HI! After having what I affectionatley call beginners luck with my house plants, my luck seems to be rapidly running out. I have a total of 6 plants that seemed to be thriving and doing well with my once a week watering and twice weekly sun bathing. However, I have recently moved to a first floor apartment that is about 5 feet below the parking lot (not exactly underground, but I do walk downstairs to get to my aparment.) Needless to say my apartment gets NO direct sunlight AT ALL. There is a large tree directly infront of the apt. as well which also keeps the sun out. What if anything can I do? They are all starting to look very sad and limp. My biggest plant and I don't know the name of it (sorry) stands about 3 feet high and has very large leaves (like a bannana tree plant) Its leaves have started to turn a black color on the ends. The others leaves are turning light yellow and then falling off. Once a month I give them miracle gro plant food mixed into they're water, I have talked to them, put them in the window, cut back on watering, and repotted all but the bannana leaf because I am scared to traumatize it further. My question is, on account that this apt. has so little light and I fighting a losing battle? Is there anything that I can do? I have done so well with up untill this point and they are all special in one way or another!! Thank you for listening! Any advice is appreciated!
i would just try and keep them as close to the window as possible at all times.. they are just going through the change of very little light .. they might adjust to it soon but they wont grow as well as getting full sun.. so they might grow a lil scragley .. Marn
RE Beginners Luck, So where did you get these plants and did the sales person give you ANY usable advice? You will have to suppliment with full spectrum lighting it spounds like! Only two or three plants come to mind as low light requirement guys... try a sansavera plant and maybe a spathophylum ( OK spelling is questionable). By and large MOST tropicals are not lower apartment dwellers. Also watch the water and light. This time of year guys are trying to tune down for a bit.... Now they may have come from a green house wher everything is tuned up so they are vigorous looking- so now it's even more important that you take on their growth requirments (and possible artificially) meet their needs. Prepare to live in a tropical apartment, humidity,light and temp.... If you need to, look up each species and get their specs off the net.. Good luck
Do the leaves have markings on the leaves? Could it be a Chinese evergreen? Do a google search on that and see if it looks like one. May need a bit more light. Is it cool where it is? Maybe TOO cool? You'd do good with low light plants more than likely, like the ZZ plant, Shefflera, pothos for example.
