What is going on with him?? He has a new leaf but the oth...
What is going on with him??
He has a new leaf but the other 2 are turning yellow and crispy around the edges!?!?
Please help!!!
He has a new leaf but the other 2 are turning yellow and crispy around the edges!?!?
Please help!!!
2ft to light, indirect
6” pot with drainage
Last watered 1 week ago
19
Hi Glenda! The first thing that stood out when I looked at your plant photo (along with photos of several of your plants) was the soil. Is this regular potting soil you have your Anthurium in? I noticed some of your other plants are also in the same very dense looking substrate, which I'm worried will lead to issues with overwatering and root rot. When wet, dense soil will start to compact around the roots, cutting off their oxygen supply and suffocating them.
The yellow leaf on your Anthurium may be nothing more than the oldest leaf dying off as part of its normal growth cycle, and the brown crispy edges on the other leaf could be from too low humidity, inconsistent watering, too much direct light, or some combo of all three. These symptoms on their own are very common and don't necessarily indicate your plant is in distress. But this type of soil could lead to much bigger issues down the road.
I'd be happy to give you soil recommendations for this and your other plants to ensure they stay healthy and thriving 😊 For now let's start with the Anthurium. Since they're aroids, they love a nice airy, chunky soil with excellent drainage. Something like potting soil mixed with orchid bark and perlite (1 part soil, 1 part orchid bark, 1 part perlite). If you want to go all out, you can also toss in a few handfuls of horticultural charcoal. A mix like this mimics the conditions in their natural habitat (jungle floors that get dappled sunlight through the tree canopy). The bark and perlite create air pockets in the soil and allow more oxygen to reach the roots.
If you have any other questions or would like soil recommendations for other plants, please feel free to tag me and I'll try to get back to you asap! 🥰
The yellow leaf on your Anthurium may be nothing more than the oldest leaf dying off as part of its normal growth cycle, and the brown crispy edges on the other leaf could be from too low humidity, inconsistent watering, too much direct light, or some combo of all three. These symptoms on their own are very common and don't necessarily indicate your plant is in distress. But this type of soil could lead to much bigger issues down the road.
I'd be happy to give you soil recommendations for this and your other plants to ensure they stay healthy and thriving 😊 For now let's start with the Anthurium. Since they're aroids, they love a nice airy, chunky soil with excellent drainage. Something like potting soil mixed with orchid bark and perlite (1 part soil, 1 part orchid bark, 1 part perlite). If you want to go all out, you can also toss in a few handfuls of horticultural charcoal. A mix like this mimics the conditions in their natural habitat (jungle floors that get dappled sunlight through the tree canopy). The bark and perlite create air pockets in the soil and allow more oxygen to reach the roots.
If you have any other questions or would like soil recommendations for other plants, please feel free to tag me and I'll try to get back to you asap! 🥰
@stephonicle
The soil I use is a coco coir & Miracle grow potting mix, I bottom water with a wicking system so there shouldn't be any wet roots, I run a humidifier at 80% year around.
I'm fairly new at plant parenting so any advice I can get is very much appreciated! 😁👍
The soil I use is a coco coir & Miracle grow potting mix, I bottom water with a wicking system so there shouldn't be any wet roots, I run a humidifier at 80% year around.
I'm fairly new at plant parenting so any advice I can get is very much appreciated! 😁👍
Coco coir is already very moisture retaining on its own. Added to regular potting soil, the resulting mix will be far too dense. I'd definitely recommend adding a substrate like perlite (the tiny white things that feel like styrofoam), and either orchid bark or coco chips to improve drainage. They also create air pockets in the soil that allow oxygen to reach the roots. I normally use Miracle Gro cactus soil as a base for almost everything, then add other stuff depending on the plant. I'm not a huge fan of Miracle Gro products, but it's pretty much the only brand they sell at big box stores, and also the cheapest.
Here are some generalized soil recommendations for most of the plants shown in your oasis:
For succulents/cacti (Euphorbia, or African Milk Tree, False Christmas cactus), spider plants, snake plants, ZZ plants, peperomia (Baby Rubber Plant, Watermelon peperomia), tradescantia (spiderwort), Hoya, Dracaenas (Dragon Tree), money tree, other drought-tolerant plants that like their soil to really dry out between waterings—equal parts cactus soil and perlite (succulents & cacti) OR 2-3 parts cactus soil and 1 part perlite (peperomia, tradescantia, Hoya, false Christmas cacti and the rest).
Note: false Christmas cactus, also called Thanksgiving cactus, isn't like other cacti in that it doesn't like its soil to stay dry for too long and doesn't like too much direct light.
