I think Bridget is dead

[Ginfizz2]

I decided during lock down I needed to add some greenery to my flat and that it may have some sort of positive impact on my overall well being. Anyway trundled off to sainsburys and I bought Bridget. I bought her a beautiful pot and placed her in a corner in my bedroom which would provide her with some sunlight. I regularly watered her but despite my efforts at keeping her alive it looks like she’s dying??? What do I do?? To top it off I read an article about how great succulents are at filtering the air so I then bought a selection. Jeffery also looks like he’s had enough. Any avid green fingered experts who can help??

So glad other people name their house plants too! I have a Feargal, and he also does well under a regime of benign neglect.

@Fairybatman

Bridget wants a lot of light, watering no more than once a week and only if the soil is dry to touch at the top and her leaves wiping with the inside of a banana peel about once a month as a special treat.

Jeffery is a grumpy old codger who wants you to leave him the hell alone! Put him in the sun mist his leaves once a week max. Let his soil dry out completely (like proper bone dry) before you think about watering him.

wiping with the inside of a banana peel? you what?

If you like watering, get Basil - he never has enough!
www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/grow-plants/how-to-grow-basil/

I water my umbrella plant about once a fortnight, and the jade about once a month, maybe less. Most plants need far less water than you think.

@Wroxie

And where did you get the notion from that I meant broken crockery in a plant pot with no holes in the bottom. Why the hell would I mean a plant pot with no holes in it. Who tries to grow plants in a pot with no drainage holes. Although I dare say you will correct me on that too by mentioning air plants or hydroponics.

How kind of you to go around correcting things that people did not say. Thanks.

If you want clean air you need a spider plant.
Also harmless to pets if eaten or rubbed against.

Oscar and Hedgehog (bought by DD who is now 400 miles away at uni) seem to thrive on benign neglect. Every plant I have ever cared about has died a slow death, the ones that my kids have brought in and I only water when I remember (rarely) do really well. So I think that it is a case of dont "over-love" them.

Less water and maybe Bridget's due a repot. If you lift her out of her pot roots soil and all can you see roots?

@SlopesOff

If you want clean air you need a spider plant. Also harmless to pets if eaten or rubbed against.

Yes... spider plants for clean air.

Geoff the succulent (I have a few of his relatives) live outdoors in the sunniest spot of the garden until frost is forecast (next Thursday if forecasts are to be believed), when I bring them in and put them in my south facing hallway, where I ignore them until spring.

The succulent may have been over-watered, but they are yery hard to kill! Take it out of the pot, brush off all the wet compost and repot it, without watering. Put it somewhere where it gets lots of light but few draughts. The other one, castor oil plant(?) will probably perk up with more light and air, repotting would do no harm, is the pot too small? Cut away any brown bits, don't be too kind and it shpould recover too.

Jeffery will be fine.

I have a house full of plants that I keep thriving with no issue, but my bastard ‘Bridget’ is determined to drop ever leaf it owns, wherever I put it. (So, I’ve put it out in the cold frame out of my sight, let that be a lesson to the moulting git.)

@ChocolateCherrybomb please do calm down. You suggested putting broken pottery in the bottom of the pot to 'aid drainage' which is what people think they should do when they are using a pot with no drainage. This is a longstanding and very persistent myth around container grown plants. I talk to people every day about plants and I am regularly having to explain why this is a bad idea. I'm pretty sure you meant exactly what I assumed you meant, and are now, for some reason, embarrassed, which is silly. A day you learn something new is a good day.

I'm just trying to keep people from killing their plants, I'm not your enemy.

Def overwatering. Only water them once the soil is bone dry. Hopefully they will resuscitate

Bridget is an Umbrella Plant and very prone to root rot. I've killed lots over the years- the leaves drop off if too much water. I water mine about once a fortnight and sparingly- if soil is still damp don't water. I wouldn't feed at this time of year- wait until March or April and then add some slow release fertiliser to the soil or a liquid feed each time you water.

For Jeffrey, I wouldn't water him much at all during winter- put him somewhere bright and cool and then water a bit more from spring onwards and put somewhere sunny.

I have a Jeffrey, his tag has disappeared but when i bought him, it said "thrives on neglect"
I can confirm he is still alive, circa 10 years on, many other plants have died in my "care". Good job there isn't a society for prevention of cruelty to plants

They are relaxing and restful in all other rooms.....in in

@Wroxie

I'm just trying to keep people from killing their plants, I'm not your enemy

Really made me laugh!

@TwoLeftSocksWithHoles

LTP..?

My plants always get watered when they ask, and never before. They ask using body language, usually looking a bit limp and sometimes a slight change of colour. You can't do it on a schedule - they're all different. But, get to know them, and you can have a long and happy life together.

A good way to know if a plant needs watering is to stick your finger in the soil as far as it will go. If the soil is dry all the way through and no soil sticks to your finger, water it thoroughly until water runs right out of the holes in the bottom (I do this in the bath with the sprayer usually). Don't water it again until it's dry again.

Some more delicate plants - usually smaller plants with tender stems and delicate root systems- like to soak up water from the bottom, but most medium to large plants or plants with firm or woody stems are happy with a deluge.

If you can't get your finger into the soil, it's compacted - poke it with a wooden chopstick to loosen it up and aerate it and re-pot in a bigger pot as soon as you're able.

I own a very successful (thanks, Covid houseplant boom) online shop for houseplants in the UK - I import most but I also propagate and grow plenty myself and will be starting a greenhouse next year all being well. If anyone has any questions at all I'm happy to help.

@Wroxie

I have a question: Inhave a mini sansiveria which is growing a runner. how can I best 'catch' it to propagate?

Apologies for my previous post errors...my iPad is dying I need an upgrade.

Looks in her final few days or so to me.

My grandad gave me a tip when this lovely flower type thing I had seemed to be dying..told me to mix lemonade and water and put it on plant. I thought he was a bit weird for that but he grew loads of plants and stuff so did it anyway. 2 days later it was as good as new, so the sugar rush appeared to help. Not sure if it might have been luck though, or if it is a god way to revive dying plants/flowers.

I only keep plants that thrive that thrive on neglect - I find orchids love it. They flower for ages, you ignore them, they’re nearly dead and you contemplate chucking them on the compost, you water them one last time .... and then you notice the buds, magic!

My DD though, overdoes the neglect. She can kill multiple cactii and it’s not through overwatering!

@Mouldiwarp1

I could have written your post! About 6/7 years ago DD2 bought me a white orchid. I had not a clue about what orchids like (i'm better at garden plants) and had it on a full sun window ledge and only watered it when i remembered the soil got crispy. Despite this it flowered apx. every 6 months! Beautiful.

At the 2/3 year mark i thought to myself ''this orchid lark seems easy, lets get a couple more and learn about them''. So i bought myself a couple more and potted them all up properly with the special soil in the clear pots, put them on their own shelf in the 'right' light (no direct sunlight) fed and watered them when the experts said to and waited ...

will they bloody flower? NO!

Fuckers.
I side eye them every time i go past. And i side eye what's left of the expensive moss and compost i bought for them.

@pinkbalconyrailing congratulations on your new baby! I would cut it with a sharp knife as close to the base of the mother plant as possible (you may need to pull the whole plant out of the pot a bit to push some soil out of the way in order to get to the connection) - then let the rhizome dry out for a few days so the cut edge 'callouses' before potting it up. Don't be tempted to use a big pot for it to 'grow in to' - they like to feel cozy. It may be a bit too 'sideways' to comfortably fit in a small pot depending on how big it is but do your best, the leaves will straighten out as it grows if they aren't pointing straight up.