This is a blue candle cactus I believe and it has actually been doing very well but I noticed the base has been brown which made me suspect root rot but it's been like this for awhile and I don't water it much at all and the top seems to still be growing. Is it just doing that thing cacti do sometimes where they turn brown and hard or is it slow root rot?




Some propogated alocasia. Should this be replanted before summer ends? In how big of a pot?





This guy was doing so well in his tiny crowded pot. I just finally replanted it and it's been losing little tendrils. Is it just shock? Or too big of a pot? What should I do? It's usually so happy.





This begonia I repotted as well and a lot of it's leaves and stems got very soft and wilty. I haven't given it any more water in case it got too much but this has happened before and it springs back but what do you think is the issue? I trimmed the ones that were so wilty that couldn't make a comeback as it had been days.





This birds nest fern is just always like this. Not dead but not super happy or growing. Will grow a leaf and lose one at the same time. What should I change? Just repotted it and it's been fine but the same. I've seen the leaves turn yellow when it had too much water and brown when not enough. Now I feel like I don't water it ever but it still looks slightly overwatered to me.





Last one I have a question with. I had someone watching all my plants when I was gone for a few months and this one when I returned was on the brink of death, they hadn't known how to take care of it. I gave it a few soaks and cut off the dead fronds. It's making a great comeback and will be fine but the brown tips- could I prune those off? Or just leave them?

Thank you for reading all my questions! Sorry it's a lot. I have a lot of plants and sometimes this thread is so much more helpful than google with even the simple questions and has helped save a good number. Thanks!

Hey those are great windows! I would have a bunch of plants near them too. Wow! Which way are they facing?

Do Begonia, Rhipsalis, and bird nest pots have holes in the bottom?

Begonia - are there rhizomes? If so, they should be 90-95% exposed, gently but somewhat firmly pressed onto the soil surface.

Rhipsalis = jungle epiphyte. Likes moist soil, but it needs to also be chunky/airy/loose. Are the fallen pieces firm?

Bird nest, looks the most concerning. Is the center brown?

I hope you get some responses to the other plants, I don't have experience with those. In the future, it is less confusing to ask about 1 plant per post. It's fine to start several new discussions if you have questions about several plants that require more in-depth answers than a few yesses & no's.

@purpleinopp
The windows face EAST * there are two big bay windows. The kitchen window faces West, which is where the cactus was moved to after it turned purplish pink in the east window? Always thought that color meant too much sun?

The rhizomes are showing on the begonia more on some stalks than others?

Rhipsalis- the fallen are firm.

The birds nest I've had for two years about and it always looks just like this. The center is not brown. Although I did just replant a week ago so we'll see if it deteriorates.

They all have holes in the bottom. Except for the birds nest fern. It's been in one that has a drainage hole and it looked like this the whole time. I'm careful now when I water it and it does have a lot of rocks at the bottom too and I've tilted it extra water.

Sorry for the multiple posts, it's what I've done before and no one told me the etiquette haha so thank you. Don't want to be annoying. But people on here are so helpful! They saved my rhipsalis though. Thought it was an entirely different plan and was withholding water when I initially got it as I was new to plants and couldn't find any info on google and that's how I found this!

azizazap said:
Sorry for the multiple posts, it's what I've done before and no one told me the etiquette haha so thank you. Don't want to be annoying. But people on here are so helpful! They saved my rhipsalis though. Thought it was an entirely different plan and was withholding water when I initially got it as I was new to plants and couldn't find any info on google and that's how I found this!

Hey!
Wow, those windows are awesome.

It's not even etiquette in my opinion, just easier to reply to once you get back and forth.

Not familiar with most of those.
We carry some smaller eyelash begonias at work. They like good light and hate being re-potted.

That last plant (see?) is a tough call.
The brown-tipped leaves obviously won't come back.

I approach these plant by plant. I had a monstera cutting that rooted but had already thrown a new leaf prior to being cut. I waited 16 months and let the leaf get 90% dead, but it sent out new root shoots eventually.

The leaves won't come back, and if you hack them off the plant will stop sending energy/moisture to them and will use those resources for what growth is still there, or new growth.

Then again, some of those thicker leathery leaves can take months or years to die off, and can still contribute to the plant. It just looks bad. If not in public view I cut them off when they tip from helping to sapping the plant.

If you do trim try a rough imitation of the natural leaf shape as it dies back. Minimizes the brown tips and fools most eyes.

@azizazap I agree it's much more rewarding to ask real people than read stuff on the internet that may or may not have been written by someone with actual experience, and may or may not apply to your situation.

Drain holes - good.

The Begonia sounds like response to disturbance. I would not worry about the old leaves as long as the rhizomes are firm. They look good in the pic.

It is weird that firm pieces are falling off of Rhipsalis. No idea why, they look healthy in the pic. If they feel as healthy as they look, I would stick them in the pot along with the rest of it. Either casually, or if you feel like it, by sticking each little piece in the soil a little bit.

Not sure what to think about the bird nest fern. Could it have gotten too dry at some point in the past? That will definitely cause older leaves to turn brown. A naturally thirsty plant but I would be nervous about having mine (I only have 1) in a pot without a drain hole. I usually reserve that for extra copies of stuff in pots that just won't hold an inner plastic pot due to unusual shape. It might be planted a bit low, not really sure from that pic. But since it's not very big, you could give the water a few minutes to soak in, then tilt the pot a little past sideways so you can see if excess water comes out.

