My goldfish plant was fine and is flowering, but the leaves are falling off. Thay aren't brown or anything. It looks fine otherwise. Does anyone know what is happening? Thanks for any help.
Goldfish plant dropping leaves
could be any number of reasons... any change in culture recently? How long have you had it? How long since it was repotted?
And is this a nematanthus guppy plant type goldfish plant (flowers like this http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/49686/) or a columnea type goldfish plant (http://www.gesneriads.ca/colum074.htm) or a different one?
Hi Keyring. It's a plant like in the first hyperlink. I've had it for over a year. The only thing I did was move it and take my curtains down. Now I've got it moved back to it's original place. I don't think it needs repotting, but I will use that as my last resort. I can't put a picture on until the husband comes home, I'm not that advanced yet. Thanks for helping me Keyring. I need all the help I can get.
Hey Tammynn
I am very interested in the response that Keyring will give. I also have one of these plants. I treat it just like I treat my strep. It is blooming like crazy and I would like to be able to keep mine happy. I just repotted mine into a four inch pot last week. I bought it about 3 months ago. It is in a western window and gets filtered light for about 2 to 3 hours in the early evening.
The Lipstick Plant (various species of Aeschynanthus) is also widely grown, and it is not uncommon to see Goldfish Plants (usually Nematanthus species and hybrids) for sale in supermarkets and garden centers.
The Lipstick Plants (Aeschynanthus) are native to the Malaysian archipelago and nearby locations in south Asia. Sinningia species, including the Florist Gloxinia, come from Brazil, as does the Goldfish Plant (Nematanthus).
I know (Nematanthus) leaves will fall off if over watered.
Thanks Violet. I am always watering something too much. I bought one of those water meter reader things. I've cut back the plant a little and started another one, just in case.
Another reason leaf drop will happen is lack of watering.....I know, 'cuz I had a few in the past couple of years that I killed that way!
I put a lot of my indoor plants outdoors during the summer, and then I end up neglecting the ones that are indoors.....bad me.
They really like an epiphytic type mix....I use good quality potting soil and mix it with Orchid mix.
I have my Nematanthus Champagne Jam Lorry picked up for me in a 12 icnh pot under a grow light. I am careful on watering with they type pot.
I also potted up 6 good size cuttings that now are rooting well ! Yeah my first attempt did not work.
Rooting a cutting is good Tammy !
I gave a nice cutting to people that came over today to get some plants .
I would like to have more to grow in hanging baskets
on our screen front porch we will have when we move. Hubby will be cleaning the porch up real good before then so while he's working on the home we can use it .
I have fount mine and most plants I grow ( I don't do Orchids though I have some) like the very light soil-less mix I use for my African violets.
I like to mist mine also giving it extra mumidty not that here in Florida does it need that. lol I also take it sense it's so large into the shower and it likes a nice misting shower ! The foliage is so pretty and shines.
Tammy I forgot I had been reading up on mine while back when I got it and posted threads back
They hate to be over watered, especially during hot weather, as this can quickly lead to rot. Tempertures between 65-85 degrees are preferred. Tempertures above or below will cause Nematanthus to shed its leaves-.
___ So if it is too hot might be why your plant is shedding leaves also/and or watering. **********
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I was reading how a Nemantanthus is a fibrous-rooted gesneriad a " Kissing cousin" of the African violet. :)) It usually has succulent, shiney foliage growing in opposite pairs on long, long, arching stems. For this reason it makes a fine choice for growing in a hanging basket ! The leaves can range in size from 3/4 " to 4" or more, and their color can vary from almost black to apple green. The flowers are somewhat difficult to describe since some varieties will have short pedicles ( the flower stem) while others will apear to have the flower hanging by a thread (" Thread Flower" has been applied to these in the past ) This difference in flower type was due to the renaming of several varities that once belonged to the Hypocyrta species. The flower colors are in the red-orange-yellow range. The shape of the bloom is pouched, and it varies in size from 1/2 " to 1 1/2 " long. I don;t have this book but would like it. The Miracle Housplants by Virginie and george Elbert ( have one of their books but not this one) has more detail on these plants , more detailed descriptions and individual species and hybrids of this plant too. This book has lots of info about many plants. Does anyone own it ? I'd sure like to get my hands on a copy :))
Oh yes Nematanthus are difficult to bloom . Nematanthus should be fertilized with a high phosphate formula fertilizer . ( the second number the highest 10-30-20) only when in active growth and bloom and not at all when plants are standing still, which is frequently a protracted period. They hate to be over watered, especially during hot weather, as this can quickly lead to rot. Tempertures between 65-85 degrees are preferred. Tempertures above or below will cause Nematanthus to shed its leaves-.
The PH of the soil should be somewhat more acid than that used for African violets. Some say Columnea and Nematanthus grow well when grown in long-fiber sphagnum moss. The Nematanthus along with high phosphate fertilizer need to be a little pot-bound to bloom.
What I'm looking for is like 50 blooms at one time like the pictures in the Gesneriads Reference Web ! I bought a gorw light special for it :))
sorry, I forgot the check back on this thread.
Alison's post is right, and I would guess that the extra sun and heat of the summer triggers leaf drop. The plant you have probably comes from the area of brazil near sao paolo, and reportedly it grows as an epiphyte midway up trees. From this we can guess:
- it gets good air movement
- it gets semi shade through the leaves of the trees (and not full sun as it would if it were growing on the tops of the trees)
- it gets excellent drainage (which is might not if it grew lower down on the trees or in mossy pockets on the trees)
- it gets warm and rain in the summer - but not hot with average highs of about 85-87F, and it may be cooler in the surrounding forests (not sure)
- winters are cooler (lows in the mid 50s) and drier (averaging 1-2 inches of rain)
That data is for Sao Paolo, so it may be cooler and wetter/drier in the forest regions.
I'm so glad I joined DG. I learn alot, I teach my friends, and they think I'm an expert. If they only knew. I did move the plant to a hotter location. I probably did over water it, because I always think, if something looks sick or it isn't doing well, give it water. My friend says I pay too much attention to my plants. Thank you everyone.