5 year old Lucky Bamboo is dying
Mahdi Mohammadi
5 years ago
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socks
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoMahdi Mohammadi
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoRelated Discussions
38 year old Rubber tree dying
Comments (3)On this forum, you'll often find a lot of emphasis on things of dubious value, like misting and using certain elixirs that in the overall scheme of things will have no measurable impact on your tree's current or future state of vitality. Most plant afflictions ultimately lie within the affects of a very few factors, those being your soil choice, which is inextricably linked to watering habits, light, nutrition, and how you've maintained the root system of your plant. The light and nutrition are pretty easy - you either have or do not have appropriate light. If you have it, that's wonderful; if you don't have it, you'll simply need to accept the limiting effects of inadequate light or supplement, which isn't easy on an 8' tree. Nutrition is also easy, but it leads us right back to your choice of soil (surprised at that?), I can tell you WHAT to fertilize with, but HOW you fertilize and how fertility levels combine with the level of other salts in the soil need more discussion. We can talk more if you're interested. Most importantly - if you can't provide cultural conditions that ensure happy roots, you have no chance of keeping the rest of the plant happy. This leads directly to soil choice and what you've done to maintain roots. This area of container culture, and I'm going to include over-watering with soil choice because of their close association, is rightly where almost all of the problems brought to this forum originate - including pest infestation and various diseases. It sounds probable that your plant is dealing with one of several fungal infections that affect roots. The roots of a plant that old would be climbing out of any size pot if the plant was healthy. If the bark peals away easily exposing what was once living cambium, you can be sure your plant has Southern Blight or any of several other fungal infections associated with this plant. Without being there to see the plant, it's difficult to assess whether the plant is savable or not. You must feel that it is, or you wouldn't be asking for help. The best time to undertake any kind of serious root work on your rubber tree would have been late Jun - late Jul. A picture would be very helpful, otherwise you'd need to unilaterally decide if you think an emergency repot is in order. Repots differ from potting up in that they include removing all (or almost all) the soil from the root mass, and in your case removing any dead/decaying/otherwise compromised root tissues. Trees in the condition yours are in just don't turn around because you decide to fertilize with something special or offer a plant tonic; and misting the foliage isn't going to do it either. It will take some fortitude and your willingness to take a risk, but in your case it sounds like that might the only option to keep the tree from staying its present course. I maintain MANY Ficus in containers, many of them very old specimens, and I maintain them in continual good health because of a good understanding of their needs and what they will/won't tolerate. Let me know if you want to establish a dialog and if you want additional/more specific help. Al...See MoreOld 40 year odl Hoya dying-Help!
Comments (10)Well, 40 years is a long run for your Hoya. When I lose an old plant, my mom always says, "Well, I'm sure plants die of old age, too!" Probably true, but the key is to take cuttings so that a part of that plant lives on. I have a feeling you're right - you waited too long to repot. They can live a long, long time in the same pot, mind you, and I have some that are just way too big to repot now and will have to live out their "lives" in the pot they're in, but if you can repot a large Hoya every 5 years or so, it's a good idea to do so. Short of that, all you can do is "top dress" them with some fresh soil every year or two, which is what I do with the big ones. It may or may not make it, but at this point, I would remove several of the most hydrated stems to restart it so you have a good sized potful if it does die. Just keep your new cuttings relatively moist until they're well rooted, which is signaled by new growth. And IMO, it's always ok to repot a Hoya - I know back when I started growing them 35 years ago, I read articles that said not to repot often. However, in my experience, it's ok to repot them if you're a little careful with the roots, taking care not to mess with the rootball too much. I repot mine pretty much annually until they're too big to practically move up any more. And as for trimming, I actually find pruning greatly encourages new growth. If I have one that's being stubborn about growing, I just take a cutting or two and **BAM**... it starts growing! Denise in Omaha...See MoreMy 'Lucky Bamboo' isn't so lucky.
Comments (7)This original post is old I know, but it has received some recent activity, I am sure Kevin who started this thread is long gone, and hopefully with a healthy plant, but I would look here if I had a sick LB, with the new activity. If I ran this website, I would have a disclaimer legally written up attached, there is so much incorrect information. Thankfully, most of it was written some time ago, and I will not be hauled out and publicly tarred and feathered. Sometimes you gotta speak up! First of all, Sans (above) is very knowledgeable, and gives good clear suggestions as to where to start when figuring out why a plant is sick. Listen to only her, in this post please. not that she is the only one with good tips, but you are just receiving so many well intentioned but totally lethal suggestions. I am sort of surprised. I am going to hurt some feelings and be attacked by others, both of which I hate. I just have to speak up, because this plant is not very unhealthy, and you have kept it in quite nice shape for a long time. Most LB's are tossed within a the first year, I would bet. Please.......Do not increase light to improve the yellowing of leaves. you will have yellow burnt leaves. The number one reason for yellowing leaves on most plant types is over watering. If you feel strongly you are not overwatering, trust that and look for the second reason most likely reason, TOO MUCH light. Can it be the summer sun has made the plant feel like it moved from Anchorage to the Sahara I would need more water if I was suddenly thrown into a desert, are you changing culture from winter needs to summer needsl .Does the room get Southern exposure Get it further from the window if it does. You say you have had this plant a couple of years Honestly, that is a long time for most to keep this plant looking so nice. Your Draceana is by far healthier than the 30 or more that I see every day at work, I have the only Lucky bamboo in the building that is happy. You have done well for two years. Of all the advice you can get, no one is better equipped to diagnose what adjustments will help your plant than you. Please listen to your own instincts, reread you original post. You had two guesses, and they are the best guesses to start with. I could tell you to change water on a schedule, , how to fert, but I don't know if you are already doing that or not. If I were to give specific advice, I would ask you google yellow dry leaves on Lucky bamboo, Lucky bamboo care, Native habitat for LB and so on. You don't have to become a plant nerd, but a little bit of this really helps. Pick some sights that are really reputable, no advice from sights with adds all over them, and no forums, if you are not sure you can spot good tips over bad ones. Just good research. Flower shops are not where I would start, and yet the best article I found for you is from a flower shop. After that, come back here. It is fun to learn what others did, There are so many posters here that are golden in being helpful and accurate with their suggestions. And some, not so much. Here is part of a page with very good advice below, with link The solution for too much sun is changing out the water and not fertilizing for a couple of months. Move the plant into a bright area without direct sunlight. Too much sun can cause yellowish leaves and splitting, which can be fixed with trimming them off at an angle. and the link: http://www.flowershopnetwork.com/blog/?s=lucky+bamboo You may have to copy and paste, Link would not insert. I looked at a lot of pages for you, just poke around. My best advice to you is trust your own instincts a bit more, I think you have a greener thumb than you realize....See MoreMy Dying Hedges - 5 year drama... defeat near.
Comments (13)I agree with mulch the heck out of them. But I'm wondering what the root systems look like. Have you dug up any of the dead ones to take a look at the roots? That veinal yellowing reminds me of a girdling problem. You might want to check for girdling roots. Container grown plants can often suffer from that. Where did you get the plants from? If the plan was for a formal clipped hedge, I'd probably use Acacia longifolia instead. I think a more naturalistic hedge with Grevillea, Banksia, and Melaleuca would be more interesting though....See MoreMahdi Mohammadi
5 years agoSans2014
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoMahdi Mohammadi
5 years ago
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tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)