View Messages

Return to Houseplants

Calandiva

[Post a Follow Up] [Post to this category]
From: Marcia Davis
City:
Wichita, KS
I received the plant as a gift a couple of months ago. It was blooming and continued to bloom. When the blooms died off, I cut them off. I have the plant in and office with no windows. I water it once a week. The leaves are starting to be yellow and the tips and some are withering. What should I do?

 
Extension Message
From: James Schmidt
Extension Specialist, Home Horticulture/4-H
Department of Crop Sciences
schmidt1@illinois.edu
The plant will not survive much longer without receiving any sunlight for photosynthesis. It's probably living off whatever food reserves it has but will continue to decline unless you move it to a window or put it outside (shady location) for the summer. Water as needed to keep the soil a little on the dry side as this is somewhat of a succulent. Fertilize about every 2-3 weeks with a standard houseplant fertilizer following the directions. This is a short day plant that won't flower unless it receives less than 12 hours of light (similar to getting a poinsettia to bloom) in the fall/early winter. If you leave the plant outside in the fall prior to a frost, it will get enough natural short days to trigger the flowering. The other way to force this is to place the plant in an area that doesn't receive ANY light from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. each day. The location should be cool if possible. Return the plant to a sunny location during the day. At this point in time, you need to get the plant into some sunlight.

 
[Post a Follow Up] [Post to this category]
 
Return to Hort Corner.
Search current board