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Houseplants - secret to keeping them alive?!..

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Old 19 March 2016, 02:12 PM
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Petem95
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Question Houseplants - secret to keeping them alive?!..

Anyone know?

Currently trying to revive an Umbrella plant with drooping leaves, and a Yukka with dropping leaves with browning tips.

Anybody able to get these things to thrive? What sort of soil do you use (I'm using the soil they came with along with just standard compost in those 20litre bags you get from B&Q or whatever as they're in bigger pots). Pebbles at the bottom of the pots to allow water to drain from the roots.

How do people get these things to thrive?!
Old 19 March 2016, 03:58 PM
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donny andi
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My mate grows different stuff......
He buys sacks of soil with ***** in it ....cocoa mix or something....his plants love it.
I also got told feeding from the bottom is better for a plant

But what do I know I'm a builder
Old 19 March 2016, 04:21 PM
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alcazar
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ha...plants!

they either thrive or they don't. My Mrs love's em, but is a known plant murderer...I swear that when we go to garden centres, the plants hide from her.

Best to read up online about individual plants, some like acid soil, some loathe it, ditto lime soil etc etc.

Also, OVER watering is a s bad as under watering.
And don't use tapwater, collect rainwater and use that.
Old 19 March 2016, 05:17 PM
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LSherratt
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I've got a big Yukka, orchid, aleo Vera and another plant which I can't remember the name of. They're all alive, growing, in the original soil and all over a year old

Every time I water, I add 10 drops of general purpose plant feed to each plant which I suppose gives them a boost. I water every Monday, but the Yukka and aleo Vera fortnightly. The orchid has to be watered from the bottom so it is in 2 pots. I fill one pot with water (with the added liquid plant feed) and put the other pot that the orchid is planted in (this is just a plastic pot with holes in the bottom), into the pot with water. After 5 minutes take it out and pour the water away- that's all it needs.

I've also found that less is more believe it or not, particularly with the Yukka. A small amount every 2 weeks is enough.

Last summer my aleo Vera grew a huge flower which was a nice surprise .

Last edited by LSherratt; 19 March 2016 at 05:19 PM.
Old 19 March 2016, 06:35 PM
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The Pink Ninja
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Originally Posted by donny andi
My mate grows different stuff......
He buys sacks of soil with ***** in it ....cocoa mix or something....his plants love it.
I also got told feeding from the bottom is better for a plant

But what do I know I'm a builder
Pmsl...cocoa and perlite by any chance
Old 19 March 2016, 06:37 PM
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donny andi
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Originally Posted by The Pink Ninja
Pmsl...cocoa and perlite by any chance
, plenty of boost though
Old 19 March 2016, 07:47 PM
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tarmac terror
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Umbrella plant should be easy enough cared for - we have one in our hallway, which only gets a splash of water when it drops the odd leaf. It doesn't seem bothered by changes in temperature, lots of light or shade - it does like most plants grow towards the light, so needs to be rotated every once in a while. No magic potions added to the soil, just watered sparingly.

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Old 19 March 2016, 07:55 PM
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gazzawrx
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Try it with a bit of veg feed and see how it goes
Old 20 March 2016, 12:02 AM
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ALi-B
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"Wet feet" aka root rot (over watering)
Not enough feed
Too much feed
Aphids
Thrips
Lack of light
Lack of fresh air
I could go on


My Chillis have had all the above over winter...just about pulling through, just waiting for the nights to get a few degrees warmer before chucking them back outside


I left the yukka and aloe Vera outside over winter as there was nowhere to put them: they seem to be doing ok LOL

Last edited by ALi-B; 20 March 2016 at 12:05 AM.
Old 20 March 2016, 12:09 AM
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Turbohot
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I'm rubbish with plants. I've killed almost every damn plant I've bought or been gifted. One (I don't know what it is) in the office is still going strong. All I do is water it sometimes, and that's it. It's about 7 as long as seven months old, so I think it may wither soon. I don't know. I give up.
Old 20 March 2016, 01:53 AM
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markjmd
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If you want an indoor plant that's extremely easy to look after, get yourself a peace lily (Spathiphyllum). Put it in a decent sized pot with good compost, plenty of indirect light, and you literaly don't need to touch them at all, except for watering when the leaves droop.
Old 20 March 2016, 11:24 AM
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Turbohot
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Originally Posted by markjmd
If you want an indoor plant that's extremely easy to look after, get yourself a peace lily (Spathiphyllum). Put it in a decent sized pot with good compost, plenty of indirect light, and you literaly don't need to touch them at all, except for watering when the leaves droop.
I've checked out Peace Lily. Yes, that's the one I have in my office. It deffo is a hardy.

The other one that took my living room over was a creeper plant with heart shaped leaves. It carried on spreading without much care. I think I gave it to my neighbour, eventually. Of course I had to remove the jungle it created around our fire place and the mirror above it.
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