Find Your Local Florist:Everything you want to know about flowers!
Ask The Plant Expert:
I am so excited I got cockscombs from Baker Creek Heirloom on the Internet, but don’t know where to plant them in AZ. It gets very hot here, so should I plant them in the shade? Thank you, Linda.
Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply:
Cockscomb (aka Celosia) will benefit from some shade in your area. I suggest planting them in morning sun and afternoon shade. Good luck and let me know how they do.
It’s only been about a week now since I transplanted 3 seedlings to a hanging basket (2 moonflowers and a morning glory; they had only first set of leaves.) Now they are withering and drooping. The soil in the basket is well drained and was able to make a morning glory thrive last year, until I killed it by just not paying attention to watering. I’m not sure, but need to ask did I do a bad thing when transplanting to have watered with B-1, to prevent transplant shock? What if i did not have it diluted enough? Bad idea all together?
Also, could me moving them around while planting maybe do this? Live in SoCal it’s been pleasantly warm since they have been out. They starting drooping about 3 days after transplant. I have some new seedlings now at a bit further stage in a south facing window inside. I don’t want to repeat this mistake with the new ones. I’m concerned , cause I want to put in that same basket if the ones now have any chance of being saved? Would I have to flush it out well? Is there a better time in growth stage to place out? I’m new to this and disappointed I did something too eager that did this to them. Please help.
Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply:
Most likely you transplanted the seedlings too early. At our garden center, we don’t transplant anything until it has an established root system and true leaves, not the very first set of leaves. The more established the root system before you transplant it, the less likely it will have issues.
If you are trying to place the seedlings in with established plants, that could be a problem since each will have different water requirements.
My recommendation is to let the seedlings form a couple sets of leaves and a good root system before your transplant them. I would not transplant them in to containers that do not already have established plants in them. If you must transplant them into a container with established pants make sure your seedling are fully rooted and have some size to them. Using B1 is fine, just be sure to dilute it properly for the size and age of the plants.
Good Luck and let me know how things turn out.
Ask The Plant Expert:
Have been trying to locate and information on Anthurium Clarinervium? – Robert
Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply:
Anthurium Clarinervium are different that the anthurium plants we are used to seeing in stores. They are more known for their beautiful, heart-shaped leaves than their flowers, which are small and understated. Anthurium Clarinervium is native to Mexico and found almost exclusively in that country. Because the leaves feel a lot like cardboard, this plant is often called, Velvet Cardboard.
Anthurium Clarinervium is an easy plant to grow as a houseplant, and can be cared for much like other anthurium house plants. These plants need good, rich soil, a good choice would be soil recommended for orchids. They like to be moist, but not wet and misted often. Lighting should be bright, but indirect sunlight.
For more, visit this post: Anthurium Water & Fertilizer Requirements
Image via i-saint on Flickr.
Ask The Plant Expert:
Someone gave my wife this plant. Her friend called it a “Mari lilly.” I cannot find any information at all about it. There are always four cone-shaped bright red flowers on each stalk. There are six petals each. There may be several stalks of flowers each season. The leaves grow out of the base only. – Paul
Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply:
Paul, looks like you have an Hippeastrum on your hands, AKA Amaryllis.
We have a great article about amaryllis that explains the name:
At one time, hundreds of plants were labeled Amaryllis from both the new and old world. After a closer look, it was understood that they actually are not from the same genus at all. The name Amaryllis now is used to describe plants from the old world, namely Africa. Plants from the new world are labled Hippeastrum. Currently, there are only two species in the true, Amaryllis genus; the most famous of these is Amaryllis belladonna. The horticultural trade has made little efforts to correct the mislabeled Amaryllis to Hippeastrum, and even if they did, it probably would do very little good.
Read more about this beautiful flower in Amaryllis: The Show-Stopping Diva of Houseplants
Ask The Plant Expert:
Hi again, my outdoor basils turned completely brown last week,with not a single green leaf on,is this normal?
Secondly, leaves of my indoor aucuba are droping one by one, from bottom to top, I keep it facing an eastern window.
Thirdly, I took my jasmine tree indoors in November. It is growing new leaves, but stems are becoming white or beige, they are loosing the green bark(coating), Thanx again. – Amjad
Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply:
Amjad,
1) Basil Issues: I know the temperatures in Jordan are around 55° Fahrenheit (13° Celsius), but did your temperature drop below 50° Fahrenheit (10° Celsius) last week? If it did this could be the reason the basil is turning brown. Basil is susceptible to damage at low temperature.
Another issue could be the age of the plant. Many types of basil are annuals and have a short life cycle. If yours happens to be an annual type of basil and is quite old, the plant may be in a natural state of decline.
2) Aucuba Issues: As for the aucuba, it sounds like a water issue. Check the moisture in the soil. Is it dry? increase the water. If the soil is soggy, check the plant for root rot. Keeping the soil too wet might have caused the roots to start decaying. If the root rot is the problem, snip off the unhealthy part of the roots and re-pot the plant. Make sure the container allows excess water to drain away from the plant.
3) Jasmine Tree: The jasmine sounds like it has chlorosis or root rot. How are you caring for the jasmine tree?
Hope this information is helpful.
