My wife and I moved into a new house and were very excited about the amount of sunlight we get in the windows. We thought our plants would do great, but they are really struggling. We have already lost a mum, orchid, a star-burst plant, and the "heart-shaped flower" plant that I cannot remember the name. The photos are of our other plants. Do they look ok - Especially the iceplant? All of these plants receive moderate sunlight indirectly or directly. Water is done usually once a week into the saucer.
Thank you,
Will
Houseplants are struggling
They look very dry to me, I would give them more water, maybe others will have more advice.
Christine
Are you bottom-watering with tap water?
The trailing plant in the clay pot... is that a Pothos? Epipremnum?
It needs a lot more water than it is getting. I am growing these in aquariums. Roots in the tank, stems and leaves out of the water. Really good water movement, plenty of oxygen in the water.
I would take cuttings of that one, throw away the bare stem parts and keep perhaps 6" worth of stem with leaves. Root them in a glass of water. Change the water daily so it stays well oxygenated. When the roots start forming pot it up into a good house plant soil mix. Keep it somewhere between moist and somewhat dry. Not very dry.
The picture that posted sideways, the plant tied to a trellis. Looks like the tips of the leaves are showing some burn. This can be from over watering (keeping the plant so wet no oxygen can enter the soil) or from too dry, or from salt burn. Read lower down about this.
The mixed dish of succulents looks pretty good. If all the other plants are just getting that much water, too, then they are starving for water.
See the white stuff on the clay pot? That is a salt or mineral build up. It is common when you are barely giving them any water, and what water you are giving them evaporates. It leaves behind the minerals and salts. This makes the soil salty, and the roots cannot cope with it. Most house plants come from jungles where it rains a LOT, but the soil is so loose that the water passes right through allowing the air right back in. The rain flushes out any minerals or salts quite often.
Here is what I would do:
Get a bucket or deep bowl. Deeper than any of the pots.
Put a few drops of surfactant (water wet or similar product) or a few drops of dish washing liquid (for doing dishes by hand) per gallon of water. Then plunge the whole pot into the container of water. Hold it under until it quits bubbling.
Then let it drain.
This way you are sure that the whole root zone is thoroughly soaked with water.
Then go a few waterings just by watering the top of the soil and letting it run out the bottom. Need a deep saucer so it won't overflow. Throw away the water that comes out the bottom.
Then repeat the dunk type of watering, perhaps once a month.
What you are doing is to flush out the excess minerals and salts in the soil.
Looks to me everything way too dry, except (possibly) the big plant - can't tell exactly what that is. What probably happened is that when you moved, you didn't realize how much more light your plants had, and therefore how much more water they were using.
All of Diana's advice is good. Rinsing the salt out of the soil is called "leaching." Another way to do it is to run water equal to about 5X's the volume of the soil through the pot at least once a year. If you've been fertilizing a lot without running water through, that is where the salt comes from.
This is one - only one of several - reasons why watering from the bottom is not a good idea. It's actually one of those myths, like drainage layers and misting, that is commonly practiced by many people, but is in truth not of any use, and may actually be detrimental.
Hopefully you will learn how to water from the top, pouring in enough water so that it runs out the drainage holes. Testing the soil moisture all the way to the bottom of the pot allows you to keep tabs on how fast the plant is using water so you know when to water again. The basic rule of thumb is to water when the soil is just slightly damp. Here are some videos that explain more about watering and soil testing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBBh0RPPqu0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tf-8InSamYQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9fkseDb1Ys
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