How to Recognize Houseplant Stress

How to Care for House Plants

Steps for Indoor Plant Care to Reduce Houseplant Stress

I should have been more aware of the houseplants I brought in for the winter.  I wasn't  So imagine my dismay when I finally looked at the few houseplants I have, and recognized the signs of improper care.

Spider Mite Webs

Yellowing Leaves of  Pothos

This is a Golden Pothos.  One of the easiest,  most carefree houseplants there is.  Suddenly, (Or maybe not so suddenly) the leaves had turned yellow.  And the spider webs were entangled within.

I had the plant hanging from a hook in a west facing window for its winter home.  So I was pretty sure the light was not the problem.  Pothos can tolerate low light even from a north facing window.  I had watered this guy in the days previous, so I didn't think it was suffering from thirst.  Pothos can go for long periods of dryness. Watering every 3 – 4 weeks will not harm it.

In fact so many houseplants suffer and die from the over-watering by well-meaning caretakers.  Wet feet – water standing in the container – can cause molds, and harbor diseases.  If the soil is soggy water fills the soil pores and pushes out oxygen the roots need. The soil should have a chance to drain, and dry out between watering. A moisture meter can determine when your houseplant needs watering for proper care.

Gold Pothos

Safer Insecticidal Soap

Water Spray to Wash Plant Leaves

The Safer Insecticidal Soap was the second step to treating the spider mites that had infested my Pothos with the webs.  The first step was a spray in the sink with a warm blast of water on all the leaf surfaces.  This water shower can wash away some of the pests, and also gives the leaves a bath. By removing dust and dirt from the leaves, the plant can breath and better use the Carbon Dioxide it takes in, and transforms this CO2 to clean oxygen. Take the time to care for your indoor plant.  Plant leaves need to be cleaned periodically throughout the season.

Insecticidal Soap Spray for Spider mites

I then sprayed the entire plant, tops and bottoms of leaves, stems, and I even hit the soil with the Insecticidal Soap.  This step may need to be repeated in a few days if I see any new webs forming. 

The next step in my attempts to save this sickly plant, was to check a resource I frequently refer to – Jerry Baker’s Great Green Book of Garden Secrets.  Not only can I  look up the symptoms of a plant problem, but this book gives me safe, easy, inexpensive remedies to care for my ailing houseplant.

A note in Jerry Baker’s book caught my eye. Water softener water should NOT be used on plants.  This water is salty and salts can build up around plant roots causing major problems.

Water Softener Valve

I make a habit of turning the water softener on by-pass when I’m out in the yard, but I must admit, watering indoor plants just didn't get the same care.  I encourage you to use filtered water and avoid fluoridated water as well.  Fluoride can cause tips to turn yellow, and other chemicals in the city water can form a crust on the soil.

So I've devised a method to treat my houseplants better, and reduce their stress.

Charcoal Filter

Water Filter in Refrigerator

I’ve got a charcoal filter insert for the coffee and tea maker so I use the water from the tea compartment for a good source of filtered water.  The fridge also has a filter.  Both of these options filter water but the tea water is hot, and the fridge water is too cold.  Let the water sit till it is room temperature before watering your house plants.
The yellow leaves were still a concern.  I had the right lighting, and the water source was room temperature and filtered.  So I continues to research Jerry Baker's book and found that ‘if the mature leaves were turning yellow, the plant is starving.’
This pothos was outside all summer.  And besides the rain or rain barrel watering, this guy was on his own.  Duh – months of growing with no food.  Months of flushing nutrients through the potting mix with no nutrition.  I am so embarrassed!

Liquid fertilizer mixture

Compost tea

Water Soluble Fertilizer

Feeding houseplants with fish fertilizer is my first choice.  The water soluble organic fertilizer is great for a quick uptake by plants. A compost tea would also have been a good option.   But, I had used up my supply and so I resorted to another source for this emergency. 

Brown Spot on Leaf

The brown, dead spots on leaves indicated a Magnesium deficiency; so out to the shed for the Epsom Salts.  A tablespoon of Epsom Salts per gallon of water should remedy this problem too.

Epsom Salts for Added Magnesium

 

Watering houseplants with a weak solutions made from a used tea bag and a few drops of dish liquid will give nutrients to maintain a healthy plant.  The tea is slightly acidic which plants like, and the soap makes the water wetter, so it disperses through the soil and to the roots of the plant.
 
Jerry Baker has an All Purpose Houseplant Tonic in his book, Great Green Book of Garden Secrets that I am sure will carry the plant through the winter months with less stress.  
2 tbsp. of whiskey
1 tbsp. of hydrogen peroxide
1 tbsp. of Fish Fertilizer
1/4 tsp. of instant tea granules
1/2 tsp. of unflavored gelatin
1/2 tsp. of liquid dish soap
1/2 tsp. of ammonia
1/2 tsp. of corn syrup
1 gal of warm water. 
Mix all of the ingredients, and use this instead of plain water on your houseplants.

The ammonia is a source for Nitrogen, and the corn syrup adds carbohydrates for the plant’s food source. 