For aroids and other tropical plants like Agloanema (Chinese evergreen), Anthurium, Alocasia, Maranta, Calathea, Syngonium (Arrowhead plants), and other plants that don't like their soil to completely dry out—1 part potting soil, 1 part perlite, and 1 part orchid bark or coco chips. I also like to add a scoop of earthworm castings for some organic matter and, when I have it on hand, a few handfuls of horticultural charcoal.
By the way, coco coir is a great replacement for peat moss (the main ingredient in most store-bought potting soils) because, unlike peat moss, it's a sustainable resource and therefore much better for the environment. But it's best when used in place of, not in addition to, potting soil. Just be mindful that it doesn't have added fertilizers like potting soil does. I always buy coco coir and coco chips from the reptile department at PetCo or PetSmart. It's SO much cheaper than buying the type sold/marketed specifically for plants! 😛
Here are some generalized soil recommendations for most of the plants shown in your oasis:
For succulents/cacti (Euphorbia, or African Milk Tree, False Christmas cactus), spider plants, snake plants, ZZ plants, peperomia (Baby Rubber Plant, Watermelon peperomia), tradescantia (spiderwort), Hoya, Dracaenas (Dragon Tree), money tree, other drought-tolerant plants that like their soil to really dry out between waterings—equal parts cactus soil and perlite (succulents & cacti) OR 2-3 parts cactus soil and 1 part perlite (peperomia, tradescantia, Hoya, false Christmas cacti and the rest).
Note: false Christmas cactus, also called Thanksgiving cactus, isn't like other cacti in that it doesn't like its soil to stay dry for too long and doesn't like too much direct light.
For aroids and other tropical plants like Agloanema (Chinese evergreen), Anthurium, Alocasia, Maranta, Calathea, Syngonium (Arrowhead plants), and other plants that don't like their soil to completely dry out—1 part potting soil, 1 part perlite, and 1 part orchid bark or coco chips. I also like to add a scoop of earthworm castings for some organic matter and, when I have it on hand, a few handfuls of horticultural charcoal.
By the way, coco coir is a great replacement for peat moss (the main ingredient in most store-bought potting soils) because, unlike peat moss, it's a sustainable resource and therefore much better for the environment. But it's best when used in place of, not in addition to, potting soil. Just be mindful that it doesn't have added fertilizers like potting soil does. I always buy coco coir and coco chips from the reptile department at PetCo or PetSmart. It's SO much cheaper than buying the type sold/marketed specifically for plants! 😛
I hope you don't mind Glenda, but I also wanted to address a few other things I noticed while looking through your plants, as well as offer up a little new-plant-parent advice I wish someone had given me when I was first starting out on my plant journey ☺️
First is your use of clay balls, or LECA. Are you using it exclusively as top dressing, or are some of your plants in 100% LECA? Doing 100% LECA can be really tricky to get right and also really easy to mess up. Plants that were previously in soil have to be gradually transitioned to LECA so they don't go into shock, and you have to use a hydroponic fertilizer since LECA contains no nutrients. As a top dressing, it traps moisture in the soil (not something you want with an already very moisture-retaining soil) and also makes it harder to tell when the soil is properly dried out, so you don't know when to water. Mixing LECA with soil can create uneven wet and dry zones and does nothing to improve soil aeration (it doesn't work the same as perlite or orchid bark in terms of creating a chunky soil where oxygen can reach the roots). Overall, LECA is not a very forgiving substrate and requires near constant monitoring. Many experienced plant owners don't even mess with it, so I don't think it's the best choice for a new plant parent. Just some food for thought ☺️
Next thing has to do with pot sizing. I noticed several of your plants are in pots that are far too big for their size (watermelon peperomia, spider plant, black velvet Alocasia, Kenyan violet, snake plant, friendship plant, and money tree in particular). The problem with a pot that's too big is the volume of soil in relation to the plant's roots. The roots only absorb what they need, then they're left sitting in a bunch of excess damp soil. When soil stays damp, it begins to compact/settle around the roots, cutting off their oxygen supply and suffocating them. Add to that a wicking system, where the soil is constantly being "fed" moisture, and things can go very wrong. The guideline for pot sizing is that it shouldn't be more than 2-3" bigger than either the plant's root ball or its previous pot.
As for the wicking system, while it can sometimes work with plants that REALLY like their soil to stay consistently and evenly damp (African violet, Calathea), there's still a high risk of root rot when used in conjunction with too-dense, non-chunky soil. And because water is always moving up, salts, mineral buildup, and excess fertilizer aren't flushed out. This can lead to crispy leaf edges, like you're seeing on your anthurium. But in my opinion, the biggest issue with wicking systems is they take the control out of your hands, so you miss out on the opportunity to learn proper watering habits (like how to tell when your plant needs water).
