Ponytail Plant with Droopy Brown Leaves

I have had my ponytail plant for about twenty years inside. It is about five feet tall. Just recently, the new leaves at the top have had brown places on them and the plant is not as full. The long leaves are drooping. What should I do. I love this plant!

Ponytail Plant

When was the last time you transplanted or repotted your plant? Maybe it is potbound. Overwatering is usually the biggest problem with this plant in winter, but with overwatering, the leaves usually turn yellow and then brown. Over dryness of the soil, on the other hand, will cause shrivelling and browning of the leaves; leaves that are limp and wilted, and there will be little or no growth. If your plant is potbound, it may not be getting enough water even though it is being watered. What size is the pot in comparision to the size of the plant, how often do you water the plant, and how long has it been in the same pot?

Too much fertilizer can result in weak, lanky growth in winter; wilted leaves; crisp brown spots on the leaves and scorched edges on the leaves. Most plants do not require fertilizer in the winter months. If you have been fertilizing the plant this winter, how much and how often has it been fertilized?

Other possible causes of drooping leaves are a sudden change in light, temperature and humidity levels. Have you moved the plant recently to a different location that may be colder or hotter, darker than usual, or less humid than what the plant is used to?

Ask yourself these questions, then, the first thing I would recommend is to check the soil and the root-ball. If the roots are really overcrowded, or the soil is excessively dry, this could be the problem. If the soil is very compacted, damp or soggy, has a foul odor, and the roots are brown or black, soft and mushy, root rot could be the problem as a result of overwatering. If root rot is the problem, and it is quite advanced, there is little you can do for the plant, outside of trying to propagate a portion of it.

Droopy Ponytail Plant with Soft Bulb

My ponytail plant bulb seems to be soft and pliable to touch and its leaves are droopy looking. Could there be something wrong with it? It's not looking good at all. What can I do to help?

Ponytail Plant

Your plant has either been overwatered (a common winter problem), or it does not have enough water. The plant does not generally require watering very often in the winter months while it is dormant. The bulb and roots could be rotting. You can check to see if they are rotting by taking the plant out of the pot and carefully removing soil from around the roots. If they are black or brown and mushy, or if the outer layer peels off the root very easily, then the problem has been overwatering. If this is the case, the only thing you can do is to check to see if there are any healthy roots left (they will be a healthy white or light yellow color as well as being firm) on the caudex (bulb). If there arn't any healthy roots, and the bulb is mushy (soft), then it is too late to try and save it. You could try to root the stem by cutting it off above the soft part, dust some rooting hormone on the botton inch and inserting it in a moist, sharp sand and peat mix. Otherwise, if about half of the roots are still healthy, then you should remove all of the rotten roots and repot the plant in a gritty, well drained soil. Do not water it for at least a week or two.

On the other hand, if you havn't been watering the plant, the soil may be to dry and the plant may be just wilting, in which case you should water it.

The first thing to do is take the plant out of the pot and examine the roots. Check the roots for health, and the soil for wetness or dryness. This is about all I can tell you without seeing the plant or knowing your watering schedule. I hope your plant recovers.

Snow Droops Arborvitae

When snow droops some of my emerald green arborvitae, should I remove the small branches that stick out and don't seem to want to go back upright? How many "main stems" or trunks should a 6' specimen have? These one-year nursery b&b's have several shoots and I think they should be trimmed back, but I do not want to do it improperly. Thank you.

Emerald Green Arborvitae - Thuja occidentalis

Personally, I would give the small branches a chance to straighten up before removing them. If they refuse to do so after several weeks into the growing season, then they could be removed. One thing to keep in mind is that this tree will not resprout from bare wood, so be careful not to make holes or destroy the natural shape of the tree. When you prune or thin the tree, always cut back to a small branch or green shoot. The tree will continue to grow from this point. In other words, never just up and cut a branch in half, for example. Cut the branch you want removed back to the parent stem or a side branch, which should be at least two thirds the diameter of the branch you are removing. Never leave stubs. Look carefully and plan or make your cut so that a branch or shoot above the cut, will hide that cut. If done properly, the overlapping foliage will hide the otherwise unsightly wounds made by the hand held pruning tool.

