My mum kills plants.

She has currently a very sick looking rubber plant, the leaves are very dull
and are drooping, not shiny like when she got it six months ago.

Any suggestions what I can do to liven it up or is it already a goner?

Jake wrote:
She has currently a very sick looking rubber plant, the leaves are very dull
and are drooping, not shiny like when she got it six months ago.

Any suggestions what I can do to liven it up or is it already a goner?

depends on what she's doing to it to kill it. :-)
Too much water, too little, no light, feeding it vodka?

On Thu, 4 Oct 2012 13:48:56 +0100, "Jake"
wrote:

My mum kills plants.

She has currently a very sick looking rubber plant, the leaves are very dull
and are drooping, not shiny like when she got it six months ago.

Any suggestions what I can do to liven it up or is it already a goner?

My Mum had an orchid (cymbibium) which was at death's door. I said
"Would you like me to take is home and see if I can revive it?"
Mum's house did not have central heating and was draughty. She
couldn't see well enough to water it etc. After 10 years the plant
still has not flowered, but last year I split it into 5 pieces as it
had grown so big!

The rubber plant may be too wet, or too dry, or too cold etc.
Feed it, sponge the leaves with water with a little milk in, and maybe
try a different place.

Pam in Bristol

On 04/10/2012 13:48, Jake wrote:
My mum kills plants.

She has currently a very sick looking rubber plant, the leaves are very dull
and are drooping, not shiny like when she got it six months ago.

Any suggestions what I can do to liven it up or is it already a goner?




As others have said, it could be too wet or too dry, and that's just for
starters. If I were you, I would tip it out of the pot and see if the
roots are wet and rotten or dry and gasping for water.

If she'd spent the last 6 mnths overwatering it, I would have expected
it to have drowned already, so I'm wondering if it's on the dry side.
Only one way to be sure.

--
Spider
from high ground in SE London
gardening on clay

"Spider" wrote in message
...
On 04/10/2012 13:48, Jake wrote:
My mum kills plants.

She has currently a very sick looking rubber plant, the leaves are very
dull
and are drooping, not shiny like when she got it six months ago.

Any suggestions what I can do to liven it up or is it already a goner?




As others have said, it could be too wet or too dry, and that's just for
starters. If I were you, I would tip it out of the pot and see if the
roots are wet and rotten or dry and gasping for water.

If she'd spent the last 6 mnths overwatering it, I would have expected it
to have drowned already, so I'm wondering if it's on the dry side. Only
one way to be sure.

It's not on the dry side. I just checked the soil today and it's quite damp.
I was kept on a ENE facing window that's about 10 feet away from the
neighbour's house wall, so I suspect it was light that was the problem.

I have liberated the thing and moved it to a SSE facing window.

"Pam Moore" wrote

"Jake" wrote:

My mum kills plants.

She has currently a very sick looking rubber plant, the leaves are very
dull
and are drooping, not shiny like when she got it six months ago.

Any suggestions what I can do to liven it up or is it already a goner?

My Mum had an orchid (cymbibium) which was at death's door. I said
"Would you like me to take is home and see if I can revive it?"
Mum's house did not have central heating and was draughty. She
couldn't see well enough to water it etc. After 10 years the plant
still has not flowered, but last year I split it into 5 pieces as it
had grown so big!

The rubber plant may be too wet, or too dry, or too cold etc.
Feed it, sponge the leaves with water with a little milk in, and maybe
try a different place.

Pam, leave the Cymbid out in the garden all summer feeding well and keep
them moist, even wet, until the first frosts are forecast and only then
bring it into a just frost free place. Do not let them get frosted though.
Certainly no central heating needed, that is too warm. They need the night
temperature drop to spur them on to grow flower spikes.

--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK

"Jake" wrote ...


"Spider" wrote
Jake wrote:
My mum kills plants.

She has currently a very sick looking rubber plant, the leaves are very
dull
and are drooping, not shiny like when she got it six months ago.

Any suggestions what I can do to liven it up or is it already a goner?




As others have said, it could be too wet or too dry, and that's just for
starters. If I were you, I would tip it out of the pot and see if the
roots are wet and rotten or dry and gasping for water.

If she'd spent the last 6 mnths overwatering it, I would have expected it
to have drowned already, so I'm wondering if it's on the dry side. Only
one way to be sure.

It's not on the dry side. I just checked the soil today and it's quite
damp. I was kept on a ENE facing window that's about 10 feet away from the
neighbour's house wall, so I suspect it was light that was the problem.