Overall, I recommend keeping things simple when you're first starting out. Avoiding the more complicated setups like LECA and wicking systems will give you fewer headaches down the road 😉
Anyway, sorry for such a lengthy reply! Hope at least some of this was helpful ☺️ If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to tag me! 🪴💚
First is your use of clay balls, or LECA. Are you using it exclusively as top dressing, or are some of your plants in 100% LECA? Doing 100% LECA can be really tricky to get right and also really easy to mess up. Plants that were previously in soil have to be gradually transitioned to LECA so they don't go into shock, and you have to use a hydroponic fertilizer since LECA contains no nutrients. As a top dressing, it traps moisture in the soil (not something you want with an already very moisture-retaining soil) and also makes it harder to tell when the soil is properly dried out, so you don't know when to water. Mixing LECA with soil can create uneven wet and dry zones and does nothing to improve soil aeration (it doesn't work the same as perlite or orchid bark in terms of creating a chunky soil where oxygen can reach the roots). Overall, LECA is not a very forgiving substrate and requires near constant monitoring. Many experienced plant owners don't even mess with it, so I don't think it's the best choice for a new plant parent. Just some food for thought ☺️
Next thing has to do with pot sizing. I noticed several of your plants are in pots that are far too big for their size (watermelon peperomia, spider plant, black velvet Alocasia, Kenyan violet, snake plant, friendship plant, and money tree in particular). The problem with a pot that's too big is the volume of soil in relation to the plant's roots. The roots only absorb what they need, then they're left sitting in a bunch of excess damp soil. When soil stays damp, it begins to compact/settle around the roots, cutting off their oxygen supply and suffocating them. Add to that a wicking system, where the soil is constantly being "fed" moisture, and things can go very wrong. The guideline for pot sizing is that it shouldn't be more than 2-3" bigger than either the plant's root ball or its previous pot.
As for the wicking system, while it can sometimes work with plants that REALLY like their soil to stay consistently and evenly damp (African violet, Calathea), there's still a high risk of root rot when used in conjunction with too-dense, non-chunky soil. And because water is always moving up, salts, mineral buildup, and excess fertilizer aren't flushed out. This can lead to crispy leaf edges, like you're seeing on your anthurium. But in my opinion, the biggest issue with wicking systems is they take the control out of your hands, so you miss out on the opportunity to learn proper watering habits (like how to tell when your plant needs water).
Overall, I recommend keeping things simple when you're first starting out. Avoiding the more complicated setups like LECA and wicking systems will give you fewer headaches down the road 😉
Anyway, sorry for such a lengthy reply! Hope at least some of this was helpful ☺️ If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to tag me! 🪴💚
@stephonicle
Omy goodness, thank you so much for all the sage advice!!!
I was going on what I found online, guess the old saying is correct "Don't believe everything you read online!" I will most definitely take your advice to heart!
As for the clay balls I use them not only for a top dressing but about 1-2" base before I put the soil in.
As for the size of the pots, should I go ahead and downsize the ones you mentioned and when or will I ever need to re-pot to a larger size??
Omy goodness, thank you so much for all the sage advice!!!
I was going on what I found online, guess the old saying is correct "Don't believe everything you read online!" I will most definitely take your advice to heart!
As for the clay balls I use them not only for a top dressing but about 1-2" base before I put the soil in.
As for the size of the pots, should I go ahead and downsize the ones you mentioned and when or will I ever need to re-pot to a larger size??
@stephonicle
Okay spoke with my husband and he is not happy, he said that I have already spent so much money on the plants and accessories that I cannot afford new pots so no new pots but I can get different soil etc.... What do you think, should I go ahead and change out the soil instead of repotting, also to address the Leca balls, should I get rid of them intirely??
I will only top water from now on and only when the soil is dry and use the bottom water bases as catch basins.
I have been following the Greg watering schedule so is that okay??
Okay spoke with my husband and he is not happy, he said that I have already spent so much money on the plants and accessories that I cannot afford new pots so no new pots but I can get different soil etc.... What do you think, should I go ahead and change out the soil instead of repotting, also to address the Leca balls, should I get rid of them intirely??
I will only top water from now on and only when the soil is dry and use the bottom water bases as catch basins.
I have been following the Greg watering schedule so is that okay??
