| Subject | Date Asked | Expert |
|
| Pony Tail Palm (has out grown ceiling ht) | 11/19/2009 | Darlene K. Kittle |
Q: How to trim or graft palm back so that I can keep it in the house over the winter months, without ...
A: Dean, This is the wrong time of year to do anything to it. It is best done in the spring when the ...
|
| problem with my jade plants | 11/18/2009 | Darlene K. Kittle |
Q: I own two jade plants that seem to be dying. The leaves are shriveling up and then fall off. The ...
A: Bev, Root rot will not be resolved by stopping watering for a couple of days. It will take 6 months ...
|
| Mass cane plant | 11/18/2009 | Darlene K. Kittle |
Q: It was a clearance plant so I am trying to whip it back into shape. The leaves are green but have ...
A: Ashlee, The 2' planter sounds very large for 1 plant. The pot should not be much bigger around than ...
|
| whats the name of my plants? | 11/17/2009 | Darlene K. Kittle |
Q: so i dont know the name of it also. Thank you so much ,Jamey
A: Jamey, It is a Ficus palmeri or a Ficus petiolaris. They are almost the same and their care is the ...
|
| trimming a night blooming cereus | 11/16/2009 | Darlene K. Kittle |
Q: I have a night blooming cirrus which has some brown leaves and is a bit leggy. How do I safely cut ...
A: Dibs, Simply take sharp scissors or pruners and cut of the brown parts. You can also cut back ...
|
| arborea | 11/16/2009 | Darlene K. Kittle |
Q: I have five 7' tall Arborea's in my home. They are planted in non draining ceramic pots. Over the ...
A: David, There are at least 2 plants known as Arboreas so I am not sure which one you are talking ...
|
| weak flowers on peace lily? | 11/15/2009 | Darlene K. Kittle |
Q: My peace lily is growing like mad at the moment (springtime); recently it's grown a few blooms! My ...
A: Kay, I think the flowers are weak because the plant is crowded and needs repotted and needs ...
|
| weak flowers on peace lily? | 11/15/2009 | Darlene K. Kittle |
Q: My peace lily is growing like mad at the moment (springtime); recently it's grown a few blooms! My ...
A: Kay, Spring is the best time to repot, it will only encourage more and stronger blooms. You should ...
|
| Goldfish Plants | 11/15/2009 | Darlene K. Kittle |
Q: I have had a Goldfish plant for about six months now. It seemed to be doing well. Recently, the ...
A: Ally, The symptoms sound like it is dying from being too wet. Does the container it is in have a ...
|
| Identification please | 11/14/2009 | Darlene K. Kittle |
Q: Can you help me identify the plant in the attached photo? I have forgotten what it is, but from my ...
A: Laura, I beleive that you have a Dracaena deremensis ‘Warneckii’. It is more commonly called a corn ...
|
| chocolate plant (pseuderanthemum) | 11/14/2009 | Darlene K. Kittle |
Q: I recently bought this lovely plant at our local Orchard's Supply. It is beautiful, and I want to ...
A: Reina, There are many varieties of pseuderanthemum but I suspect yours is pseuderanthemum altum ...
|
| dieffenbachia | 11/13/2009 | Tracy |
Q: I have this diffenbaccia and the leaves have little holes in the leaves, The inner part of the holes ...
A: You will have to get rid of the insects that are making the holes in the leaves. If you do not find ...
|
| African Violet | 11/12/2009 | Darlene K. Kittle |
Q: I just planted a violet that was a clipping from another one I have. I rooted it in water (in a ...
A: April, I'm not sure exactly what a violet pot is. Maybe you need to talk to whereever you got the ...
|
| pruning a palm tree | 11/11/2009 | Darlene K. Kittle |
Q: someone recently gave me a tall palm tree. I don't know what kind it is. It has 3 seperate cream ...
A: Carol, I cannot answer your questions without knowing exactly what kind of plant you are talking ...
|
| corn plants | 11/11/2009 | Darlene K. Kittle |
Q: I read your answer regarding a corn plant flowering. I just noticed today that ours is also ready to ...
A: Amalie, It is happening because your plant is mature enough for it to happen. It never happens ...
|
| calathea mia | 11/11/2009 | Tracy |
Q: I recently bought a Calathea Mia at a garden show and I do not know how to take care of it.I love ...
A: Calatheas are members of the Marantas family (Prayer Plants, Stromanthe and Ctenanthe are also ...
|
| Plant Care | 11/10/2009 | Tracy |
Q: I received a schefflera plant as a sympathy gift from my job for the death of my father. I ...
A: The 2 main problems caused by improper watering on a schefflera is the leaves turning black and ...
|
| Repottig mistake | 11/10/2009 | Darlene K. Kittle |
Q: I just repotted my cactus (it is a flowering one; bright pink in November) but the pot is three ...
A: Sheilagh, That is just fine. Just keep it in a very sunny location and it should be fine. Be ...
|
| Repottig mistake | 11/10/2009 | Darlene K. Kittle |
Q: I just repotted my cactus (it is a flowering one; bright pink in November) but the pot is three ...
A: Sheilagh, You would be best off to go buy another cactus or 2 and move the one to one side of the ...
|
| Rose problems | 11/9/2009 | Darlene K. Kittle |
Q: I have had a potted miniature rose in my window. The tips of the leaves have been turning brown, but ...
