My wife and I have this lilly, at least she tells me it's a lilly,
that is in really bad shape. Every couple of weeks it gets a new
healthy looking green leaf. Within a few days, however, this new leaf
starts to get a dark, limp area on one edge, that spreads over the
next couple of days until it is a withered mess.

The entire plant has only one reasonable leaf on it, and that one is
on its way out. What is wrong with this plant?

Thanks, Mike

expounded:

My wife and I have this lilly, at least she tells me it's a lilly,
that is in really bad shape. Every couple of weeks it gets a new
healthy looking green leaf. Within a few days, however, this new leaf
starts to get a dark, limp area on one edge, that spreads over the
next couple of days until it is a withered mess.

The entire plant has only one reasonable leaf on it, and that one is
on its way out. What is wrong with this plant?

Thanks, Mike

Where are you located? Are there slimy lumps (for lack of a better
description) along the stem? Are there fingernail-red beetles
anywhere near the plant (they fall on the ground on their backs if
they sense you coming near - their bottomside is black, so they blend
into the ground). Look for red lily beetles and say goodby to your
lily unless you want to haul out the largely ineffective chemical guns
(or hand-pick the feces covered larvae and dispose of them, a very
tedious task if you've got lots of lilies).
--
Ann, gardening in Zone 6a
South of Boston, Massachusetts
e-mail address is not checked
******************************

On Jun 10, 6:56 pm, Ann wrote:
expounded:

My wife and I have this lilly, at least she tells me it's a lilly,
that is in really bad shape. Every couple of weeks it gets a new
healthy looking green leaf. Within a few days, however, this new leaf
starts to get a dark, limp area on one edge, that spreads over the
next couple of days until it is a withered mess.

The entire plant has only one reasonable leaf on it, and that one is
on its way out. What is wrong with this plant?

Thanks, Mike

Where are you located? Are there slimy lumps (for lack of a better
description) along the stem? Are there fingernail-red beetles
anywhere near the plant (they fall on the ground on their backs if
they sense you coming near - their bottomside is black, so they blend
into the ground). Look for red lily beetles and say goodby to your
lily unless you want to haul out the largely ineffective chemical guns
(or hand-pick the feces covered larvae and dispose of them, a very
tedious task if you've got lots of lilies).
--
Ann, gardening in Zone 6a
South of Boston, Massachusetts
e-mail address is not checked
******************************

None of that, thank goodness. This is a potted, indoor plant. It's
possible it's not getting enough sunlight.

Mike

wrote in message
ups.com...
On Jun 10, 6:56 pm, Ann wrote:
expounded:

My wife and I have this lilly, at least she tells me it's a lilly,
that is in really bad shape. Every couple of weeks it gets a new
healthy looking green leaf. Within a few days, however, this new leaf
starts to get a dark, limp area on one edge, that spreads over the
next couple of days until it is a withered mess.

The entire plant has only one reasonable leaf on it, and that one is
on its way out. What is wrong with this plant?

Thanks, Mike

Where are you located? Are there slimy lumps (for lack of a better
description) along the stem? Are there fingernail-red beetles
anywhere near the plant (they fall on the ground on their backs if
they sense you coming near - their bottomside is black, so they blend
into the ground). Look for red lily beetles and say goodby to your
lily unless you want to haul out the largely ineffective chemical guns
(or hand-pick the feces covered larvae and dispose of them, a very
tedious task if you've got lots of lilies).
--
Ann, gardening in Zone 6a
South of Boston, Massachusetts
e-mail address is not checked
******************************

None of that, thank goodness. This is a potted, indoor plant. It's
possible it's not getting enough sunlight.

Mike


More info needed. How big is its pot, in height and width? Does the pot have
an attached saucer or one that can be removed? Is there a drainage hole in
the bottom of the pot? How often do you water it, and how do or your wife
decide when watering is needed?

wrote in news:1181540082.728787.26460
@i38g2000prf.googlegroups.com:

On Jun 10, 6:56 pm, Ann wrote:
expounded:

My wife and I have this lilly, at least she tells me it's a lilly,
that is in really bad shape. Every couple of weeks it gets a new
healthy looking green leaf. Within a few days, however, this new
leaf
starts to get a dark, limp area on one edge, that spreads over the
next couple of days until it is a withered mess.

The entire plant has only one reasonable leaf on it, and that one is
on its way out. What is wrong with this plant?