There really is no exact number of stems a tree should have. However, you should maintain one stem as the dominant leader. Cut the others back to a lower side branch, keeping in mind the natural shape of the tree. Shortening a few lengthy branches or thinning some of the over-crowded branches in order to let more light into the center of the tree is usually all that is necessarry with this tree. A little corrective pruning each spring before growth starts and a few touch ups in early summer are the proper times to prune this tree. Shearing is not recommended unless it is a formal hedge, as leaf damage can result in browning of the foliage. I hope this information answers your question. Doing it and describing it are certainly two different things. If you are still not sure of what to do, perhaps it is best to hire a local arborist. If he dosn't mind you watching, this is the best way to learn. As always, 'Green Thumbs Up'!

Peace Lily Toxicity and Gold Dust Dracaena

I know peace lilys are toxic to children, but what about pets? Also, I have a gold dust dracena (I think), and it's not doing too well. The leaves first droop, then drop. How should I be caring for it?

Gold Dust Dracena - Dracena godseffiana

As a rule, if a plant is toxic to people, it can be harmful to pets as well. The peace lily is not considered deadly poisonous to pets (mildy toxic), but it can make them very ill. You should contact the Poison Control Center in your area if a pet should ingest any part of the plant. Keep the phone number close to your telephone in case of an emergency.

Your Gold dust Dracaena (Dracaena godseffiana) should be located close to an east or west window where it will receive bright indirect light, but not direct sun. It prefers night temperatures in the high 60's F. and day time temperatures between 70 to 75° F. The soil should be kept evenly moist, so the best method of watering is to let the soil's surface dry and then thoroughly soak the plant. Do not let the pot sit in the drainage water. Fertilize the plant during the growing season (spring and summer) twice a year using a water soluble fertilizer such as 20-20-20. Never fertilize the plant in the winter or dormant period.

There are several factors that cause drooping and leaf drop on Dracaena. You will have to determine the cause and then the problem can be corrected. It is common and normal for the older leaves to drop ocassionally as they make way for the new leaves. On the taller species, the old bottom leaves drop off every two years, eventually giving the plant a palm-like appearance.

Poor root health from over-watering or underwatering, and over-fertilizing are common reasons for drooping and falling of leaves. Try to keep the soil evenly moist at all times. In winter, a plant usually does not require watering as often. If the plant is receiving too much water, both the old leaves and young leaves will fall at the same time. If the plant is not receiving enough water, the older leaves will drop first. Only fertilize the plant twice a year, even less if light levels are quite low. On the other hand, if the plant is starving, it will also drop leaves. A pale yllowish green leaf color indicates low nitrogen levels.

Too much light or too little light can cause leaves to droop and fall. You may have to move the plant around a bit to find the best location.

A plant that is potbound will drop leaves in order to compensate for the leaf to root ratio. Check the drainage holes to see if roots are protruding or take the plant out of the pot and check the root system. If the roots are circling at the bottom of the root-ball, prune off some of the extra long large roots and repot the plant in a one size larger pot in fresh compost.

Hot or cold drafts, too low a humidity level in the room, or a sudden change in temperature can result in sudden leaf drop.

These are the main causes for drooping and falling leaves of Dracaena. Start by checking the plants roots and then check to see if any of the other reasons could be the cause. I wish you success with your plant.

Plants and Light Make Food

Can any green plant make food under artificial light?

Photosynthesis

Any plant can make food (if you are referring to the energy-rich carbohydrates - sugar and starches- produced by photosynthesis) under artificial light as long as there is enough light quality, intensity and duration of that light required by that plant to manufacture food.

