Identification: help identify this plant

Discussion in 'Indoor and Greenhouse Plants' started by zxcvxcvcvv, Feb 23, 2009.

  1. zxcvxcvcvv

    zxcvxcvcvv Member

    Messages:
    4
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    chicago
    Hi, Would you please identify this plant? And also tell me what I need to do to prevent the leaves from becoming brown or light green? It doesn't look too healthy. Thank you.
     

    Attached Files:

  2. joclyn

    joclyn Rising Contributor

    Messages:
    2,707
    Likes Received:
    1
    Location:
    philly, pa, usa 6b
    looks like draceana 'janet craig' or 'compacta' (or, they might be synonyms for each other).

    normal growth pattern is for lower leaves to die off as new growth appears at the top. browing tips could also mean not enough watering or using water straight from the tap. could also indicate overwatering.

    soil should be a well draining mix (i use cactus soil, a bit of regular potting soil and add in extra perlite for more drainage). container should have drainage holes. water thoroughly - so that some water comes out the bottom. discard any excess water. allow soil to dry down an inch or so before watering again. always allow water to get to room temp - i store it in gallon jugs and that allows excess chlorine to dissipate and lets it get to room temp. plant should be in indirect light (too bright a light could also be why the leaf tips are brown).
     
  3. K Baron

    K Baron Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    1,031
    Likes Received:
    2
    Location:
    North Vancouver, B.C., Canada
    Over watering will also cause your plant to brown out and dry the leaves. What type of exposure does it receive?
     
  4. zxcvxcvcvv

    zxcvxcvcvv Member

    Messages:
    4
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    chicago
    only room light from a 23 watt flourescent light bulb for about 8 hours a day
     
  5. togata57

    togata57 Generous Contributor 10 Years

    Messages:
    3,430
    Likes Received:
    377
    Location:
    Columbus, Ohio
    What kind of heat is it getting from that piece of electronic equipment next to it?
     
  6. zxcvxcvcvv

    zxcvxcvcvv Member

    Messages:
    4
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    chicago
    the room is around 60F year round. the electronic equipment nearby are off. the plant is not exposed to any heat.
     
  7. togata57

    togata57 Generous Contributor 10 Years

    Messages:
    3,430
    Likes Received:
    377
    Location:
    Columbus, Ohio
    Hmm. How often do you water? If the plant is getting the right level of light, right temperature, no hot or cold blasts of air... has no insect pests...I'm inclined to say get the thing out of the pot and take a look a the soil and root condition. Even if you are not overwatering, if the soil is old and compacted it could be draining poorly---the water will just sit there and drown the plant. ---As joclyn says, temperature and chemical content of water can be an issue too.
     
  8. K Baron

    K Baron Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    1,031
    Likes Received:
    2
    Location:
    North Vancouver, B.C., Canada
    The plant is receiving a only a maximum of 15.6 celsius = 60 F. not enough to encourage a growth.... s/b at least 19c for part of the day or higher....
     
  9. zxcvxcvcvv

    zxcvxcvcvv Member

    Messages:
    4
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    chicago
    thanks everybody for the advice. i really appreciate it. i water it about once every 5 days with a lot of water. but not enough to see water dripping out from the bottom of the pot (which has holes). the soil is about 3 years old. if you guys want, i will take the plant out and take a picture of the roots.
     
  10. joclyn

    joclyn Rising Contributor

    Messages:
    2,707
    Likes Received:
    1
    Location:
    philly, pa, usa 6b
    definitely could use a warmer area.

    that amount of water, although not overwatering, per se, at each watering, is actually overwatering because only the rootball area is being moistened and you're doing that every week which is too often. you may have root rot going.

    you can do either of the following:

    1 let it dry out throroughly for at least 8-10 days and then do a slow, deep watering. add water in small increments around the container and continue to do so until you just see some coming out the drain holes. then allow the soil to dry out down about an inch to inch and half (should be between 10-14 days - more likely the 14 since the temp is a bit on the cool side) and then do another deep watering.

    2 unpot and check roots and cut off anything that is brown/black and/or mushy. if the whole root ball is bad, cut it off completely and then repot the top piece and allow it to re-root.

    since it's been so long since it's been repotted, i'd actually opt for number 2 even though it's a bit early yet to be repotting anything. as togata said, the soil will be compacted after three years and the soil will also be void of nutrients after that amount of time. basically what i'm saying is that the plant needs new soil at the least and there could be problems with the roots.

    easy to fix :)

    if the root ball is not taking up the whole container and still has an inch or so of space you can keep the same one, if you want you can also go up a size (one inch larger) if it looks like the roots will soon be crowded in. remove as much of the old soil as you can - shake off what you can and then maybe swish the ball around in a bowl of water to get rid of anything compacted within the root ball. allow the roots to sit on newspaper or paper towels so the excess moisture is absorbed - you can gently gather up the toweling/paper and softly blot a bit, too. use cactus soil mixed with a bit of regular potting soil and maybe even some perlite added in...you'll have good drainage and enough soil to hold some moisture for a bit. once you put it in the new soil mix, allow it to sit for a couple days dry so the roots can recuperate a bit from all the fussing. then do a slow and thorough watering as i described above.
     

Share This Page