I bought furniture from a guy who was moving and he gave me this plant for free, since he was just trying to get rid of stuff. I’ve never had one of these, but it seems pretty sad. What can I do to make her happy again? I especially want those stems and leaves off the ground.
by TiredSpiderScientist
6 Comments
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If your plant leaves have become soft and discolored, it may be due to them rotting. Do they also have a foul offensive odor? If so, the symptoms may be from a bacterial infection that is damaging the plant. Bacteria from many sources in the environment, can infect a plant through wounds or some cases, the stomata when they are open. once inside the leaf tissue the bacteria feed and reproduce quickly breaking down Healthy leaves. If it is bacterial, with more than half of the leaves affected, the best remedy is to remove the infected plant and dispose of it offsite as the failure to do so may eventually allow it to infect and spread to your otherneighboring healthy plants.
Start with a bigger pot and new soil and see what happens in a few months. Don’t sweat it but don’t rule out blight or even age. It needs indirect sunlight and moist soil. Keep it out of high traffic areas.
Yes definitely bigger pot
This is a white bird of paradise which will be massive, they’re the larger of the two strelitzia that are sold as houseplants and get 40+ ft. outdoors, good luck brave soul
I would start by removing the most damaged leaves (chopping just above where the petioles converge. Cut slowly in case there are new leaves forming at the base.
Then I would take it outside and remove the plant from its pot to check for rotten or simply dead roots. It looks like too little water may have been the issue, but that can cause rot as well, as dead roots attract fungus as they decompose. If there is dead and/or rotting tissue, remove it with sterile snips. Then treat the whole plant with fungicide.
Next I would repot in a new container that is just larger than the trimmed rootball (if that was necessary). Fill with fresh soil that allows for lots of airflow. At least 1/3 of the volume should be made up of material like perlite, orchid bark, charcoal, etc.
Assuming that you’re providing bright light and decent airflow, indoors you’ll want to water thoroughly when the top inch or two of soil is dry. It would do best outdoors in a mostly shaded spot if that’s a possibility. If outside is an option you can water more liberally. I live in a hot dry area, so I watered whenever the surface was dry (once or even twice a day).