@RNgjg510 I get it, there's a LOT of conflicting and just plain bad info out there, and when you're just starting out with plants it can be pretty overwhelming. I think the craziest piece of "advice" I've heard is watering plants once a week with an ice cube. Yes. Seriously 😳😂
Ah yes, the age-old struggle between plant ladies and their husbands who just don't "get it" lol 😜 It can definitely be an expensive hobby, which is why I always try to get stuff for free before going out and buying it. FB Marketplace and NextDoor can be great resources for scoring free or discounted plants, pots, and other supplies. But between buying new pots or new soil, I'd choose new soil every time. Why? Because you can reuse or make pots using stuff you already have around the house (more on that below 😜)
Did you by chance hang on to any of the nursery pots your plants came in? While not the most attractive, they do have their benefits. They have tons of drainage holes, and the thin plastic allows more airflow to the soil, which helps it dry out faster than pots made of thick plastic or glazed clay. My personal favorite are clear plastic pots, which let you keep an eye on the roots and more closely monitor soil moisture. You can get a multi pack of 30 pots for under $20 on Amazon. If that's still out of the question, AND you didn't save the nursery pots, just grab some plastic cups or food containers (like the ones cottage cheese or butter spread come in), add some drainage holes to the bottom, and voila! They work just as well as any plant pot, and they're free! 😛
Here's a list for when you go soil shopping:
MOST IMPORTANT👇
-Big bag of cactus/succulent soil
-Perlite
-Orchid bark OR coco chunks (coco chunks/chips are sold as compressed bricks in the reptile department of most pet stores)
OPTIONAL BUT STILL NICE👇
-Bag of earthworm castings
-Horticultural charcoal (not usually sold in big box stores so may have to order from Amazon)
The plants I'm most concerned about that should be both downsized AND repotted in new soil ASAP are your Watermelon peperomia, Black Velvet Alocasia, and snake plant. After those, your spider plant and lighter green Syngonium (Arrowhead plant) are next. The Watermelon peperomia should be in a 2-3" pot and the Alocasia in a 3-4" pot. Syngonium, spider plant, and snake plants should all be in 4-5" pots (terracotta is the best type of pot for a snake plant and any succulent or cactus, but for now the most important thing is downsizing its pot and changing to a more succulent-friendly soil mix).
So to summarize and answer the rest of your follow-up questions...
-Completely get rid of the LECA as a top dressing. It's ok to keep using in the bottom for drainage.
-Top dressings are unnecessary except for aesthetic purposes, and even then they are only used with succulents and cacti. They pose too many risks for most plants.
-Downsize and replace soil for the Watermelon peperomia, Alocasia, and snake plant pots asap. The rest *should* be ok until you're able to get more pots, as long as you're very careful about watering. Don't repot in fresh soil unless you have a new, smaller pot ready to go.
-As a plant grows, it will periodically need to be moved to a bigger pot. Different plants grow at different rates. Signs a plant has outgrown its current pot: roots are growing out of the drainage holes, roots are pushing up through the soil, baby plants/pups are getting crowded and pushing up against/over the sides of the pot.
Ok, I *think* I covered all your questions, but please let me know if I missed something or you have any other questions! I'm happy to help however I can 💚
Ah yes, the age-old struggle between plant ladies and their husbands who just don't "get it" lol 😜 It can definitely be an expensive hobby, which is why I always try to get stuff for free before going out and buying it. FB Marketplace and NextDoor can be great resources for scoring free or discounted plants, pots, and other supplies. But between buying new pots or new soil, I'd choose new soil every time. Why? Because you can reuse or make pots using stuff you already have around the house (more on that below 😜)
Did you by chance hang on to any of the nursery pots your plants came in? While not the most attractive, they do have their benefits. They have tons of drainage holes, and the thin plastic allows more airflow to the soil, which helps it dry out faster than pots made of thick plastic or glazed clay. My personal favorite are clear plastic pots, which let you keep an eye on the roots and more closely monitor soil moisture. You can get a multi pack of 30 pots for under $20 on Amazon. If that's still out of the question, AND you didn't save the nursery pots, just grab some plastic cups or food containers (like the ones cottage cheese or butter spread come in), add some drainage holes to the bottom, and voila! They work just as well as any plant pot, and they're free! 😛
Here's a list for when you go soil shopping:
MOST IMPORTANT👇
-Big bag of cactus/succulent soil
-Perlite
-Orchid bark OR coco chunks (coco chunks/chips are sold as compressed bricks in the reptile department of most pet stores)
OPTIONAL BUT STILL NICE👇
-Bag of earthworm castings
-Horticultural charcoal (not usually sold in big box stores so may have to order from Amazon)
The plants I'm most concerned about that should be both downsized AND repotted in new soil ASAP are your Watermelon peperomia, Black Velvet Alocasia, and snake plant. After those, your spider plant and lighter green Syngonium (Arrowhead plant) are next. The Watermelon peperomia should be in a 2-3" pot and the Alocasia in a 3-4" pot. Syngonium, spider plant, and snake plants should all be in 4-5" pots (terracotta is the best type of pot for a snake plant and any succulent or cactus, but for now the most important thing is downsizing its pot and changing to a more succulent-friendly soil mix).
