Indoor plants at Mid Atlantic April 2013

Continuation of chat about indoor plants in homes and greenhouses of Mid atlantic and Friends


Came from
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1299412/#new

CHat about potted plants for indoor gardens, - successes, woes, new finds...

I am trying out this Indoor Pharm insecticidal soap and will let you know how it goes. Battling those pale orangey aphids...
http://www.pharmsolutions.com/indoor_pharm.html

This message was edited Apr 1, 2013 7:20 PM

Sally, I am almost scared to put some of my plants out for the summer! With all I have invested in my streps, which NEVER go outdoors, I am afraid of what may come back in this Fall.

Karen

Here are a few of my streps blooming today...

S. Cynamon
S. Kahinta
S. Keigetsu
S. Neil's Black Flash
S. Neil's Twilight

oooh, what a gorgeous way to kick off a new thread!
I'm awaiting Bristol's Goose Egg any day now here. Also my Amaryllis are finally in bud. well some, and some still dormant.

This guy was looking so good, you could hear it saying take my picture!
Orchids are all looking good and still blooming. I have two that have buds but didn't bloom yet. They both came from the MOS Show. One of them had 3 buds but 2 of the buds died before opening. Not sure but the stem at the base of the bud blackened and wilted, waiting to see if the other bud will open. Not sure why it is a pretty protected stem, you can't even see it in the leaves around the bud. Not sure too much water, too little, damage in transportation. The plant still ooks great just dropping the blooms.

Holly--

Your AV looks so perfect! So compact! I think I have this same one from donner,
but mine looks nothing like yours.
I have the smaller ones under lights--and the bigger ones sit on my shelf under the big LR window.
I think the light there is OK--especially in the winter when the sun is low, but none of them bloom.
I am sure it must be because it is cold there...they are so close to the pane.
My 2 streps also sit there. They look lush--growing well--but no blooms either.
Sent donner the picture (same as below) and she thought they just have to grow enough to
fill the pot. Maybe when the weather gets warmer--everything will change,,,,

So frustrated--as all yours, and everyone elses, is perfect and blooming.....
Here's two Streps o n the LR shelf.....and a bit more of the whole shelf...
You can see some of my older AVs there--just vegging.....along with all kinds of other small plants.
G.

I must be the only one in the world who can't keep happy Spider plants. My curly Spider is getting brown from the base. The last one I've had did this too. THe leaves rot at the base. Mind you, I did NOT overwater this thing, kept it very dry all winter and it seemed perfectly happy!

Sally, do you want another curly spider plant? I have an extra one. Originally from Gita! :)

Sally

I can pull off more babies to root for you too, sally. I think I have a couple rooting already too.

Bummer on your Spiders! Might it be the soil? Some kind of fungus?
Might also be that it was too dry all winter--and now is getting all this water?
I water mine throughout winter--but they DO get dry in between.

Pull off all the leaves that show the rot. Obviously--they will not be living on anyway...
You can take the whole plant out of the pot, wrap the top in a bag, wash off the soil
from the roots and see what's what.
I don't think it will damage anything....dip it in whatever for rot.....or fungus and re-pot.

Good luck! Starting a new, fat baby for you today......G.

Generous offers from my plant budfies as usual!
Babies i got...although i suppose there is risk of some thing infective already making its way to the baby.
If this plant croaks the plant pot and soil will go out in the garden..
Maybe it was that when i decided i needed to water it i just poured it on too much.

On the plus side my little Parlor? Palm is so happy it has bloom spikes. Not showy.

Gee, I didn't think you could kill spider plants. Hehe
Seriously, we all seem to have plants like that for years I couldn't keep a Brug going over the winter and I didn't loose any this winter. My spider plant never really looked good, it was always a bit ratty looking and I would go to some GH and they would be just beautiful and I would think why doesn't mine look like that, it sure was a baby maker though.

The huge Dr seuss that donner gave me has a lot of dry rotted stem. I was afraid to keep cutting. I sure hope some thing sprouts
: ' (
My bad if it doesnt

Sally, recently read somewhere that spider plants are sensitive to( chlorine ? water softener? "first flush" collected rain water?) chemicals in what ever water we use on them.
http://houseplants-care.blogspot.com/2006/08/spider-plant-care.html

I'd be tempted to re pot with fresh soil anyway (4 bags MG pottingsoil $10 at HD now) just to see more of what might be going on soil level and below.

I'd also be tempted to try "Ruby's remedy" on her post somewhere earlier on this thread of a couple drops of Superthrive and some hydrogen peroxide and? I can't remember..

