Philodendron & Norfolk Island Pine HELP!

9 years ago

Hello All-

I have two house plants, i've had more in the past and just can't seem to keep them alive.
First off I live in a subterrain home, half of my space is above ground and features three windows. One facing east, this one gets the MOST sun, and two facing west, but blocked by a giant bush.
Now it was a hard winter for my house plants, the sit next to a pretty cold window, and just seemed a little "down" so i let them sit outside for a few days. I had done this with one of my successful house plants, a bonsai/palm (not sure which) that now has a new home, but LOVED the sun and grew huge.
Well I brought my phil back in quickly because it looked brown, maybe 2 days outside, and it's been 2 weeks and it still hasn't recovered. I'm watering regularly, and misting the leaves every night. I'm really desperate to keep this one a live, it was a gift from my father (it was his).
The Norfolk pine is now just ummm not sure how to describe, so "dry" that the pines and needles fall off with the slightest touch, but don't fall off on their own. I've repotted it (it was in a decorate Christmas pot with no drainage holes). I would of course love to save this one as well but I'm at a loss, because unlike the phil it doesn't seem to be responding to anything I do.

I'm worried I've killed them for good, but I've got them both now in front of the warm window, with about 4-6 hours of good sun, misting nightly just the leaves and watering when the soil isn't moist.
Thanks in advance!!

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Comments (2)

summersunlight
9 years ago
Bad news first: If it seems totally crispy, I would be concerned that your Norfolk Island Pine may have died. Are any of the branches moist and flexible, or do the branches all seem dry and easily broken? It might help if you post a photo of it.

Good news:
The plant in your picture looks to me like what is often called a "Golden Pothos" (aka Epipremnum aurea). They are relatives of philodendrons but actually are not philos. Check this link to confirm its identity. The good news is that pothos are very tough plants that can survive a lot.

Your pothos doesn't look to me like it is dying. I think it was just sunburned because its leaves were not adapted to such intense light when you put it outside. Sunburn is ugly to us but it doesn't really hurt the plant.

The soil it is in looks a bit heavy and moist, so you want to be careful not to overwater it. The risk is that it might develop root rot if it is in a heavy soil that stays soggy too long.

I personally do not put my houseplants outside because there is a risk that insect pests may find the plant outside. However, I'm not sure that is such a big deal when you only have a couple of plants, since it is easier to get rid of pest problems on plants when you only have one or two than if you have a lot like I do.
Many people do find their plants grow better if they get a summer vacation, and they just spray the plant with a pesticide before they bring the plants inside during the fall to prevent insects from coming in with the plant.

If you do decide to summer your plant outside, many indoor plants will do better if you start them off in a shady place outside, because even a shady spot outside is brighter than the level of light they received indoors. Once they are used to being in the shade you can move them somewhere sunny.

The brown parts (the burned parts) will not turn green again, but over time it will grow more leaves to replace the brown ones.

One nice thing about pothos is that it is extremely easy to propagate. You can clip off one of the longer vines on it (make sure you get a piece that has at least one brown nubbin on the stem - the brown nubbins are where roots forms). Put the vine in a glass of water, and put it in front of the window. Eventually the vine will grow some roots.

I would recommend taking some cuttings so that, no matter what happens to the original plant, you'll still have some of it. Pothos cuttings can actually live in plain water for a pretty long time, so you don't have to be in a rush to pot them.

This post was edited by summersunshine on Sat, May 10, 14 at 12:17
Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
9 years ago
Well said, I'd say all the same things except I do put plants outside for summer. Definitely a Pothos (Epipremnum) in the pic. I also managed to let some of my plants get sunburn even though I supposedly know better. Outside doesn't necessarily mean having the sun shine directly on them. That's not something that most house plants can handle, let alone appreciate. If you have a place outside that's shady except maybe the first or last hours of the day, your Pothos should love that.

I can't keep a NIP alive either, but wish you luck!!

