On 2013-06-20 13:11:45 +0100, Jim Stone said:

"Pam Moore" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:54:50 +0100, Martin Brown
wrote:

On 18/06/2013 22:24, Jim Stone wrote:
Have a plant which i keep in water in a vase and change the water every
week. Its been happy like that for a long time. The roots are like onion
roots thick white strands.

Recently the leaves are becoming a bit pale, so I guess its short of a
nutrient or two.

Amazing that it has lasted this long given your ill treatment of it!

A long time ago i heard that putting a copper coin in the water helps to
provide nutrients. True or not i don't know.

False. A real copper coin might even help kill the plant by disabling
enzymes that protect woody stems from fungal rot.

Are there any other simple things you know of, that i could put in the water
that would provide nutrients and still allow to me to change the water
easily each week? Thanks.

Phostrogen or similar water clear soluble plant food.
Baby bio if they still sell it although that is slightly darker.

Have I missed something or is nobody else curious, as I am, as to what
this plant is, and why it is grown in water and not in the
conventional way?
Pam in Bristol
--------------------------------------------------------------------

This is the plant:

http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=2ajynnr&s=6

we dont know what it is. it was given to us in water and when we tried
to put some in soil it was not happy.

Reineckia carnea. And it certainly grows in the ground. One of our
nursery staff has it planted round an Aralia in her garden. It likes a
shady spot but is okay in full sun if the soil is moist. It's in the
same family as lily of the valley. I have a feeling we had a question
about this on here a while back.
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk