Please help...save a family treasure...

Discussion in 'Indoor and Greenhouse Plants' started by joanna4paws, Oct 17, 2011.

  1. joanna4paws

    joanna4paws Member

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    Hi there,

    I could desperately use someone's help on helping me “save†a houseplant that is in dire straights. My father was the recipient (by his request) of a houseplant my grandmother had for sometime before she died in 1992. Yes, I said, “1992â€! This plant has been in the exact same container sitting in the exact same spot in my father’s master bathroom, virtually laying claim to the entire master tub area because it was so large that the bathroom....well, lets just say was “ITS†room, for the past 19 years! Don’t ask me how this plant thrived... first, in my father’s care (he doesn’t give it anything but water), and second, in the same pot for this many years. But it did (I think my grandmother sent an angel to care for it) .

    That was until my father re-roofed his house this summer and at the suggestion of the roofer he decided to roof over the sun roof (sky light) that has long been this plants only source of light for nearly two decades. So, my father called me about a week ago and said, “I could really use your help, Ma’s plant is dying and its not looking good.†So, yesterday I went to my fathers house and picked up the plant hoping that I can save it from death and keep it in the family.

    This plant has a long history behind it and lets just say that for many years, it was the first thing that greeted you when you entered my grandmother’s house, this plant is here because of our grandmothers hands and it has many memories and sentimental memories attached to it. (For example, the Christmas I fell into it after wrestling with my dad and broke off several stems, while at the same time listening to my grandmother tell my father and I that “you don’t act like monkeys in the houseâ€. So, each time I look at it it brings up memories...I am sure it has it’s reasons for each of us.

    Your help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. So, first, one of the stems broke off when I was getting it here. I stuck it in water hoping to save it. Many of the stems are brown, yellow and some green and/or brown and green, it’s roots are coming out the bottom of this pot about a foot, the roots are circled in the top of the pot on top of the dirt....and it has went from a plant that took up a 4-6 foot area that was more than 5-6 feet tall, with huge big stems and big green leaves to a plant that seems to have small, puny stems with leaves that are brown on the edges and small. The plant is down to just a few stalks and leaves and the plant is exceptionally smaller than I have ever seen it in my life.

    Second, what is the plant called?
    Third, CAN YOU PLEASE HELP ME SAVE IT?

    I would really like to try to save this plant and learn how I can grow it back to its “days of thunder†and at the same time learn how I can cut off pieces of this plant to make 9 smaller plants to give one plant to each of the 9 grandchildren from our grandmothers original plant. I know that will take some time. For now, I would just like to save it from death.

    Here are a couple of pictures.

    A very concerned and saddened granddaughter,
    JoAnna
     

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    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 17, 2011
  2. togata57

    togata57 Generous Contributor 10 Years

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