One more question, peace lily...
kristinemomof381
7 years ago
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kristinemomof381
7 years agoRelated Discussions
Peace Lily Question
Comments (2)These plants don't require insects for pollination to occur, and it is more likely that wind currents are responsible for much of this activity in the wild...wind and water. Human intervention can occur with a brush. These are seed bearing plants, just like other angiosperms. Their 'flowers' are just a little bit different from the norm....See MoreHouse plants outdoors & Peace Lily ?'s
Comments (5)Gob~ I'm not too keen on the thought of moth balls... They stink! Of course, so does kitty doo-doo! :) I've thought about chicken wire, as you mentioned... I think it would be easy to work with & easy to take off when the plants come back inside for the winter. As for the PL, I noted in my OP that I didn't water from the bottom, but drench it w/ the faucet in my sink or shower, so I don't think the roots are looking for water. It was originally in a plastic insert inside of a tin decorative planter... This is why I repotted it in the first place, b/c the original container was not condusive to good drainage. I repotted it in an 6 in. pot... The root ball only had about 1 in. on the sides that I had to put new soil into, so I thought that was a pretty good fit. I just have heard that these plants prefer to be rootbound & didn't want to over pot it. Hopeful~ These are outside kittens, so they don't technically have a litter box... I'm wondering if that wouldn't solve my problem though. We live in the country, so I just assumed that they would have plenty of options when it came to "litter boxes", but maybe if I put one out, they'd use it instead of my plants. They aren't really nibbling on any of the plants. I do have a Hawaiian Ti Plant that they like to bat the leaves on, a couple of them have been shredded by little claws. :) My PL was quite big when I got it. It's now in only a 6 in. pot, but I would say the plant is about 2-2 1/2 ft. tall (from soil level up) & spreads about as wide. Yes, my PL has been growing & blooming every since I got it, it seemed to never even notice the repotting. Super~ Duct tape is a great idea! I'm just not sure how long it would stay sticky outside in our area. The plant is blocked from rain, but the heat may mess up the sticky-ness. I will have to give it a shot though. LOL, I have seen cats trying to get things off of their paws, it is quite amusing, but I usually end up feeling sorry for them & help them get whatever it is off. :) Thanks for all the replies, they're greatly appreciated! ~Shannon...See MorePeace Lily
Comments (171)If the pot is very shallow, using the guide to "water when the top inch (or two) of the soil feels dry" is usually ok. The same advice applied to plants in deeper pots, say 10" deep, is pretty much a recipe for over-watering. Here's why: For a very large % of plants, including PLs, it's best to water when there is just enough moisture in the medium to prevent drought stress. This means the soil column will be on the dry side except at the bottom. A pot filled with a 10" (deep) soil column very often supports a perched water table as tall as 6". This meant the top 2" of that soil column can feel dry, while the bottom 6" is 100% saturated. This has the potential to severely limit roots' ability to function, and, can set the stage for fungal root infections that wreck root health and often lead to the plant's loss of viability. Watering is a science and it holds significant sway over what kind of opportunity the grower might be able to provide the plant to realize as much of its genetic potential as possible. Poor soil and/or poor watering practices can rob a plant of virtually all of it's potential for growth and vitality, and much of its eye appeal. Using a 'tell' can take all the guesswork out of determining what moisture levels are deep in the pot where it counts most, and determining what intervals (between waterings) are appropriate. Using a 'tell' Over-watering saps vitality and is one of the most common plant assassins, so learning to avoid it is worth the small effort. Plants make and store their own energy source – photosynthate - (sugar/glucose). Functioning roots need energy to drive their metabolic processes, and in order to get it, they use oxygen to burn (oxidize) their food. From this, we can see that terrestrial plants need plenty of air (oxygen) in the soil to drive root function. Many off-the-shelf soils hold too much water and not enough air to support the kind of root health most growers would like to see; and, a healthy root system is a prerequisite to a healthy plant. Watering in small sips leads to avoid over-watering leads to a residual build-up of dissolved solids (salts) in the soil from tapwater and fertilizer solutions, which limits a plant's ability