Losing hope… can I turn things around..?
Amelia, my wishbone flower, is slowly dying. She’s been my problem child since I’ve gotten her but continued to thrive despite the learning curves I’ve taken to understand her. She was glowing in early November, before the unexpectedly harsh winter weather (for Floridian standards) came in. But since January I’ve noticed the slow decrease of my plant’s health. And lately I feel like I’ve been cutting more than I’ve seen thriving.
The only difference in environment is I use LED grow lights instead of natural lighting because of how unbearably hot my room gets. I can’t even handle 75°F sometimes so during the noontime, my bedroom reaches at least 80°F even in winter with black-out curtains CLOSED and a fan blowing 24/7 on max level. The only other thing I can think of is that I’m removing dead stems wrong or because she’s potted and has been in the same pot since I’ve gotten her. I’m not able to plant her outside either.
Treatment: 6in diameter pot (has drainage), watered every 2-3 days or until 1in of topsoil is dry, potted with indoor potting mix (no perlite needed or used because of how the plant is initially an outdoor plant and needs denser soil), mint bug spray for plants is used regularly and no fungi is seen in soil.
Picture order is what she looks like now, and what she looks liked in November
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The only difference in environment is I use LED grow lights instead of natural lighting because of how unbearably hot my room gets. I can’t even handle 75°F sometimes so during the noontime, my bedroom reaches at least 80°F even in winter with black-out curtains CLOSED and a fan blowing 24/7 on max level. The only other thing I can think of is that I’m removing dead stems wrong or because she’s potted and has been in the same pot since I’ve gotten her. I’m not able to plant her outside either.
Treatment: 6in diameter pot (has drainage), watered every 2-3 days or until 1in of topsoil is dry, potted with indoor potting mix (no perlite needed or used because of how the plant is initially an outdoor plant and needs denser soil), mint bug spray for plants is used regularly and no fungi is seen in soil.
Picture order is what she looks like now, and what she looks liked in November
flower">#Wishboneflower
1ft to light, indirect
2” pot with drainage
Last watered 1 year ago
6
Best Answer
@rokugatsunoRose you can. Mix some mild liquid soap, rubbing alcohol and warm water in a spray bottle and spray dish the entire plant. Wait 5 minutes. Spray it again. Wait 5 minutes. Rinse with warm water. Let the soapy mixture run into the soil and drain out the bottom. Keep it warm and get a grow light over it the next day. Give it a few days and look closely for pests. If you see any webs, spray it all over again and rinse but this time just the foliage, not the soil. This is their bath. Plants need a monthly bath to stay healthy and prevent infestations.
Did you leave her near the window when it got cold or did you move her away from it? Glass isn’t an insulator so it may have gotte no too cold for her if she was left there. She also needs a lot of light to be healthy. I think closing the drapes over the window then adding a fan is making her think she needs to go dormant and if she’s being watered 2-3 times a week, that’s alot for her if she is going dormant. Try balancing out her light, temperature, and watering frequency to something she will appreciate. If your plant needs sunlight but you are using artificial light, it’s not the same. She should only be getting watered once per week, maybe a second time on day 5 or 6. She may be drowning in over saturated soil so I’d take a look at it and if it’s wet, not damp, you sound your problem.
@AnthuriumQueen she was left near the window but my room didn’t get cold enough for me to be concerned and my room would heat up easily anyways and the fan isn’t directed at her but rather at my bed... I’ve been watering her as advised especially for her soil type which isn’t as dense as a planting mix
@rokugatsunoRose When was the last time she had a bath with gentle soap, rubbing alcohol and warm water? This mimics rainfall and clears out lots of pests.
@AnthuriumQueen I’ve NEVER have done that lol. 😳 didn’t know you could even do that…
