Can Anyone Tell Me About The Care Of This Plant?

[Shuddee]

I was wondering if anyone here who has a Green Thumb can help me. I just bought a new plant for inside the house yesterday. I would like for this plant to grow a long and happy life. I have bought plants here before in Thailand...all of which I ended up not having that Green Thumb touch. Soooo...I was wondering if anyone could identifty this plant (I have attached a photo or two), and tell me how to care for it. For example, how many times per week to water it, how much light it needs, etc. I was told by someone that it needs to be taken outside once per week to get more sunlight, as well as watered once per week. I don't want to under or over-water it. Does anyone know the scientific or common name of the plant, or the phylum, etc?

Thanks for any help.

[nidge]

I've got 2 of these but they are growing outside. One gets about 2 hours of full sun per day and the other does not get any. The one that is constantly in the shade is growing much quicker and has a diameter of about 1.5 metres in only 1 year. the other is still growing well but only half of the size. I water them twice every day and the water drains away very quickly as they are at the side of the house and much of the water flows into the void under the house.

In a nutshell, you do not have to do anything with these plants, give them water and forget about them.

Nidge.

[jdinasia]

it LOOKS like a variety of Hosta ... low light plants that are ideal for ground cover under trees and shrubs etc ...

[Sir Burr]

The common name is Chinese Evergreen.

They don't like sun, though, can tolerate some.

Give water acouple of times a week. They are a very hardy plant.

When it gets bigger, you can cut it five or six segments down from the leaves, stick it in the soil and it will grow. The remainder of the plant that has been cut will sprout new leaves.

[Shuddee]

Hi everyone. Thanks so much for the helpful suggestions. I bought this plant one week ago today. I have watered it once, on Thursday, since buying it. I also placed it outside on my windowsill for about three hours while it was absorbing the water. I noticed that the plant was becoming more yellow before I watered it. Now, since the watering, the bottom leaf, as I will show you in my photos attached, is withering and turning brown. There is also a hole in one leaf, that's been there since I bought it, which you can see in the photo as well.

I researched Chinese evergreen and found there to be many subspecies. If this is in fact a Chinese Evergreen, I don't know what subspecies it is. My Thai gf thought it was neither of the aforementioned species. I doubt it is a Hosta after looking at the photos.

Anyways, I'm thinking water it once per week and put it outside once per week, but I'm afraid this withering of the bottom leaf might spread and the whole thing will die out. I'm concerned...

I would like to eventually one day cut it and grow new sprouts, but I've never done that before myself...any suggestions on this and my concerns?? Thanks in advance again.

Edited March 29, 2008 by Shuddee

[sbk]

If you are putting it in the window then it's possible the leaves are getting burnt. Plant leaves can burn just like people's skin.

[meandwi]

That plant is a Dieffenbachia. There are many varieties of this plant, but I believe it to be "camille". One of it's common names is "dumb cane" due to it's poisonous sap, if swallowed, your tongue will swell up so you cant speak . Keep children and pets away from it.

This plant needs to dry out between waterings. The yellowing is from too much water. You will notice a water droplet on the end of the leaf, the plant is trying to save it's self. Never let it sit in water. Due to the high humidity, it will require less water. The color of this plant depends on the amount of light it gets in your home. Brighter light, brighter foliage, darker light, greener foliage. The plant can handle direct sun, but the existing foliage will get burnt. the new growth from the sun will be ok. Fertilize with a water soluble type, granular will tend to burn it's leaves. Your new plant is also going through a little stress from the move, It's normal, it will acclimate to it's new home with proper care. It will do much better outside on a patio or in a shady area in the garden.

Propigation is easy. Either through cutting the top off and starting root growth from it in steril soil, or removing the babies that grow from the base.

Hope this was helpful,

meandwi

[Shuddee]

That plant is a Dieffenbachia. There are many varieties of this plant, but I believe it to be "camille". One of it's common names is "dumb cane" due to it's poisonous sap, if swallowed, your tongue will swell up so you cant speak . Keep children and pets away from it.

Thanks for the tip. You hit the nail right on the head. I looked up quite a bit of things about this plant on the Internet (its care, etc.) and thought I had it down pat, but as you will see from the pic that I am attaching now...this is the current state of the plant. So sad. I have failed again, this time losing 100 baht. Anyone have any suggestions on how I might save it at this point?

