Hi all,
I am in the process of re-potting the two pictured houseplants (together in the same pot.) Their dirt was about 7 years old and they were languishing. I'm not sure what kind of plant they are and can't find it via searches. I'm not sure how deep I can plant the spindly stems, or what kind of dirt they prefer. (I have a bag of Miracle Grow houseplant dirt.)
Does anyone know what kind of plant this is, or have any repotting advice?
Thanks!
Heather
Update: I think maybe it's Dieffenbachia seguine based on this post:
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1292022/#post_9366890
So now I need to decide whether to chop off the bottoms of the plants to encourage new root growth? They hardly have any roots right now and the bottoms look old. Any thoughts?
they're Aglaonema sp. - "Chinese evergreens" (Gung Hay Fat Choy!)
They should be easy to re-establish. Don't worry about the flowers.
Cut the tops off and start those over in a good potting mix or perlite. The bottoms can be replanted as well (maybe overwatering caused some root rot). Mid-stems can be cut and rooted as well but pay attention to what end is the bottom when sticking in a pot - these will take longer to root and put up new shoots though.
Aglaonema commutatum I'd say.
Man .... now (at this point in the plant's growth cycle) is not a good time to be bare-rooting and chopping off heads. Severe work like what you've already done and what's been suggested should be left for when energy levels are at their peak and rapid recovery nearly assured - like in late Jun or Jul. No matter what you do now, the plants are going to languish, taking a long time to reestablish because of their weakened condition and the added stress of bare-rooting, both of which which will increase susceptibility to insect predation and diseases.
Whatever you do, DON'T cut the tops off and try to root them (the tops) now. Your plant's only source of food is it's foliage, and your plants may not have enough energy reserves to push a new flush of leaves if you eliminate its current ability to make food.
Planning your work around the plant's waxing and waning energy levels allows you to work with the plant instead of against it. The best thing you could do now would be to put them in a narrow and very deep pot and in an extremely well-aerated soil. The pot should be deep enough that the lowest roots are still above any waterlogged layer your soil might support at the bottom of the pot. Be extremely careful not to over-water. Keep the plants warm and in very bright indirect light. If your soil doesn't already contain a starter charge of fertilizer, fertilize with a half-strength dose of a 3:1:2 ratio fertilizer, like Miracle-Gro 24-8-16 or 12-4-8, or Foliage-Pro 9-3-6 (my favorite).
You might find the sticky thread at the top of this forum helpful. Put to use, it will help you avoid all the most common pitfalls and make growing a lot easier. Best luck.
Al
Al has some good advice, basically to let the plants gain some strength before cutting and regrowing of roots and leaves. However, I wonder how much the basic advice to repot/prune/regrow in midsummer actually applies to plants that live all their lives indoors in regulated light and temperature, as opposed to those that are grown outdoors under the influence of changing seasons.
Al, any thoughts?
I prefer summer for cutting but sometimes in winter I do some cutting when the plants get too large and out of hand. With lights and heat they usually respond fairly well. Those plants shown above are so gangly and being bare root, it seemed like a good time to clean them up some.