I have liberated the thing and moved it to a SSE facing window.
Sounds like she might do better with an Anthurium in that spot.
--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK

On Thu, 4 Oct 2012 Bob Hobden wrote:

"Pam Moore" wrote

My Mum had an orchid (cymbibium) which was at death's door. I said
"Would you like me to take is home and see if I can revive it?"
Mum's house did not have central heating and was draughty. She
couldn't see well enough to water it etc. After 10 years the plant
still has not flowered, but last year I split it into 5 pieces as it
had grown so big!

Pam, leave the Cymbid out in the garden all summer feeding well and
keep them moist, even wet, until the first frosts are forecast and only
then bring it into a just frost free place. Do not let them get frosted
though. Certainly no central heating needed, that is too warm. They
need the night temperature drop to spur them on to grow flower spikes.

We do everything wrong with our five cymbidiums and yet they flourish.
They are kept on a sunny window sill which, in winter, is warmed by a
radiator. They produce flowers which last around six months. As soon as
one flower spike has finished blooming the plants grow another,
sometimes two, and thus we have a constant display of flowers.

David

--
David Rance writing from Caversham, Reading, UK
http://rance.org.uk

"David Rance" wrote

Bob Hobden wrote:

"Pam Moore" wrote

My Mum had an orchid (cymbibium) which was at death's door. I said
"Would you like me to take is home and see if I can revive it?"
Mum's house did not have central heating and was draughty. She
couldn't see well enough to water it etc. After 10 years the plant
still has not flowered, but last year I split it into 5 pieces as it
had grown so big!

Pam, leave the Cymbid out in the garden all summer feeding well and keep
them moist, even wet, until the first frosts are forecast and only then
bring it into a just frost free place. Do not let them get frosted though.
Certainly no central heating needed, that is too warm. They need the
night temperature drop to spur them on to grow flower spikes.

We do everything wrong with our five cymbidiums and yet they flourish. They
are kept on a sunny window sill which, in winter, is warmed by a radiator.
They produce flowers which last around six months. As soon as one flower
spike has finished blooming the plants grow another, sometimes two, and
thus we have a constant display of flowers.


Good grief David, you must have big windowsills. Not one of our cymbids
could fit on ours.
--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK

On Thu, 4 Oct 2012 Bob Hobden wrote:

"David Rance" wrote

Bob Hobden wrote:

"Pam Moore" wrote

My Mum had an orchid (cymbibium) which was at death's door. I said
"Would you like me to take is home and see if I can revive it?"
Mum's house did not have central heating and was draughty. She
couldn't see well enough to water it etc. After 10 years the plant
still has not flowered, but last year I split it into 5 pieces as it
had grown so big!

Pam, leave the Cymbid out in the garden all summer feeding well and
keep them moist, even wet, until the first frosts are forecast and
only then bring it into a just frost free place. Do not let them get
though. Certainly no central heating needed, that is too warm. They
need the night temperature drop to spur them on to grow flower spikes.

We do everything wrong with our five cymbidiums and yet they flourish.
They are kept on a sunny window sill which, in winter, is warmed by a
radiator. They produce flowers which last around six months. As soon
as one flower spike has finished blooming the plants grow another,
sometimes two, and thus we have a constant display of flowers.


Good grief David, you must have big windowsills. Not one of our cymbids
could fit on ours.

I must have small ones, then! ;-)

David

--
David Rance writing from Caversham, Reading, UK
http://rance.org.uk

On 04/10/2012 18:33, Bob Hobden wrote:
"Pam Moore" wrote

"Jake" wrote:

My mum kills plants.

She has currently a very sick looking rubber plant, the leaves are
very dull
and are drooping, not shiny like when she got it six months ago.

Any suggestions what I can do to liven it up or is it already a goner?

My Mum had an orchid (cymbibium) which was at death's door. I said
"Would you like me to take is home and see if I can revive it?"
Mum's house did not have central heating and was draughty. She
couldn't see well enough to water it etc. After 10 years the plant
still has not flowered, but last year I split it into 5 pieces as it
had grown so big!

The rubber plant may be too wet, or too dry, or too cold etc.
Feed it, sponge the leaves with water with a little milk in, and maybe
try a different place.

Pam, leave the Cymbid out in the garden all summer feeding well and keep
them moist, even wet, until the first frosts are forecast and only then
bring it into a just frost free place. Do not let them get frosted
though. Certainly no central heating needed, that is too warm. They need
the night temperature drop to spur them on to grow flower spikes.




