Browse Forums Landscape & Garden Design 1 May 25, 2015 9:52 am Hi all, can someone please ID the plant in these photos. Also we are having trouble maintaining the plants health - everything was going fine, but in the last 2-3 weeks it has started dying as such ? Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Re: Plant Idea - Help! 2May 26, 2015 4:35 pm Bird's nest fern-this is the 'Crispafolium' variety. It grows best in warm, humid conditions but not in direct sunlight. If it's not in its preferred conditions it tends to encourage pests and fungus to the weakened plant. A sunny, warm bathroom may be ideal (filtered light only!) It likes to be kept evenly moist but never wet and does not like being over fertilised, which can cause burning of the edges of the leaves. But these leaves seems to be distorting as well which may indicate bacterial wilt. Did this start with brown spots and spread out from there? I also think the pot may be too deep. Re: Plant Idea - Help! 3May 31, 2015 7:11 pm thanks for your responses. as per below; How often do you water it - we are watering it every couple of days - and only enough to keep it moist, its not getting drenched. How long have you had it in its current location - it has been in its current location since we purchased it. First few weeks it was fine, however the last few weeks it has turned to this. How much natural light does it get in its current location - it is positioned in the kitchen/dining area which gets plenty of natural light and no direct sun light. Did this start with brown spots and spread out from there? I also think the pot may be too deep - i think you may be right, it probably did start with brown spots but i didnt notice it. and yes there are now little pests that are flying around in our kitchen/dining area and i think its because of this plant! around the same time the pests started is around the same time the plant started to deteriorate really bad. can you please help and advise what would be the next step from here to revitalize the plant? as you said the pot is quite deep - should i pull out the soil and replant in a smaller pot? Re: Plant Idea - Help! 4May 31, 2015 7:50 pm Yes, they don't like to be planted in too deep a soil- put it in a wide medium sized pot, not a "long" deep one. But before you do that: Watering every second day with no evaporation is too much especially as there might be stuff in the potting mix which absorbs moisture and slow releases it. ? Also is the natural light too bright? It likes filtered light. Do you water it at the crown? It doesn't like that either, just water the soil. It likes airflow around it. In its natural environment of course the rain waters it at the crown but with the wind and occasional sunlight coming through it doesn't hurt it whereas in the artificial environment we can't replicate these conditions. Sounds complicated, but once you get the conditions right it stays very healthy. The following link may be helpful, but if the problem is bacterial it says to discard the plant.. Don't overfertilise either. A water gauge might be helpful for you, I don't think they are very expensive. http://extension.psu.edu/pests/plant-di ... n-diseases Re: Plant Idea - Help! 5Jun 01, 2015 12:00 pm The natural light isnt tooo bad.. its kind of surround in an alcove - as per pics below Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ and YES i do water the crown!! i will stop doing this from now on. it wouldnt get a whole lot of natural air flow, only when the back doors are open, but even then that would be minimal. there is a ducted heater outlet near the plant - we have been using the heater a bit lately - would this have an affect on the plant ? so you are saying watering every second day is too much? is that how i read that ? Re: Plant Idea - Help! 6Jun 01, 2015 2:04 pm I don't think the heater has affected the plant (at this stage, although you have to watch that), as the leaf browning is mostly happening at the base. More likely root rot and/or bacterial problem. Either way it is sick The only way to be sure it's root rot is to repot into a shallower wide pot and when you do, examine the roots to see if they are healthy. Are there any gel crystals in the existing potting mix? (These can absorb up to 100 times their weight and add to the overwatering...) It does need good airflow, this helps prevent disease too. when you get the plant out of the long pot check the roots! Another tough houseplant is the zz plant. It's a fern so likes low light but minimal watering. It won't like the direct heat (although in my house it's in the room with a wood fire). How near is the vent? It's a toughie, you only water it when the potting mix dries out. ( Zamioculcas zamiifolia). One of the leaves as you can see got a bit yellowed and burnt when we moved. Otherwise it's extremely healthy. It will benefit from a liquid fertilizer about twice a year. This is not its usual spot, I had to move it from the plant stand into the light to get a good photo.... http://i1294.photobucket.com/albums/b609/WestAussieforeva/P1000195_zpsnx5pvg9y.jpg Other than this, your choices for a plant that doesn't mind the heat from the vent- if it's close- and minimal watering would be succulents like Kalanchoes or mother-in-laws tongue. There are heaps of varieties and colours in the Kalanchoes, too many to post. Don't get potting mix with water crystals added, the soil should be free draining. You must be new to the internet. You're also the only person anyone here has ever heard of washing their garage wall. I hate to break it to you, there are insects and… 6 4855 0 4708 Hi there, long-time lurker but first time posting. I've bought a house 2 and a bit years ago and last year we had some major water damage on a converted pergola area… 0 7932 |