Growing "houseplants" is not gardening? What is it then? Ballroom dancing?

It is very difficult to overwater a Diffenbachia since they like to have wet
feet and will even grow in standing water. Your problem is probably that the
soil has become rancid. Replace ALL the soil and treat with a fungicide.

If by "citronella plant", you are referring to a scented pelargonium
cultivar, you have a real problem. They prefer bright light and to go dry
between watering. If the cutting are rotting, you have been overwatering
them. Remove the rotting part of the stems. Treat the wound with rootone and
try rooting them in moist sand (not soil). Keep the sand moist but not wet.

Bottom line is that you should stop overwatering your plants.

Be sure all your pots have drainage holes in the bottom.


gingerobyn wrote in message
...
i have houseplant questions and don't know if they apply here, since it's
not gardening per se, but thought i would give it a shot to see if anyone
can help me.

first question:
i overwatered some plants and ended up with actual mold on the top layer
of
soil. white hairy mold. i noticed more dropping yellow leaves on the
plant
(diffenbachia) than usual. i scooped out the top layer of soil taking the
visible mold away. i was wondering if the mold is very bad for the plant,
and also if scooping off the top layer and letting the soil dry was enough
to take care of it.

2nd question:
i took cuttings from a citronella plant. they have been in water for at
least 2 (maybe 3 months now). the didnt grwo roots right away, but finally
started to. the stalk from which the roots are growing however seem like
they are rotting. the leaves of the plant look and smell fine. the stalks
are still sturdy, just brown and have a gooeyness on them. can i
successfully plant them? is there a specific way i hsould have rooted and
planted this?