to absorb water – so watering in sips simply moves us to the other horn of a dilemma. It creates another problem that requires resolution. Better, would be to simply adopt a soil that drains well enough to allow watering to beyond the saturation point, so we're flushing the soil of accumulating dissolved solids whenever we water; this, w/o the plant being forced to pay a tax in the form of reduced vitality, due to prolong periods of soil saturation. Sometimes, though, that's not a course we can immediately steer, which makes controlling how often we water a very important factor. In many cases, we can judge whether or not a planting needs watering by hefting the pot. This is especially true if the pot is made from light material, like plastic, but doesn't work (as) well when the pot is made from heavier material, like clay, or when the size/weight of the pot precludes grabbing it with one hand to judge its weight and gauge the need for water. Fingers stuck an inch or two into the soil work ok for shallow pots, but not for deep pots. Deep pots might have 3 or more inches of soil that feels totally dry, while the lower several inches of the soil is 100% saturated. Obviously, the lack of oxygen in the root zone situation can wreak havoc with root health and cause the loss of a very notable measure of your plant's potential. Inexpensive watering meters don't even measure moisture levels, they measure electrical conductivity. Clean the tip and insert it into a cup of distilled water and witness the fact it reads 'DRY'. One of the most reliable methods of checking a planting's need for water is using a 'tell'. You can use a bamboo skewer in a pinch, but a wooden dowel rod of about 5/16” (75-85mm) would work better. They usually come 48” (120cm) long and can usually be cut in half and serve as a pair. Sharpen all 4 ends in a pencil sharpener and slightly blunt the tip so it's about the diameter of the head on a straight pin. Push the wooden tell deep into the soil. Don't worry, it won't harm the root system. If the plant is quite root-bound, you might need to try several places until you find one where you can push it all the way to the pot's bottom. Leave it a few seconds, then withdraw it and inspect the tip for moisture. For most plantings, withhold water until the tell comes out dry or nearly so. If you see signs of wilting, adjust the interval between waterings so drought stress isn't a recurring issue. Al...See MorePeace lily -- split? Prune more leaves? Roots?
Comments (15)Tapla & others i understand both sides of the debate for my PL. I repotted the PL in 5:1:1 (used 5 Reptibark, 1 Sp peat, & 1+Med perlite (prob 1.25) & trimmed off the brown & left many leaves on. It looked droopy the next day & figured it would have some transplant shock. I had to go out of town for work, but had my watering help in order. She texted me a pic of the wood stick so I could tell her when it was ready to water. She watered it once when I was gone for 9 days. My help however, didn't tell me that the whole plant collapsed! (Arguing I couldn't do anything for the plant out of town). moving on, Mother Nature decided the next step. Last night when I got home, I cut all the leaves back. The mix is dry on top but moist a bit down-- maybe a bit too moist, but not wet, not soggy for sure. This mix is better than it was in before, but this PL never wilted between waterings before. When I felt down, I pulled up one of the small loose & single shoot & the roots were brown & didn't Li like it was the same PL I left 9 days ago! Should I dig it up to evaluate the other roots? I can't believe the roots would have started to rot so fast, but im not sure what to do. I used distilled water. And I planned on starting to fertilize with 9-3-6 when I came home. Your last comment indicated to make sure the "Roots only " plant wasn't too moist & just damp. Would putting the PL near my grow light be beneficial? I do think the PL needed more light than it received before- it had enough to survive, but not thrive. My husband has a light meter... What FC/lux would be best at this point? When I repotted my big PL (pics shown), I replanted the other 2 I had. The medium PL took a hit to the older leaves (which I've now removed) but small newer ones ok & plant still green. The smallest PL is still green & doing ok I think. I know things don't happen fast with plants, but I want to make sure I'm giving the best environment it needs. Your help is always appreciated as I learn! Thanks! ~Betina...See MoreDave
7 years agoKaren S. (7b, NYC)
7 years agoDave
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoMentha (East TN, Zone 6B-7A)
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoDave
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agotapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
7 years ago
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