A: Mackenzie, A rose is a very touchy plant to try to grow indoors. It needs at least a 10 degree ...
|
| False Aralia | 11/8/2009 | Darlene K. Kittle |
Q: I planted a seed given to my about 10 months ago (outside on patio in Tampa, FL) and the attached ...
A: Douglas, It is not a bamboo, it is a "False Aralia" or Aralia elegantissima/Dizygortheca ...
|
| Root Rot in Desert Rose. | 11/8/2009 | Darlene K. Kittle |
Q: I just acquired an adenium from a friend. It was planted in her patio in the ground by the beach. It ...
A: Wanda, Yes, but if there is no sand in the soil I would put some sand on top of the soil and as you ...
|
| Calathea Second Chance Plant | 11/8/2009 | Tracy |
Q: I have a Calathea Second Chance Plant that was growing beautifully this summer. It would spread out ...
A: It is not unusual for Marantas (Calatheas are members of the Maranta family which also includes ...
|
| Overgrown umbrella plant | 11/7/2009 | Darlene K. Kittle |
Q: I live in the south of England, UK and I have 11-12 foot ceilings. My umbrella plant reached the top ...
A: Suzanne, New branches will come out of buds at the base of a leaf stem and the can come out ...
|
| Sad Purple Passion | 11/7/2009 | Darlene K. Kittle |
Q: My mother's purple passion had been doing well, then a couple of leaves turned brown and fell off. ...
A: Robin, You said she was watering like she was told to, how was she told to water it? It should be ...
|
| worms? | 11/6/2009 | Tracy |
Q: I've brought some outdoor annuals inside, and I think they brought the pest in with them. They are ...
A: I am not sure exactly what type of insect you are having a problem with. None of the signs you ...
|
| papyrus plant | 11/6/2009 | Darlene K. Kittle |
Q: A renter neighbor moved leaving an outdoor papyrus plant. The unit remained vacant and the plant ...
A: Phyllis, It is a plant that needs sun. Do you have a friend that you might want to give it to who ...
|
| Root Rot in Desert Rose. | 11/6/2009 | Darlene K. Kittle |
Q: I just acquired an adenium from a friend. It was planted in her patio in the ground by the beach. It ...
A: Wanda, If the caudex is white it sounds like it is fine, however the cut may be a problem. That ...
|
| Overgrown umbrella plant | 11/5/2009 | Darlene K. Kittle |
Q: I live in the south of England, UK and I have 11-12 foot ceilings. My umbrella plant reached the top ...
A: Suzanne, You didn't say whether it has leaves growing all the way up the trunk or any side ...
|
| How to trim a potted palm tree | 11/5/2009 | Tracy |
Q: I have two large palm trees in pots and have to bring them indoors for the winter. can I trim them ...
A: You can prune off or cut back individual palm fronds down on the body of a palm, but you cannot ...
|
| Mass Cane | 11/5/2009 | Darlene K. Kittle |
Q: I live in S W Florida, but grew up in the midwest. Many of the outdoor landscape plants here were my ...
A: Linda, Try to figure out which end of each cane goes down and get a pot of soil then dip the ...
|
| house plant | 11/4/2009 | Darlene K. Kittle |
Q: I was given a house plant as a gift about a month ago but don't know how to care for it. It looks ...
A: Anna, I am sorry, you will have to send me a picture for me to identify it for certain. I think it ...
|
| Croton | 11/4/2009 | Tracy |
Q: Bought a Croton plant in the fall, replanted it and brought it in when it got cold. Now have it in ...
A: Moderate to high intensity sunlight is what a croton plant requires. Inside in the summer time the ...
|
| Money Tree pruning | 11/3/2009 | Darlene K. Kittle |
Q: I had an accident with my money tree and all of the branches have broken off the trunk. :-( It is ...
A: Gracie, A money tree is a Tree just like a Maple tree or an oak tree. I would keep the trunk in a ...
|
| minimum temps for houseplants | 11/3/2009 | Tracy |
Q: we recently had our screened in porch enclosed so it's going to remain dry for the winter. on a ...
A: Scheffleras are somewhat sensitive to temperature and humidity. They are native to regions that are ...
|
| brown spots on aloe plant | 11/3/2009 | Darlene K. Kittle |
Q: My aloe has small brown spots on two of its outside leaves. I think it may have bugs (I saw a small ...
A: Katherine, The brown spots on your aloe plant are most likely a sucking insect called scale that ...
|
| minimum temps for houseplants | 11/3/2009 | Tracy |
Q: we recently had our screened in porch enclosed so it's going to remain dry for the winter. on a ...
A: Pothos are comfortable in the same temperature range indoors as most people are. Just like us, they ...
|
| Ornamental orange tree | 11/2/2009 | Darlene K. Kittle |
Q: Help! I live in Massachusetts. I have an ornamental orange tree which is, truly, about 50 years ...
A: Arleen, The mold is most likely due to being too wet and because we have had a very wet year there ...
|
| ponytail palm | 11/2/2009 | Tracy |
Q: I had a branch that broke off of my plant and i put it in water to root. It has great roots but i ...
A: If the branch rooted well then it should become a plant just like the one it came from. However ...
|
| Basil Plant | 11/1/2009 | Darlene K. Kittle |
Q: A few months ago, I had a friend give me one Indian Basil Plant (Ocimum sanctum) and it had numerous ...
A: Kritka, You should keep the house much above 70 degrees because too hot can kill them also. The ...
|
