QuestionQUESTION: My Zebra plants, planted this year are blooming beautifully. When should the old blooms be removed? Is it necessary to remove them to keep the blooms coming? They are planted outdoors in a shady spot which receives about 2 hours of sun in the AM. Thank you.
ANSWER: You can remove them as soon as they begin to look unsightly, but this is for aesthetics , it won't really effect the new blooms, they will appear naturally anyway as the older ones shrivel; it sounds like they are very happy in the location they are at. They need 60 degrees or warmer and low light/high humidity to thrive and it can be a challenge to promote new blooms.
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QUESTION: Re: my Zebra plants. I have read that Zebra plans do not live under 30degrees. I live in central Florida and several nights during the winter the temperature goes down to 30 but returns within 2 or 3 hours to a warmer temp. Should the plants be re potted and brought in for the cold months or will they withstand a few hours of sub thirty degrees? If brought in for the winter, are there any special replanting instructions for replanting in the spring? I appreciate your knowledge and help.
Answer...they can be quite tempermental when the temps are low and even professionals have a difficult time getting them to grow when the temps dip below 50 degrees, so it is suggested to move them into a container (no bigger then 6 inches) and keep them evenly moist at all times, allowing them to dry out will kill them; mist them frequently, they like high humidity and fertilize with a houseplant fertilizer once every 2 weeks during the active season, and once every 6 weeks during the dormant time (Winter).