Thanks, Mike

Where are you located? Are there slimy lumps (for lack of a better
description) along the stem? Are there fingernail-red beetles
anywhere near the plant (they fall on the ground on their backs if
they sense you coming near - their bottomside is black, so they blend
into the ground). Look for red lily beetles and say goodby to your
lily unless you want to haul out the largely ineffective chemical guns
(or hand-pick the feces covered larvae and dispose of them, a very
tedious task if you've got lots of lilies).
--
Ann, gardening in Zone 6a
South of Boston, Massachusetts
e-mail address is not checked
******************************

None of that, thank goodness. This is a potted, indoor plant. It's
possible it's not getting enough sunlight.

Mike



And/or waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much water.

Would this be a peace lily?
Dark green with white flowers?

If so, I know from experience, if you touch the leaves at all - the kind of
thing you are describing happens. Not sure exactly why, something to do
with the oils from your skin rubbing off on the plant. Will also happen if
a cat rubs against it too. Agree with the others that there may be too much
water. What time of day do you water it and how often?

wrote in message
oups.com...
My wife and I have this lilly, at least she tells me it's a lilly,
that is in really bad shape. Every couple of weeks it gets a new
healthy looking green leaf. Within a few days, however, this new leaf
starts to get a dark, limp area on one edge, that spreads over the
next couple of days until it is a withered mess.

The entire plant has only one reasonable leaf on it, and that one is
on its way out. What is wrong with this plant?

Thanks, Mike

On Jun 11, 5:08 am, "JoeSpareBedroom" wrote:
wrote in message

ups.com...





On Jun 10, 6:56 pm, Ann wrote:
expounded:

My wife and I have this lilly, at least she tells me it's a lilly,
that is in really bad shape. Every couple of weeks it gets a new
healthy looking green leaf. Within a few days, however, this new leaf
starts to get a dark, limp area on one edge, that spreads over the
next couple of days until it is a withered mess.

The entire plant has only one reasonable leaf on it, and that one is
on its way out. What is wrong with this plant?

Thanks, Mike

Where are you located? Are there slimy lumps (for lack of a better
description) along the stem? Are there fingernail-red beetles
anywhere near the plant (they fall on the ground on their backs if
they sense you coming near - their bottomside is black, so they blend
into the ground). Look for red lily beetles and say goodby to your
lily unless you want to haul out the largely ineffective chemical guns
(or hand-pick the feces covered larvae and dispose of them, a very
tedious task if you've got lots of lilies).
--
Ann, gardening in Zone 6a
South of Boston, Massachusetts
e-mail address is not checked
******************************

None of that, thank goodness. This is a potted, indoor plant. It's
possible it's not getting enough sunlight.

Mike

More info needed. How big is its pot, in height and width? Does the pot have
an attached saucer or one that can be removed? Is there a drainage hole in
the bottom of the pot? How often do you water it, and how do or your wife
decide when watering is needed?- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

It's in a small ceramic pot, 6" wide and 5" high, with a built in
saucer in the bottom.

About a year ago, it didn't get watered enough. My wife was out of
town and I was "taking care" of it. Mostly by ignoring it until all
the leaves were drooping down the side of the pot. (This is when it
still had more than one leaf.) One time I would have sworn it was
dead, but it came back ok.

Then I resolved to take better care of it, and I probably did start
watering it too much. For the last couple of months I've been
watering it thoroughly less than once a week, when the soil feels dry
deeper than half an inch.

My wife had also shaken a lot of fertilizer pellets into the pot,
thinking that was the problem. I read online that fertilizing a sick
plant is a bad idea, so I've since removed all the pellets. The plant
just won't get any better.

It's not that I'm particularly attached to this plant, but I feel like
there's something wrong with me if a 40 year old can't keep one potted
plant alive.

Mike

wrote in message
ups.com...
On Jun 11, 5:08 am, "JoeSpareBedroom" wrote:
wrote in message

ups.com...





On Jun 10, 6:56 pm, Ann wrote:
expounded:

My wife and I have this lilly, at least she tells me it's a lilly,
that is in really bad shape. Every couple of weeks it gets a new
healthy looking green leaf. Within a few days, however, this new
leaf
starts to get a dark, limp area on one edge, that spreads over the
next couple of days until it is a withered mess.

The entire plant has only one reasonable leaf on it, and that one is
on its way out. What is wrong with this plant?

