Outer leaves bad; inner ones OK (?)

18 years ago

The outer ring of leaves on the minis tend to soften, blacken, wilt, and finally wither while at the same time the plants are making new, healthy leaves in the center. What's wrong?

Bob

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Comments (14)

korina
18 years ago
Bob, the first thing to come to mind is overwatering. The second is overpotting; the proper pot size is 1/3 the diameter of the plant, so a 6" plant should be in a 2" pot. Dinky, I know, but they like it; and if you think that's small, just imagine what I have to do with my microminis! Also, now that I think of it, when was the last time you repotted them? Minis like to be repotted with fresh soil every 3-6 months.

Check the FAQ on the main forum page for more info. I hope this helped.

Good luck.

Korina
nac_mac_feegle
18 years ago
Can you use a terra cotta pot if it's not a reservoir-osmosis set up? or does it have to be non porous? Also, how do you set up a regular pot (you know, one wall - hole in the bottom) with an osmosis watering system. The ones I bought have solid terra cotta pots inside a reservoir pot.

Feegle
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korina
18 years ago
Feegle, terra cotta is generally not recommended. I can tell you from experience it's true that any leaves touching the pot rim will be damaged, often fatally. You can cover the rim, but why, when non-porous pots are so easily available? Also, unless you are on a wick system, terra cotta can dry *very* quickly and kill your plant unless you keep a close eye on it.

I still like the 2oz. condiment cups for my minis. :)

Korina (maybe it wasn't such a good idea to suggest a dessert potluck at work -- uggh)

PS Off topic, but the secret to success with terra cotta is to soak it in water for 20 minutes before planting in it. Otherwise the dry clay will suck it out of your soil.
Motezuma
18 years ago
C'mon Korina, you know you just wanted the dessert containers for planters anyway. That's a pretty sneaky way to get them, actually!

I plant some of my streps in terra cotta, precisely because they are able to shed excess water quickly. Also, terra cotta azalea pots are easier to find locally than plastic.

-Mo (WV)
korina
18 years ago
Mo, I didn't get any dessert containers, mostly because I DON'T HAVE ANY MORE ROOM. In fact, someone brought me a 35 gallon terrarium (it will be when I'm through with it). Now I have to figure where to put it and how to light it. It has a clear top, no lights. I have plants to put in it, just no place to put it. Grr. Argh! (I miss Buffy.)

Oh yeah; I got to find one of our (sort of) cats in the street this morning on my way to the bus. This tops off yesterday's incident at Safeway; I tried to get them to mark down a mini Phal. orchid because it'd been there so long and I noticed it had mealies. Nope, new policy says don't mark it down, don't give it away, throw it out. I want to go home.

Korina (mood not so foul after *big* cup of cocoa)
Motezuma
18 years ago
Oh, I'm sad for you about your kitty and the orchid. Is the housing market insane out your way? It's getting high around here, but we fortunately moved in almost three years ago, so we beat that. We've got an inordinate amount of windows here, so I don't fool with lights. I wish you had more room there...

-Mo (WV)
korina
18 years ago
Mo, the housing market is insane. Some years ago an article appeared in the L.A. Times extoling the virtues of living behind the Redwood Curtain; cheap housing, no people (no jobs, but they didn't mention that). Now all these people from L.A. and S.F. sold their $300,000 bungalows and bought large houses for $100,000, and made it impossible for the people who *live* here to afford a house. Prices have doubled or more. Fortunately we did the same thing, a couple of years before the migration began.

Sorry, that rant was a bit off topic...

Korina
nac_mac_feegle
18 years ago
Little blue girl (as it turns out) here again...

So, how does the wicking system work? That is what I was trying to ask. Can you use it with containers that have drainage holes?

Korina,

Do your condiment cups have drainage?

Feegle
(It's not supposed to be this #$)@#$*# HOT here in Canada! That's why I left Maryland!!!!!!)
korina
18 years ago
Feegle, sorry about the heat, I can sympathize; just a couple of weeks ago we set a new record for that date: 74 deg. F. It was sweltering! ;-P

As for wicking, I use a Philips head screwdriver to drill a hole in the cup and one in the reservoir top (actually two, one on the edge of the top for refilling). For a reservoir I use plastic storage containers from the $ store and drill several holes to hold multiple plants, but for standards you can use 1 or 1/2 pint deli containers, or anything with a lid.

Check out the link for detailed instructions with pics (I love Rachel). It'll give you a better idea how the whole thing works.

Korina

Here is a link that might be useful: Wicking
nac_mac_feegle
18 years ago
What a great link! Thanks.

And phooey on you and your 74f high!!! It has been in the low 90's here for WEEKS!!! And humid. It's not fair, it's just like Maryland. :(

Sorry, done whining. Besides, the temps this week are perfect - mid 70s all week. mmmmmmm....

So, do you sit your AVs on top of the resevoir with their little strings hanging down through the holes? Or do you have the resevoir off to the side or behind them? Also, are you really using little styrafoam cups? Not pots?

Did I misunderstand?

Feegle

(eatin', drinkin', an' stealin' sheeps - that's what Feegles do!)
korina
18 years ago
I really don't want to know what you're doin' with them sheeps...

I use 2oz. condiment cups. They're perfect for all but my smallest minis; they're small, wider than tall, and easy to obtain (Subway; 50 cents for 20 (a ripoff, I know, but still cheap)).

Plant *must* be on top of reservoir; this is how capillary action works.

Korina

'It must be Thursday. I never could get the hang of Thursdays.' -Arthur Dent
Motezuma
18 years ago
PS, I'm going to a sheep farm Saturday.

Just had to put my 2-cents in...

-Mo (WV)
korina
18 years ago
Hey, did I ever tell you my Scottish joke? Spike probably won't let me tell it here; no language, but definitely off color. Oh, well. And it's my best (only) one, too.

Korina (re-reading Order of the Phoenix before re-reading Half Blood Prince while learning about AV hybridizing and reading an interesting book about the constitution and dealing with a runny allergy-affected eye...)
Motezuma
18 years ago
I'd love to hear it! Email me privately... And I'll send you a pic of the sheep farmer spinning angora into thread straight from the rabbit. When my son told my husband about it, he said she was, "Yarning the bunny." Amazing. I checked out her bay window - two half dead orchids and some bug-chewed basil... She could use some black-eyed susans outside though, so I'll be the generous donor.

-Mo (WV, reading an Abnormal Psych book for fun)

Outer leaves bad; inner ones OK (?)

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