So to summarize and answer the rest of your follow-up questions...
-Completely get rid of the LECA as a top dressing. It's ok to keep using in the bottom for drainage.
-Top dressings are unnecessary except for aesthetic purposes, and even then they are only used with succulents and cacti. They pose too many risks for most plants.
-Downsize and replace soil for the Watermelon peperomia, Alocasia, and snake plant pots asap. The rest *should* be ok until you're able to get more pots, as long as you're very careful about watering. Don't repot in fresh soil unless you have a new, smaller pot ready to go.
-As a plant grows, it will periodically need to be moved to a bigger pot. Different plants grow at different rates. Signs a plant has outgrown its current pot: roots are growing out of the drainage holes, roots are pushing up through the soil, baby plants/pups are getting crowded and pushing up against/over the sides of the pot.
Ok, I *think* I covered all your questions, but please let me know if I missed something or you have any other questions! I'm happy to help however I can 💚
@stephonicle
Awesome thank you so much!!
Are there any h of house plant guides/books that you recommend for a new plant parent, other than your sage advice 😜😀
Awesome thank you so much!!
Are there any h of house plant guides/books that you recommend for a new plant parent, other than your sage advice 😜😀
@stephonicle
I have started to work on your advice, I bought 2 bags of perlite, 2 bags of cactus/succulent soil mix, a bag of Biochar, a bag of worm castings, a block of coco chips and a large bag of house plant potting soil. I mixed one bag of perlite with the cactus soil, and one bag with the regular potting soil in two different containers. I have started downsizing and repotting the plants you said needed it the most, I bought a 12 pack of 3" growers pots, and a 12 pack of 4" pots, got a good deal on them, I will update the plants photos as I go along so you can see my progress! I am so grateful to you for all of your wonderful advice.
Oh before I forget, how much of the Biochar, earthworm castings and coco chips should I use when I do the soil/pot changes and should I use them with all the plants/soil mixes??
I have started to work on your advice, I bought 2 bags of perlite, 2 bags of cactus/succulent soil mix, a bag of Biochar, a bag of worm castings, a block of coco chips and a large bag of house plant potting soil. I mixed one bag of perlite with the cactus soil, and one bag with the regular potting soil in two different containers. I have started downsizing and repotting the plants you said needed it the most, I bought a 12 pack of 3" growers pots, and a 12 pack of 4" pots, got a good deal on them, I will update the plants photos as I go along so you can see my progress! I am so grateful to you for all of your wonderful advice.
Oh before I forget, how much of the Biochar, earthworm castings and coco chips should I use when I do the soil/pot changes and should I use them with all the plants/soil mixes??
@RNgjg510 this is amazing! Now you're fully set up with supplies 👍 For your succulents, cacti, and snake plants, the half perlite half cactus soil is perfect. For your aroids/tropical plants, do 1 part potting soil, 1 part perlite, 1 part coco chunks. If you're making a big batch (which I recommend, as opposed to mixing them for each individual plant), throw in a few handfuls each of the charcoal and earthworm castings. I have plastic storage bins where I store my soil mixes, usually I'll do one for the cactus/succulent mix and one for the aroid mix. Depending on the plant, I might add a bit more of something when repotting, but honestly just these two soil mixes will work for almost all plants.
Sorry for not responding sooner! I've been crazy busy so haven't been on the app much the last few days ☺️ Let me know if you have any questions about the repotting process, or anything else!!
Sorry for not responding sooner! I've been crazy busy so haven't been on the app much the last few days ☺️ Let me know if you have any questions about the repotting process, or anything else!!
@stephonicle
I thank you so much you saved me from a lot of heartache down the road!!!
I have added a few more plants to my oasis since we last spoke, this is so addictive! 😂
I now find when I am in a store that sells plants I gravitate towards them and am always on the lookout for a bargain! 😁😁👍
I thank you so much you saved me from a lot of heartache down the road!!!
I have added a few more plants to my oasis since we last spoke, this is so addictive! 😂
I now find when I am in a store that sells plants I gravitate towards them and am always on the lookout for a bargain! 😁😁👍