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lamora_gw

wilting Swedish Ivy- need advice

Lamora
11 years ago

Hi Everyone! I do hope all is well and the heat isn't getting to anyone really bad, Plants included :) Plus the fires out there, hope everyone is safe!

Most my plants are doing good with this dry heat, but there are some that are not doing good at all. I am going to try to make up a makeshift humidifier today for them. Wish me luck. (I know, I know, I should have done that a lot sooner, but I need to come up with containers. The catch pots I have are cheap and easily torn)

Now for my question ;)

I got a Swedish Ivy from a friend not quite a month ago. It was in water for about 2 weeks, I was planning on just letting it grow in water. I read that it likes a lot of sun,but not HOT sun, so it was out in the sun. It started wilting real bad. I thought that maybe it needed soil, so I soiled it, peat moss and perlite and some left over fir bark, mostly 1-1-1 mix. And it is now in the shade, sun is HOT here now.

That was almost a week ago. Two of the vines are doing real nice, but the other 2 are wilty. They are all in the same pot. (well ok, it is the bottom of a pop bottle with holes in it, don't have a pot that small)

Is there something I can do to for the wilty ones? Soil is moist. Or should I just put them back in the water? The roots on the ones that are wilty were there, just not like the ones that are good.

Please help me-- any advice right now would be great.

Marjie :)

Comments (14)

  • Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
    11 years ago

    IME, new cuttings (whether started in water or soil) will often suck the life out of the old leaves to grow new ones. There may be too much foliage for the new roots to support, which would have been more apparent if started in soil, but not a problem. When I have that in new planted water-starts, I start removing the lowest, biggest leaves until it stabilizes. This will cause it to want to make a branch at each node anyway. Usually end up with a great plant that's quite bushy this way, just have to be patient through the ugly phase and find the balance between leaving enough foliage to feed more growth and having too much foliage for those new baby roots to keep hydrated.

  • Lamora
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    purple-- there arent too many leaves to trim off. The ones that are there are all on the end of the vine. a good 4 inches of bareness, and only 5 leaves on top. and the other one is worse, but there seems to be tiny leaves right at the soil base of both plants. So with that in mind, is there something I can do for it?

    I am thinking, now this is ME thinking, (sometimes that is a bad thing) of cutting off the wilty vines to the new leaves, or would that make it worse? The top of the one vine looks discolored some and the vine itself is wilty, up to a point.

    I'm sorry, I'm rambling,I am trying to explain the best I can to get some ideas. Such a pretty plant, but then again, I have yet to see an ugly plant. :)

  • Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
    11 years ago

    Can you take a pic?

  • Lamora
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    this is her. The vines that are hanging down are the wilty ones.
    {{gwi:89971}}
    hope this helps some. :) Other than that, I dont think she looks too bad.. do you?

  • Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
    11 years ago

    The upright parts look great. I see what you mean about the wilty parts. If this were mine, I would remove the leaves indicated below and any others not so visible that look brownish or starting to crumple.

  • pirate_girl
    11 years ago

    Maybe you don't know this, but this plant (Plectranthus) is very common & easily replaced.

    Was this still in water when it was put out in sun? Either way, likely too abrupt a transition.

    These plants re-start in water very fast. I'd cut the remaining good growth & re-root it in water. Pls. do not put out in the sun.

    I wouldn't bother w/ the rest, I'd discard the whole thing & start over completely (the burnt stuff isn't worth trying to save).

    Pls. be reminded any changes of environment for plants (like from indoors to outdoors in summer) need to be done GRADUALLY, like an hour at a time or an hour a day. Otherwise, it's like being out in the sun ALL DAY on your first exposure of the year, too much too soon, sorry.

  • Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
    11 years ago

    I've been trying to find one for a few years, (that wasn't a big $20 hanging basket) so I don't know about the common part to those who don't have many places to shop.

    Totally agree about the gradual part (and excellent analogy) but I don't always want to mess with it if I have a ton of them. Sometimes I put cuttings in places where I know they'll burn but recover. Burnt leaves do not necessarily mean dead cutting, in general.

    Like I said above, if it was mine... so not trying to disagree, just give more background on the info I gave. And I prefaced it that way to leave room for other valid suggestions, which yours certainly is, PG.

  • birdsnblooms
    11 years ago

    Hi Marge. Nope, your Swedish Ivy/Plectranthus looks fine.
    I agree w/Purple about removing leaves touching the soil.

    After your plant is established, stray, limp 'but/healthy' parts of a stem can be cut and re-rooted..in water. After roots form the rooted cutting/s can be placed back w/mom, or the start of a second plant.

