It
is difficult to diagnose a particular
problem or its cause without an
accurate record of the environmental
conditions and changes, fertilizer
history, pesticide applications, etc.
Adding to this is the fact that
various disorders may produce almost
the same visual symptoms.
|
| . |
 |
Here
are the first questions you need to
have answers for:
|
|
1 |
How long have you had
the plant? |
|
2 |
How often do you water? |
|
3 |
Is the soil wet? |
|
4 |
Have you moved the plant
from one area to another? |
|
5 |
Did lighting change? |
|
6 |
Did you have a party? -
Yes plants and alcohol don't mix. |
|
 |
All that being said,
here are some quick symptoms and some
possible quick remedies. |
.
|
|
|
TALL
PLANTS, WEAK GROWTH:
|
|
|
Plants
which are stretched, weak and spindly,
or have abnormally small leaves are
often
suffering from insufficient light. |
|
|
Try moving the
plant to a brighter area. |
.
|
|
PLANTS
FAIL TO FLOWER OR FLOWER INFREQUENTLY:
|
|
|
Reduced
flowering is most often due to
inadequate light. As a rule, flowering
house plants require higher light
intensities than those grown solely
for their foliage. |
|
|
Move the plant to a
brighter area. |
|
|
|
DEFOLIATION:
|
|
|
There are two types of
defoliation Gradual and Rapid. |
|
GRADUAL:
|
|
|
The
gradual loss of leaves, usually from
the bottom upward, may indicate
inadequate light.
Newly developing leaves sometimes
reduce the amount of light reaching
lower leaves.
Gradual foliage loss can also result
from nutrient deficiencies and damaged
root systems. Many
plants need time to acclimate properly
and will lose their inner leaves
indoors. |
|
|
Move the plant to a
brighter area. If the condition
persists, examine the root system for
possible injury. |
|
RAPID:
|
|
|
Rapid
defoliation is generally a shock
response, the plants' protection
mechanism. This can be
caused from dramatic temperature
changes, water stress, root problems
or rapid changes in lighting (many of
us have seen a ficus drop it's leaves
in a very short time). From the above
examples we can see that the plants
are reacting to environmental changes
the key is patience. |
|
|
Many plants will produce
new leaves and resume growth.
|
| . |
|
|
|
WILTING:
|
|
|
Wilting
is a natural response to water stress.
Wilting may also occur under other
conditions. Check the soil moisture.
If it is dry, add water. Plants should
recover
in a few hours. If the soil is already
wet, do not add more water. |
|
|
Examine the soil and
root system for indications of
disease, soluble salt accumulation, or
poor
draining characteristics. |
| . |
|
|
|
LEAF
TIP BURN:
|
|
|
Where
do we start. The causes of tip burn
are so difficult because of the many
factors that can cause it. Moisture
stress (usually too much), high
soluble salts, fertilizer deficiencies
or toxicities, and fluoride toxicity
(as with dracaenas) are the most
common causes. Certain varieties of
plants are much more subject to tip
burn than others. |
|
|
Start by looking the
watering practices, too much or too
little. |
|
|
If you fertilize, back
off the fertilizing and leach the
plant out with water. |
|
|
|
|
WATER
DROPLETS ON TIP OF LEAF OR FLOOR:
|
|
|
Water
sometimes is forced out of the leaves
of some plants, usually ending up at
the tip. This is natural and causes no
injury to the plant. |
| . |
|
|
|
DYING-BACK
OF STEMS AND LEAVES:
|
|
|
Die-back
can be caused by nutrient disorders or
diseases. It can effect branches and
limbs or possibly the entire plant.
Die-back affecting an isolated stem is
more likely due to disease. This is
why plants should be pruned correctly
and not sheared, leaving small stems
that cannot transport nutrients and
just rot off. |
|
|
Remove affected stems. |
com