Golden Pothos

Houseplant stress can be reduced by smart watering practices, and adequate light.  Room temperatures between 65 degrees and 72 degrees is optimal to reduce houseplant stress.
 
I love to have plants indoors over the winter.  Finding plants that are easy to care for and also aid in indoor air quality will be addressed in the next few posts.  Houseplants in the office can also have benefits we will discuss.

Thanks for your visit today.  What houseplants do you have?  What problems do you encounter in their care?  Leave a comment, I’d love to hear from you.

Native Coneflowers-Challenges and Remedies

Native Coneflower Stands up to Challenges

Echinacea, Purple Coneflowers, are a heat resistant, drought tolerant native plant that is a staple in my garden. I have divided them around the garden for so many years, that I’m not sure of the cultivars anymore. 

Being a native, this group of plants has overcome threat from insects and diseases.  However, that does not mean that coneflowers don’t have some challenges. 
Insect pests that can affect coneflowers include caterpillars, Japanese beetles, grasshoppers, aphids,  mealy bugs, spittle bugs, and thrips.

Aphids are sucking insects that can weaken the stems.  Usually a firm spray of water from the hose will dislodge them. 

Japanese beetles can chew a blossom to shreds in a very short time.  Hand pick them (I use gloves!) and pinch or drop them into a soapy solution.
Mealy bugs and spittle bugs are easy to spot.
 
The mealy bugs are soft-bodied wingless insects look like fuzzy cotton. They feed by inserting long sucking mouthparts, called stylets, into plants and drawing sap out of the tissue. Damage is minimal when only a few pest are present. However, at higher numbers they can cause leaf yellowing and curling as the plant weakens. Mealy bugs feeding is usually accompanied by honeydew, which makes the plant sticky and encourages the growth of sooty molds.
A strong water spray will dislodge mealy bugs, and is usually all that is needed.  If further control become necessary, spray with a soap/oil mixture if the water alone doesn't do the job. Mix 1 tsp. insecticidal soap, 1/2 tsp. horticultural oil, and 1 quart water in a spray bottle.
 

Spittle bugs suck!  Even though they look icky, the really do not do any harm to the plant. They hide in the bubbly secretions seen on plants.  Control of mealy bugs is using the water spray as well. Spray the underside of leaves where the spittle bugs hide. 
Other pests that attack coneflowers are rabbits and deer.  The young plants are often targets.
 
Some pests are not quite as obvious as the deer or rabbit.  The microscopic Eriophyid mites are such pests.  As these mites feed, the plant produces  tufts of growth on the flowers. 
The mite will over winter in debris or the plant crown, and will infect subsequent years growth.  No controls are called for, but a plant can be removed to prevent spread of the mite. 

Other than insects, Echinacea can get a couple of diseases.  One is stem-rot.  This usually occurs when over-watering occurs, or the planting site does not drain well.  Compost added to the soil will allow water to drain, and will keep the roots of the coneflower from staying too wet. 

The Aster yellows is a disease the is transmitted by insects, particularly leaf hoppers, or poor growing methods.  Aster yellows is a viral-like disease and is caused by a phytoplasma (previously called mycoplasma-like organism) and is spread by aster leafhoppers.The densities of aster leafhoppers, and incidence of the disease, can be strongly influenced by the occurrence of certain host weed species. These weed species include quackgrass, plaintain, chickory, knotweed, pineapple weed, stinkweed, wild asters, lambs quarters, sow thistle, ragweed, Kentucky bluegrass and wild carrot.

  
Plants with Aster yellows have distorted, green flowers, and stunted growth. This one is in my garden, and I’m planning to dig it up and throw it.  Aster yellows is not treatable and spreads quickly. 
Black spot, a fungal disease is seen on coneflowers occasionally.  Black spot usually set up during, cool, moist periods. Powdery mildew can also infect coneflowers.
  For the most part, diseases can be prevented by utilizing proper cultural practices such as variety selections, plant and soil nutrition, irrigation and humidity management,  pruning, and row spacing. Air movement is key to reducing these fungal diseases.  Water only when needed, and avoid wetting the leaves.  Remove debris since the spores from these diseases can linger in the soil. 
Once black spot or mildew are observed, the steps to control them are less effective.  Pre-treat susceptible plants before the fungus are seen.  Mix 1 teaspoon vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon baby shampoo, and 1/3 teaspoon baking soda in 2 cups of water. This solution comes right from the kitchen!
Compost tea as a spray is a good option too.  In a five gallon pail, soak a scoop of compost for up to 24 hours.  Strain and spray. 
Echinacea is a long-lived perennial, and thrives in a sunny location.  Soil can be average to poor.  Plants have a  long taproot, to find moisture deep in the soil.  Hardy to Zone 3-8, coneflowers bloom for long periods during the summer. Many cultivars are being developed to extend the sizes and colors.
    Fancy Frills
Doopleganger

  Razamatazz
Hot Lava
Meringue
Echinacea is a native that has many attributes for the landscape.  Prairies or sunny borders, this plant holds it’s own. I feel the coneflower is definitely a keeper in my garden.
 
Thanks for stopping by today.