you are unable to give your plant filtered sunlight, you can use artificial light. It’s best to give your anthurium at least 9 hours of light a day.

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Help! Why Are My Peace Lily’s Leaves Turning Black?

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,

Peace Lily House PlantI 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.

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Help! Why Is My Avocado Tree Dying During Winter?

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

Avocado Tree - leaves turning brown

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.

Rehydrating Too-Dry House Plant Soil

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

Peace Lily House PlantFlower 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.

 

Fluoride In Tap Water Causing Leaf Browning

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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At Peace With Peace Lily: Proper Watering

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.

Peace Lily House PlantFlower 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.

 

 

Caring For New Avocado Plant In The Texas Heat

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

Avocado Plant Protected From Heat

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.

Watering Bromeliads and Forcing Them To Bloom

Bromeliad HouseplantAsk The Plant Expert: Hi, I’m new to blogging and to my bromeliad.  I’ve tried to look up exactly what type of bromeliad I have, and it comes up with “Bromeliad”.  Here is my question: I’ve live in NY and I have a beautiful bromeliad which I have outdoors right now.  I have noticed that the leaves are starting to turn brown and curl under as if burned.  I have it next to my table under an umbrella so no direct light it hitting it.  What am I doing wrong?

Also, I have searched for a diagram of the bromeliad so that I could understand the central cup so that I don’t add water to it.  Then I come across other websites that say add water to the central cup.  Not sure where to add water.  So, my questions are:  leaves and central cup. – Jacquie

Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply:

The central cup of the bromeliad is the center of the rosette where the leaves are formed.

BROMELIAD Care Instructions:

WHEN FLOWERING – Feed with a 20-20-20 fertilizer once a month. Do not let the soil dry out; evenly moist is the ideal state. Water the soil only. If you fill the cup and let it flow over into the soil, this water must be changed every 2 days. Conditions vary in each household or office, check by lifting the plant daily. The pot should feel heavy versus the rest of the plant. Water should not be dripping from the bottom, nor should it be sitting in an enclosed container holding water. The holes in the bottom of the pot are for good drainage. If the plant seems to lose its luster, you can always mist it with the same rate of fertilizer (only the plant – not the flower).

WHEN FINISHED FLOWERING – Cut the stem off inside the cup. Bromeliads flower once in a lifetime. After the blooming cycle, the mother plant will have offspring sprouting from the base which, at the proper time, will bloom. The feeding in this period is stronger. Use the same fertilizer at the same strength but with every watering. If you lose roots, turn to misting daily for two weeks.

FORCED FLOWERING – Bromeliads can be forced to flower after one year of growth. Drop a small slice of tomato, apple, or any fruit into the cup. The decomposition of this fruit will release ethylene gas and induce the flowering. If the plant is older it will flower with the change of seasons. Feeding in this period is stronger. Use the same fertilizer at the same strength but with every watering. If you lose roots, turn to misting daily for two weeks.
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