Thanks, Mike

Where are you located? Are there slimy lumps (for lack of a better
description) along the stem? Are there fingernail-red beetles
anywhere near the plant (they fall on the ground on their backs if
they sense you coming near - their bottomside is black, so they blend
into the ground). Look for red lily beetles and say goodby to your
lily unless you want to haul out the largely ineffective chemical guns
(or hand-pick the feces covered larvae and dispose of them, a very
tedious task if you've got lots of lilies).
--
Ann, gardening in Zone 6a
South of Boston, Massachusetts
e-mail address is not checked
******************************

None of that, thank goodness. This is a potted, indoor plant. It's
possible it's not getting enough sunlight.

Mike

More info needed. How big is its pot, in height and width? Does the pot
have
an attached saucer or one that can be removed? Is there a drainage hole
in
the bottom of the pot? How often do you water it, and how do or your wife
decide when watering is needed?- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

It's in a small ceramic pot, 6" wide and 5" high, with a built in
saucer in the bottom.

About a year ago, it didn't get watered enough. My wife was out of
town and I was "taking care" of it. Mostly by ignoring it until all
the leaves were drooping down the side of the pot. (This is when it
still had more than one leaf.) One time I would have sworn it was
dead, but it came back ok.

Then I resolved to take better care of it, and I probably did start
watering it too much. For the last couple of months I've been
watering it thoroughly less than once a week, when the soil feels dry
deeper than half an inch.

My wife had also shaken a lot of fertilizer pellets into the pot,
thinking that was the problem. I read online that fertilizing a sick
plant is a bad idea, so I've since removed all the pellets. The plant
just won't get any better.

It's not that I'm particularly attached to this plant, but I feel like
there's something wrong with me if a 40 year old can't keep one potted
plant alive.

Mike


In other words, you're using a method known as guesswork, which is rarely
successful with plants. I'd suggest that any time you buy a plant, you keep
a record of all information on the plant tag, head to the library, and read
about the plant. The care info on the tags is always incomplete, and only
marginally accurate.

wrote in
ups.com:

On Jun 11, 5:08 am, "JoeSpareBedroom" wrote:
wrote in message

ups.com...





On Jun 10, 6:56 pm, Ann wrote:
expounded:

My wife and I have this lilly, at least she tells me it's a
lilly, that is in really bad shape. Every couple of weeks it
gets a new healthy looking green leaf. Within a few days,
however, this new leaf starts to get a dark, limp area on one
edge, that spreads over the next couple of days until it is a
withered mess.

The entire plant has only one reasonable leaf on it, and that one
is on its way out. What is wrong with this plant?

Thanks, Mike

Where are you located? Are there slimy lumps (for lack of a
better description) along the stem? Are there fingernail-red
beetles anywhere near the plant (they fall on the ground on their
backs if they sense you coming near - their bottomside is black,
so they blend into the ground). Look for red lily beetles and say
goodby to your lily unless you want to haul out the largely
ineffective chemical guns (or hand-pick the feces covered larvae
and dispose of them, a very tedious task if you've got lots of
lilies). --
Ann, gardening in Zone 6a
South of Boston, Massachusetts
e-mail address is not checked
******************************

None of that, thank goodness. This is a potted, indoor plant.
It's possible it's not getting enough sunlight.

Mike

More info needed. How big is its pot, in height and width? Does the
pot have an attached saucer or one that can be removed? Is there a
drainage hole in the bottom of the pot? How often do you water it,
and how do or your wife decide when watering is needed?- Hide quoted
text -

- Show quoted text -

It's in a small ceramic pot, 6" wide and 5" high, with a built in
saucer in the bottom.

About a year ago, it didn't get watered enough. My wife was out of
town and I was "taking care" of it. Mostly by ignoring it until all
the leaves were drooping down the side of the pot. (This is when it
still had more than one leaf.) One time I would have sworn it was
dead, but it came back ok.

Then I resolved to take better care of it, and I probably did start
watering it too much. For the last couple of months I've been
watering it thoroughly less than once a week, when the soil feels dry
deeper than half an inch.

My wife had also shaken a lot of fertilizer pellets into the pot,
thinking that was the problem. I read online that fertilizing a sick
plant is a bad idea, so I've since removed all the pellets. The plant
just won't get any better.

It's not that I'm particularly attached to this plant, but I feel like
there's something wrong with me if a 40 year old can't keep one potted
plant alive.

Mike


Take it out of the pot and check and make sure the drainage hole at the
bottom is free and clear and that the soil at the bottom of the pot is
the same dampness (or lack thereof) as at the top of the pot. Then shake
off all the soil, wash out the pot and put it back in with new, fresh
potting soil.

