FishProfiles.com Message Forums

Anyway, I'm off to bed now for an (early? midnight) night - but if all the leaves are like that and then drop off, its simply from overwatering - you can see if there is any root rot started by taking the plant mass out of the pot, and inspecting the roots - if they are brown and mushy and smell, they are rotting, and you can try to fix this by trimming back to healthy white root, adding fresh compost and planting back in the pot.

x

Well I dont know about that plant being something other than a Philendendron, I have been keeping them for years, and so has my mom, always called and labelled in stores as "Variegated Philendendron". I have several species of Phils and have found they grow best when A) Right in front of a window is best, but not in full light, keep it kind of subdued, like through a blind,in hanging pots for the long ones, which is like the one you have, it should grow long long stems with rows of leaves, B) Lots lots lots of water, I water mine every 2nd day like clockwork, but not tooo much water. Best to have a automatic watering pot or use just about a cup, cup and half of water every 2nd day. C) The best fertilizers for this plant are Osmocote once every 6 months, and Jobes Indoor Fern Spikes. I have also had great success with this plant using Miracle Grow 20-20-20 fertilizer.
This was my very first successful houseplant, I hung it in a basket at my bedroom window, only about 4 inches from the ceiling, maybe 6, and the stems grew so long I wrapped them and fastened them the full lenght around the perimeter of the window 4 times, and started growing it along the corners of the ceiling. When I took it down when I moved out of my parents place the stems/branches measured 24 1/2 feet long.
I have also found Free Standing Phils to grow very well in damp humid rooms, such as a pot on the back of the toilet.


Come Play Yahtzee With Me!
http://games.atari.com
Http://www.myleague.com/yahtgames

Thanks, that forum looks great - and there were three lithops topics in the first 25 or so alone, so I'm sure to find stuff that'll be helpful.

-Molly
Visit shelldwellers.com!

I think you're doing well, especially if you have new 'leaves' developing. The main concern about repotting is that the soil in a new, larger pot will stay wet for too long, causing rot. Lithops are not my specialty, and for more info, you could try a forum over at the gardenweb. I've learned a lot from that group!
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/cacti/

I actually already had that link, good to know someone who knows something thinks it's a good one. I'm always worried with things I know nothing about that I can't tell the really awful sites from the useful ones.
When you say small pot - I just moved them out of tiny pots into a 3.5" pot each - is that too big? I had read that that was a good size to accomodate the taproot.
I watered them when I got them, which was probably good for the one but not for the other, which is starting to produce baby leaves. It seems to have not noticed my stupidity though. Now my plan is to not water that one until the old leaves are completely gone, and not water the other unless it starts to look parched and shrivelly. Is that about right? The guy who sold them said once a month but the websites suggested more like once a season! Oy vey. At leasy I don't think I've sunburned them, unless their reaction times are veeeeeeeeeeery slow, I keep reading that's a common mistake that leads to death.

-Molly
Visit shelldwellers.com!

The key to growing Lithops is dry, dry, dry, and lots of light. Treat them like a cactus (both are succulents, after all). Use a small clay pot. Try this link... http://www.lithop.supanet.com

Well, hey, I didn't know and I own the darn thing! And if you hadn't told me to take it out of the water it'd probably be half dead by now.

Last edited by LittleMousling at 27-Sep-2004 18:17

-Molly
Visit shelldwellers.com!

Blimey, and I thought it was sick! Well seeing I have never had a Pothos!

I have been giving it a lot of light lately - my window's north facing and I was worried, so I have two bulbs from a floor lamp pointed at it (28 watt screw-in fluorescents - adequate light is the one thing I understand!).
Ack! The woman was selling both pothos and philodendrons, I just bought the cuter, marginally cheaper one. If it's light-related variegation, that would explain why the no-extra-light cuttings with their roots in the tanks aren't coloring up as much.
OK, will definitely not soak indefinitely from now on, but am less panicky. Thanks, all! (Which isn't to say, stop giving me advice. And anyone who knows anything about lithops, feel free to share!)

Oh, and just to be clear - the cuttings in the tank aren't actually in the tank completely, just the roots and part of the stem until the roots are long enough to be in alone. I'll keep an eye on them, though.

Last edited by LittleMousling at 27-Sep-2004 17:19

-Molly
Visit shelldwellers.com!

LM, your plant is not a Philodendron, but a Pothos (and a variegated one, at that!) The more light it receives, the more variegation will appear on the leaves; in low light the leaves will be mostly green, and the plant will become etiolated (streeeeeched out, looking for light). Pothos are easy to root, and I've rooted them in my aquarium to pull out some nitrates at the same time. However, they are not an aquatic plant, and like other non aquatics, will eventually rot if not put in soil. Ideally, they like humidity (all that time in the rainforest), but not neccessary a lot of water in the pot; it's best to let them dry out and then give them a good drink. They are considered a tough houseplant, and should be able to withstand a fair amount of abuse. They are often grown in hanging baskets, or up a slab of bark. You've taught me a lot about growing aquatic plants, so feel free to ask me about terrestrial ones! Good growing to you!