The artificial light must have good light quality in order for plants to produce food. Light quality refers to the combination of the different wave-lengths (colours) such as the colours we see in the rainbow or light passing through a prism. When all of these colours are mixed together such as in the case of sunlight, white or colourless light is the result, even though all of the different wave-lengths are present. Plants do not use the green light of the spectrum, they reflect it. This is why plants appear green to us. The red and blue light are the most essential wave-lengths used by plants in providing energy for photosynthesis in which plant food is manufactured. There are many fluorescent tubes on the market designed for the specific purpose of providing plants with appropriate light quality.

Secondly, light intensity (brightness) is needed in artificial lighting in order for plants to manufacture food. Of course, the amount of bright light a plant requires to produce food depends on the species of plant. Plants such as mosses that grow in deep shade do not require as bright a light to manufacture food as a sun loving plant such as a desert cactus, for example, needs to manufacture food. The sun produces the highest intensity or brightest light available to plants. Sun loving plants will need high intensity artificial lighting, while shade loving plants will need only low intensity artificial lighting. Finally, a plant must receive an adequate quantity of light (duration). Under artificial light, most plants will need at least 8 to 12 hours of light each day. The amount of time a plant needs light each day will also depend on the intensity of that light. For example, a sun loving plant that receives over 1000 foot candles of light each day may only need 4 to 6 hours of light per day, whereas, the same plant recieving only 400 fc of light may need 10 hours of light each day in order to manufacture the same amount of food. A 'light meter' is a useful tool in determining how much light a plant is receiving.

Eastern Redbud

I am wondering if you can give me the name of a medium size tree with pink flowers in spring prior to the appearance of heart shaped leaves. It is hardy to zone 5. I am looking for the name of this tree if you can help. Thank you.

Eastern Redbud - Cercis canadensis

The tree you are describing could be Cercis canadensis (Eastern Redbud) or one of its cultivars. Eastern redbud has more or less rosy-pink or purplish-pink pea-like blossoms which open in spring before the heart-shaped leaves emerge. Two cultivars of C. canadensis with soft pink or pale pink blossoms are 'Pinkbud' and 'Withers Pink Charm'. These small trees are hardy to zone 4. If the trees flowers resemble the flowers of the common garden pea or sweet pea, this is quite likely the tree.

Daisies!

I am a daisy lover, and have noticed several variations... How many are there total, and do you know where I can find photos of them? Thanks so much.

There are many different variations in the flowers, flower colors, foliage and plant habit of plants known as daisies, that it would be next to impossible to give a total number of variations. Plant breeders are continuously producing new hybrids and cultivars that have new and distinguishing characteristics about them that differ from those introduced before them.

True Daisy - Bellis Perennis

Daisies belong to the Daisy Family (Compositae), a very large and diverse family of plants (over 800 genera and 15,000 species), not to mention the thousands of cultivars introduced by man. There are many genera listed as daisies. In an attempt to show some of the different variations in daisies, I will start with the daisy that is botanically considered the true daisy, the English Daisy, Bellis perennis . This genus (Bellis), will be followed by other genera considered as daisies, and where specific variations occur within the genus (ex. flower form - single, double, etc.), they will be noted under that genus. As there are many cultivars now available with many of the genera, I will only list a few cultivars of the true daisy Bellis perennis.

So, botanically speaking, the true daisy is Bellis perennis, commonly known as the English Daisy or the True Daisy. The genus name, Bellis, is from the Latin word 'bellus' which means 'pretty' and perennis, the specific name or species, means 'perennial'. Even though the specific name means perennial, the English daisy is treated as a biennial or annual in very cold climates. Variations in the flowers of Bellis perennis include singles, semi-doubles and doubles. The yellow center shows on single and semi-double forms, but is hidden by the many overlapping petals on double varieties. Flower size varies from the large 'Monstrosa Super Giant' types with 4 inch in diameter blossoms to the small 1 inch in diameter pomponette or button types. Flower color of cultivars of Bellis perennis can be red, white, crimson, rose, pink or bi-colored.

