How to look after this plant?

[ellathai]

For the life of me l cannot work out what l'm doing wrong, they come in yellow and red look beautiful when l buy them but after a couple of weeks start looking sad, l'm not a green thumb, matter of fact didn't give 2 hoots about plants before l moved here. l have tried the plant apps but no luck.

So can any green thumbs out there give me some advice how to look after them.

 

Cheers

Bruce

[cooked]

I don't have one. BUT: not too much water (drainage OK?) and not full sun. I am still looking for the name in the recesses of my 'brain'.

What do you mean by sad? yellow leaves...?

[ellathai]

20 hours ago, cooked said:

I don't have one. BUT: not too much water (drainage OK?) and not full sun. I am still looking for the name in the recesses of my 'brain'.

What do you mean by sad? yellow leaves...?

Browning on sides of flower and the leafs then death on the the other 2 l had. Got them in shade water them twice a week.

[cooked]

You need to get the name of the plant first, but 90% of problems like this are due to over watering (lack of drainage).

I would move it from where it is now to somewhere with a bit more sun.

Nice garden!

[Madgee]

Looks like a member of the bromeliad family to me.

I had a different one in the UK, common name the urn plant. Always recommended that the centre 'urn' or vase is topped up with rain water or use distilled water, not tap water and changed every 2-3 weeks. Must keep the soil on the dry side and mist the plant regularly. 

 

 

• Brown leaf tips: Dry air from lack of humidity could be the cause of leaf tips turning brown and dry, which can be improved with misting or using a humidity tray. Also, check if the vase has been filled with water regularly and enough.

• Brown leaf patches: Brown leaf patches may be caused by too much direct sunlight. Move the plant into a shaded spot from the sun and remove severely damaged leaves.

• Plant dies: If the plant has not bloomed yet and its not going through the normal cycle of creating offsets and dying then the most likely cause was over watering.

• Insects: Mealy bug and scale can be a problem.

• Plant tips over easily: These plants tend to be quite top heavy which can make them topple easy. Rather than use a plastic container, it's best suited to ceramic or other heavier types.

[dick dasterdly]

I agree with Madgee - it is almost certainly a member of the bromeliad family.

 

I have quite a few similar type of variegated plants in pots around the garden, and they have managed to survive and flower - even though they've been very badly neglected for the past two years - and have only had their 'urns' filled by the rain. (Shame-faced emoticon).

 

i.e. in my experience, they're as tough as old boots - as long as they have a very free-draining 'compost' and get very little direct sun.  They seem to prefer being in the shade of trees, so they only receive filtered sun.

 

Having said all this, I see from your 'photo that your plant looks to be in a very good 'situation' - i.e. the net-type 'roof' ensures filtered light and it is surrounded by other plants, which should provide plenty of humidity.  So it's odd that they die on you.  I can only ASSUME that even though you only water twice a week, you are watering the compost rather than the 'urn', and the compost is constantly too wet for the plant?

[cmsally]

Lots of coconut husk, they don't like compacted soil.

I have similar plants in both 30% and 7o% sunlight, both seem to do fine.

They like lots of water as long as it can drain in the light soil / coconut.

[ellathai]

5 hours ago, cmsally said:

Lots of coconut husk, they don't like compacted soil.

I have similar plants in both 30% and 7o% sunlight, both seem to do fine.

They like lots of water as long as it can drain in the light soil / coconut.

Cheers for the tip

[Mickmick]

Yes, it's certainly a Bromeliad, which as the others have said requires a free draining mix such as coconut chips, and shade. The plant in your pic actually looks to be in good condition ....do they look 'sick" after flowering ? Bromeliads put out a side shoot, or 'pup" after flowering and then the old plant starts to die off ....it usually takes more than 2 weeks though !

[ellathai]

On ‎8‎/‎27‎/‎2018 at 8:20 PM, Mickmick said:

Yes, it's certainly a Bromeliad, which as the others have said requires a free draining mix such as coconut chips, and shade. The plant in your pic actually looks to be in good condition ....do they look 'sick" after flowering ? Bromeliads put out a side shoot, or 'pup" after flowering and then the old plant starts to die off ....it usually takes more than 2 weeks though !

Cheers for the info.

Looked better before l bought it, Yes a side shoot has just begun flowering l noticed this morning.

 

[Crossy]

On 8/29/2018 at 9:39 AM, ellathai said:

Looked better before l bought it, Yes a side shoot has just begun flowering l noticed this morning.

 

If it was doing ok at the seller then try and give it similar conditions. Ask them how often to water etc.

 

Madam will spend 50 Baht on a plant then spend half an hour talking about how to look after it, luckily we're well known at the various local plant places.

 

[jak2002003]

These plants die after flowering...

 

so don't think you are doing anything wrong!!   But as the main plant dies off, it will grown smaller ones around its base.  Theses will grown into full sized new plants after 1 - 2 years and then flower themselves.  

 

They are indeed Bromeliads... the Thai name means coloured pineapple.. 'saparot sii'.  There are members of the pineapple family of plants.  

 

These plants don't even need soil... you can tie them to the branch or trunk of a tree with string or wire and they will attach themselves.  They need good air flow around them to thrive.  

 

They like light shade or dappled sunlight,  shaded form strong direct sunlight.  They store water in the middle of the plant in a mini well.  You won't need to water it in the rainy season if its not undercover.

 

Hope that helps.