    BTW, every so often, it's a good idea to pinch the first two leaves, per stem. This will keep SI compact instead of spindly.
    Also, rotate .25 turn every so often.
    Trust me. This winter, I left my SI at one angle. That side is healthy, vividly colored, the other is, blah. lol.

    Karen, are SI readily available up east? In the 70-80's, most stores had SI, but it's been many moons since they've been around.
    I got mine at Accents. Toni

  • Lamora
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Hi and thanks to everyone that responded.

    OK, My husband thought that after reading this, that putting the wilty ones back in water may help. So guess what he did while I made dinner?? lol. Gotta love'em. He said he just kinda "tugged" at them and they came right out, not disturbing the good ones, for some reason-- THERE WERE NO ROOTS! Strange, Thought for sure they rooting when I soiled them.

    I am going to leave the leaves on for now, see what happens. Wish me luck! ;)

    I really hope they survive this transition. Like I said, could be a very pretty plant. Oh and I found out that I am NOT good at pinching plants. The one I thought I did right, looks real scraggly now, the leaves are not getting big, but there are a lot more of them. (My "Brasil") so now I am kinda not sure if I did something wrong. Wanted the leaves to become big and bushy.. this one looks like me when I wake up! lol But I am going to have to try it again...

    Thanks again for the advice and suggestions. Very much appreciated.
    Marjie :)

  • Lamora
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    ok- rethinking,, should I cut the leaves off, now that they are in water? Or just let them sit for a bit. I know that cutting the old ones will make new ones, but is there a chance that the old leaves could make it? Being in water now? or are they a lost cause.

    I know I sound uncertin, and I am. I just want to help it.

  • pirate_girl
    11 years ago

    Hi Lamora,

    I know you want to help, but sometimes it's overhelping, it can result in killing w/ kindness. I'd forget about taking leaves off (tho' can't tell if you mean the soil or water ones). I can't address the ones in soil.

    What I CAN suggest is the cuttings you put back in water, take 'em out, make a fresh cut at the bottom of the stem just cut off a little bit, 1/4" or so, to help it drink again, then put them back in the water.

    Then leave them alone to root for a week maybe more, however long, just topping off the water but doing nothing else. Leave them in the water 'til their roots become an inch long, then you can pot them up.

    Toni, I still think these Plectranthus are common. Yes, super common in my college days (late 70s).

    I'm sure I saw several at my local big box stores this year, each had several of these probably $10-15 hanging pots.

    Lamora,

    Is your "Brasil" a Philodendron? Are you sure that's a plant to be pinching? I hadn't thought so. Plectranthus, yes, I don't think Philos, are you confusing it w/ Pothos (which does benefit from pinching)?

    You grow Philos don't you Toni? Could you clarify this pls?

  • birdsnblooms
    11 years ago

    Marjie.

    Sorry, I should have been more specific..don't pinch leaves now. Wait until your SI is more established.

    Any leaf that is dead/dying should be removed. Those
    in water or soil.

    Why can't you pinch? lol. If you can't pluck the top two leaves w/your fingers, use a small, sharp pair of scissors or tweezers.

    If your dh has a mustache, use his clippers..lol.

    Karen/Marj, pinching Brazil will not double foliage. Never pinched mine, never heard anyone else doing it.

    The only reason Brazil is pruned, 'pruned not pinched,' is to shape or take cuttings.
    A new stem/stems grows off the side of the main branch.

    Karen. Those Roaring 70's.

  • stonesriver
    11 years ago

    Whatever you decided to do, I would suggest bringing the plant/cuttings inside until well established. This advice may have already been given but it's late and I could have missed something. :-)

    Linda

  • Lamora
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Guess what?? not 48 hrs later they are looking like NEW PLANTS! not wilting at all now. The leaves are looking much better and the vine itself is stronger. YEAAAA!

    I am not going to do anything until roots form on it, but I am thinking of just keeping it in water. I have a real nice vase for it later on if I decide to do that.

    But yeah- even my husband was impressed with it today.

    pirate, yes that is what it is- a Philodendron "Brasil" I guess some spell it with a "z", is it right either way?
    I wanted it bushy and not just viney, so "someone" told me to pinch it, like you would for a Potho, so I did, it didn't really hurt it any, and it is bushy, just kinda growing all over the place- lol. But thats all good. I am just going to leave it alone now and let it vine out. Lesson learned.

    Oh and I finally got some rocks and pie pans for my little homemade humidifiers. So far so good. (for outside anyway) I think they like it. :) only problem is now, the cat wants to drink the water out of the pans! Silly kitty anyway, least he isn't chewing on any plants~~ (knock on wood)

    But I wanted to thank you all for your input and info and experience with this and your patience with me.

    Marjie :)