Please help save the dying bats!!!

These taccas are driving me batty!!!! LOL!!!
Seriously, this is my second set of three taccas, and they are on their last leg. The first 3 died because I missed watering them in the summer. I got these at Wal-Mart in Gulf Breeze, FL, and I have kept them inside my house on the kitchen counter ever since, because of the cold temps outside. They get bright indirect light from the light fixture and there is a window, but it is not really close to them. I water them about once a week, and sometimes, it seems like that is too much, and sometimes, too much. They have been wilty either way. Very unhappy bats!!! I am determined to get one of these varmits to live!!!
Please help save the bats!!!
Thanks.
Janet

Another pic.

I didn't repot these three because I repotted one and it died within 2 weeks.
I potted it just like these were potted, and no deeper, so as to keep the crown from rotting.

High humidity is a must with this plant. That is why they do so well around here in the summer outside. And why it is so tough to keep them alive in the winter. You can try putting a tray filled with pebbles and water unter the plant to see if they will help. Worse case scenario, it will die back and re emerge in the spring. However, not sure you would get a bloom.

I have found that a pebble tray works wonders. I never really thought that it did that much. Then I got an Alocasia and it immediatedly started dying. I lost most of the leaves so I decided to give it a try. It worked miracles and now I have two that are huge and doing great. I just add enough water to keep it level with the the top of the pebbles. I also mist them regularly.

JesseK

Looks to me like maybe they are too wet. Since they are seemingly wilting even though the soil looks pretty damp (wet), I'd check for root rot. There's a fine line between moist and wet, and indoor plants are less tolerant of crossing that line than outdoor plants. I can grow darn near anything outside, but I have very few inside plants for that reason (and the fact that I spend so much time outside I forget about the ones inside).

Well, I had just watered them yesterday afternoon.
Not sure which it is, because the wilty one perks up after watering for about a day and after a day or so, gets wilty looking again. I'll have to figure out a way to put all of them on pebble trays, that may be the answer, hopefully.

JanetOS. Part of your problem, I can see right from your picture. What type of soil do you have them in? Even wet the soil mixture you have looks to be very, very heavy. They need some soil that as least 15% coarse sand in it. Washed Builder's sand is what you need. Any other sand will have salt in it even playsand and that will burn the roots.

I would take them out of that pot, put in a pot mixture of peat , sand, and a little of your soil mixture. Just get the new soil mix barely damp, just wet enough to work with it. Then stuff it in the bathroom and give it a humidity shower. Give it a couple of days to dry out and catch it's breath before you water again. The humidity showers would be the best during that time. The stomata will open during that time, and the plant will get enough moisture.

Here is some other growing tips for you. The ones listed below are from another site, but they may give you additional help.

During the growing season (late spring to late summer) the plants need to be watered very regularly and the compost must we well drained. For fertilizer use Miracle Grow mixed 1/4 teaspoon to 1 gallon of water.

Give very little water through the winter and provide a temperature of 60-65 F. Summer temperature should be 75-85 F. Re-pot in February/March if needed and keep shaded from sun. As with any tropical, give the occasional mist spray through the summer.

A good idea is to put the plant in your bathroom, turn on the hot shower and let the room steam up. Close the door and leave the light on overnight. This will perk up a Tacca quicker than anything. They love the moisture and heat! Tacca's are tropicals! They love the heat and moisture but they can be grown indoors in colder climates. They will require additional care to keep them warm and moist.

As soon as new growth begins in the spring, remove the old, loose soil from their roots and then repot in a mixture of peat moss and sand. The pots need good drainage. While they are growing vigorously in the summer an abundance of water is applied, but throughout the winter, less water should be given. Established plants that have filled their pots up with roots will benefit from regular applications of dilute liquid fertilizer. The minimum winter temperature of the greenhouse should be 55 F; from spring through fall (the time that they're actively growing), the minimum temperature that should be maintained is 60 to 65 F.























Tacca chantieri:

I just put the bats in the shower.
I am not sure where to get the coarse builder's sand. Hubby is in construction and didn't know what I was talking about. So, I guess I'll have to try HD or Lowe's???
It sounds like great advice and I really hope the humidity shower works. I just checked the soil and it seems to be dry already. I was just scared to repot after the other one died after repotting in Miracle Grow soil.
Thanks starlight~!!!!!