This plant needs to dry out between waterings. The yellowing is from too much water. You will notice a water droplet on the end of the leaf, the plant is trying to save it's self. Never let it sit in water. Due to the high humidity, it will require less water. The color of this plant depends on the amount of light it gets in your home. Brighter light, brighter foliage, darker light, greener foliage. The plant can handle direct sun, but the existing foliage will get burnt. the new growth from the sun will be ok. Fertilize with a water soluble type, granular will tend to burn it's leaves. Your new plant is also going through a little stress from the move, It's normal, it will acclimate to it's new home with proper care. It will do much better outside on a patio or in a shady area in the garden.

Thanks for these tips too. I watered the plant once per week and even bought fertilizer to put at the top of the soil. I pushed the fertilizer balls down into the soil, hoping that this plant would flourish. Since having it inside, and reading that its light level should be 150-300 footcandles, I have moved it outside on my window sill, out of direct sunlight.

Propigation is easy. Either through cutting the top off and starting root growth from it in steril soil, or removing the babies that grow from the base.

Hope this was helpful,

meandwi

It was more than helpful. Thanks very much. If you have any additional info (or anyone else) I would appreciate it. BTW, I was hoping to propigate the plant and grow more, but this seems out of the question now. Both the "babies" that were growing at the bottom, as well as the new sprouts that were coming out of the top, have died off. The plant actually came out of its socket and had to try to reroot it in the soil. Doesn't seem to be doing much good.

[puuchai299]

Sounds like if youve had to re root it,then it's likely a gonner,cut the stem 2 inches above the soil level and leave it to see if it comes back to life.just keep the soil only moist...

[meandwi]

Aww, sad to see your plant slowly die. It happens all the time. I call it, "killing it with kindness". Many think by adding water will help, but ends up doing more harm than good. The plant is too young to try to propagate from a cutting, and also appears to have mealy bug and spider mites.

I have killed this plant myself in the past. Looked just like yours. I took the pot outside and placed it under a tree, after a few months of doing nothing! It came back!

Pray for it,

meandwi

[Shuddee]

Aww, sad to see your plant slowly die. It happens all the time. I call it, "killing it with kindness". Many think by adding water will help, but ends up doing more harm than good. The plant is too young to try to propagate from a cutting, and also appears to have mealy bug and spider mites.

I have killed this plant myself in the past. Looked just like yours. I took the pot outside and placed it under a tree, after a few months of doing nothing! It came back!

Pray for it,

meandwi

Thanks for your compassion. Plants need compassion too, don't they? You know, I read way back when that talking to plants actually helps them grow. Shows that you show empathy and care for them I guess. Then there were also some music studies and plants...interesting.

Anyways! The plants came back to life! My plant did just what yours did...I did nothing to it, put it outside, and whalla! A couple of new sprouts came up. You can see the difference between my last post on here with pics, and the time between the posts and get an idea of how long it took the plant to regroup, regrow and resurrect itself.

Here are two pics I took today, taken during a setting sun (but it was washed out with my automatic flash).

Edited May 17, 2008 by Shuddee

[meandwi]

Aww, sad to see your plant slowly die. It happens all the time. I call it, "killing it with kindness". Many think by adding water will help, but ends up doing more harm than good. The plant is too young to try to propagate from a cutting, and also appears to have mealy bug and spider mites.

I have killed this plant myself in the past. Looked just like yours. I took the pot outside and placed it under a tree, after a few months of doing nothing! It came back!

Pray for it,

meandwi

Thanks for your compassion. Plants need compassion too, don't they? You know, I read way back when that talking to plants actually helps them grow. Shows that you show empathy and care for them I guess. Then there were also some music studies and plants...interesting.

Anyways! The plants came back to life! My plant did just what yours did...I did nothing to it, put it outside, and whalla! A couple of new sprouts came up. You can see the difference between my last post on here with pics, and the time between the posts and get an idea of how long it took the plant to regroup, regrow and resurrect itself.

Here are two pics I took today, taken during a setting sun (but it was washed out with my automatic flash).

Your plant looks like it's on the road to recovery. It is true, talking to plants does help. We exhale carbon dioxide, which, plants need in order to produce oxygen. Ever notice, right after a good rain, the grass and plants look better? Rain collects the carbon while falling and fertilizes the plants. Life is beautiful.

As for plants and music. When I was young, my indoor cannabis plants did alot better listening to Bob Marley.

Great news!

meandwi