Dear Plant Pimp

[Dandelion]

Hello Dandy, I wonder how your Marginata is doing? Were you able to find a happy place for it?

The pic below is of a stump Marginata that I rescued (named Stumpy Marge). This thing had been indoors getting poor care and had gotten completely infested by spider mites. The owners then moved it outside during the dead of winter, where it was nearly killed by a frost. It completely defoliated and remained dormant for a long while.

I'm just coaxing decent foliage out of it this year. It's a crappy pic, but this plant is about 7 feet tall.

I'm glad to hear Stumpy Marge has a pimpin' new home. Mine is unchanged from the picture. It had been in a darker spot just prior to taking the picture. So when you said to move it to a lighter location I was sure the new brighter spot would do well for it. The stump never came back, but nothing else has been lost and I think in time it will recover from previous abuse in the dark and begin thriving.
In other news, I recently became the new adopted owner of a spider plant complete with runners which I promptly cut and started. I've got six in plastic cups with about 1/2" of water. I'm checking them weekly for roots and will add more water accordingly. I'll wait until the roots are a few inches long and then I'll pot them. The big spider is horribly overflowing it's pot so I'm thinking I'll split it into two containers.

 

[gp125racer]

Dear Plant Pimp,

My wife wants to grow a pineapple plant or two indoors. Is this possible without a greenhouse or special light?

gp125racer

 

[JakesKTM]

Dear Plant Pimp.

My Hyacinth is failing. I bought it at the local nursery and it was healthy. Brought it home and put it in my pond and all the leaf edges are dying and the plant looks like it's darker green and sagging.

My pond is a converted swimming pool.

 

[kushkommander]

hmmm do you have suggestions for all plants? kush? haha

 

[wiffledaddy]

Glad to hear the plant is hanging in there. I don't know if you are currently fertilizing, but you might want to give your indoor plants a very light solution of some water soluble fertilizer. Miracle grow works fine. Just give less than recommended, especially for the Marginata.

You're going to have great success with the spider plant. Those are very satisfying plants.

I'm glad to hear Stumpy Marge has a pimpin' new home. Mine is unchanged from the picture. It had been in a darker spot just prior to taking the picture. So when you said to move it to a lighter location I was sure the new brighter spot would do well for it. The stump never came back, but nothing else has been lost and I think in time it will recover from previous abuse in the dark and begin thriving.
In other news, I recently became the new adopted owner of a spider plant complete with runners which I promptly cut and started. I've got six in plastic cups with about 1/2" of water. I'm checking them weekly for roots and will add more water accordingly. I'll wait until the roots are a few inches long and then I'll pot them. The big spider is horribly overflowing it's pot so I'm thinking I'll split it into two containers.

 

[*Tina*]

Hey Plant Pimp,

I live in a house that unfortunately does not get a lot of direct light so its hard to keep plants alive and I've resorted to buying a couple fake plants. :|

Can you please suggest some nice houseplants that can handle low light ??

Tank ya berry mush !!!

 

[wiffledaddy]

Pineapples are really fun to grow. Is she growing from a store bought fruit top, or a bromeliad she's purchased at the nursery?

In either case, there's very little chance of success indoors without special lights - or in a greenhouse. Why not just put them outside?

I actually just started one off a fruit top last week. It's in full sun for most of the day. After drying it out and waiting for rootlets to grow, I planted it in lava rock, which gives superior drainage.

If you have more specific questions, let me know. It's super-fun to grow these from the fruit.

Dear Plant Pimp,

My wife wants to grow a pineapple plant or two indoors. Is this possible without a greenhouse or special light?

gp125racer

 

[wiffledaddy]

Dear Plant Pimp.

My Hyacinth is failing. I bought it at the local nursery and it was healthy. Brought it home and put it in my pond and all the leaf edges are dying and the plant looks like it's darker green and sagging.

My pond is a converted swimming pool.

The water might be too clean, or it might not be in enough sun.

Do you have fish in the pond?

Hyacinth like nutrient-rich water. This explains why there are ten billion acres of them growing in the waterways fed by the lower Mississippi river - AKA, the Heartland's anus.

 

[wiffledaddy]

Fake plants are horrid, dust-collecting atrocities!

It's very hard to give recommendations for plants with such little info. Can you send me pics of where you want to put the plants?

