My first attempt at gardening. I got a diffenbachia, norfolk island pine (I think my mom killed it, needles are very hard, a couple of the lower limbs have fallen off and its very droopy as you can see), a couple bean plants, african violet (only one that seems to be doing well besides the bean plants), and a couple of peppers either bell or cayenne.
Later shot of the beans, they grow pretty fast. Anyone have any tips they can give me on diffenbachia and norfolk island pine if they can tell what im doing wrong from the pics
Norfolk pines have distinctively flat branches and short soft needles. They enjoy humid environments. With age, and lack of humidity, the needles along the trunk will fall off. Dead, lower branches, are a sign that the plant has been dehydrated. The dry needles will not come back. These plants do best with consistency stay on a watering schedule. Over watering results in sporadic bright yellow needle clusters that come off very easily, and don't come back. Check to see if the plant is standing in lots of water. http://www.evergrowing.com/tips/araucaria.htm Diffenbachia: The leaves break easily, so high traffic areas are not recommended. These plants are also called "dumb canes" because eating them irritates the throat and vocal cords. They are considered poisonous to small children and animals if eaten in quantity. They are grown in many different varieties. PRUNING: diffenbachia Foliage and stalk of the Dieffenbachia need full sun in order to keep the plant from becoming top heavy and in need support. Most of the time these plants are tied up and hung up like puppets. They must be trained to support themselves. Cut cane down to visually appealing level or pull out the very center new growth. Be aware if all foliage is removed, the plant will use less water, so be sure and check the soil before watering. A healthy plant will soon put out new growth where it has been topped out. The top section of the plant that the foliage is on can either be rooted in the pot the original plant is in, or rooted in water.
it isnt standing in lots of water, but my mom was taking care of it for 2 weeks while i was painting my room and she didnt water it at all. So i think she may have killed it or its on the verge of death
when a pine dies it dies.. if its not dead yet nursing will take a while.. Needs light. Your in ohio. you cant have that much light on a window sill. Im sure? A small garden light for your legal stuff will fix things nicely.. Ive got Orange trees...that started under HIDs.and now live in a dinning area under 24/7 160w Cfl lighting.. No oranges but you can eat the leaves.. ill get pic.
my room gets good light but lately its been pretty overcast, but i dont think my dad would be to thrilled about the increase in the electric bill if i did that plus i dont have any extra cash for that since im unemployed
how this plant get so big? Pennies on a electric bill.. Im a electrician. Some grow lights use less energy than a tv set running 24/7.... 4/25W CFL lights = 400W of vegative spectrum. But only consume 100 watts of electricity. Your old incandesent lighting is miking your bill high.. Switch over light around your house to CFL's and youll be able to build a CFL set up and grow stuff as a hobby for nothing more on your electric bill than what it currently is...
Your pine isn't dead! Doesn't look too healthy, but it's still alive! You'll know if it dies, because the needles will go reddish-gold & fall off. Drainage might help a bit. Good luck I'm dragging a 10-gallon pot with a tomato plant around my house & yard right now. Indoor plants seem to need far more water than outdoor ones. I blame central heating/air. love, mom
pines should be grown strictly outdoors. yours will probably die if left inside for too long. also, pines like to have dry feet, so a week of missed watering may not do much damage.
its a Norfolk island pine they only like to be outside in new Zealand i believe so here in the U.S. its strictly a houseplant. But i put the pine on the window sill in more light and it seems to be looking better, some of the limbs dont look as droopy. Either that or its liking the humidity from the shower cause ive been bringing it in the bathroom with me. Since i read that it could help
I'd be really surprised if that Norfolk makes it. But stranger things have happened. If it was a nursery plant we'd cut it off below all the wilted branching. And see if iit popped any new buds. If not we'd toss it. The diffenbachia there is hope for, remove the yellowed leaves and move it up to the next size larger pot.
