HELP! I purchased one of these thru mail order about 3-4 wks ago, many leaves turned yellow and dropped, Ifigured from the shipping stress. Then, the plant seemed to stabalize and new growth appearred. However, now several leaves are curling lengthwise- into the vein- and the tips are brown. I've kept the soil moist, over 50% humidity, filtered light, good air circulation, gave it a shot of liquid orchid food today. What more can a mother do?
Thanks, Sheri
blue dream impatiens having nightmares
Can you post a picture?
No, sorry. I don't have the set up or know-how.
Unfortunately that limits people's ability to really nail down the problem if you can't get a picture. If you've got an ability to take it in to your county extension office you might try that, being able to see a plant is worth a million words when it comes to diagnosing what's wrong with it.
That being said, my first suspect when plants are having problems is always watering (either too much or too little) so I'd definitely check that out. Since you say that you've been keeping the soil moist, underwatering is unlikely but it could be overwatering. Try sticking your finger down a couple inches into the soil and see how it feels--if you've been watering when the top looks dry, it's very possible that just underneath the surface it's sopping wet which is not good for the plant. If it's really soaking wet, I'd probably repot it into some fresh potting mix, and do the "finger test" from now on to decide when to water rather than just going by when it looks dry. Also, if the plant is small and you planted it in a pot that's much bigger than what it came in, that can also increase your chances of overwatering so I'd put it in a pot that's the same or one size larger than what it came in. I also wouldn't recommend fertilizing it anymore, giving a plant fertilizer when it's stressed is not generally a good idea.
The other problem may be that some plants just don't do as well indoors (which is where it sounds like you have it?) Your zone might be too cold to plant it in the ground and leave it out over the winter (it's listed for 7b, but I'm guessing you're probably 6b?), but at the very least it might be happier outside during the warmer months. I don't have 'Blue Dreams' but I have the straight species Impatiens arguta and it does great outside as long as it has shade, so you might try that (make sure you adjust it to being outdoors gradually though, sudden changes in conditions won't help the plant either!)
Thank you ecrane3. I did the finger test and it is dry below the surface. It seems to really soak up the water. I just did that this morning. Will try it outdoors, gradualy and yes, I'm in zone 6b.
Here's to crossing your fingers.
Thanks again,
Sheri
If it was feeling really dry, maybe you aren't watering it enough. When you said you were keeping it moist I assumed you were watering it at least enough if not too much, but maybe not. When you water it, how are you watering? Do you just "top off" the pot, adding enough water to moisten the top of the soil, or do you give it a thorough soaking? Topping off constantly rather than giving plants a good thorough soaking when they need it can create water stress, when potting mix dries out it doesn't always absorb water easily, so if you just water a little bit it may never get all the way through the potting mix. You'd be better off letting it dry out a bit a couple inches down, then give it a more thorough watering (the easiest way to do this with a pot is submerge the pot in a bucket with water in the bottom and let it sit there for a little while to soak up the water. When you water this way though the "finger test" is very important--you won't need to water as often as you have been since the soil will actually be getting wet all the way through when it really wasn't before. Maybe try watering it that way a little bit and see if it perks up first before you try taking it outside--my suggestion of it maybe being unhappy indoors was a backup suggestion if it was being watered properly. If it's under stress from lack of water I wouldn't stress it further by changing its environment right now. Once it's perked up again though you could certainly try it outside for the warmer months if you want.
Thanks once again. Your'e probably right in that I was not watering properly. I'll give it a good soaking as you suggested and see how that works. This is my first experience with this type of plant and I hope the learning curve doesn't slam down instead of up.
I have extra tacca chantrierei seed if you would like some. Not the fastest seed to germinate, but if you like unusual blooms-think bats- this one's a hoot.
I didn't see anything that I have on your wish list, but I do have an unusual variety of seeds, so if there's something else that comes to mind that you would like, let me know and I'll see if I have it.
Sheri
These aren't really tough plants to take care of, the one I have in my garden is very carefree and it's not fussy at all. That type of watering is really going to be best for most plants not just this one, the only difference is different plants will want to dry out more/less in between thorough waterings.
Thanks for the offer of seeds...I actually have a whole pile of things around already that I haven't had time to start yet, but if I get through those and have room for more I'll let you know! Or I'll probably run into a few seed packets where I wound up finding the plant somewhere and don't need to start it from seed anymore, if that happens maybe we could trade. And don't pay attention to my journal wish list, I don't keep up on that much and chances are I probably have half of them by now. And it's not my real wish list, it's just a few things that I've run across over time that I thought I might forget otherwise! LOL
Plantgeek, don't mean to hijack your thread but I was just reading and saw that you mentioned the bat plant. I just bought some seeds and was wondering if you have ever germinated yours before and what is the best way to do it. I read that these seeds are hard to germinate, but I'm up for the challenge.
Hi LiliMerci,
not a problem at all. No, I've never germinated them, at least not yet. I started some last week and have began the long vigil-up to 9 months. According to the directions, seeds must be sown on top of moist rich soil/compost, covered by a 1/4 inch layer of vermiculite or compost, kept at a constant temp of 77-80 deg., and kept in constant light. Keep soil moist and wait and wait and...
When starting lithops from seed, it's recommended to put a little fungicide under the starting tray as these things remain covered for a while and take a long time before repotting. This may also be an appropriate thing to do with taccas.
Good luck to you. How about we start a new thread if either of us gets sprouts?
Sheri
Boy, that sounds like alot of work. OK, good luck with yours and I'll be looking for your thread. What category would I post that under?
It's a tropical plant so you could post it here in this forum, or else in the Propagation or Seed Germination forums (but most of the stuff people post about in those two is more garden variety stuff so I'd probably post it here, probably more Tacca fans around here!)
Thanks again ecrane3. Youv'e been most helpful. I'll go ahead and start a new thread on this. Maybe we can pick up some germanation and growing tips.
These plants are so cool!