Oh dear! I put my three Cymbids out all 'summer', but although they had
plenty of water, I forgot to feed them :~(. I brought them indoors at
the weekend, but only to an unheated garden room. If I start feeding
them now, do you think I stand a chance of seeing flowers? I thought
I'd cracked it this year; stupid to forget the feeding.

--
Spider
from high ground in SE London
gardening on clay

I had a Ficus benjamina which I allowed to get too cold in a spare room. It dropped all its leaves. When they regrew about 6 months later, the leaves were dull, a matte finish rather than a shiny one. But it was otherwise healthy and flourished until it got far too big and I gave it to someone else. You said your mothers leaves were dull, so I wondered if there was any possibility of a cold shock in the plant's history.

"Spider" wrote...

Bob Hobden wrote:
"Pam Moore" wrote

"Jake" wrote:

My mum kills plants.

She has currently a very sick looking rubber plant, the leaves are
very dull
and are drooping, not shiny like when she got it six months ago.

Any suggestions what I can do to liven it up or is it already a goner?

My Mum had an orchid (cymbibium) which was at death's door. I said
"Would you like me to take is home and see if I can revive it?"
Mum's house did not have central heating and was draughty. She
couldn't see well enough to water it etc. After 10 years the plant
still has not flowered, but last year I split it into 5 pieces as it
had grown so big!

The rubber plant may be too wet, or too dry, or too cold etc.
Feed it, sponge the leaves with water with a little milk in, and maybe
try a different place.

Pam, leave the Cymbid out in the garden all summer feeding well and keep
them moist, even wet, until the first frosts are forecast and only then
bring it into a just frost free place. Do not let them get frosted
though. Certainly no central heating needed, that is too warm. They need
the night temperature drop to spur them on to grow flower spikes.




Oh dear! I put my three Cymbids out all 'summer', but although they had
plenty of water, I forgot to feed them :~(. I brought them indoors at
the weekend, but only to an unheated garden room. If I start feeding
them now, do you think I stand a chance of seeing flowers? I thought
I'd cracked it this year; stupid to forget the feeding.


You could try a half strength Tomato feed.
--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK

On 05/10/2012 17:28, Bob Hobden wrote:
"Spider" wrote...

Bob Hobden wrote:
"Pam Moore" wrote

"Jake" wrote:

My mum kills plants.

She has currently a very sick looking rubber plant, the leaves are
very dull
and are drooping, not shiny like when she got it six months ago.

Any suggestions what I can do to liven it up or is it already a goner?

My Mum had an orchid (cymbibium) which was at death's door. I said
"Would you like me to take is home and see if I can revive it?"
Mum's house did not have central heating and was draughty. She
couldn't see well enough to water it etc. After 10 years the plant
still has not flowered, but last year I split it into 5 pieces as it
had grown so big!

The rubber plant may be too wet, or too dry, or too cold etc.
Feed it, sponge the leaves with water with a little milk in, and maybe
try a different place.

Pam, leave the Cymbid out in the garden all summer feeding well and keep
them moist, even wet, until the first frosts are forecast and only then
bring it into a just frost free place. Do not let them get frosted
though. Certainly no central heating needed, that is too warm. They need
the night temperature drop to spur them on to grow flower spikes.




Oh dear! I put my three Cymbids out all 'summer', but although they
had plenty of water, I forgot to feed them :~(. I brought them indoors
at the weekend, but only to an unheated garden room. If I start
feeding them now, do you think I stand a chance of seeing flowers? I
thought I'd cracked it this year; stupid to forget the feeding.


You could try a half strength Tomato feed.


Thanks ever so, Bob! Will try that in the morning. Dark and raining now :{

--
Spider
from high ground in SE London
gardening on clay

"kay" wrote in message
...
Jake;970221 Wrote:


It's not on the dry side. I just checked the soil today and it's quite
damp.
I was kept on a ENE facing window that's about 10 feet away from the
neighbour's house wall, so I suspect it was light that was the problem.

I have liberated the thing and moved it to a SSE facing window.

I had a Ficus benjamina which I allowed to get too cold in a spare room.
It dropped all its leaves. When they regrew about 6 months later, the
leaves were dull, a matte finish rather than a shiny one. But it was
otherwise healthy and flourished until it got far too big and I gave it
to someone else. You said your mothers leaves were dull, so I wondered
if there was any possibility of a cold shock in the plant's history.

No, not at all, her house is always kept warm.