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very sick peace plant

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by Duke on November 10, 2005 12:36 AM
My mother was given a peace plant as a gift at the opening of her Pilates studio, it was given in a brass planter with no drainage. Being the brown thumb that she is left it without another thought. Then about 6 months later, she called on me to help. When I got there I could see there was a big problem. The ends of the new growth were brown and there was mold in the soil. Of course the first thing I did was get a new pot and soil, but that hasn't seemed to help. I'm no expert so PLEASE HELP ME!! what on earth should I do???
Thanks
by Jiffymouse on November 10, 2005 06:11 AM
ok. first things first. how much larger than the plant is the new pot? shouldn't be more than 2 inches bettween the plant and the rim of the pot.

second, does the new pot have drainage? it needs not only drainage, but drainage where you can see the run off, and can DUMP the run off (important)

3rd, the brown tips could just be from the a/c and/or heat in the bldg. to take care of that attractively, you want a "pebble tray" which is a dish, about 2-3" larger than the pot, with enough of something to keep the plant sitting level with the TOP of the container. and you want to put water in the dish, but not up to the top. as the water evaporates, it increases the relative humidity around the plant, but doesn't interfer with the rest of the area. you can add water as often as necessary, usually ever couple of days.

also, you can cut the brown tips of at an angle if they bother you, it won't hurt the plant or the leaves either way.

hope this helps!
by Cricket on November 11, 2005 05:42 AM
Duke, 6 months of being in a pot without drainage could very well have caused root rot. When you repotted the plant did you notice the appearance of the roots? Black, brown, yellow or mushy roots are all signs of rot. You might want to pull the plant out of its current pot and inspect the roots, trimming off any that aren't white and firm (once rotted, those roots are dead and will not recover), then repotting into the SMALLEST pot with drainage holes that will hold the new rootball. Your mother can always double-pot into a more decorative container, if desired, but it is important not to let the plant sit in excess water as that will eventually lead to more root rot.

What kind of light does the plant receive?

Cricket

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