And, just a eminder to myself cause I have some semi-dormant/neglected plants on my front porch I'll be waking up soon, that when I begin to water in earnest and and 'regularly again that my first watering should be a good flush and drain, flood and drain repeat to recondition not only the plant but its soil to uptake water again including soaking in a tub of water for a half hour or so..

How nice to know you have plants and well wishers waiting in the wings with fingers crossed!
What a group!

The Bird of paradise you -coleup - gave me has happily kept all its new leaves of the summer while sitting in a cool basement woth am light and periodic sips of water. Shes a keeper! Looking forward to up potting and getting her bigger.
Since i collect rainwater i always use that

Here it is the spider
yuck

cinnamon
http://www.gardenguides.com/85905-prune-brugmansia.html

clean tools after every cut 1:10 bleach solution

My Agapanthus is putting out a bloom, so excited as I got it last summer and this will be the first bloom.

First-to- you blooms are so exciting!!!

The "Indoor Pharm " natural insecticidal soap MAY have been working. THere were lots of little black specks where I used it which could have been dried up aphids. But it takes persistence as there were quite a few new aphids too. SMells better than Neem.

Spider mites were blessedly absent this winter.

Sally---

That looks really bad!!!! I have never seen this on any spiders.....
It has to be some kind of a root rot or fungus....CAN IT!!!!!
There are too many Spider Plants in the world to worry about fixing this one.

I am still thinking that it being dry all winter and then getting soaked may have
contributed to this.

Please DO NOT pot them, or any other houseplants, in Garden Soil---too heavy!
Sale or not....Go with Pro mix or some other organic "MIX".

I have about 12-- 4" pots of Spider Plants growing....How many would you like?
Will, definitely, start you a new Curly Spider....
G.

Help! The Angel Wing Begonia I got from Gita got really big and started flowering. It was getting too big for its pot, so I took a cutting like Gita had described, and put it in soil. I checked on it today and it's falling over, looking very unhappy! Anything I can do?

Well it'll take a while for it to bounce back. The plant goes through shock initially, I hope this is the case for you. Just make sure the soil is damp and it is getting good light, not direct light.

SS--

I usually root mine in water first (an exception from others) and when theu have roots, I pot them up.
I take a lot of cuttings of my AW--as I always cut it back in the spring.
I take about 6"-8" cuttings (watch that you have nodes at the bottom) from the tips of the plant.
Remove the bottom leaves from the cutting and put in water.
I cut the rest of the tall stems down to almost the base, and discard the cane stems.
Theoretically--you could also grow new plants from the stems as well. I do not bother...

Remember--the NODES! For roots to grow from the stem--there has to be a "node" where a leaf was attached.
Also--when you cut the 'canes" down further, you must also leave a "node" at the top of it for the new stem to grow from.
If your plant is young--you will not have a lot of "canes" to worry about.


If you took too long a cutting and just stuck it in the soil--I imagine it would flop over.
Also--IF your plant is flowering, and you cut off the top of the stem where the flower is, you MUST
sacrifice the flower (cut it off) before you try to root the cutting.
Also, do not water a lot if you put it in soil. Like paul said--keep it just damp.
WHAT is going to absorb the water???? The stem with no roots???? It will just rot if too wet.

Gardening is ALWAYS a test in patience. There are NO immediate results.

Trust--all will be well......Gita

Everything takes time!

Got it, Gita. I think the problem is that the stem that I pruned wasn't growing straight but kinda curvy. Actually, it was so long that it was probably arching at least 45 degrees. When I potted it up, I buried at least 2/3 of it in the pot, hoping that would give it enough stability. I think it's still too top heavy. The leaves are huge!

What is the fewest number of leaves I can leave on there? I think that would make it not so top heavy.

ssg, I have rooted those a couple times. Make it SHORT leave just one or two leaves even. 3 at most. One or two nodes in the soil. I chop the pointy ends off the leaf(s) and it reduces transpiration plus you know when there are new leaves cuz they are pointy.

I like to do three tips, two leaves each, so you can arrange them in a 6 inch pot with the leaves all "facing out"

ss--
I think your cutting was too long. As most growth is at the top, you need only about a 7" or 8 cutting.
The number of leaves? I would leave 2 sets of leaves. That would be 4.
BUT--You stillhave to pay attention to the nodes at the bottom. Must have one or two nodes for roots
to grow from.
If your AW grew in inadequate light--it may have been leggy and that would also make the leaves
further apart. I cannot give you any exact number of leaves.
You could re-cut the long cutting and put it in water where you can see through the glass when there
are leaves and then pot it up in fresh Potting Mix. NOT garden SOIL! Too heavy for rooting.

