I posted this on another forum and they told me to try a couple of other forums which I did. But no one has replied so I'm hoping some of you might know what to do.
I got these two little flowering maples in the mail a few weeks ago and they need help. They have not died yet, but they are not looking so good either. What do I need to do to help them? Thank you for your help.
Jesse
I have no idea but guessing. Do they have proper amount of water, light and humidity ?
I'm sure someone else can help. Maybe Bob ?
From past experience good drainage is a must; would also suggest good light and good fertilizer; possibly they are just adjusting to a new environment. A lot of the new plants that I have purchased look good for the 1st few days to a week then begin to show signs of shock. They generally get over it w/o problem though I have lost a few here and there. Strongly suggest that you don't overwater. Might want to try Superthrive.
I have some Optimara regular plant food and I do have some Superthrive, although I've never used it. Maybe it is time for me to get it out and use it. What type of soil should I put them in? I have regular MG, AV soil, cactus soil, and perlite. What do you recommend? Oh, what type of pot would you use and how big?
Thanks,
Jesse
I would use some AV soil with a little extra perlite. Put some drainage material in the bottom like pebbles. The pot size should be just a bit bigger than the root ball (plus the pebbles). NO fertilizer until it is settled in, but use a bit of the superthrive. Keep in lower sun than a healthy plant of the same type would want.
those are my tips for any rooted cutting/seedling/recently travelled plant.....
Hi Jesse,
I have heard from more than one source that they are hard to grow inside. Can you put them outside maybe in a shaded area until they recover.
I would also just type flowering maple care in your web browser and see what you come up with.
Sorry I am not much help.
Joanne
I am going to grow them outside. I was just trying to get them going inside. But if they need to be outside, I will move them outside. I will also give them a little bit of Superthrive if I can remember where I put it.
Just out of curiosity, why do you think the AV soil would be better than the regular MG soil? The one I have says made for inside or outside containers. Would that be suitable? I have both so it does not matter, I was just wondering why. And I'm assuming that I would need a pot with holes in the bottom? I have some beautiful ceramic ones but they don't have holes. If I need ones with holes I'll have to find something else to put them in. I just can't figure out why they make such beautiful pots and don't put holes in the bottom.
Thanks,
Jesse
MG soil usually has more fertilizer in it than most AV soils. Obviously, this depends on the mix......
LOL on the ceramic pots. You are supposed to use them as cache pots - in other words, put a plastic pot inside. That way, you can switch plants in and out. Usually the cache pot is placed in a spot where it looks nice - not necessarily a spot that the plant will like..... So, you would switch the plants every now and then so the plant gets enough light etc. (And also so you don't get "bored" looking at the same plant).
I would definitely go with a basic plastic pot with drainage holes, and plan to pot it up in a couple of months when it's developed some roots. Do the potting up well before it's root bound so that you don't disturb the roots (pull the plant out, plunk it in the new pot and fill around with potting mix).
You can tell that new roots have developed when it starts to grow more leaves. That's when you can start to fertilize lightly.
But all of that is just general advice as I haven't actually dealt with a flowering maple.
And yes, I would vote for a sheltered spot outside as well - shade as in shaded by trees (not shaded by a building) would be best, I think.
If you can't find the superthive, you can mix up a similar kind of snake oil mix. Vitamin B, sugar and something..... I probably have a recipe somewhere.....
I hear that most folks have the best luck growing Abutilon as patio-pot plants. You know; half shade/sun for good blooms but not to fry it.
Here I try to hijack the thread a bit- as a student of soils, Keyring:
Pings. I've just brought home some peat (Canadian sphag). I have coir and MG. What would you use for P. agnata (mexican ping)? My guess is 1/2 coir (this stuff has been nitrogen-sapping in recent experience) and 1/2 peat. Mixed and settled for a while. ie boiled, mixed, and set in a bucket for a few weeks to stabilize, then distilled water to keep moist.
And gessie soil. I am trying to avoid fertilizers completely and just use the right mix. 1/2 MG and 1/2 peat, extra perlite if necessary?
Thanks in advance, Key.
Kenton
haha... I'm no ping expert .... I got started on them only a year ago and have only a few mex pings. I am having better luck with the one in 1/2 peat and 1/2 grit or coarse sand (washed well). but, check out this page: http://www.carnivorousplants.org/seedbank/species/Pings_Mexican.htm
I don't think coir should go in there because it's dense and waterhogging and it decomposes relatively quickly.
Kenton - what does all that text on your MG bag say? Does it say it has fertilizer included? The MG bags in this area all have fertilizer. The only peat-based mix that doesn't have fert is the ProMix brand.
My gessie mix is about equal parts Promix, perlite and vermiculite. This is a pretty airy and light mix, but holds a fair amount of water thanks to the peat and the vermiculite. It's pH adjusted because the base is Promix.
When I'm out of Promix, I use equal parts milled peat, perlite and vermiculite, plus something to raise the pH a little because straight peat is rather acidic. Pelletized dolomitic lime is a good choice.
Recently I've been substituting coir for some of the peat (about 20% coir). This seems to be helping with making a rock-solidly bone-dry pot of peat easier to water again, as dry coir absorbs water a bit more readily than bone dry peat.
here's another p agnata link. Note that it says that in nature it grows in organic substrate on limestone cliffs..... In other words, a higher pH than peat, but not so much as something growing directly on limestone.
Thanks for the information and the links. I appreciate your help.
Jesse
