Have had this bird of paradise for about 2 weeks and noticed her leafs are curling/browning, or whatever the right terminology is. I just watered her for the first time, with 2 cups of water (cup size in hand).
I am notoriously bad at keeping plants alive.
Can someone tell me how much water to give and how often?
Thank you!
by emebj
5 Comments
For most of my tropical plants, and most of my plants that aren’t for eating, I follow a pretty similar schedule. Overwatering doesn’t come from the quantity of water you use to water, but from how often you’re doing so. You could absolutely overwater that plant just by giving it a glass of water that size every day, which could cause leaf browning (but so can drying it out) so what I would suggest instead is letting the soil dry out to the point where you can stick your index finger into the top soil all the way and just barely feel some moisture (or even wait until the plant starts looking a little weaker), and then DROWN IT in a drainage tray. You want to give it enough water so that it can drink excess from the drainage tray if it needs, but if you come back a few hours later and there’s still standing water in the tray, you can dump it and get more used to how much water it needs next time. That’s also a pretty large plant. If you start a consistent watering schedule and it’s still looking unhappy, it may want to switch to a slightly larger pot. EDIT: since you watered it the first time today, I would just go back and add way more water for its first watering.
Bird of Paradise needs bright light and moderate water. Water when top inch of soil feels dry, about 1-2 cups depending on pot size. Avoid overwatering. Ensure good drainage. Curling/browning leaves may indicate underwatering or low humidity. Mist leaves or use a humidifier. Check soil moisture before watering next time.
First off, when you water a plant like this you have to fully soak the soil til water exits the bottom of the pot. Two cups like that won’t suffice. Looks like it probably needs a bigger pot at that. Also, I know it’s new to you, but I can tell by the light exposure in the pic that this is way too far from light. Will need a growlight if keeping in that spot. Looks like it was previously grown in lower light conditions and that’s why the petioles are incredibly long and the leaf blades are disproportionately small for them.
is it getting enough light? that’s not enough water. overwatering refers to the frequency of watering not how much water. it needs a pot with drainage so you just keep watering until it comes out the bottom.
Helloooo, (Pretty new to here but I’ll try lol) ’ve had mine for a few years and it’s finally at the point where it throws out big leaves pretty regularly, so i figured i’d share what’s worked for me in case anyone’s struggling with theirs
**light**
give it as much bright light as possible. it can handle some direct sun, especially morning or late afternoon. mine’s right by a south-facing window. if yours isn’t getting enough light, it’ll grow slow and the leaves might tear or droop
**watering**
i water when the top couple inches of soil are dry. not bone dry, just not damp. in winter it needs less. if the leaves curl inward a bit, it might be thirsty. if they’re yellowing, it might be too wet
**humidity**
they can handle normal indoor humidity, but they do better with a little extra. i don’t run a humidifier but it’s near other plants so the area stays decent
**fertilizer**
i use a balanced liquid fertilizer about once a month during the growing season. nothing fancy. don’t overdo it or you’ll get crispy tips
**other stuff**
they like being a little rootbound. don’t rush to repot unless you see roots busting out of the bottom. and they can be slow to adjust after moving or repotting, so don’t panic if it sulks for a bit