Question
I had a beautiful ivy plant at work where there is flourescent lighting. It was doing so good. All of a sudden the leaves started falling off. It is not as full as it was. What happened? I didn't think I gave it to much water.  

Answer
Hi Laverne,

One of the difficulties with Hedera ivies is that they rarely give you any warning signs if they are unhappy. Rather, they look fine until suddenly they start to drop leaves and fall apart. By that time it is often hard to get them to recover.

Unless the fluorescent lighting is within a foot or so above the ivy, then that is probably not enough light. Hedera ivies do much better in natural light.

In very low light, Hedera ivies grow very little and they se very little water. In that case, the soil has to get drier than usual in between waterings.

It is very easy to keep the soil and roots too moist in low light and then the roots begin to rot. Once that happens, there is not much you can do.

Without seeing your ivy, I cannot advise you too specifically. However, I do recommend that you try to find a north or east windowsill for your ivy. Allow the top half-inch or so of soil to dry in between waterings. Do NOT repot it or fertilize it.

Stems that have no leaves are probably dead and should be cut off completely. Stems that have some leaves but are leggy-looking, should be pruned back to a length of about 1-2 inches.

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

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Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

You can E-mail me directly at: [email protected]

Visit my web site at www.HorticulturalHelp.com

If you would like to e-mail me some photos, I may be able to provide some additional insights.