Janet, how did your bat plant do? I am in the same boat as you are. I LOVE this plant and have always wanted one. I finally bought two of them and read everything I could on the internet about how to care for them. I killed my white bat plant fairly quickly dispite various attempts to revive it. It wilted and died. I got frustrated when my black plant started to decline and repotted it two days ago in an orchid potting mixture. I watered it just a little and that seems to have revived the plant. It's been looking good for several days now. I check the soil and it's pretty dry. I think the soil is a MAJOR factor in whether the tacca will do well or not - especially if they're potted indoors like mine are. I think the soil has to be very fast draining and not retain moisture much at all. It needs to be light in texture. This plant will rot in a heart beat if its roots remain wet for very long. I'm going to cross my fingers that this soil mixture will be correct and my one and only tacca will live! I hope yours survived!!

Amy

Amy,
I am sorry to report that my bat plants died.
:( :( :( I could've cried!!!!!
I tried everything everyone suggested and it seems like once they were on the decline, there was nothing that could be done. They are such cool plants, I just love them, and would give anything to get one to bloom. Maybe I'll try again one day.
I hope something works for you!!!!
Good Luck!!!
:)
Janet

Oh, I'm sooooooo sorry to hear that. I know how it feels. I was crushed when my white tacca died. You're right, when they go on a decline it is next to impossible to save them. I am still determined for my one remaining bat plant to live and think that I've gotten the soil right this time - but only time will tell. If this one does well, I'll buy a white one in the future. I don't have the patience to plant the seeds right now.

Chin up! I think when you feel like giving the plant another try, you should treat yourself to one again.

Take care,

Amy

Welll thanks all for keeping this thread alive... I might have killed my first two... thinking Imight give them a bit of afternoon sun... I then discovered... NO SUN for them... and moved them to the shady side of the west window... no leaves now ... but they look green and nice on what's left of the core.. they might return... I've now got a new one... and knowing no sun maybe it will do better ... the humidity and other cosiderations will be adressed with the new one...
So from the time of it being a 4-5" tall plant with maybe 6-8 leaves... what might the flowering time beare we talking months / years ...
also.. in the shade... what might be an ideal light level..onthe window sill with no direct sunlight ?? 5-10 ft away from the window...
Thanks all.... Gordon NYC

I seemed to be able to keep them happy the first season I would have them, rather either spring or winter, once the season changed, their leaves would start turning, so I tried several things to move them, and once they started dying that was it. I got 3 in the spring, killed them all in the summer, got 3 more in November, all died after this posting, shortly after, that is.
:(

They are naturally a shade plant, but what has been confusing to me is determining how much INDOOR shade is the equivalent of their natural OUTDOOR shade environment. Do you see what I mean? A shade plant outdoors is getting some ambient sun, usually, so how low should the light level be for an indoor tacca? I have read that they do not like direct sun or any wind. They need a shaded, protected spot. They need heat and humidity to thrive. But for me, THE SOIL WAS THE BIGGEST ISSUE BY FAR - much more than light, wind, or humidity. I read a lot on the internet about how to care for them before I purchased and chose a soil mixture based on that information - potting soil with vermiculite and a drop of Superthrive at first watering. When they wilted, I checked for root rot and discovered the white one had it. I put them in new soil with much less vermiculite and my white plant perked up for a day only to completely wilt by morning and never perk up again afterwards - no matter what I did!! When my black bat plant started wilting, I decided it was destined to die too. As a last resort, I dumped out all of its soil (the roots were still strong and white even though the leaves had drooped completely) and repotted it with 100% orchid potting mix. I gave it a small amount of water and by the next day, the leaves were all perky again. The soil this time is a very loose, fast draining mixture. It hardly retains water at all and dries quickly. I'm hoping this is the solution I've been looking for. It's been a week now and it looks great and there are 2 new leaves coming in. The edges on all its leaves are brown and dry, so I am not sure if that's from the wet roots or lack of humidity. I'll tend to that problem next. I'm just happy to have my plant alive at all!!

So, in my experience, whether my plant was in indoor shade or outdoor shade, or got some wind or not, or regular doses of steam baths, or a tray of pebbles and water under the pot, or misting of the leaves, etc., etc. - NOTHING made the difference that the potting soil did. The soil was key to saving my second plant. I think it's going to be much, much easier from here on out. I hope!!!

Anyway, good luck to you and I hope this information has been a little helpful. I'm very interested in hearing from those who are growing this plant and have had both success AND failure at it since I think that's the best way to learn.

Good luck, fellow tacca lovers!!! I know the definition of "obsession" now : - )

Amy