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Please help me save my Chinese evergreen!!! I bought this Chinese… | Pests, diseases and problems | Planta community

Seffy

Please help me save my Chinese evergreen!!! I bought this Chinese evergreen about 2 weeks ago, very healthy looking. I put it by a big window, where it started to wilt within 48 hours. I live in Scotland so I thought I’d maybe shocked the plant by putting it near the cold window, so I moved it to a warmer place. In the past two weeks I’ve watered it once with just a bit of water, and once under a running tap until it drained through the soil. I’ve kept it in nice light, away from the window. It is continuing to wither away, each day the leaves turn progressively more brown and the brown spots are spreading to the other leaves. There is now only ONE leaf with no brown spots at all. PLEASE what can I do???

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9 comments

  1. ThumbieBrowning

    I’d get a look at them roots. Good luck… I’d say she’s got root rot. Look into possible propagation, still a lot of life to some leaves. Sorry your plant had such a temper tantrum

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    • Seffy

      How could I propagate this plant? I’m a newbie with plant care. And thank you for your advice!

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    • Kameron 🌿

      Find a healthy stem with at least 1-3 leaves. Cut below a node, the node is where the leaves come out. Cut 1/2 inch from the node and set into a jar of water. Leaves stay above, stem underneath - you should start to 2 inch roots in 2-3 weeks, maybe 4 since you’re in Switzerland is the sun is weaker near there. But don’t replant until the roots are 2 inches in the water, it can cause shock. Orrr you can check if there’s root rot.. if there isn’t , take apart the roots and each new little portion of the plant is a new plant.

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  2. Madison

    I agree that there’s probably something going on with the roots given how fast it’s declining. That or pests. If you don’t see any signs of pests, here’s what I would do if it were me: 1.) Take the plant out of the pot and remove as much of the old soil/substrate as possible. Give the roots a good rinse and clean them so you can visually assess them, but they don’t have to be perfectly clean. 2.) Inspect the roots and use clean scissors to cut away any roots that are dark brown, mushy, crispy, or dead. 3.) Spray the roots with 3% hydrogen peroxide or dunk them in it to help prevent the spread of any other fungal/bacterial issues. Just make sure it’s actually labeled as diluted to 3%. 4.) Repot the plant into an appropriately sized planter using a chunky soil mix. An appropriately sized planter is no more than 1-2 inches bigger than the root ball. This means you might actually end up with the same size planter or even a smaller size depending on how many roots you have to remove. A good example of a chunky soil mix would be equal parts potting soil, perlite, and orchid bark. 5.) Dont water the plant if the soil mix is already damp. If you do go ahead and water it after repotting, make sure to wait at least an hour first so the roots you cut can callous over and not take up too much water. 6.) Cut off the worst looking leaves with clean scissors to redirect the plants energy into new healthy leaves. You could also just try to propogate it like the other person suggested and skip all of those things- just giving options! 😅 Wait a couple weeks before using fertilizer again, water when the soil is 50-75% dry, and give it lots of bright indirect light to help it recover. An east facing window is ideal, but you could also use a south facing or west window with a sheer cover. You could also use a grow light that gives it at least 300-500 foot candles. I wouldn’t be surprised or too concerned if you don’t see new growth for a while, since you’re removing some roots and it will likely focus on new root growth first, but that should help!

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    • Plantz

      Great info!

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    • William

      No, it’s The humidity irregularity

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  3. 🦊 Foxy’s Oasis🪴

    How is your sparkling Sarah doing?

    1 like
  4. William

    I have a Chinese evergreen as well. What I found to help a lot is too cover it with clear plastic fascinating, the bottom of the plastic to the pot an allow the humidity to Nurse it back to health. you wouldn’t even have to water it a lot. The soil will stay moist.

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  5. William

    It needs humidity…. Find a clear plastic bag and put it over the plant and let the humidity,heal it.

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