Will my lucky bamboo yellowing get better or do i need to cut it as not to kill the entire plant? – Mo
Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply:
Mo, yellowing in lucky bamboo happens when stem cells to burst, causing irreparable damage. This can be caused by: over fertilization or chlorine and other chemicals in the water or too much light.
Because your bamboo shoot is still slightly green for now, try changing the water to distilled and making sure it is getting proper lighting. If the plant’s health does not improve in about a week, you will need to remove the shoot. (If it gets worse, go ahead and cut it.)
Removing the shoot: When you cut your bamboo (if necessary) you will cut the lucky bamboo about an inch from the next healthy node. (A node is the brown ring around the stalk) In this case, it would be the node close to the bottom. Your plant may be a little short, but it will make it! Refer to Not Always Lucky With Lucky Bamboo for better examples of cutting off yellow stalks.
Ask The Plant Expert: I got a baby anthurium as a Christmas gift, and I have been watering about 300ml of water every second day. Most of the leaves have like brown, dead patches on them, and the flowers are turning brown slowly as well. What do I do?? Please help.
Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply: Anthuriums are a tropical plant originating in Central and South America. That means 
they need a lot of water and humidity. It is a good idea to mist your anthurium every day and keep watering every other day. You can also keep your anthurium on a tray of pebbles with water to increase moisture and humidity.
The best rule of thumb is to do the soil squeeze test. Stick your finger down in the soil up to your first joint. Pull a small amount of soil out. If you can roll the soil into a ball and squeeze out water or if the ball stays together, you don’t need to give the plant anymore water. If you can’t roll the soil into a ball and it is powdery, give it some water.
The plant will tend to need more water during the spring and summer even if kept inside. During the fall and winter, you can reduce your watering depending on your specific environmental conditions.
Sunlight could also be a factor for the browning of your anthurium. While, they do enjoy long sunny days, they prefer it to be filtered. Do not put your anthurium in direct sunlight. If you are unable to give your plant filtered sunlight, you can use artificial light. It’s best to give your anthurium at least 9 hours of light a day.
I received this plant from my dad’s funeral. The tag on it only said “green plant” I’ve had it for 2 months and the leaves just continue to fall off. It was a very full plant. (The orange Gerber daisies are fake.) Do you think if the all of the leaves fall off eventually, that it is dead, or do you think I can save it? What type of fertilizer do you think I should use? (I have very little plant experience) – Jenny
Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply:
Jenny,
It is difficult to tell from the pictures. My best guess would be a type of Ficus. It could be Ficus lyrata (Fiddle-leaf fig, Banjo fig) or Ficus pumila (climbing or creeping fig).
Ficus are funny. I once had a ficus we named Truman. In the 10 years that we had it, all the leaves fell off 3 times. Every time we corrected the problem and the plant flushed back out with new healthy leaves. Yours should do the same thing as long as the stems are still green.
To care for Ficus plants, you will need to keep the soil moderately moist and fertilize it once a month from April through August with a water-soluble, high-nitrogen fertilizer. You can use a water soluble fertilizer like Miracle Gro or Peters. I would wait until the plant has some new growth forming before I fertilized the plant. Keep the plant in a brightly lit area, but away from cold drafts. I would remove it from the foil wrapping, and make sure that it is in a container that allows for drainage. If you need to re-pot the plant use a humus-rich potting soil.
For more, check out our Ficus Care & Information Page.
Hope this information is helpful. Please let me know if I can help with anything else. [Read more…]
I’ve just got back from holiday and my peace lily’s leaves are turning black at the edges. I watered it before I went 2 weeks ago, but the curtains have remained closed. Could the lack of sunlight be causing this, or the water? – Matthew
Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply:
Mathew,
I am going to assume that water is the issue here, or possible cold temperatures. If the soil became dry while you were gone, the leaves would turn brown first, and then turn black. The peace lily would also appear to be wilting. If you turned your heat way down while you were out of town, the leaves would turn black.
Both of these situation can be overcome. Begin by hydrating your soil. Make sure that all soil particles are rehydrated. However, you want to make sure that excess moisture can drain away from the peace lily plant. Then make sure the room with the peace lily is kept between 55-68 degrees at night, and 68-90 degrees during the day.
I would remove all leaves that have turned black, and then wait for the plant to produce new growth. The new growth should be healthy and green.
If you want more information about peace lilies go to What Causes Black Leaves On A Peace Lily and/or Peace Lily Plant Care & Info.
I hope this information was helpful. Please let me know if you need help with anything else.
I planted 4 ranunculus bulbs, in a 3 inch plastic pot 10 weeks ago. I had germination signs after 3 weeks; leaves are getting taller, now 4-5 inches tall. Only a couple of days ago they started to wilt, and now they are completely hanging from the sides of the container. I keep the pot in a sunny room, and I water them once weekly from beneath!!!!!!! -Amjad
Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply:
Sounds like you’re doing a good job. Let’s go over the basic ranunculus care and growing information and see if there is a step you may be missing.
Your new ranunculus plant should be placed in a sunny location with well-drained soil. This plant likes to live in slightly cooler temperatures. Although they can be planted in containers, the ranunculus produces a large root system.
I would say the problem is either:
Try adjusting these and see if it helps! Let us know if you have any more questions.
