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I have an purple oxalis plant that is growing very well, but leggy. Is that natural or do I have to trim?
Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply: You can prune the plant to encourage shorter new growth. I recommend selectively pruning, instead of a straight across the board pruning. This will leave some leaves in place while the plant produces new ones.
Hope this information helps.
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Me again. I also have a Ficus Benjamina which has shed most of its leaves since I bought it 4-5 months ago. It was in my porch which gets good light most of the day, but there is no new leaf growth. I’ve pruned the bare branches back some as I was advised by the garden center, but it remains bare, any suggestions to get it growing again, I realize it’s winter and its slowing down, but there should be some sign of growth. – Matthew
Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply:
Matthew,
Ficus can be temperamental and will drop leaves for a variety of reasons. I once had a Ficus I named Truman. I let it get too cold and it dropped all of its leaves. I up the heat, gave it the proper amount of water, (moist, but not soggy) and waited about 6 weeks. It finally put out new leaves.
So, it is important to know why the leaves dropped in the first place.
Correct the problem that caused the leaves to drop, and give it time to recover. To ensure that the plant energy is not wasted prune out any dead stems.
If you plant has been over watered, make sure the plant can drain off excess moisture.
Once you have corrected the problem, the plant should make a full recovery.
Hope This Helps.
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I have some spider plants which are brown at the tips of the leaves, I’m using tap water that has been standing open to the air for a few days, and have been trimming these bits off, will this help? – Mathew
Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply: Matthew,
This is a problem I have seen first hand in our greenhouse. What you have is most likely fluoride damage. These plants are very sensitive to fluoride. Unlike chlorine, fluoride doesn’t evaporate effectively from an open container. We had trouble in the greenhouse until we started using well-water instead of city water. I recommend catching rain water or use distilled water. Once you switch the browning should stop.
Hope this information was helpful.
Flower Shop Network
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I’ve got two corn palms and a yucca plant which require soil with good drainage. Knowing from past experience that normal soil gets waterlogged easily I’ve mixed in equal parts sand and a small amount of pea gravel; am I right in thinking that this will be more suitable? – Matthew
Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply:
The idea soil for most plants is loam (a mixture of sand, silt and clay). This type of soil is ideal because it allows the water to drain freely while still retaining nutrients and moisture.
Although your soil mixture will drain well, it won’t have the right organic (nutrient) content, and may not allow for proper water reserves. I would try adding peat moss, humus or compost manure to your mixture. All components should have a 1 to 1 ratio.
I hope this information was helpful.
I have a China Doll plant which was sent to us for my Mother’s funeral. It really means a lot to me to save this plant and care for it. My question is this: is this a plant that I can plant outside in the ground? Will it survive through weather changes? Or is it better to keep inside the house? Thank You!! – Meko
Flower Shop Network 
Plant Expert Reply: Radermachera sinica (China Doll) is typically used as a house plant only and not an outside plant. If you lived in Hawaii, or maybe Florida, you could leave this plant outside.
As a house plant, it will need the following care:
Hope this information is helpful.
I received this Bonsai plant as a gift about 10 days ago. I don’t know what kind of plant it is, and don’t know how to keeping and taking care of. There are some problems with it; it’s leaves fall down every day in a large number, both young leaves and old leaves. Also in these recent days, some of its leaves are wilting. Here the weather is cool so I water it once a week. I put it about 1/5 meter away of the window. The room is light, but there is no straight sun light on it. I attached a photo of its location too. Please help me with its wilting and the leaves falling down. Please guide me how to taking care of it and a perfect location for it. And please tell me my plant’s name.
Looking forward your answer
Gisou
Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply: Gisou,
I believe what you have is a type of jade. If I had to guess what the problem is with your plant, I would put my bet on transplant shock coupled with a water issue. Check you soil and make sure it isn’t too wet. The leaves have the ability to store water. If the soil is kept too wet, the plant will get root rot and the leaves will fall off. So let the soil dry slightly before you water it. This type of plant requires a very stable temperature range. Make sure that it is not in the pathway of a door or air vent. You can give it a slight bit of fertilizer once a month from March through November. Be sure not to over-fertilize it. Too much fertilizer can cause severe damage.
One more thing to check is the position of the bonsai. If it is too high in the pot, the plant could be drying out which can cause the leaves to drop. I don’t think this is a problem, but it is hard to tell from the pictures.
I hope this information was helpful. Please let me know if I can help with anything else.
I would dearly like to identify a flower my neighbor grows, and no one knows what it is or where to get more. Please help! – Bob
Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply: As for the variety, I am not sure which type it is, but the perennial you have is definitely Phlox paniculata. It is hardy in zones 3-8 and likes either a full sun or part shade exposure. Depending on where you live it can bloom late spring to early fall. It grows any where from 2 feet to 4 feet in height and can sprerad 2 to 3 feet in width.
Hope this information was helpful. Please let me know if I can help with anything else.
Hi there. I received a variety of plants in a funeral arrangement. I re-potted them in the spring and now that it is getting colder at night, I need more help in determining how to care for them. I had them outside on my porch, since I was not sure as to the toxicity of them, as I do have 3 cats and a dog. Can you please identify. I believe that one of them is a dwarf umbrella plant, but not sure on the other. Thanks. – Jeanene
Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply:
The first one is a Wareneki Draceana and the second one is a Schefflera. The first one should be okay for your pets to be around. However, the schefflera can be a problem for dogs or cats who are prone to chewing on plants. If you read our article 10 House Plants Poisonous to Dogs, Cats or Children, it will help you decide which plants you should keep with your pets. You may also refer to the House Plant Care & Information Page.
Hope this information was helpful.
Please let me know if I can help with anything else.
I have a limp Christmas cactus. How large a container & what kind of soil mixture should I use? This is a cutting that is special. Also, there are bugs on the soil – not the plant – help, please!
I don’t have a photo, but the plant hasn’t bloomed since I planted the cuttings. The cactus has been in the house and I wonder if I should put it outside since I live in Palm Desert, CA.
Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply: You do need to re-pot your Christmas cactus. I like to use a potting soil specifically blended for Christmas cactus (for example Fafard Cactus and Succulent potting mix). I would transplant it into a pot that is 1½ times larger than the existing pot. If you have mealy bugs, try to remove all of them as your transplant the Christmas Cactus.
Christmas cactus can bloom up to two times a year inside. So moving it outside is not necessary. However, you may need to fertilize it or prune it.
Please read Flower Shop Network’s article, The Unique Beauty of Christmas Cactus, it has very valuable information about Christmas cactus.
Hi, My lucky bamboo (dracaena sanderiana) stalks started growing roots in the middle of the stems (nodes) where leaves have grown. This is the first time I have encountered this. Would like to know why this happens, and what should I do. I suspect it’s not getting any water and thus the leaves are yellowing…
Thanks in advance for your help! – Meng
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