I have 2 similar rhipsalis and they periodically shed small firm pieces when I water too often. I usually stick them back in the pot to root. It could be due to overwatering or a soil mix that holds too much water. Rhipsalis are true epiphytes and do best when the potting soil is most similar to an orchid mix and not a cactus mix.

I also grow the Blue Candle Cactus. The tall growth is due to lower light conditions than it really wants. It is reaching for the light. Mine get full, all day direct sun here in South Florida. If you could post a better picture of the brown at the base, I should be able to tell you what is going on.

hi,\Good advice already!

Can't advise about the bird's nest except, sometimes a plant has a 'systemic' problem when you buy it that it never outgrows. That's my theory with one pink marked Aglaonema- it wasn't that bad when I bought but just never could be happy whether active care or benign neglect.
i chalked it down to cultivar weakness or some slow but persistent disease.. or both.

@humboldt So you think the begonia is unhappy because it's been repotted? I was looking at it tonight and the pot seems to be a ceramic coated pot maybe? Like it's shiny. Do you think this could be part of the problem? The soil is not drying out. Same thing with a Prayer plant that I don't think I posted on this thread but the soil is staying so wet but the plant itself looks thirsty. I might post a pic tomorrow.
They both have drain holes though with some rocks.

For the staghorn, it used to be so beautiful and big and I didn't really notice till I saw a picture of it at my old place. I think I will try to just naturally trim back some of the dead brown.

Thanks for all the advice!

@purpleinopp Yeah I really like this forum. It's been sooo helpful.

So the rhipsalis is still dropping healthy little limbs. I threw away a whole bunch (darn it) without thinking but today I just let them be. I might try sticking them in. I just don't know what happened. It had been so happy.

I usually do that method with the birds nest, letting it soak for a minute then tipping it which seems to work. It doesn't seem too waterlogged. It's just always been more or less the same. Nervous always about no holed planters too but finally planted it because it had been in the plastic container for awhile and it's always just been fickle.

@hlutzow
Okay thank you! I will see what happens if I hold off watering for a bit.


So the blue candle should be getting thicker but not necessarily taller? I moved it to a N facing window awhile ago and it seems to be doing better here than S? Here is the base of the blue candle cactus. It looks like rot to me but I can't say I've watered it anymore than usual and it's looked this way for awhile? Unless it just takes a long time to kill it? Well I don't know. I don't know much about root rot. The top I thought looked like new growth.

Some updated pics. The begonia is looking worse every day with more wilt and damp soil that seems to be staying quite wet. I mentioned in the thread that the pot seems to be ceramic coated maybe? Could that be the issue with the soil staying wet?



The rhipsalis is still losing healthy looking limbs. Read the advice about leaving them or sticking them in the soil but worried it's going to keep losing. The soil is regular houseplant soil.



This prayer plant was also repotted and has a hole. It has been in the playing container for a long time and just want looking as full. Repotted it and it looks so thirsty but the soil feels SO wet.



I think I watered after repotting and I shouldn't have as the bagged soil was always slightly damp. I think I might've also maybe pressed the dirt down too hard? Should I try aerating the soil a bit and see if that helps? Or should I repot with new soil again? Or just leave them?


Then these two pics were from 2 1/2 years ago. Just much happier. I guess the birds nest fern did look better at one point it has just been so long I forgot.

azizazap said: @hlutzow
Okay thank you! I will see what happens if I hold off watering for a bit.


So the blue candle should be getting thicker but not necessarily taller? I moved it to a N facing window awhile ago and it seems to be doing better here than S? Here is the base of the blue candle cactus. It looks like rot to me but I can't say I've watered it anymore than usual and it's looked this way for awhile? Unless it just takes a long time to kill it? Well I don't know. I don't know much about root rot. The top I thought looked like new growth.

That does look like rot. Cactus are tricky. The top csn look great and be growing and the base is rotting. It has happened to me several times.

Is that a standard potting mix?
Does the pot have a drainage hole?

The soil in the Rhipsalis pot looks unevenly moist. Try to aim for evenly moistening all of the soil when you water.

Try using distilled water on the ferns. Being epiphytic and ferns, they're very sensitive to minerals in tap water. Especially if it's softened with Sodium (salt).

CPPgardener said: Try using distilled water on the ferns. Being epiphytic and ferns, they're very sensitive to minerals in tap water. Especially if it's softened with Sodium (salt).

Or RO water (reverse osmosis). We sell it cheaper at my pet supply store than you can buy distilled next door at Safeway for.

IDK about staghorn, but birdnest fern does not seem to be a diva about tap water. Just dry soil. My last pics of mine are from 5/29:

purpleinopp said: Birdnest fern repotted yesterday. The previous pot was brittle & cracking apart. The blue bucket has a crack in the bottom, so it's no longer serviceable as a bucket. This is a little deeper than the previous pot, but about the same width.



It was tricky to guide half of the leaves under the handle, but I think I did it with only 1 cracked midrib. It will take a few days to know.

As an update, none of the leaves ended up looking damaged.

Surely, purpleinopp, your birds nest loves the time outdoors.
Outdoors has its own risks, but with shade and proper watering, I think my plants get a boost being outside for summer.

It does, thank you. : ) Last winter was its best one yet, hung right by a N window, unheated room, soil kept moist because it wasn't "out of sight, out of mind."

@purpleinopp
Wow yours looks Amazing

@hlutzow

This is one of those annoying plants that was sold in the pot without a drainage hole. My friend gave it to me about two years ago and I should've transplanted it but it just thrived until very recently. Should I repot into a pot with a drainage hole? Or is it just going to continue to rot and die no matter what?