Hi Everyone, I need some help. I got this plant for father's day about a month ago and it has started declining. It has started dropping leaves and getting yellow spots (maybe you can see them in the pic) on the leaves. I have it in a north facing window where it gets lots of indirect light. I have been watering it about once a week with no fertilizer. What kind of plant is it and what do you recommend I do differently? thanks for the help Greg
Did this specimen come with any indication of the scientific name or even a common name? Unfortunately, nurseries often sell plants that need high light as house plants. Without knowing what you may be growing, finding good information will be difficult. I specialize in tropical aroid species, of which this is not, but hopefully someone will recognize it on this board. Once you have a name we can easily look up the natural growing conditions of the specimen.
Junglekeeper certainly appears to be correct. The plant is from the desert areas of Southeast Africa and has been released into the environment in Arizona. I could find little in botanical sources but most websites appear to recommend bright light, some saying direct sun. Most do say it is easy to grow however. Try using that scientific name and doing your own research to see if you can find a photo of the plant for verification. I found one with a similar base and leaves. Then follow the instructions of the collective sources. If Junglekeeper is familiar with the species perhaps they can tell you more about the care.
Yes Greg definately Desert Rose, I had mine in a bonsai pot in half sun,half shade and it did quite well. I did have a few troubles with getting it to flower properly, a bit of sulphate of potash soon fixed that. I now have put it in the ground with full winter sun and in summer it will go back to 1/2 sun 1/2 shade. I think a bit more sun for that plant, however I am not sure what region you are in. I am in sub tropical Good luck Ed
I happen to know growers of Desert Rose (a jillion varieties) and they say to find a fertilizer that is 20/20/20 and use EVERY time you water (during growing season, weekly in hot arrid climate & 10-14 days for more humid or less hot....let go a month in winter time if it drops leaves, otherwise, same routine w/out fertilizer)...so the fertilizer is to be given EVERYtime watering is taking place during growing season ONLY. They'll bloom like crazy. Make sure they're potted in cactus mix or something as close to desert conditions as possible.
Fertilize "weakly, weekly" is always good advice. But generally, you will want to use a diluted form of the fertilizer, not the full strength stuff. Most plants have to scrounge for the natural forms of fertilizer and too much is worse than none at all due to salt build up. 10% to 20% of the recommendations on the bottle or box given weekly is normally what most experienced gardeners recommend. Personally, I prefer to treat plants as if they were orchids and spray it on due to foliar feeding through the leaves.