1--This is what mine usually looks like by spring. All leggy--lots of leaves have dropped, etc.
See the "nodes" all along the stem? Just like a Bamboo stem. Look at the stem all the way
on the right. I would cut that at, a node, just below the leaves. Cut the stem away down to a healthy
"node" at the bottom. and throw the stem away.

2-- This is what the mama looks like when i am done cutting. These will all re-grow onto a nice, full plant.
This picture is from 2005. I have been doing this for, maybe, 20-25 years. The same plant--always
propagated from cuttings. About every 3 years--I take the whole plant out of the pot and get rid
of really old, non-productive roots. Keep the good ones and re-pot in fresh soil.

3--These cuttings were all rooted and have been potted up. looks nice--no?
4--This is what the totally cut-back AWB looks like in later summer. Usually, you lose
some bloom by cutting off all the ends--as that is where the blooms come from.
However, sometimes the rooted cuttings, after re-potting, bloom really nicely.
5---Like these...These were actual cuttings that are blooming later in the summer.

sally--we cross-posted....

SS--look at what you can have in a few years!!!
I keep mine outside all summer/fall on my front steps, which do not get any sun.
Maybe a bit of early AM sun....And there it stays until cold weather, when I have to bring it in.
I have never known my AWB to have any issues with bugs.
Nice plant to have--just keep chopping and rooting and growing....

Pic. #3--that year (2011) there was no bloom...It happens.......

So helpful, Sally and Gita! I'll go fix it and report back.

This message was edited Apr 8, 2013 8:36 PM

Beautiful, Gita

The Orchid Acquisition continues.... Happened (luck, I tell you) upon an orchid' seller http://davesgarden.com/products/gwd/c/6395/ - bought 2...they sent a gift one. Here's their page in Watchdog http://davesgarden.com/products/gwd/c/6395/

I know many of you are getting ready outdoors....

I still have many blooms indoors though...

My only AV... Cosmic Blast
Strep Bridie
Strep Neil's Twilight
My Phalaenopsis Orchid... about six years old now
Seemannia purpurascens

They sure are pretty. Most of my orchids are just about finished I have one more that should bloom soon. AV's are looking good. There is a Bougie in the GH that is blooming right now and an Agapanthus that is just opening have to get a pic of those. Not really a house plant but I have been having a great time watching these pitcher plants blooming. I picked them up in March so I have been keeping them in the GH. Such a neat bloom. A first the bloom faces downward then as it matures it drops the lower petals and straightens up. In the last picture you can see an older bloom face up and newer bloom still in the face down position.

Wow! That really is a spectacular bloom!
Amazing and beautiful!

Wow, nice Karen and Holly. Those pitcher plants are fascinating. Karen, your plants are so beautiful I can see why you are reluctant to 'put them out' for the summer!

Here is a pic of a new 'lipstick plant ' at HD Are they easy?

Geez, Judy! That is amazing!!!
That looks like a chain! For a minute I thought it was a Rope Hoya...
How do they come up with these new plants......

My HD does not have these..., but we are a low-volume store and do not always
get in what the other stores do.

Did see a new color of the compact, green Dracena. That looks like a Bird's Nest Snake Plant.
Pink and light gray and green stripes. Almost like the other one you bought--just not as intense.
Will have to always take my camera to work....
G.

Coleup going to have to look for that plant. So cool.
So here is the Agapanthus not quite fully open I will post more pics as it continues to bloom.

And the Bougie

Pretty . Your Agapanthus is as a houseplant? I think I saw them in LA , CA...popular outside.

Love the Bougie but just don't have the space for them myself!

Yes, It's a houseplant, picked it up from the HGHA plant raffle table.

Holly, I bought the plant I pictured above, It is a lipstick plant called 'Twister'
http://www.etsy.com/listing/122676451/one-1-rare-twister-lipstick-plant?utm_source=google&utm_medium=product_listing_promoted&utm_campaign=plants_and_edibles_low&gclid=CN-I066f3bYCFbOHMgodfBwAJQ

I know nothing about lipstick plants and whether or not they can go outside for the summer, etc.

I got it mainly to share with you all indoor plant lovers as the vines on this one are long and plentiful. Was thinking of bringing it to the swap at Jan's for show and tell where cuttings can be taken and the mother plant find a better place to live and grow out than my place,

Let me know if you are interested in cuttings of Twister or could provide a permanent home for mom!
I'd rather pass cuttings hand to hand to hand but would consider mailing them, too

Coleup sure would like to see it. Seriously not sure I can handle one more house plant till something here dies. LOL