Question
1)Areca Palm; 10" pot leaves and stems are drying up and dying. 2) Rubber tree plant; 10" pot leaves turn yellow and fall off.  Slowly all my plants are dying. I use Bayer sytemic and plant food, in the past I used Miracle grow liquid plant food and jobes house plant spikes, and nothing.  I have a Madagascar Palm, it use to produce leaves, now looks like an ordinary 12" tall cactus. Help Thank You Kathleen Kasma

Answer
Hi Kathleen,

Without knowing how much light your plants receive and what your watering routine is, it is hard for me to identify a cause for their problems. I also don't know what you mean by "dying." If you are able to send some photos to me at [email protected], that would help.

Stop all fertilizing. It rarely does any good and should only be used for healthy plants.

Areca palms must have a lot of bright light, including direct for a least a few hours everyday. Yours should be watered as soon as the top half inch of soil feels dry. Check carefully for spider mites.

Your rubber plant has similar light requirements, but you should allow the top two inches of soil to dry out before watering thoroughly.

Madagascar palm (Pachypodium lamerei) does best in maximum light. Indoors that is in a south-facing window. In nature these plants drop their leaves in the winter because they come from an area that has winter droughts. This is perfectly normal and doesn't mean your plant is dying. It is usually best to suspend watering for two to three months in winter, but keep it in a warm, sunny spot. This winter dormancy will increase the chances of flowering the following summer. Some people prefer to keep their Madagascar palms in leaf all year round by not withholding water in the winter. That is your choice. After the winter dormancy, resume watering every two to three weeks. Continue this regimen through the summer and early fall. Fertilize twice during the summer at half strength.

Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions.
   
Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

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

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