Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
igwright_gw

New To The Forum - Need Help

IGWright
11 years ago

Hi,

New to the Forum.
Thank-you for reading.

I have this house plant,
and it doesn't seem to be doing too good.

Does anybody know what type of plant it is,
and what I could do to help it along?

Thank-you,
and Happy Monday!

Ian

Comments (13)

  • mrlike2u
    11 years ago

    Some kind of a Kalanchoe in a heavy and very wet soil at it's flowering end.

  • VaeVictus
    11 years ago

    Your plant is a succulent. That means it stores water in its leaves and therefore needs less water around its roots than many other indoor plants. It depends on how much and how often you plan to water the plant as to whether or not it should be re-potted, though. If you keep it in its current potting mix then don't give it too much water at a time and don't water too often (let the soil dry out between waterings till the pot feels lighter in weight and stick your finger down to check as well). If you want to water more often and be able to pay less attention to the potting mix then get some fast draining mix such as an orchid or cactus mix and remove as much soil from the roots as you can get easily and re-pot into the new mix. But either way just cutting off the dead portions of the plant that have died because they were flowering stems will make the plant look a lot better.

    The reason a fast draining mix allows you to water more is that a plant's roots function as both a mouth (for taking in water) and a nose (for taking in air) and some plants need more air around their roots and if all the air pockets in the mix are constantly filled with water then the plant drowns and the fast draining mix keeps the water from saturating the mix.

  • Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
    11 years ago

    Hi & welcome to Gardenweb!

    Well said, Vae. In addition, I can see a hard water deposit line in the bowl the pot is sitting in. If you are allowing the plant (any plant) to sit in a bowl of water, that's a good way to kill it. After watering, the saucer should be emptied. If it's not too cumbersome for you, it would be best to take the plant to the sink to water, where it can drain. When it's finished dripping, then put back on the saucer.

    That pic isn't really close-up, so not sure, but are there little things on your plant? I don't know what pest(s) might like this one, maybe scale or mealy bug?

    It's not standing upright. Hopefully more light can fix that (if it's not too ill from pests or root damage from soggy soil.)

  • Dzitmoidonc
    11 years ago

    I was wondering about those white things on the bigger leaves too. Might even be Whitefly shells, but can you give a clear shot of what it is? Might be nothing, but if it is scale, then you have a problem.

  • tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
    11 years ago

    If you find yourself wanting to augment your insight into growing, and have some extra time on your hands, you might find the link below to be useful, at least to the end of helping you avoid some of the pitfalls that commonly befall growers who might not be veterans of the hobby. You'll find the answer to 'what to do to help your plant along' there, too.

    Here is a link that might be useful: A basic overview

  • emerald1951
    11 years ago

    Hi...I see little white specks all over the plant does that stuff wipe off, to me it looks like mealy bugs...if it is that could be why the plant is dying....people use Windex or alcohol to wipe them off and kill them....linda

  • emerald1951
    11 years ago

    Hi...I see little white specks all over the plant does that stuff wipe off, to me it looks like mealy bugs...if it is that could be why the plant is dying....people use Windex or alcohol to wipe them off and kill them....linda

  • emerald1951
    11 years ago

    don't know what happened here,sorry for the 2 post...linda

  • IGWright
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thank-you for all the Replies.
    Here is a closeup of one of the leaves.
    I think the white specks may just be dust.
    This camera has a tendency to highlight dust for some reason.

    I think I'll re-pot and be less enthusiastic about the watering.
    The other question I had was light and sunlight for this plant.

    Ian

  • Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
    11 years ago

    Hey, I clicked on your profile to see if it says where you are, and I see zone 10B but it's not showing up next to your name when you post. The next time you post, if you type 10B in the zone box right above where you type, it should "stick" and then show up next to your name in subsequent posts.

    How much sun has your plant been getting? It needs more, but I don't know if this plant can burn if suddenly thrust into significantly more light, which I'm sure you have in abundance most days in 10B. Hopefully someone can advise you on the best way/time frame to get it back to some stronger light without doing more harm than good.

  • marricgardens
    11 years ago

    I'm not an expert on houseplants by any means but I was looking at the stem and it seems to me that some of those raised bumps on the stem may be scale?

  • Dzitmoidonc
    11 years ago

    Marric, I am not an expert either, but it doesn't take one to see the Scale Insects.

    IGWright, run, don't walk, to end the scale. They are small insects that suck the life from your plants. Any plant nearby probably also has them. There are as many cures as there are posters on here, and whatever treatment you give them, do it soon, like tomorrow. I use rubbing alcohol sprayed on them direct from the bottle you buy it in.

  • IGWright
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Muchas Gracias.

    Sprayed the plant with Rubbing Alcohol,
    and pulled the little brown specks off of the plant.

    I have a pot that I think will work,
    and I'm going to buy some potting soil this morning.

    Thank-you for all the help!
    Much appreciated.

    I will post a pic of the plant in it's new home.

    Ian

Sponsored
Fresh Pointe Studio
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars4 Reviews
Industry Leading Interior Designers & Decorators | Delaware County, OH