Leaves Turning Yellow And Brown

[Manda]

I have absolutely no experience in gardening, can anyone help me out?

I moved in my house about 3 weeks ago and there are these palm like bushes/trees around my house which are starting to look awful.

I have tried to look them up but I have no idea what they are called (see picture), as I said, I am not good at gardening

The leaves are turning yellow or are dying on the sides. They stand in sandy ground and I was advised to water them once a week.

So I did but they seemed to wither, and I started watering them 2 times a week, not much is happening and I am convinced they are looking even more awful.

(I also read somewhere you can over-water plants)

Should I use some fertilizer? Or I am giving them to much water? Or to less?

[teletiger]

It looks like a Bird of paradise type lilly thing. Might not like the water if your using the municiple supply. Try using pond water. A good drenching once a week should be fine. They grow from underground ryzomes and are usually as tough as old boots. Once the rains come back they'll be sprouting everywhere.

Regards.

[drtreelove]

It looks like a Bird of paradise type lilly thing. Might not like the water if your using the municiple supply. Try using pond water. A good drenching once a week should be fine. They grow from underground ryzomes and are usually as tough as old boots. Once the rains come back they'll be sprouting everywhere.

Regards.

TT thats an interesting ID, "Bird of Paradis type lilly thing" Cracked me up, but it does look like that, doesn't it.

Manda, you may have to get your hands dirty (one of the acquired joys of gardening) and do a little diagnosis on your own. Dig down around the plant base with a trowel or a heavy spoon or a stick, far enough out so that you don't destroy a lot of roots. See if the soil is wet in between your watering cycle. If it is bone dry like it appears in the photo, you will have to step up your watering frequency and amount of water that you apply. A sprinkle won't do it, you need to flood the soil heavily and then let it soak in. If it is muddy wet a couple of days after your waterings, then you should back off on the water.

Other questions:

Is it just the older, lower leaves that are affected, or is the new growth at the top looking bad too? Older leaves brown out and shed on many species of plants. It may be normal. If new growth is affected that is of more concern.

Were the plants recently planted there? Maybe they are suffering transplant shock from root loss or poor handling. If so they may recover with your tender loving care. Give them some time, and water, but no fertilizer yet until the watering issue is determined and they put out some new growth. Mulch will help to retain soil moisture during the impending hot dry season.

Was there work done in the planting bed before or after you moved in? Maybe roots were cut during clean up, weeding or construction. If so they will need some time to recover. Maybe herbacides were used that will temporarily affect the plant or even kill it. Paints, cement and other chemicals are sometimes dumped by construction workers or painters and the toxic substances are taken up by the roots. It can be a temporary setback or it can be fatal.

80% of plant problems, in my experience, are water/root issues, too much or too little. So you are on the right track to work that out. Check out the soil moisture content and adjust your watering accordingly. Good luck and get into it; gardening is expecially fun in the tropics where things grow so fast and can add so much to your environment. It looks like you have room to add some compost and more plantings in that bed. Don

[JungleBiker]

I think Dr Treelove is on the right track. I have the same plant in my garden - don't know what it's called - I could find out when I get back home. The plant will look better when the rainy season comes. I think lack of water is the main cause, but the bottom/outer leaves do go yellow and die off. Just cut them off at the base. Besides more water, I suggest you also apply a good organic mulch around the base to keep the surface soil moist and conserve water. Some rotted manure will also help by providing nutrients as well as organic matter.

God luck,

JB.

[Manda]

Thanks for your answers!

I checked online and the plant behind the one on the picture is actually a "Bird of Paradise", found online that it does need a lot of water. Not sure what the other palm-like plant is called but I am sure the frequent watering also applies for that one. I did dig in the soil and appears to be a bit moist deep under the surface (gave them water 2 days ago).

The house was empty for about 3 months before we moved in. The owners did a lot of cleaning up in the garden taking out dead plants. They advised me to water them once a week but I think they needed more water. So I have already started doing that so that should be good. Some of the new growth has also been affected, so it must have been the water.

Is it a good idea to cut of the affected leaves giving the plant more 'energy' for new growth? It would mean cutting down a lot of leaves though....

[toybits]

Was there a sudden change in the amount of sunlight this plant is receiving? Did you clear up the surroundings, removed branches, cut other plants to brighten up the place? I was wondering if this could be because of a sudden change in the amount of sunlight. Heliconias like cool moist areas.

It could also mean that the plant leaves are past their useful life. Check if the drying leaves are the older leaves (usually outer leaves) or younger leaves. If the drying persists, cut back the plant and let it resprout. These plants are rather hard to kill.

Don't put too much fertilizer because the plant will become too succulent and become more succeptible to insects and diseases.

Edited February 4, 2009 by toybits