Question: This question regards a houseplant. It is a peace plant that I have had for about seven months. It was repotted after several months. It looked healthy and beautiful for a long time, but somewhere along the line, I started over-watering it. Now, it is on its last legs. I removed all the old, dead growth underneath, replaced the top layer of soil with fresh potting soil in hopes that it would absorb some of the excess moisture, and punched holes in the soil to aerate it.
Is there any hope of reviving it?
Hardiness Zone: 4a
Thank you,
Barbara from St. Cloud, MN
Answer: Barbara,
I would like to think there's always hope. For the time being, it sounds as though you've done all you can do to correct the situation. Your peace plant's survival depends primarily on how much damage its roots sustained before you made those corrections. About all you can do now is wait. Don't feel bad; it can be difficult to determine when peace plants are getting too much water. This is because tend to drink a lot of water and usually like to have their compost slightly moist all of the time (except during winter months).
When a houseplant (or any potted plant) becomes too wet, it's best to take the plant and the soil out of the container it was sitting in. Holding it will lots of support, carefully place it onto a thick stack of paper towels. This is the best way to soak up any excess moisture. Check the roots for signs of fungus, and let the plant sit and drain on fresh paper towels for the next 12 to 24 hours. The plant can then be placed back into its container, with fresh potting soil added around the top as necessary. Let the soil dry out before watering it again.
Good Luck!
Ellen
|
|
|
 |
|
RE: Struggling Peace Plant
Request: I have a very large Peace Plant that I received from my sister's funeral. It seems like I have to water it every other day or two days. The plant is very limp until I water it and then sometimes it takes a good day or so to bounce back. Am I doing something wrong? Do I need to repot it? I would like to split them into different pots when it comes time to repot. Any suggestions would be helpful. Thanks Marsha
RE: Struggling Peace Plant
|
Post By Barbara (Guest Post)
(10/29/2006)
|
|
Thank you for your response; I am now watering it from the bottom. I don't drink coffee, only tea; I think I'll try emptying my (cooled) green tea in there. I started misting it again, too; I had stopped when I suspected it was getting too much moisture.
RE: Struggling Peace Plant
|
Post By Barbara (Guest Post)
(10/28/2006)
|
|
Did I say something wrong that no one will answer?
Editor's Note: Hi, you said nothing wrong, probably just too many questions so it wasn't noticed yet. I've fed mine cool black coffee and it always got better. If over watering has been a problem, make sure to dry it out before watering again. They are pretty hardy but also look for spider mites. You can see little gooey webs on the leaves, especially underneath and where they come out of the base. If you see them, wipe with alcohol using a Qtip.
|
|
|
|
| Login using the form on the top of the page to post feedback if you have registered with ThriftyFun. If you have not yet registered, click here. It's FREE!. If you are not registered you can post feedback as a guest below. Please don't use your email address for your name because spam robots can dredge it from our site. Please do not post your feedback more than ONCE. We need to approve all guest feedback and it may take from minutes to hours for that to happen. |
 |
|
|
|