Bellis perennis: yellow center, white to pink or purplish outer ray petals. A few cultivars of Bellis perennis include: 'Dresden China' - miniature, delicate pink blossoms; 'Rob Roy' - double crimson; 'Alice' - pink flowers; 'the Bride' - white flowers; 'Tasso Strawberries and Cream' - pink and white petals; 'Habanera' - white with red tips; 'Victoria' - red and white flowers.

B. rotundifolia: (Spanish Daisy) - white daisy-like flowers

B. rotundifolia caerulescens: (Blue Daisy) - blue daisy-like flowers

Aphanostephus skirrhobasis: (Lazy Daisy or Prairie Daisy) - 1 inch single flowers, white with yellow center

Arctotis stoechadifolia grandis: (African Daisy) - 3 inch wide black heads, creamy white, tinted red underneath single ray flowers

Arctotis hybrida: shades of pink, red, yellow and orange

A. breviscapa: orange-yellow flowers, black center

A. venusta: 3 1/2 inch wide silvery-blue single flowers.

Aster novae-angliae and A. novi-belgii: (both called Michaelmas Daisy) - both species produce 1 1/2 to 2 inch blossoms. There is a wide range of cultivars in many colors.

Aster tataricus: (Tatarian Daisy) - 1 inch violet-purple flower heads

Brachycome tanacetifolia: (Swan River Daisy) - l 1/2 inch wide fragrant blossoms in blue, rose, violet or white

Chrysanthemum coccineum (also C. roseum or Pyrethrum hybridum): (Painted Daisy) - pink, red or white flowers. Flowers vary in form in that they may be single, with one ring of petals, or double with overlapping rings of petals, or they may have raised centers like a pincushion.

Chrysanthemum frutescens: (Paris Daisy) - several colors

Chrysanthemum maximum: (Shasta Daisy) - flowers are white with occasional tinges of yellow and include single, semi-double, double, anemone type, anemone- centered doubles, and anemone-centered semi-doubles. There are many available cultivars.

Chrysanthemum coronarium: (Crown-Daisy) - light yellow to white flowers, single or semi-double

Chrysanthemum leucanthemum pinnatifidum: (Ox-eye Daisy) - yellow center, white ray flowers

Chrysanthemum nipponicum: (Nippon Oxeye Daisy) - 31/2 inch wide white flowers

Chrysanthemum uliginosum: (Giant Daisy) - large, white flowers up to 3 inches

Dimorphotheca sinuata: (African Daisy) - white, yellow, apricot, salmon, pink and orange with dark centers. Also many hybrids available.

D. pluvialis: ('Glistening White') - pure white ray flowers with black centers

D. barberiae: single, rosy-purple flowers

D. chrysanthemifolia: shrubby perennial with golden-yellow flowers

Felicia amelloides: (Blue Daisy) - l 1/2 inch blossoms, sky blue with yellow centers

F. bergeriana: (Kingfisher Daisy) - ½ to ¾ inch wide sky-blue blossoms

Gamolepis tagetes: (Sunshine Daisy) - ¾ inch bright yellow to orange flowers

Gerbera jamesonii: (Gerbera Daisy, Transvaal Daisy or Barberton Daisy) - 4 to 5 inch blossoms include white, cream, pink, salmon, rose to red, yellow or orange

Machaeranthera tanacetifolia: (Tahoka Daisy) - 2 inch pale blue flowers with yellow-orange centers

Mesembryanthemum criniflorum: (Livingstone Daisy) - 1 inch delicate flowers in colors of buff, pink, rose, crimson, apricot, white and orange

Rudbeckia hirta gloriosa: (Gloriosa Daisy) - flowers yellow, gold or mahogany with brown centers

Thymophylla tenuiloba: (Dahlberg Daisy) - ½ inch golden-yellow flowers

Verbesina encelioides: (Butter Daisy) - 2 inch wide golden flowers