There are indoor plants that can thrive in low light, but low light to one person may not be very low light to another. So, I could give some really bad advice.

If it is really low light, then I'd recommend the pothos plant, or various green leafed dracaenae.

post up or pm more infoes!

Hey Plant Pimp,

I live in a house that unfortunately does not get a lot of direct light so its hard to keep plants alive and I've resorted to buying a couple fake plants. :|

Can you please suggest some nice houseplants that can handle low light ??

Tank ya berry mush !!!

 

[Nemo Brinker]

Hey Plant Pimp,
I've got a couple of small single-stem San Pedro cactus on my back porch; they were potted in a hurry long ago in plain cheapo potting soil, and I don't have any locations available for them to get anything more than full sun for 4-5 hours daily in the summer, and partial shade the rest of the time. They're doing all right, but I'd like 'em to thrive and grow bigger. Any hints for repotting, feeding 'em, etc.?

 

[MackeyStingray]

plant pimp,

i want to grow cilantro and mint (mint julep + mojitos ftw), where do i get started and what should i do to prep? are they maintenance heavy or can i just water them occasionally?

i have a pretty good sized backyard but it's mostly mold/moss that's growing on it, not even weeds.

 

[wiffledaddy]

Hey Plant Pimp,
I've got a couple of small single-stem San Pedro cactus on my back porch; they were potted in a hurry long ago in plain cheapo potting soil, and I don't have any locations available for them to get anything more than full sun for 4-5 hours daily in the summer, and partial shade the rest of the time. They're doing all right, but I'd like 'em to thrive and grow bigger. Any hints for repotting, feeding 'em, etc.?

Hi Nemo,

first of all, hoorah for San Pedro cactus!! Sometime in the mid-nineties, I literally just threw a one foot section on the ground at my folks house in San Diego. The soil there is decomposed granite. Nobody ever watered that piece of cactus or did anything to it. Now, there is a cathedral of about 10-14 stalks, all about ten feet high.

That is on a spot that gets full sun all day long, minimal, SoCal rainfall. Hotter than blazes there.

So, your cactus doesn't need any kind of food or anything, and nutrient poor soil should do fine. You want to be certain of 2 things - drainage and heat/sunlight. You want excellent drainage, so if you want to pot up a size, use sandy soil or a bagged cactus mix.

Your slow growth is likely due to insufficient heat and light. Since you can't move them anywhere, just be patient. Check and see if the plants are rootbound, since you mention it's been a while since you potted them. Maybe pot up.

PS: Enjoy!

 

[wiffledaddy]

plant pimp,

i want to grow cilantro and mint (mint julep + mojitos ftw), where do i get started and what should i do to prep? are they maintenance heavy or can i just water them occasionally?

i have a pretty good sized backyard but it's mostly mold/moss that's growing on it, not even weeds.

Hello MackeyStingray:

these are very easy and rewarding plants to grow. Since you are just getting started, I'd recommend just planting these in containers and not putting them -- especially the mint -- in the ground. You'll never get rid of the mint if it gets into the ground.

Plant quality is key with things you plan to consume, so go to a good nursery. No hardware store plants for your mojitos/juleps.

Buy a couple of each plant and a couple of containers to plant them in.

Also, you will want to pick up a bag of good quality soil. Look for something that has a lot of organic material and is specifically for growing vegetables. You'll probably experience more success if you pay a few more bucks for the bag of quality, organic garden soil. If you go to a good nursery, you might get lost with all the varieties of soil they have, so don't hesitate to ask for what they carry that is best for your herb garden.

The mint plants can take full sun, while the cilantro will want sun and shade. As the weather cools down, the cilantro will be happier longer. If it is still really hot where you are, you might have to replace the plants every month as they'll go to seed quickly. That's normal for them, so don't think you are doing anything wrong.

These are not high maintenance plants at all. If you get good plants and good soil, you will only have to give the plants water.

 

[kurbycar32]

Dear plant pimp,
I have a spot on my porch that is exposed to direct sunlight for most of the day and its watered with a drip system. I would like to put in a plant that is colorful to appease the wife, we have Mexican heather in the same area. I also have really bad allergies so I cant have anything that smells too much or has pollen. Oh and i hate bushes and don't want the kids to hurt themselves on a cactus. what should i plant?

