Croton disaster! Can it be saved?

I bought a beautiful multi-color croton a couple of months ago and it seemed to be doing fine for a few weeks then leaves started falling off - water was right but it was near the cold air return so I moved it to the living room. We left for about a week and when we got back it looked like this!!!

It still has green in the stems and I am at a loss as to what happened. If I put it out in the spring is there any chance it will come back or should I just give it a burial?

Woo - crying in Louisiana

It may return if you keep it warm and watered properly. You don't have anything to lose by trying this. I've noted that my one croton drops leaves if it's not warm enough or kept consistently moist(like a wrung out sponge). Best Wishes,

GH

Thanks - is 60 ok - my hubby wants the house cool to sleep.

Mine did that. It was a victim of spider mites, and more than half the leaves had fallen before I realized that's what it was.

Woo .... Don't give up on it just yet. I think it will be okay .... it is probably just in shock from cold air blowing on it from the return vent. Just keep it in a warm area, no cold drafts, 60 degrees should be fine. I have Croton's in the ground as well as in containers. If it gets real cold, they will lose their leaves. If we have a hard freeze and real cold temps that last a few days, it does kill them. But, if we have mild winters, they may get hit by some cold, but do revive as warmer weather returns. Mine have survived temps in the high 30's/low 40's outside when I cover them at night with blankets! As long as there is still green wood in the stem, it should be viable and put out new leaves eventually. Don't over water it. I keep mine on the dry side, watering about once every other week. They like humidity, so you might want to get a spray bottle of water and mist it once in awhile.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Lin

Thanks Lin. It's so confusing when I hear different things from different sites. One place said to keep the soil watered so it's like a damp sponge. I had no idea that it needed high humidity. It stays about 60% humidity in our house even when running the AC - we live in Louisiana. But running the heat may make it lower. I'll mist from now on.

Woo

I also read that crotons are very difficult to grow as house plants. Is this true?

I have a couple of small ones in the house, but I don't leave them inside year round! My large ones stay outside, either in the ground or in containers. The humidity will be lower in the winter time in some areas, especially indoors when you have heat on.

I hope others will chime in here regarding growing them as houseplants as I'm not an expert by any means. I just know they seem to like the humidity, but I live in Florida where it STAYS humid! LOL.

I don't agree with what you read to keep the soil wet like a sponge! I think that's entirely too wet for this plant. But, as with all plants, what works for one person and their location may not work for another. I've been gardening for almost 40 years and it's still by trial and error with me in some cases. Some plants that are supposed to be the easiest to grow will give me problems sometimes and yet I can grow other things that are supposed to be very difficult, without any trouble! Plants, I guess like people can be temperamental and have different personalities in different locations!

Lin

I grow mine as houseplants (even though I only have a couple of them) year round, and they look fabulous. So it can be done.

Randi

Croton -
Impressively colorful! They make great Terrarium plants and their colorful leaves in flower arrangments .
They have been good houseplants for decades .
We grow ours outside with ease . They love our Florida Humdity and don't need any special care.
As a Houseplant they re not always as easy.
Your leaves could have droped for a few different reasons !
If you notice lower leaves dropping, or if the leaves colors are dull and you also get brown tips, it is possible that your plant needs more humidity. Provide humidity by spraying the leaves with lukewarm water as often as you can, even daily if you can spare the time. Use a humidifier or place the pot on a tray with wet pebbles so that the plant will absorb the necessary humidity.
Generally, if the temperature is too low your plant may drop all of its leaves in no time. I understand ideal tempts are 68-80.Crotons cannot stand either too high or too low temperatures. They don't like fluctuations of temperature and good idea keep the pots away from drafts.
They like being kept evenly moist but not soggy wet feet. If in a dormqat stage keep them dry.

Caring: is not simple .
Basic are plenty of light, suitable temperature, adequate watering and plenty of humidity in the atmosphere.
Crotons need plenty of light in order to maintain their intense colors although new varieties do well in lower light. Lots of light and moderate temperatures are the factors that will ensure your plant has vivid colors and quick growth. So the more the light your plant gets, the more beautiful and vivid the colors of its leaves. During the winter you can allow some direct sunlight on your plant, but keep it at 2-3 hours daily. If more, then you will risk sun-burning of the leaves while during summer you should only provide filtered light.