If you would like to add your sunburned Pothos pic to the sunburn thread I linked above, that would be much appreciated, and helpful to others!
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Welcome Mark! Welcome to garden web. From what you have said it seems you really care for your plants. That being said Norfolks do not always show their love for their owners as fast as we would like. You are in zone 3a I see so your plant will grow very very slowly. What you are doing so far is great except for moving it! Once you pick an ideal location (free from drafts, good lighting, etc) NEVER move the plant as that is the fastest way of killing it. NIPs (Norfolk Island Pine) grow slow and you will not see any improvement for weeks, months, maybe even a year. Pick one location and stick with it. If it's a warm bright spot, stay on top of watering. If it's a cool bright spot, you can let the soil dry a bit. I had a beautiful one I bought after Christmas December 2010. I put it outside every summer under the shade of large maple trees and a cedar hedge. In 2012 it was getting late in the season and in late September I didn't want to bring it inside yet and stuck it in my Dad's greenhouse for the night. The next day was unseasonably warm and sunny and I was at work and didn't get to it in time and by 4 o'clock the damage had been done at one side turned brown. It's still recovering from that to this day but slowly is getting better. Tip: they like to be showered with COLD water. I put mine in the bath tube once a week and turn the water all the way to cold and use the shower head and spray it.
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well most plants can be grown indoors for a long time but alot of them aren't really permanent residents , eventually they get too large or they just become unsuitable for whatever reason. the problem with using a pot that is neither small or big is that a plant still may become huge which makes it really difficult to repot. i always use big pots for bold specimen plants , for example i got a indoor banana which isn't too big because i got it in a really small pot, when im going to repot it im going to choose a very large tub - anything in between wouldn't be practical because it will still get huge and eventually gets too rootbound and i need to repot it again. Choose a good looking pot, square or round. wide or long , contrast coloured or plain. Get a decent looking pot that you think will fit this plant and its enviroment. repotting large specimen can be a pain in the ass, there is no way around it and it will make a mess. Alot of plants can be pruned to decrease size and weight and make repotting easier - this cannot be done with the norfolk pine, once you prune off and lower or middle branches they will not regrow or come back. Remember eventually these kinds of trees will lose lower branches just like most mature trees, lower branches that do not receive enough light because the upper branches are casting shade. if one branch drops that not a problem but when multiple lower branches droop and drop it needs feeding , repotting and a fitting watering schedule. one option of course would trying a garden center in you area or a professional horticulturalist.
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Amccour, aside from how you treat the trunks, remember the Norfolk Island Pine is a tree that should be given space to grow. In a few years if you feel your ceiling is preventing it going up any futher, cutting it back at the top stops it growing....forever. Try to remove minimally any side branches because this is the beauty of the tree. Norfolk Island Pine is a living Christmas Tree...but don't consider putting tree lights on it. Tenderly hanging light decorations and tinsel is OK. Norfolk Island Pine is also a tree that must be kept a houseplant unless you reside in zone 9 or 10....and 9 can be iffy. Actually, some people say the best place to grow a Norfolk Island Pine.......is on Norfolk Island in the South Pacific. Your plant should be allowed to dry down somewhat between waterings and it will use a lot less water now when the sun is at its lowest. It will not appreciate too cold of water...so letting it sit overnight to gain room temperature is recommended. And don't let the branches touch the cold window glass. And water should not be from a well that is treated. As long as it is receiving light from a southern or western exposure it should do fine. Senga, you mention your room where you have your N.I.P. has a humidity level of 60 - 70%..... Is this by way of measurement of a hygrometer or just an estimate of what you think it is. The way I figure such a high level as that I suspect the walls and windows must be running down with moisture drops constantly. Thirty-five to forty percent is a common level of a home with a furnace on recording a temperature of 65 - 70Âº I'm just curious why you would have such a high humidity in a room. How do you attain such humidity. It speaks of running a humidifier to reach such level. Does this not cause problems of many sorts from other rooms as well.
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Comments (2)

summersunlight

Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL

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