Monstera Problems: tearing, yellowing, brown tips
thenaturalist
8 years ago
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thenaturalist
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoRelated Discussions
Bamboo Palm leaf tips turning yellow brown
Comments (19)What I think is, a very large % of issues that people come here looking for solutions for, are related directly to the results of soil choice and either the watering habits necessitated by those choices, or just plain poor watering habits. Because choosing a soil that supports little or no perched water makes it difficult for a grower to water poorly (unless they just don't water) most of the blame for poor watering practices is rightly assigned as the result of the dilemma excessively water-retentive soil present the grower. Do I water thoroughly enough to flush the soil of accumulating salts and risk the soil remaining wet for so long it affects root health/function; or do I water in sips, so the soil is appropriately moist, and suffer the consequences of a build-up of solubles in the soil. For me, it's a no-brainer. I want the soil that allows me to water appropriately any time I want to, without my having to worry about the soil remaining wet for so long it affects root health/function - no worries about root health - no worries about salt build-up ...... what's not to like? It's easy to suggest that inappropriately evaluating the level of soil moisture is the cause of these problems, but when you look realistically at the issue of how difficult it is to maintain adequate aeration in soils that support perched water, we see clearly that the bulk of the blame lies with a soil's measure of water retention, and more specifically with the ht of the perched water table. Even when you use small sips of water to water soils that support significant volumes of perched water, the water tends to accumulate at the bottom of the pot - not to mention the fact that watering in sips very often leaves the root mass dry in some places and too wet in others. IOW, it's extremely difficult to keep soils evenly moist when they support perched water. The norm is a layer of soil at the bottom of the pot that remains soggy until the water is used. It's DURING this period when the soil supports too much water that root death and depression of root function occurs. Neither of these things are desirable and should be avoided whenever possible. One robs energy from the plant because the plant has to expend energy to replace lost rootage, and the other inhibits the plant's ability to function normally. Well-aerated soils that support no or minimal amounts of perched water, do away with these negatives entirely, and offer the grower much greater latitude in the areas of fertilizing and (over)watering. ****************************************************** There are 2 ways to look at growing. Placing grower convenience at the forefront will find you growing much differently than if you place the plant's well-being foremost. Neither way is right or wrong, it's just two different ways of looking at growing. One grower might look at 'what to do with the effluent after watering a big plant in the gritty mix' as an insurmountable obstacle because it requires more effort than using a soil that absorbs and holds onto all that excess water. I don't look at it as an obstacle at all - just something that needs to be dealt with in my pursuit of maximizing plant health. Large plants are set above drainage saucers on small blocks, so after the effluent leaves the pot it cannot find its way back into the soil. All my plants, even the small ones, are watered so 15-20% of the total volume of water applied exits the drain. The effluent goes into the drainage saucer and evaporates - usually within 2-3 days, depending on the weather (humidity levels). If, for some reason, it didn't all evaporate between waterings, I'd make a note of that and remove some of the water with a turkey baster or similar after watering. So far, that hasn't been an issue. Al...See MoreYellowing leaves, tips browning, cane die- back on newish plants
Comments (8)Read your post. Sounds like a classic case of overwatering. I have bamboo in South Texas (zone 10). I started out overwatering as well. Bamboo does not like to be soaked. If you can, dig down a little ways and look at the node (culm lines). You can visibly see a drowning plant. All of the tissue will be mushy and brown around the node. You need to let this dry out to try to get some new growth and root, but do not leave it exposed to air after you view it. Cut back your watering drastically. If you see the leaves start to curl in, then you will know it is too dry and time to water again. As to fertilizer - ABSOLUTELY. Bamboo is a grass and so LOVES a very high nitrogen count fertilizer. You can feed it monthly (or less with a slow release fertilizer). You can buy a very inexpensive grass fertilizer like a 32-0-10 or 29-0-0 at Lowes or Home Depot. Make sure it is NOT a weed and feed variety or you can kill the plant. The Scotts sells for $35 for a 50 lb. bag or $13 for a smaller bag. For my full grown, 5-foot diameter plants, I put a full coffee cup per plant. If your Alphonse Karr plant is new and about a 5 gallon size, I would put 1/4 to 1/2 coffee cup of the fertilizer spread all around the plant, not just directly on the roots, and maybe a little more after you see it start to respond. Water a little to soak it in and then watch the leaves turn brilliant green over the next couple weeks. If you have a high alkaline soil, you can also add a few minerals like Calcium and Magnesium, or just some garden sulpher. That's why I buy the grass fertilizer with added 2% sulpher. If it looks like you are going to lose the plant, I would dig it up and let it recover in a mix of 1 part sand, 1 part peat moss and 1/4 part compost until it starts to shoot again. Remember, it likes full sun 5-6 hours a day. Good luck. Alphonse is a beautiful peach-shooting plant!...See More??? Tree, leaves yellowing with brown tips!
Comments (8)when we moved in (2013) she seemed fine, last year she started looking like crap. I dont remember her looking bad in 2014, but maybe I was not paying attention. I did finally find this after much searching tonight. Most website will tell you the tree is relatively pest free, but I found this. http://mrec.ifas.ufl.edu/lso/SCOUT/key.pdf Key Plants, Key Diseases Key Insects/Mites Key Nematodes Tabebuia Tabebuia spp. Algal spot - Cephaleuros virescens Leaf spots - Cercospora, Corynespora spp. Black twig beetle Scale, several species Tabebuia leafhopper Holopothrips near inquilinus Root-knot nematodes Meloidogyne spp. maybe I can find something that can help her out....See MoreHelp Save My Monstera Plant: Bottom Leaves Yellow & New Growth Brown
Comments (3)The pot is placed a few meters from direct sunlight ==>>> its indoors.. it gets NO direct light ... mostly because there is a window in the way ... and its simply too far from the diffuse light from that window ... the third pic seems to show very good new growth ... why do you say its brown?? ... how about a closer pic ... its going through some stress from moving it from one place to another ... all plants shed older leaves ... annually.. it can be increased due to stresses like moving it ... i think you are on the verge of loving it to death ... try to chill a bit.. and settle in.. and try to get it closer to a window... there is a houseplant forum ... where you can learn all about such ... ken...See Morethenaturalist
8 years agoMentha (East TN, Zone 6B-7A)
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agothenaturalist thanked Mentha (East TN, Zone 6B-7A)thenaturalist
8 years agoMentha (East TN, Zone 6B-7A)
8 years agotropicbreezent
8 years agoKrista Shaffer (Philly 7b)
8 years agojamilalshaw26
8 years agoaluyyang
8 years ago
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Mentha (East TN, Zone 6B-7A)