Instead of traditional flowers, My partner bought me the red plant for our four year anniversary. I'd never had one before and it was in a pot without holes (bless his heart – he has since been educated). We took it back to the greenhouse and they offered a free replacement, insisting the plant had died from dehydration – it was full like the pink one so not knowing how to care for them I will confess I lovely under watered and they gave me the pink one for free. Now they're both a mess; the original red dude is still struggling and the pink one is getting leggy. I mist them 1-2 times a day and water when the top inch of soil feels dry but these dudes are still miserable. They also have alternating direct and indirect sunlight. I feel like an idiot, please help!!!
by KjaeresteKos
5 Comments
You don’t need to mist, it doesn’t help the plant. These are used as outdoor ground cover, and are only meant to last one season. They need a lot of light and die back quite a bit during the winter when indoors. Honestly not the best indoor plant. They awesome thing is that you can get another one in the spring for $2.99.
This is when I’ve been nursing through the winter.
https://preview.redd.it/wpnul327hp8e1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a47dc7261f8ba9803e782921217f7131e2a987cf
Misting doesnt do much. Give more water and light
You can trim some of those longer stems and put them in water. They will create roots quickly then plant into the same pot or create a new plant.
Aren’t polkadot plants annuals?
I had them survive as a bi-annual two years in Florida but that second year they gave up.
Ouch. These plants are not long living, and they really struggle indoors. When outside, they like a few hours of direct summer sun (ideally not during the hottest part of the day though), and they like consistently moist, but not soggy, soil. These do look quite underwatered in the photo. Of course, they’ll use less water when grown indoors, but they need to be a little more moist. A self-watering pot (like an African violet pot) may help. They also need to be pruned frequently to try to keep them looking a little bushier, but they’ll still be a bit spindly.
Don’t expect these plants to thrive inside. This isn’t all on you. Honestly, I’d get a different plant, maybe an aglaonema (such as “Red Siam”/“Siam Aurora” if you’re looking for red). But they come in many beautiful pinks too. They’re so hardy and like to be in smaller pots and watered once the top 1/2 of the soil is dry.