A Plethora of Plant Problems...
aatika.ayoub
Posts: 6
Hey, friends! So as I had informed you all a few weeks ago, neighbours have given us their (many) plants to take care of whilst they are away on vacation with little instruction. Problems have started cropping up in both their plants and our very own and I, being the plant novice that I am, haven’t a clue as to how to remedy them. Sorry to bother you all with so much, but any help will be greatly appreciated!
Golden Pothos:
Leaves displaying small holes circled by dry brownness as shown. Stems displaying some brown streaks, but nothing remarkable.
Lucky Bamboo:
Leaves displaying dry yellowing at their absolute tips.
Gardenia:
Looks fine but the soil always seems to be solid and dry
Philodendron:
The messiest of all. I don’t have an inkling as to what’s going on here. As you can see, at the base of the stem, a sort of brown crust has formed. Initially, stem growth was becoming very leggy but have refused to grow since pruning (although there’s more than a good chance I’ve performed it incorrectly) with the site of the pruning turning brown and dry. Not mention some of the leaves displaying small cracks
Once again, any help would be great! Xx
Posts
Leaves get marks for all sorts of reasons - possibly wind-damage or when the bamboo was moved. Nothing of concern. The tips going a bit brown is usually a sign of dry air, so blame the weather. You could mist the plants a couple of times a day which may help.
Philodendron-
If you remove a leaf, you should remove it from the bottom of the stem. A stem without a leaf is of no use to the plant, so the rest of the stem will die - snip the stem off at the base of the stem.
Is there any chance that a slug is hiding somewhere and has had a nibble on the Pothos? Check underneath the pot just in case
A few general tips-
Try to keep the compost just a little moist. If you stick you finger into the compost, if it's damp about 1/2" down, it doesn't need watering.
Don't let the pots sit in water, it may rot the roots.
Keep them out of direct sunlight, but somewhere that's bright.
Good luck
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
Bob is right about cutting leaf stems back to the base so do that soon. For the rest, I suggest you put them all in the bath or shower and give them a thorough rinse with lukewarm water to remove dust as well as dampen their compost thoroughly but then let them drain completely so they don't sit in water. Works for me and saves the finger test on umpteen pots.
Here are some tips on philodendron care - https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/59193/Philodendron-scandens/Details
You can check cultivation care of the others on the same site. Gardenias don't like hard tap water as they are ericaceous plants and also need special compost - https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=367
"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw