Question
Cat Palm in Distress
So I don't know much about plants at all. I lucked out a couple of years ago when I bought a spider plant. Little did I know that I picked the perfect plant for me. LOL It is still alive.
I recently decided to buy a plant for my office at work. I have no windows and fluorescent lighting. I went to Home Depot and bought a Cat Palm. The vendor said it was relatively easy to care for and that my lighting in my office would be sufficient. Hmmm... So I bought it and a pot to go with it. The vendor said I could just place the plant in the pot and put some packing peanuts or something inside the pot to keep it snug which I haven't done.
So it was doing fine. I got it around the 26th or so. Then went out of town on Feb. 10th in which the cleaning lady shut my lights off and no one watered it. Then I checked on it on the 12th when I was back in town. Then I got sick and didn't make it to the office until the 22nd and I forgot about it. The maid turned off the lights. I could have gotten someone to water it but I wasn't feeling well and just forgot. So here I am. The facts:
Lack of light
Lack of water
Equals stress on my plant and spider mites.
So... how do I get rid of the mites? AND How should I set my plant in the pot OR should I get a different pot and set it up as one suggested in the link above (with styrofoam)? (http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080510202620AAVsll0)
With everything that I have mentioned, do you think that maybe I should just take this plant home where it can be placed near a window but far enough where the light won't shine straight on? OR Do you think I can make it work in my office with no windows?
If I take my plant home, do you have any suggestions for a different plant for my office. I want a plant that will be at least 3 feet tall. And preferably one that doesn't have issues with mites because as I am typing this email I am scratching my arms just thinking about those little pests.
Here is a picture of what my palm looks like now. Note: I moved the plant next to a window in the hallway. There's about an inch or so of space between the pot and plastic that the plant is in.
Thank you so much. ~Shannon
AnswerHi Shannon, The picture looks like the leaves dried out when it was not watered. Also, note that the pot has a basin on the bottom and that watered should be removed after 15 minutes to prevent the roots from rotting. You can use an insecticide to get rid of the spider mites. Atomic Grow is organic and will help bring your plant back to health. You should probably bring it home and choose one below for your work place needs.
You could grow the cast iron plant(Aspidistra) takes shade and a lot of abuse, Mother in laws tongue (Sansevieria) is another tough plant, if either is left without water, you will not notice. Some told me they bought a store with a sansevieria in it and 6 months later found out it was real, they thought it was fake. Hope this info helps. kathy
