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savingdeadhouseplant

Houseplant ID/What should I do to save this plant

My friends I moved into an apt, and someone left this houseplant for us. It is in pretty bad shape and we don't know how to care for it. Should we trim the browning leaves? Should we be cutting any of the stem/petioles back to the root? How often should we water it?

Can you help?????

Thanks,

Ben

Comments (13)

  • dellis326 (Danny)
    11 years ago

    Remove all the soil, rinse off the roots in the sink, cut off any dead or mushy roots(brown,soft,broken, etc) and place it in a vase or other container of room temperature water with the water only covering the roots. Use a quarter to half strength fertilizer solution.

    Only cut off anything obviously already dead. Leave any aerial roots for now, you can cut them off or leave them to grow later when the plant is recovered.

    I would just continue to grow it in water(semi-hydroponic or Hydroculture) rather than soil but that would be your choice. Others here would recommend some sort of soil mix.

  • Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
    11 years ago

    Radical, Dellis. Obviously the plant needs rehydrated, we're in accord on that. Do you have Philodendrons this big growing in water? I would fill that pot with new mix (after removing the old, and dead bits as you suggested,) and give it a support to climb...

    This is a really cool plant, I have high confidence it will bounce back nicely. It's not completely dessicated. No matter what you decide to do, I'd love to see a pic of it when it's standing back up as much as a plant like that can.

  • emerald1951
    11 years ago

    Hi all, it looks like a peace lily to me....
    I agree just repot with good drainig soil and water well and rehydrated....
    you could as is stand the pot and all in a sink full of water over night and see what it is like in the morning, and the repot it....doesn't look like there is any soil on it now.....it will be a nice plant......good luck....lida

  • dellis326 (Danny)
    11 years ago

    No Philos this size but I have two Philodendron squamiferum that are pretty good sized plants growing hydro and a Philodendron 69686 in hydro that is a single stem about 7 feet long.

    I had a pineapple about 4 feet in diameter growing in hydro but I left it outside too long when it got cold so now it's just a fat stem with some leaves on the top end. Still in hydro but no long impressive

  • PRO
    The Ficus Wrangler
    11 years ago

    I would say it's a philodendron, one of the 'pink lady' varieties. It does look kind of like a peace lily (spath), but those don't have aerial roots, which a see a couple of, and also what appear to be stems.

    First thing is to hydrate - it's severely wilted. Take the whole thing, pot and all (remove the drainage saucer if you can), and dunk it into the sink or tub filled with hot water. Hot water works very well to quickly revive over-dry plants. And I mean really hot, as hot as your hands can stand. Let it soak for a couple of hours, then let it drain for a couple more. You can cut off the dead brown parts now, if you want - you can tell the dead parts, they'll be crispy.

    I wouldn't do anything else to it until it has recovered from the shock of being in a desert for who knows how long. It should start to stand back up, at least many of the leaves should, though you'll probably have a number of leaves that will turn yellow and ugly. You can cut these off, they will eventually become crispy anyway. When you cut them, cut the leaf stem from the main stem flush with the main stem.

    At this point, you can go ahead and repot according to the number of good suggestions to be found on this forum, or ask again for more help with repotting

  • dellis326 (Danny)
    11 years ago

    That isn't a peace lily. Look at the stems, PLs don't have stems that grow like that and the ratio of the petiole to leaf blade is way different than a PLs would be. A PL's leaf form is generally lanceolate and these are oblong to ovate with some variation. Plus it has aerial roots.

  • Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
    10 years ago

    I wonder if this plant ever bounced back?

  • grabmebymyhandle
    10 years ago

    Shoot, guess I'm a bit late!
    That's philo black cardinal!
    A really nice plant, but slow growing!
    It's a self header, it won't really climb...

    The advice was all good, I hope it's a beaut now...

  • nunya bidness
    7 years ago

    Sorry to revive an old thread.. but can I get a weigh-in from other members? Is it really advisable to soak a desiccated plant in very hot water? Won't it partially cook, or at least wilt, from the heat? TIA

  • Karen S. (7b, NYC)
    7 years ago

    I don't know anything about this plant or this thread, but I suggest no, no, no, no to what you are asking. Have never heard of such a thing & I'd agree w/ your instinct NOT to do it.

    This thread is over 3 yrs. old, it's best to start a new thread for such a different question & conversation. Might as well try that & post pix of the remaining plant as well to see what if anything folks might suggest.


  • nunya bidness
    7 years ago

    ok

  • Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
    7 years ago

    Should the occasion ever arise when I find myself in the company of such a thirsty plant, I could get a chance to try this. Thirsty plants aren't part of my milieu, I have the illness that causes one to think they are always thirsty, always in recovery.

    Excellent point about the hollowness of railing against that which one has never tried. I encounter that often, multiple times per day. "I know because I did it countless times" vs. "I don't think you should..." (usually accompanied by some version of) "...because of what I read."


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