Question
QUESTION: My Lucky Bean plant (had it for 3 or 4 yrs) is sitting about 8 inches from a frosted glass northern window and it's dropping green leaves. It was loving the spot this summer and just flourishing. I've also had it in an eastern window & noticed that it occasionally dropped green leaves when there as well. Why DOES it do that? How can I prevent that from happening?

ANSWER: Hi Marie,

Green leaf drop is a generic symptom with several possible causes. It may be nothing more than the normal reduction of light at this time of year as the hours of daylight decrease. This would be particularly true of the north window that has frosted glass where the light is already very limited. Cool temps below 60 degrees F. will cause leaf drop and so will under or over watering, although improper watering usually causes leaves to yellow first. If you have not pruned your Lucky Bean, that is also a potential cause of leaf drop.

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]
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Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC



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

QUESTION: Thank you Will.  That is great information.  I have never pruned the Lucky Bean.  Could you please explain how to prune it and the best time to do it?

Answer
Hi Marie,

Thank you for the top ratings and nomination. Much appreciated!

It is hard to explain pruning briefly and even harder without having a photo of your specific plant. If you send a photo to me at [email protected] and also request my article on pruning, I can help you better.

In general, any stem can be pruned back as much or little as you want. New growth will start to come in just below the point on the stem where you make the pruning cut. To avoid leaving an ugly stub, cut just above a node or point where a leaf stem attaches to the main stem. The angle of the cut does not matter. Use sharp scissors or pruners.

As always, let me know if you have questions.

~Will