U OK hun? It's time to check up on your houseplants
I am getting back to basics this January. Rather than buying new plants, I am keeping a close eye on the ones I have and aiming to get them through winter in the best shape possible. Even through watering may be more infrequent, it's still worth checking roots, and monitoring for early signs that all is not well.
With that in mind, here's my quick-fire round of answers to five of the most common houseplant questions.
Don't forget to scroll down for an action-packed news section that includes a big new houseplant event, two new books and an announcement about #HouseplantHour.
Why is my houseplant sticky?
The most likely cause by a country mile is a pest infestation, aphids and scale in particular. The stickiness is honeydew - which is, baldly put, their poo, made up almost entirely of sugars and water. (Visit this page for the most incredibly treasury of honeydew info). If you can't see pests on the sticky plant itself, check any plants above and around it for stowaways, as the honeydew often falls onto other plants. The other option? Some plants have extra floral nectaries that produce nectar and make them sticky, for instance some of the aroid family
Why is my houseplant turning yellow?
Yellow leaves can have dozens of causes. Too hot, too cold, too wet, too dry: you are going to have to do some detective work. However: foliage yellowing in winter sets off alarm bells in my head for the possibility of root rot, so check the rootball first and look for slimy rotting roots.
Why are my houseplant leaves curling?
Check the roots for dryness. If it's a prayer plant of some kind, make sure you can tell the difference between leaves that are curling because the soil is too dry, and newly emerging leaves, which unfurl as they mature.
Why is my houseplant soil turning white and fluffy on the surface?
First, don't panic. This is fungus, which is a totally normal part of soil. That said, check the rootball and make sure that the soil is not being kept too wet - in winter in particular, a lot of houseplants will prefer to be allowed to dry out at root level between watering. Fungus tend to thrive in evenly moist soil, so it may be a sign that your watering regime needs checking. You can mulch the surface with bark chips, grit, gravel or similar if you don't like the look of it.
Why is my houseplant dropping leaves?
Think of leaves as 'machines' for photosynthesis - the process that plants use to turn light energy into chemical energy. In winter when light levels drop, many houseplants will drop some leaves because they don't need as much 'machinery'. If you find a plant is dropping a few of its older leaves, don't panic. Do start panicking if your plant drops leaves from all over, or in great abundance. As ever, the first thing to do is check roots for rot.
Want more answers to houseplant questions? Check out my thematic guide to On The Ledge episodes.
This blogpost was taken from The Plant Ledger, my email newsletter about the houseplant scene. Subscribe here and get my free in-depth guide to fungus gnats.