 

[wiffledaddy]

Dear plant pimp,
I have a spot on my porch that is exposed to direct sunlight for most of the day and its watered with a drip system. I would like to put in a plant that is colorful to appease the wife, we have Mexican heather in the same area. I also have really bad allergies so I cant have anything that smells too much or has pollen. Oh and i hate bushes and don't want the kids to hurt themselves on a cactus. what should i plant?

It would be ultra-mega helpful if you would post up a picture of the spot where you want to put a plant. There's a lot of things you want to consider before choosing a plant. The dimensions of the spot are important.

I'm not quite clear on the spot on the porch with drip irrigation. Is it a container?

We can probably come up with something that is nice that won't needle your kids or your allergies.

The hatred of bushes, on the other hand, might be a deep-seated psychological issue, and probably won't be resolved in this thread.

 

[classicmoto]

Plant Pimp,

We love the look of palm trees and have tried a couple (don't know the name) from Home Depot or Wal-Mart but just cannot get them to thrive for more than a few months. I have read a lot of the responses in this thread but can't remember anything specific to indoor palms -- can you help?

The area we have them in does not get direct sunlight but is within a few feet of a east-facing window -- we keep the blinds open for a few hours in the morning or afternoon. We water once per week and are careful not to let the soil get too moist. When we first get the palm it is very bright and beautiful then the leaves slowly lose their color and begin dropping from the bottom part of the trunk/stalk first. The tips of the leaves are tan or brown before the leaf withers and falls off.

Can you tell the type of palm? Any suggestions?

 

[Godsdarling]

Dear Pimp,

I've got a plant that thrived downstairs. I've changed positions in the company, I am now in a very low light atmosphere. The leaves are getting brown on the ends. I thought it was the lack of sun. Suggestions? I can't give it more light.

 

[poach]

Dear Plant Pimp...

My otherwise kind and thoughtful wifey has been on a 2 year genocidal campaign directed toward the helpless ficus. 6 up and 6 down....the newest victim having arrived last week. After searching your thread, I've cut/pasted all ficus oriented posts and will hand her a copy tonight. If just one is saved, the effort will be worthwhile. Besides, I'm getting tired of paying for ficus that, evidently, haven't a hope in hell of survival.

Great thread, and thanks for taking the time...

 

[*Tina*]

Fake plants are horrid, dust-collecting atrocities!

It's very hard to give recommendations for plants with such little info. Can you send me pics of where you want to put the plants?

There are indoor plants that can thrive in low light, but low light to one person may not be very low light to another. So, I could give some really bad advice.

If it is really low light, then I'd recommend the pothos plant, or various green leafed dracaenae.

post up or pm more infoes!

Crap, I didnt see this til now. I dont have pics, but I can describe the areas, one is in my dining room area, which has a window but gets no direct light through it because its on the side of the house with my covered patio so its real low light, the other is next to the entertainment center in the living room, there are windows, but that part of the living room gets very little direct light, so yeah, very low light.

 

[wiffledaddy]

Plant Pimp,

We love the look of palm trees and have tried a couple (don't know the name) from Home Depot or Wal-Mart but just cannot get them to thrive for more than a few months. I have read a lot of the responses in this thread but can't remember anything specific to indoor palms -- can you help?

The area we have them in does not get direct sunlight but is within a few feet of a east-facing window -- we keep the blinds open for a few hours in the morning or afternoon. We water once per week and are careful not to let the soil get too moist. The leaves slowly lose their color and begin dropping from the bottom part of the trunk/stalk first. The tips of the leaves are tan or brown before the leaf withers and falls off.

I will try to get a picture tonight.

Any recommendations in the meantime?

edit: crap, all that typing for nothing!! I just deleted a lengthy post about hardware store palms, but it doesn't apply here.

Okay, the pic is very helpful.

So, that's not a palm. That's a dracaena marginata.

This plant likes moderate water and bright light. Is there any way that you can put that guy somewhere with a south window? To be perfectly clear, how much water are you giving the plant when you water it?

It's not the kind of plant that does well in a low light environment. A couple of hours of east light is probably the reason for the leaf drop.

You can put a lower light variety in that spot and see how that works out. Look at Dracaena types named Janet Craig or Michiko.