Lots of times during summer, even when light is more than adequate, the high temperatures may fade the colors of the leaves. Variegation on most plants is always better during cooler weather. To avoid this, in summer move your pot to the coolest spot of your home and cut down on fertilizing as over-fertilizing can have the same effects as high temperatures. I like using a fertilizer with low nitrogen with variegated plants. Growth of the plant will slow down in winter, when the plant rests, but the colors of its leaves remain as bright if light is good They like fertilizing every couple months I like using liquid fount they like this best, good to feed from Spring until Fall and none during the Winter months if your plant is resting. We have fount here in our zone we can feed them year round I would think it their growing well in your home you could feed them year round..



This message was edited Jan 6, 2007 11:27 AM

Fount a good link. I could not read it writing too small for me.
Crotons - Colorful Plants for Indoors Use
http://www.plant-care.com/crotons-colorful-plants-indoors.html

My croton has also lost all its leaves. I now have it in the basement under lights, 24/7, with decent humidity and a constant 63-65°. If it makes it through the winter, I'll be putting it outside. It does still seem to have healthy stems.

Generally, if the temperature is too low your plant may drop all of its leaves in no time
hey don't like fluctuations of temperature and good idea keep the pots away from drafts.

it is possible that your plant needs more humidity. Provide humidity by spraying the leaves with lukewarm water as often as you can, even daily if you can spare the time. Use a humidifier or place the pot on a tray with wet pebbles so that the plant will absorb the necessary humidity.

Is humidity all that big of a factor if all that's left is stems?

Humidity will certainly help your cause...

GH

Yes agree humidity will help your plant "if " the problem is not from pests and the plant was other wise healthy . it will need humidity to grow back.
You might want to make a little green house over it with plastic, plastic bag . Staking the plastic so it does not touch plant . Put in warm area with light . This should help the foliage grow back !

Thanks for the great advice! I have high hopes now! :-)

Lots of good information! I'll try the plastic bag thing - if I can find a clear bag that big. Otherwise all I have is store bags like you get at Wal-mart.

The summers are hot and humid here in central Louisiana - often in the 90's. I'll find it a good spot with filtered or only morning light and see what happens.

I really wanted it as a houseplant since I'm disabled and can do things outside only when I'm doing well. Maybe I can put it in the room with our computers, printers etc. It stays warmer in here than anywhere else in the house. But then again, my hubby always has the ceiling fan on low because it's so warm! Arg - what to do?

Actually, that ceiling fan is a good thing...it keeps the air circulating which will help to discourage pests, and it doesn't technically qualify as a 'draft', since it's only circulating the existing air.

Yes the ceiling fan is Ok I use ceiling fans all the time . If you can't tent/ mini green house spray it with hot/warm water mist a few time a day. Make sure your have good draining soil, keep evenly moist water warm/hot water don't let it get soggy. Set it on some moist marbles, rocks, pebbles for extra humidty . This should help !
We had a special Hibiscus plant trans-planted in Nov when we moved we had it with some other plants trans-planted. We had to hire gardners I'm disabled and Hubby's health he can't do it anymore. Well I think the gardners just pulled plants out of the ground not taking many roots. It was blooming with lush foliage. It lost every single one of it's leaves like your plant. Now all it's foliage is back and it's blooming again :))
Amazing watching it heal back to it's beautiful self ! All we had was sticks. We did not cut it back and the whole sticks everyone of them are full with new healthy foliage !
I think if you can keep your's temps 68-74 during the winter, proper light, and get misting and humidity your plant as long as it does not have pest all it'a foliage will grow back !

Check out this Croton blooming ! So pretty
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/683107/

I've moved my naked baby to the computer room. The temps here stay about 67-80. The light is WSW and right now has slight filtering. In the summer, a couple of trees shade the window. I checked very carefully for spider mites and didn't find any - but did find a couple of nats in the soil.