Just keep it out of water LittleM, if it is going to be ok letting the compost dry out is the best you can do. It needs a bright spot but no direct sun, a little fertilizer, keep it out of cold draughts. Give it a lot of lovin', talk to it and hopefully it'll be ok!!

x

The old leaves look like this:


A little variegation, not much. Darn - so the only way I get it to grow and produce leaves is by slowly killing it. See, this is why I avoid houseplants. It's out of the water, now I'm afraid to water it at all! None of the old leaves are changing colors or anything so I'm not going to check the roots unless you think it's important - I'm trying to imagine the mess involved in that! Plus, no extra soil to replace whatever gets all over the floor.

Yes, they are certainly spectacular (back on ground I understand, phew - or water, really), and they stay quite small - the bodies rarely pass 1" in males and the females are smaller. That tail adds a bit of length, though!
IMO they're the most beautiful freshwater fish.[/font]

This is just not my day for picture additions ... I'll try and fix that tomorrow, sorry.

Last edited by LittleMousling at 26-Sep-2004 18:43

-Molly
Visit shelldwellers.com!

I have a bit of a black thumb with terrestrials, so I thought I should ask for someone who understands "warning signs" rather than go with my traditional "if the whole plant withers and dies, I was doing something wrong" route.

I'm keeping a philodendron on my windowsill, and I had put it in a bucket of waterchange water (still in the pot, with the soil, etc) because I understodd it likes a lot of water. On the one hand it started putting out leaves like crazy, but I lost a couple of older ones from the middle (they went yellow and limp, and I removed them).

Now the new leaves are opening up and they're much shinier than the old ones, with more or a dips-and-hollows texture. Are these "healthy with fish water" leaves or "waaay too wet, plant on its way out" leaves? Or what?

Should I keep it in the water or take it out and just water it from time to time like a normal person?

Sorry if this is incomprehensible - I'm useless with houseplants! I kill cacti, even.

-Molly
Visit shelldwellers.com!

What an amazing tail on those fish! Quite unique. Do they stay quite small? Lovely lookers.

Anyway, I'm afraid your plant doesn't look too healthy! Is that also a new leaf? - You can see the aerial root buds as the little red colour bump below the leaf stalk.

Is there a chance of a whole plant shot - are all the leaves like this - are they all of the same mottled colouring, or do they start out green and gradually change to yellow?

x

Hmm, well, apparently the IMG tags are working again, so here 'tis:


Ah, funny you should ask about the avatar pic in those words - it's a "Rocket killi" or "Clown Panchax" - Pseudepiplatys annulatus. Loooooove these guys, they're the inhabitants of my planted 20 gal. Gorgeous, aren't they? I just wish they were a wee bit bigger so they'd be easier to photograph! [/font]

Last edited by LittleMousling at 26-Sep-2004 16:35

-Molly
Visit shelldwellers.com!

LittleM, I don't get a link there it says 'page cannot be displayed'.

BTW, what is you avatar pic? It has always looked like a rocket-propelled fish to me!

Well, here's a shot of it - this makes it look jaundiced and sickly (not that plants can be jaundiced, as they lack livers ... I think), which it doesn't - it just looks heavily variegated. But if you say that mens sickly I'll belive you. It's out of the water right now, BTW.
[link=Picture]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v464/LittleMousling/Picture029.jpg" style="COLOR: #4040FF[/link]

-Molly
Visit shelldwellers.com!

Thats a very valid question, and not one I have a definitive answer to! I have had cuttings in water for over six months before, when they were taken at the end of the season, and left in water all winter. They rooted on but I didn't pot them on until spring. They didn't rot. But, leave a rooted plant sitting in soggy compost all the time, and the root system will rot. So, it must be something to do with the compost. But I can't say exactly what, I don't know what it could be. It can't be bacteria as bacteria exists in the water too... Interesting! Any scientists with the answer?

As long as the compost gets to become dry (not bone dry, just a bit dryer than damp!!) inbetween each watering, irrevelant of how often you water, it will be fine. Summertime needs a lot of water as there is a lot of growing going on, wintertime needs less frequent drinks. Give it lots of light, but no direct sunlight as the leaves will burn. If you think the plant is ill with the yellowing leaves (shouldn't really have yellowing on the leaves, there is a variegated type, but this is a cream colour rather than yellow), post a pic and I'll be able to tell you whats wrong with it (probably!). Have you got some plant food for it? Fish water is excellent, as is left over tea, but a specific plant food will provide other important trace elements not in fish water.

x

Because the cuttings don't have roots to rot. When they start to grow roots, you plant them in soil.

---

I'm not your neighbor, you Bakersfield trash.

Right, I get that - but since the cuttings *don't* die, why will the main plant?

-Molly
Visit shelldwellers.com!