Question
QUESTION: I recently acquired a Geranium, Golden Capella, Dieffenbachia, and Majesty Palm from a local home and garden store in their "lost cause" so to say section on clearance and they're not very pretty. They're all a little...crispy. Lots of blackened leaves. Where is the best location on the house for these plants? Are there any that I should NOT prune the dead off of? Should I fertilize? They all say "High Light" but in my past experience the Majesty Palm did not enjoy direct sunlight so should I discredit the tags or is my understanding of the term "High Light" misconstrued? They're all in 3 gallon pots except the geranium which is in a one gallon pot. Do I need to re-pot now or will they be okay until spring when I can find some attractive pots? Also I live in Missouri, will these plants be okay on the deck this summer? It's full sun back there from about 12pm until 4pm. Thanks so much for taking the time to read all of this! I look forward to hearing from you!

ANSWER: Hi Michelle,

A plant can be a 'lost cause' for many different reasons - disease, pest problems, improperly watered, poor light, etc. Some or all of these many apply to your plants.

High light means right in front of a completely uncovered and unobstructed south or west facing window. This is what the Geranium and Majesty Palm require. The Schefflera and Dieffenbachia are fine in bright indirect light, which is what you get in a north or east facing window or to the side of a south window. All of the plants should be within 5 feet of the appropriate window.

For cosmetic reasons it is best to trim off or remove any discolored leaves. Leggy stems should be pruned back to eliminate the legginess.

Fertilizer is not medicine and should be reserved for healthy plants that are growing vigorously.

Contrary to conventional wisdom, plants do best when they are kept quite potbound. Repot only when the soil is dry enough to need water again a couple of days after a thorough watering. Your plants are non-seasonal and should be repotted when needed not according to the season or calendar. Do not repot now and it is unlikely that repotting will be necessary for a long time, if ever.

If you don't like the existing plastic nursery pots, then find more attractive planters that are large enough to accommodate the existing plastic pots. This double-potting will dress up your plants without unnecessarily disturbing the root system.

Come late spring, prune back your Geranium and move it outside to your deck for the summer. The Schefflera and Dieffenbachia should remain indoors year round. The outdoor light on your deck is way too strong for them.

The Majesty Palm is a 憀ost cause?under almost all circumstances. It requires more light and humidity than most people can provide in their homes. In high light and high humidity it uses copious amounts of water and fertilizer. It is also highly prone to spider mite infestations. It is rare for this plant species to last as an indoor potted plant for longer than a year. If you decide to keep yours, move it outside in the warm weather and see how it does. Don't plan on moving it back inside in the fall. Majesty Palm is the one plant I never recommend to anyone because it fares so poorly indoors.

I have written articles on Scheffleras, Dieffenbachias and Palms, as well as repotting and fertilizing that I will email for free to you (or anyone else) who sends a request to me at [email protected].

Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions.

If this information has been helpful, please click the Rate Volunteer bar below and enter a rating and nomination for me. I am a volunteer on this site so Ratings are the only compensation I receive for answering plant questions.

Need more information? Visit my website at www.HorticulturalHelp.com
or email me at [email protected] or call me at 917-887-8601 (EST)
 
Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: What about the brown leaves on the mass cane? I'm afraid to cut them off because there isn't realy a stem to cut them from. It looks like the store just chopped off the brown parts. Is that healthy for the plant?

Answer
Hi Michelle,

You didn't mention before that you also have a Mass cane or Corn Plant. Long Corn Plant leaves are attached to a vertical stem. If most of the leaf is discolored, then remove all of it. If just the tips are brown, then trim the tips off using sharp scissors. Trim in such a way that the original contour of the leaf tip is maintained. Blunt cuts don't look very natural. If you do it properly, the leaves will not look cut when you are done.

Trimming off leaf tips will not affect the health of the plant, even if it is done badly. However, it will affect the plant's appearance. Think of it as being like a manicure!

Corn Plants need protection from direct sun, but they prefer lots of bright indirect light. Allow the top quarter of the soil to dry between waterings. Do not repot it. Use filtered or distilled water if your tap water is hard.

I have written an article on Corn Plants that I will email for free to you (or anyone else) who sends a request to me at [email protected].

Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions.

If this information has been helpful, please click the Rate Volunteer bar below and enter a rating and nomination for me. I am a volunteer on this site so Ratings are the only compensation I receive for answering plant questions.

Need more information? Visit my website at www.HorticulturalHelp.com
or email me at [email protected] or call me at 917-887-8601 (EST)
 
Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC


Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions.

If this information has been helpful, please click the Rate Volunteer bar below and enter a rating and nomination for me. I am a volunteer on this site so Ratings are the only compensation I receive for answering plant questions.

Need more information? Visit my website at www.HorticulturalHelp.com
or email me at [email protected] or call me at 917-887-8601 (EST)
 
Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC