Planta
Back to Anything about plants

Any tips on my polka dot plant? She started out with very pretty… | Anything about plants | Planta community

Lynda

Any tips on my polka dot plant? She started out with very pretty leaves, but then I found the tips of some leaves were turning brown, and eventually fell off… or I picked them off! What are the secrets to raising a healthy and happy polka dot plant? TIA… 🤗💚🪴 PS. Those pics are various stages of my plant as she is trying to survive. The one of her sitting on white was taken after I lopped off all of her stems, and she started regrowing. However, I’m starting to notice that a number of her leaves have those brown tips, again…???

Attachment 1 of 3Attachment 2 of 3Attachment 3 of 3
9 likes 18 comments

18 comments

  1. Wolfen 🐺

    Mine did similar till I started misting and popped her in the greenhouse. I was keeping her too dry

    3 likes
    • Lynda

      TXS for your return msg! Can you tell me why I’m seeing posts that say not to get the leaves of a polka dot plant wet? Whenever I water a plant, it gets a bath, just to rinse the dust off its leaves. Is this a bad idea for this kind of plant?TIA… 🤗💚🪴

      1 like
    • Wolfen 🐺

      I am not sure, I mist the sh*t outta my greenhouse lol and specificallythis plant too, have for months and its thrivibg now. Some plants are more prone to 'crown rot' basically that center area where the petioles come out rotting. Youll see it referenced a lot in violet and orchids. It's usually more with plants that have a close knit sections that water can get trapped and cause rot. Or on fuzzy plants, where it can lead to the leaves staying to wet... like a chocolate soldier or panda succulent.

      1 like
    • Lynda

      TXS… Good to know! I will commence, as you said, to mist the sh*t outta this plant! I was tending to let it dry out, as I thought the brown tips might be from too much moisture. So I will switch gears, and give it more water in the form of mist. And by the way, how do you know so much about plants? Just curious… 🤗💚🪴

      1 like
    • Wolfen 🐺

      I own a lot of plants, and good ol' trial and error. I've taken college botany and horticulture classes too. I love to research and own a ton of books on horticulture and mycology. When i hobby, I hobby HARD! 😆 🤣 😂

      4 likes
    • Lynda

      Gotcha! I think you’re becoming my best plant mentor; maybe you should charge for all of your advice… 😂. TXS for all of your great info!

      1 like
    • 3 more replies in the app
  2. Sunny

    It could also be insufficient lighting based on the etiolated look and the new leaves being much smaller than the first set of leaves it had when you bought it. Add a single plant grow light within 12 inches from it and run it at least 12 hours a day. Let the soil dry out in between watering. Don’t follow a strict watering schedule to prevent overwatering or under watering. Always check it really needs water. 🍀🪴

    1 like
    • Lynda

      TXS for that info… All I can say is, “Will do!” PS. I also added a new word to my vocabulary…(etiolated) 🤗!

      1 like
  3. Wolfen 🐺

    Hey you! Yea, I've been working, school and plants 😆 🤣. How have you been?

    1 like
    • Lynda

      Oops! Did it again… I think I sent a message to myself, but it was meant for you, so check it out!

      0 likes
  4. Lynda

    It’s great hearing that you’re still alive! So now that you’ve added school to your busy life, what are you studying? (plants, plants, and more plants… LOL!) I now have 15 plants in PON… what a lot of work! However, it saved my butt when we went on vacation for two weeks earlier this summer. All my frequent drinkers are in that group, and it made it much easier to leave them. I have some more that I’m planning on switching, hopefully, in the near future. Nobody told me that every plant I’ve switched would crash, and would have to start all over. If I’d known that, I might not have switched some of them, but I’ve really been amazed at how well they’ve all bounced back. And, I’ve only lost one, and since that one was doing poorly, I probably shouldn’t have tried to switch it to PON. Have you made any acquisitions when it comes to plants, recently? Let me hear from you, so we can catch up. Take care!

    0 likes
    • Wolfen 🐺

      Im taking Cultural Anthropology and pottery. Last two classes I need so I can start my BA in the fall. Im deciding on where I want to continue with Biology, or switch to Botany. The Botany program is down in Corvallis. And im trying to figure out the logistics. I don't really want to move for just a year or two. But then I also don't plan to retire in WA, so maybe that will be fine. Lol I had a few plants I switched definitely slow growth, but most took to it really well. I also think that's because I didnt switch them cold turkey to self watering pots, but slowly increased the water over several weeks. Im glad yours are doing good. They are really helpful for vacations, especially with the water lovin kids!! The only plants I've gotten recently have been some higher priced carnivorous ones, that I've been on waiting lists for. A few Pinguicula and a few Utricularia. With working and school, I've been a bit behind in plant chores, so a bit reticent to add anything else. The app is still messed up for watering too, so its been annoying.

      1 like
    • Lynda

      Hey, somehow I missed your text, but it’s really great to hear from you! You mentioned you’ve had some problems with Planta’s app regarding watering… I’ve also been having a terrible time with this app! Most of the time I just ignore it, but sometimes it makes me think I’m losing my ever lovin’ mind… which I know I’m not! I’ve written in about it a couple of times, but haven’t yet heard anything back. I’m sure my hubby is sick and tired of hearing me grumble and swear when I see these problems happening over and over, and it seems to be happening more frequently lately. How about you? Other than Planta being really messed up, my plants are doing quite well, especially those I have switched to PON. I think I may try one of my bigger plants, and see how that goes. Have you switched any large plants to PON? Also you mentioned the possibility of a move to Corvallis if you study botany… I think that would be the perfect major for you! You already know everything you need to know, right?! Also, how’s work going? Are you still at the airport? When you have a moment, let’s catch up! (Like you don’t have anything else to do, right?! LOL!)

      1 like
  5. Wolfen 🐺

    Yea, it changed a bunch of plant sites to 2-3 day water schedules. And i was basically told to create custom watering schedules. Which... hello... its like 200 plants affected, so no. Which has lead to me barely even using the app. It also wanted me to repot all 400+ plants at once, regardless if they'd just been repotted. 🙄 I switched over my Albo and Thai monestera. Not super huge plants, but like 9" deep pots, they did really well. I got quite a bit more growth out of the Thai after moving it. Yea! Im excited, I was going to go into Herbal Medicine for a Bachelors, but I found this botany program, and it looked pretty good. Work at the airport has still been good. Youll have to let me know how changing over any larger plants goes. Im still rehabbing sone plants from when I had pneumonia, but they seem to be coming back slowly but surely

    1 like
  6. Lynda

    You know, I just ignore all the repot stuff… I figure I’ll get to it when I get to it, or when a plant actually needs it. Did Planta ever tell you why they changed a bunch of your plants to 2 to 3 day water schedules? That sounds ridiculous, and not the least bit helpful, especially when you have so many plants. I only have a fraction of what you have, and these problems are driving me crazy! Do you have any idea of what’s going on? I’ve actually thought of trying another app, but with the work that would involve, I’m not really up to it, at this point. BTW, if you do move to Corvallis, be sure to let me know… we’d be almost neighbors!

    0 likes