Don't fertilize it again until it looks better.

1) Unpot the plant, rinse all the soil off the roots and repot in fresh
growing medium.

2) Identify the plant and figure out what you need to provide to get the
plant to grow properly; change those factors (including soil) once you
figure it out.

The plant may have picked up a fungal or viral disease you're just not
seeing, and may still die. But in my experience, repotting has pretty
good success as a last-ditch effort to save a potted plant that you
don't know what's wrong with it.

Kay

"Kay Lancaster" wrote in message
...

1) Unpot the plant, rinse all the soil off the roots and repot in fresh
growing medium.


.....and don't water the bejeezus out of it!

In article ,
"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote:

It's not that I'm particularly attached to this plant, but I feel like
there's something wrong with me if a 40 year old can't keep one potted
plant alive.

Mike


In other words, you're using a method known as guesswork, which is rarely
successful with plants. I'd suggest that any time you buy a plant, you keep
a record of all information on the plant tag, head to the library, and read
about the plant. The care info on the tags is always incomplete, and only
marginally accurate.

Joe, why disparage the advice given, unless you have better advice for
here and now? Next time doesn't help Mike now. Your advice reminds me of
the story about the airliner that was flying into Seattle in the fog
when its navigational equipment failed.

The pilot flew the plane below the fog and saw a guy sitting next to an
open window. The pilot shouted,"Where am I?" The man shouted back,"Your
in a plane". Where upon the pilot banked hard to the left and a couple
of minutes later was lining up the runway to land.

The co-pilot was stunned. He asked the pilot with amazement, how he knew
where to go. The pilot said," The information that the man gave me was
completely correct and totally useless, so I knew I was at the MicroSoft
Support Building";-)

You gave good information but as far as trying to save the plant, it
wasn't relevant.

- Bill
Coloribus gustibus non disputatum (mostly)

"Billy Rose" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote:

It's not that I'm particularly attached to this plant, but I feel like
there's something wrong with me if a 40 year old can't keep one potted
plant alive.

Mike


In other words, you're using a method known as guesswork, which is rarely
successful with plants. I'd suggest that any time you buy a plant, you
keep
a record of all information on the plant tag, head to the library, and
read
about the plant. The care info on the tags is always incomplete, and only
marginally accurate.

Joe, why disparage the advice given, unless you have better advice for
here and now? Next time doesn't help Mike now. Your advice reminds me of
the story about the airliner that was flying into Seattle in the fog
when its navigational equipment failed.


Since nobody knows:

-The type of lilly
-The size of the pot
-How much water it was given
- How much of what type of fertilizer it was given...

.....very little of the advice given so far is truly useful. One thing is
true, though: Society, in general, has lost track of books. That is so
wrong, especially for gardeners.

On Jun 11, 2:42 pm, Kay Lancaster wrote:
1) Unpot the plant, rinse all the soil off the roots and repot in fresh
growing medium.

2) Identify the plant and figure out what you need to provide to get the
plant to grow properly; change those factors (including soil) once you
figure it out.

The plant may have picked up a fungal or viral disease you're just not
seeing, and may still die. But in my experience, repotting has pretty
good success as a last-ditch effort to save a potted plant that you
don't know what's wrong with it.

Kay

Thanks, Kay, and to everyone else who offered advice. To those few
who implied I was irresponsible for purchasing a plant I didn't know
how to care for: I didn't. My wife did. Blame her.

Mike

wrote in message
oups.com...
On Jun 11, 2:42 pm, Kay Lancaster wrote:
1) Unpot the plant, rinse all the soil off the roots and repot in fresh
growing medium.

2) Identify the plant and figure out what you need to provide to get the
plant to grow properly; change those factors (including soil) once you
figure it out.

The plant may have picked up a fungal or viral disease you're just not
seeing, and may still die. But in my experience, repotting has pretty
good success as a last-ditch effort to save a potted plant that you
don't know what's wrong with it.

Kay

Thanks, Kay, and to everyone else who offered advice. To those few
who implied I was irresponsible for purchasing a plant I didn't know
how to care for: I didn't. My wife did. Blame her.

Mike


Not irresponsible for buying it, but within a matter of days or 2-3 weeks,
it would've been a good idea to get to your library and learn more about the
plant. It's a living thing. You adopted it. It's your job to do the best you
can to keep it happy.