Houseplant Queries

[Tig]

Can anyone tell my why my Calla lily has stopped flowering?
I have fed it, watered it from the bottom only, kept it out of direct sunlight, so according to the instructions it has been cared for as required. But it hasn't had a new bud since I bought it?

Hope we have some houseplant enthusiasts on the Board.
Tig

[Chuckles]

Now I have been known in the past to get Calla's and Canna's muddled up

I do have a Calla, a friend bought it for a prezzie from Tesco:) It was in flower at the time. Unfortunately it died within 2 weeks of me having it. When I inspected it, the whole thing had rotted in the pot

When I emptied out the pot there was a little bit of root and stem that still looked ok. Me being me and giving anything a chance re potted it and it has now grown about 5 lovely leaves, no flowers yet though.

[andy]

Maybe it's actually out of the flowering season. Most Callas and zantedeschias will flower for a month or two and that it then until next year.

[Deleted]

Mine did not flower this year

Lots of leaves and nothing else

Sara

[Tig]

Fingers crossed then - if I can get it to survive the winter, maybe some flowers next year

[Cheerypeabrain]

I have a few foliage begonias that were outside. I've brought most into the conservatory (It's like a jungle in there ) but wondered if one would be OK in the GH....?

[chickadeedeedee]

Hi CPB. I have some foliage begonias and they do *very* well just on the kitchen window-sill with some of the orchids and Sanseveria. I don't have a GH but think they'd be fine and dandy there.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Cyclamen! With Christmas approaching we have so many cyclamen being sold as houseplants. Please please tell me how to NOT kill them! I don't over water and always water from the bottom of the pot so the corm doesn't get wet. They are on the table right next to various Poinsettia plants. Not in a draft ... good light ... the Poinsettias THRIVE. The cyclamen soon yellow, droop and die.

Any suggestions? My obvious solution would be to NOT buy more potential victims.

Thanks.

[isabella]

Hello Chickadeedeedee- Cyclamen grow best in cool conditions and let them dry out between waterings - you are quite right in watering them from the bottom so that the corm doesn't get wet
Yellow leaves could be a sign of the plants being too warm and a little bit too much water - hope this helps

Pam x

[Rosefriend]

Cyclamen and Poinsettias are two plants that I cannot keep alive - I have done everything with them and they die each time. I stopped buying them years ago but every Christmas a friend always buys me a Poinsettia and a week later it is dead. Last year I gave it away to a neighbour and it was still alive at Easter - she threw it away in the end because she was fed up of it.

RF

[chickadeedeedee]

Hi Isabella and thank you for taking the time to reply. Hmmmmm. Too warm? You're probably right. I remember we grew HUGE Poinsettia plants / bushes when we lived on St. Kitts. I don't remember cyclamen living there. LOL!

I'll more the newly purchased plants (2) ((poor things! )) near the front window and hope it is a little cooler and friendlier there.

RF! Thank you too. I know your pain! There's a few things I have stopped buying because I know they have a very short life span once in my care. But well meaning people think I *need* this or that and give me a gift. Gift is suspiciously missing the next time they visit.

[Missredhead]

Just found this thread.....

My lily flowers on and off all the time, I water it only when the leaves flop, and then just give it a good watering til the next time, I think that I only really water it about once a month.

As for poinsettias...I can't for the life of me keep these, I have tried for years but to no avail

[chickadeedeedee]

Our poinsettias are grown in medium to high light. (Kinda close to the front window but doesn't need to be right there.) I let the plant dry slightly between waterings and water weakly with a average houseplant food. NEVER let them stay soggy!!!!!!!!!!

I don't know if you have Miracle Gro Plant Food ... but it is only an 8-7-5 food (N-P-K). I put 2 drops into a 5 gallon bucket of water and use that for all the orchids and other plants throughout their winter indoors.

I would water the lily more often so she does not flop. That will decrease the stress for the plant. Maybe add some food and increase the light. What kind of lily is she?

[Missredhead]

A white/green one
Not very good with names, I bought it in a school sale, I did have 2 but I watered the other one more regularlly ie once every 10 days but it died.....the 1 that I only do when it flops is now 3yrs old, so I guess its not that stressed (I hope)

[isabella]

chickadeedeedee said:

Our poinsettias are grown in medium to high light. (Kinda close to the front window but doesn't need to be right there.) I let the plant dry slightly between waterings and water weakly with a average houseplant food. NEVER let them stay soggy!!!!!!!!!!

