How can I save my indoor house plant?

[shippo]

Hi All
My indoor house plants is looking quite ill.
Ive tried water it more, watering it less, putting it in sunny/partly sunny/none sunny conditions and its making no difference.
I purchased it from B&Q about 6 weeks ago (I dont even know what it is)

Can anyone help a newb?

Thanks
Shippo

[d.steeley]

Hi Shippo, take a look at this web page, might not be anything like it but it is a possibility.

Dave

http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/...e.aspx?PID=190

[Susan C]

Hi Shippo - make sure that the pot it is in has drainage - it should not be sitting in water for any length of time - the roots will rot.

[Kits]

Maybe try repotting it? Maybe it has outgrown the pot it is in and needs more space.

[shippo]

Originally Posted by Susan C

Hi Shippo - make sure that the pot it is in has drainage - it should not be sitting in water for any length of time - the roots will rot.

Hi
Maybe this is the case, I have pulled my plastic pot out of my ceramic pot (it was an exact fit before so the chances are that it wasnt draining properly).
I will let you know how I get on.

thanks everyone!

Shippo

[Susan C]

Good luck!

[Richard L]

I have a palm like you have on my back deck, the ends of the leaves turned brown.. I bought a larger pot with a bag of new soil, I let the palm "soil" dry out so I could let it fall out with the soil in one lump, I tipped it over and out fell the palm and I re-planted it in the new pot and added some new soil around it and pushed it down firm & water it. Good Luck! The roots of mine filled the "old pot" and I think that was my problem. It just out grew the old pot.

Originally Posted by shippo

Hi All
My indoor house plants is looking quite ill.
Ive tried water it more, watering it less, putting it in sunny/partly sunny/none sunny conditions and its making no difference.
I purchased it from B&Q about 6 weeks ago (I dont even know what it is)

Can anyone help a newb?

Thanks
Shippo

[d.steeley]

For what it's worth here are my recommendations for watering indoor plants in containers.

Always ensure that the pot the plant is actully planted in has drainage holes.

Only water plants when they need it. Let the surface of the comost dry out between waterings.

Before watering take the plant out of any decorative pot it may be in (those without drainage holes) and stand the plant on the draining board of your kitchen sink.

Fill the space from the surface of the compost to the top of the pot with water and allow it to soak into the compost.

When it has soaked in fill it with water again and leave it on the draining board for at least an hour or preferably overnight to allow it to drain thoroughly. This will prevent water draining out once it has been put back into it's decorative pot.

To make sure, check regularly that there is no water sitting at the bottom of the decorative pot as this will prevent air getting to the roots and the plants will likely die.

Dave

[Susan C]

Nice Dave - here's my watering procedure, at least for indoor plants:
Fill up kitchen sink, almost to the top, with room-temperature water from the tap, add in a bit of water-soluble fertilizer. Then I dunk each plant, pot and all, (just the actual plant pot, not the decorative one) into the sink, let it sit for about 1 - 2 minutes, until the air bubbles stop coming out, then take it out and set it in the other empty sink (or draining board) for at least 1 hour to drain. I do this about once a week, no more. They all do fine this way.

[d.steeley]

Hi Susan, good technique, especially as your plants thrive on it. I think most problems that occur with house plants are related to over watering. Leaving them time to drain is so important.

dave