House plants I need some help with my house plants please

Essex, United Kingdom

House plants

I need some help with my house plants please - don't seem to be having much luck with them! I don't quite kill them (well most of them) but they really don't look nice and green and bushy.

I had a peace lily on which all the leaves went black and died back - it never recovered. It was in a bathroom. I'm not sure if this is too much water, or too little water - any ideas to help me keep my other one? I have a parlour palm and the leaves have one a faded green brown and gone all crunchy. It seems to have some new shoots but should I cut off all the dead leaves or leave them so as not to shock the plant too much?

I also had an orchid which flowered continuously for around two years. It then stopped flowering about a year ago and the roots (?) on the surface of the pot went woody and died off. It also lost a few of the lower leaves. It is still alive and looking much healthier, has green roots again but still isn't flowering. Any ideas what will help gratefully received.

Thanks in advance for your help to make my fingers a bit greener!

31 Mar, 2013

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Answers

Spritzhenry

I'd suggest buying a copy of 'The House Plant Expert' by Dr Hessayon. It has plenty of good advice about keeping house plants happy.

31 Mar, 2013

Pennyfarthing

Agree with Spritxhenry. It'a a super book and probably available on amazon. It sounds as though you might be overwatering the peace lily and possibly the palm. Both can withstand quite dry conditions, or at least, they do here!

1 Apr, 2013

Drc726

I too like the DR Hessayon books although I dont have the house plant one as I find indoor plants dont do well for me as I can never get the watering right.

2 Apr, 2013

Derekm

I agree with Drc726, I don't have "house plants" because I think there is no such thing as a house plant, there are plants that will grow in the garden, or there are plants that will grow in a greenhouse, heated to various temperatures, depending on what it is you want to grow, but I have yet to find a plant whose natural habitat is a house, houses are there to give warmth and shelter to humans, sorry rant over lol, Derek

3 Apr, 2013

Melintir

I have to disagree, i have Clivia for over 3 years now, growing bigger every year and flowering once or twice per year. Never have a single problem with it.

3 Apr, 2013

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