Q: I have a question: My heart shaped philo has recently developed mold on the top of the soil. I keep it in my window sill and it gets some light but not much. And I only water them when the soil is no longer moist. However I live in the basement so the air is usually dry and cold, so I am seeing some of the tips turn brown. How should I deal with this mold though? Does it need more light and more humidity? Thanks!
Q: Help! I have 12 houseplants from my mother in law’s funeral in July that I am trying to keep alive. Things were going great until about a week ago I noticed a fuzzy white/grey film on the top of the soil at the base of most of the plants. A friend told me it was mold and that I needed to clean the plant roots off, clean the pots, and re-pot the plants. I did that on Sunday and by last night I noticed several of them have the fuzzy film coming back on top of the soil. What is this and how do I get rid of it? I’m worried they won’t last much longer, some of them are really starting to show signs of struggling. Thank you!
A: Both of these readers are experiencing a common problem. When mold forms on the soil surface it’s usually because of a combination of cool air and oversaturated soil. It can be scraped off with a spoon. Move the plant to an area away from cool air or drafts and cut back on watering.
Browning tips on plants can be the result of dry air or chemical damage. In areas where the water is heavily chlorinated plants often develop brown tips. To avoid water only with distilled water. To raise humidity around plants, group them together and/or use a humidity tray.
Q: Regarding Spider Plants, I can’t tell what part of the babies are the top and which part is the root end? Can someone tell me I have several babies and don’t know what to do ? Please answer soon as I have already removed them from the mother, and have them lying in water. Thank you.
A: Propagating Spider Plants via the babies it produces is very easy. First, prepare a small pot for each baby desired. Use a good quality potting soil and moisten lightly. Bend the stem until the baby plant is resting on the soil and secure in place. The baby will send out roots. Once the baby plant is established sever the stem with a sharp knife. They can also be grown in water, as this reader is doing, but it takes much longer. The babies grow in the same direction and habit as the parent, so the root part of them is the part facing the ground when removed.
Q: I have a Spathiphyllum and its leaves are getting brown around the edges. It continues to grow, but some of the new leaves are coming out a lighter green, and even the new leaves have brown edges. I have it in a corner of my dining room that gets small to moderate light, and I turn it frequently so that all of the plant gets the same amount of light. I water it 1 x weekly with tap water, use Miracle Gro to fertilize it 1 x monthly in the summer. I have had it for about 8 months, but I don’t know what to do. I live in North Texas. I would like to put it outside and see if that would help, but I’m afraid that the heat (100+) would do it more harm than good…..help please!
A: Brown leaves usually denote too much heat, not enough humidity, or too much fertilizer. Pale leaves on Spathiphyllum, or Peace Lily, usually mean the plant is getting too much light. Once a month fertilizing isn’t necessary, so that is probably the culprit. Peace Lilies need a feeding every 3 months or so at most.
Q: I have a potted palm, but the leaves have been turning brown and there are little black flecks at the base of the stalks. I’ve added plant food for the brown leaves – but am not sure the black flecks are part of the problem or just a typical marking?
A: Unfortunately you have a pest infestation, most likely scale. The first thing to do is to isolate the plant so that the scale doesn’t spread. Second, stop feeding it. The plant is already stressed out and fertilizing can cause more harm. To treat, spray with Neem Oil or a mixture of 1 part rubbing alcohol to 1 part water and a tablespoon of dishsoap. Shake well before spraying. Scale are very difficult to remove so be prepared to re-treat several times.
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