mother-in-laws tongue

I have a mother-in-laws tongue plant that our family has had for 30+ years, maybe even longer. The problem I am having is that after going away for 6 weeks last year it seems that the plant has slowly been dying. First, it started listing to the side so I staked all around the outside of the plant to give it extra support. Then about 3 months ago it started to 'decay'. By this, I mean that the stalks either broke halfway down (which then doesn't look pretty) or the stalks would shrivel up and get "jelly like" and rot away. The plant is half of what it was and if it weren't for the bookcase next to it - it would completely fall over.

When I first acquired the plant from my mother-in-law (yes, I know this is funny) 25 years ago, I tried to replant it in a larger pot-I was very inexperienced then and didn't realize that these plants kind of enjoy being root bound and it took about 5 years to recover from that fiasco. So now I want to try and save the poor plant by replanting it if possible but am not sure what the best method is in order to not lose too much of the plant. At its prime, the plant was almost 6 feet tall-friends would comment that they had never seen one that large. Now it is lucky to have some erect stalks that are about five feet but the taller stalks are bent over - it reminds me of an orca whale when it is captured and the fin bends over like it is not happy.

Anyway, what is the best way to replant this poor plant and any ideas of why it would just start dying?

Thanks in advance for your help and knowledge.

It may be at the end of its life ;0(. Could you take a cutting and try to start another?

Did you charge anyone with tending the plant while you were away? There isn't enough info to logically come to the conclusion that whoever you appointed to care for it, over-watered it and badly damaged the roots, but that's a good place to start if you're looking for a starting point.

They want to be treated like a succulent. Bright light but not direct sun and a very fast, well-aerated soil. They also need regular repotting - that's repotting as opposed to only potting up.

There is a lot of good basic info in the sticky at the top of this forum that will help you avoid most of the pitfalls commonly encountered. With more info, more specific observations and suggestions can be offered.

Al

I thought in order to get flowers this plant needs to be rather tight in the pot.

That is a good thought that a caregiver may have overwatered

Actually the caregiver was my husband. He may have over watered it and in that case, is there any saving it? How would I know if I could save it?

Also, it has flowered before, usually once every couple of years.

It has also had some issues with fungus gnats when I returned (a clue to over watering) and I tried to dry the soil out completely. Could I have shocked it and am only now suffering the effects of that?

Some plants will flower slightly more profusely when they are root bound, and some plants can be coaxed to bloom by growing them tight when otherwise they might not have, but being rootbound can have a significant impact on growth and vitality, so keep that trade-off in mind when you forgo needed root pruning with the hope you might force your plant to bloom. The grower might like the effects of the stress produced by tight roots, but the plant will never like it. Stress is stress to a plant. Stress is the first step to strain, and strain, if uncorrected always leads to death. Growth and vitality begin to be negatively affected at about the point where the root/soil mass can be lifted from the pot intact.

It's difficult to tell you what to do or what the odds of saving it are without having the plant in hand. I'd lift it from the pot, inspect the roots, and go from there. Since it's toppling, I'm assuming that root rot is the issue. In that case, you'll probably need to pare the roots back to any sound tissue, or be happy with trying to salvage any offsets that might have been trying to grow in just the upper part of the soil, above the perched water table (layer of soggy soil toward the bottom of the pot. The sticky at the top of this forum has a lot of good info that will keep you from most of the pitfalls that commonly befall hobby growers.

You can also make some significant progress by reading and gaining an understanding of the info I'm going to link you to in a sec. There are soil recipes toward the end of the OP, but the most valuable info is the concept presented. If you can get to the point where you're using a soil that allows you to water correctly (so you flush the soil each time you water) w/o worrying about root rot, 3/4 of the battle is behind you and you occupy the high ground. The link: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1300177/

Al

i have one i have had for 20+ years to i dont water it very often it like either light or shade now in light it will bloom but not in dark areas. as for what to do with it now i would take it out of the pot put new soil in and not water for a few days are there any new ones coming up? cause usually they have new ones coming in beside the old plant now i do have some leaves turn brown i just brake them off but if it is soggy it is way over watered hope this helps

As the keeper of a plant (now a group in various pots) that's at least 80 years old, I can assure you it's not near the end of its' natural life, assuming it's Sansevieria trifasciata. The one sure way to kill it is too much water. Hopefully it's not at that point!

If the soil is still moist, I would take the plant out, set it on some newspaper, and let it air out until the root ball is completely dry. Then wait until the next day. Then remove all of the old soil, any mushy material from foliage and roots, trim any really long roots, put back in its' pot with some type of potting mix that drains immediately. Do not pack the soil, water gently, so the particles do not compact, place in at least 2-3 hours of direct sun. Do not water (ever) unless/until it is dry. That could be daily in summer, every 6 weeks inside for winter. I have this plant all over, and some are in full sun the past couple years, 8 hours per day. Yes, this plant has a reputation as a low-light dweller, but tolerance does not equal preference.

These plants respond to repotting by making a bunch of new babies, assuming cultural conditions are acceptable. Individual leaves can last for years, but the new growth is always much more vibrant and variegated. If your plant "falls apart" into its' individual sections, that's fine. You can put them back in the pot together, or pot individually. With a little more room to grow, each should make more pups. However much room is in the pot is what dictates how many babies/pups can fit.

It is said that once a section/rosette makes a flower, it will not make another. I don't know if that's true, but if so, it's more encouragement IMO to give these plants room to make pups, the only hope for more flowers.

Feel free to add a pic if you still have questions or hesitation.

The pic below shows a plant just before repotting. The orange/white things store water, and make new plants through offsets (pups.) As you can see, they have to go through some creative contortions to find a way to the surface. Orange or white are the colors of healthy roots. Each of these rhizomess is capable of living on its' own and I separated almost all of the sections of this one.

Great info & photo purple :>) Thanks for showing us

I have 2 mother-in-laws tongue plants, they are quite tall and I have them in the house on a table a few feet in front of the picture window. I have not watered them except for today, I poured a cup of water on it and waited two hours and then watered it again, same for the other one, how long do I wait before I water it again?