I don't know if you have Miracle Gro Plant Food ... but it is only an 8-7-5 food (N-P-K). I put 2 drops into a 5 gallon bucket of water and use that for all the orchids and other plants throughout their winter indoors.

At work at the moment I have 300 large Poinsettias and 200 mini ones in my care
I really,really don't like them!!!!!!!

I would water the lily more often so she does not flop. That will decrease the stress for the plant. Maybe add some food and increase the light. What kind of lily is she?

[isabella]

That message got a bit muggled up! Sorry!

[Missredhead]

Thought so, I was waiting for you to modify it but nothing came up ;D ;D ;D

[Cheerypeabrain]

Today I treated myself to a new houseplant. Zamioculcas Zamiflora...anybody else got one? from what I can glean off the web it's a case of sitting it in a corner and ignoring it...any advice would be appreciated ;D

[isabella]

Hello CPB - I think that advice is good They are easy to look after - I haven't got one but we have had them at work sometimes.
If I did have one then when it needed watering I would give it a gentle shower to keep the leaves looking shiny and get rid of any dust ;D

Pam x

[Cheerypeabrain]

thank you Pam....it really is beautiful, they have some in the conference rooms at the Space Centre here in Leicester...OH and I have been drooling over them for years ;D (no wonder the leaves are so shiny)

[Missredhead]

I have no idea of the latin names...any chance of a pic?

[chickadeedeedee]

chickadeedeedee said:

.....
I'll more the newly purchased plants (2) ((poor things! )) near the front window and hope it is a little cooler and friendlier there....

Well that didn't take long did it? Two days ago one of the cyclamen is droopy ... actually well beyond droopy ... looks more like it fainted. The other plant looks as happy as it was when I purchased them both. There literally sit side by side and I have no idea what happened. I'll try to post a photo of my victim and his next of kin later today if Photobucket will allow it.

C3D the Cyclamen Killer

[andy]

If it's droopy, there's several possible reasons.... the obvious one being too dry. Over watering is also a big problem with cyclamen or another reason could be vine weevil....they love cyclamen.

If the soil's too wet, there's very little chance of it coming back as the damage has already been done. I would remove it from its pot, clean the soil off and check around the roots and corn for vine weevil larvae.....you might be able to save the other one if it is.

[Biggles]

So pleased I have come across this thread. Since my move I have no outdoor garden (so to speak of) so will be concentrating on 'Indoor' plants. This thread will give me a few ideas of which ones to start with-

[chickadeedeedee]

Hi Andy. Thanks so much for the information. No sign of vine weevil. Not wet or dry. Maybe it got chilled somehow when I was bringing them home? ... But ... the other one is 100% fine.

[Missredhead]

I bought some houseplant compost to repot some of my houseplants...since repotting them I have noticed that I seem to have lots of little black flies flying around...is there a connection? and if so how can I get rid of them, I don't really like the aerosol fly sprays.

[Tig]

Hi mrh - only just spotted you query - it sound like your plants have become victim to the sciarid fly or fungus gnat! If you have the pots standing in trays lift the plant out and have a look at the tray - you may notice tiny white 'maggot' wriggling round (really tiny!)

If so the advice on this site may help (I have my own way of dealing with them - but if you like your houseplants better using a safe technique x Tig

www.reefermanseeds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1568

[Missredhead]

Thanks Tig, have tried the sand method, but if it doesn't work I might just toss them out and start afresh.

[Tig]

Before you give up on them (and if you are thinking of chucking them out anyway if the sand doesn't suceed!) I will share my solution - but use with caution - not all plants like the mix.
I use one teaspoon of Dettol in a pint of water, wait until the soil is quite dry, and water them until the soil is saturated - leave to stand overnight in some of the liquid then drain the following morning and rinse the tray well with boiling water to make sure it is clean. Repeat 2-3 days later. Don't do it if you really want to keep the plant though, just in case it doesn't like it!! x Tig

[Missredhead]

Thanks Tig....I do get quite attached to some of my plants but rather than have them all infested I'll try anything...if they are meant to survive they will. ;D

[chickadeedeedee]

Hi. Good morning everyone.

Is anyone familiar with someone called a Frosty Fern (Selaginella krauslanna variegatus)?

This guy:

This is my third ... having quickly killed the earlier two plants. Any suggestions so he will not join my cyclamen and aloes in house plant heaven?

Thanks. ;D