| I am having problems with a houseplant. I think, but am not sure, it's called an ivy plant. When I received this plant about a year ago, it was very healthy. About two months after I received it, the leaves start to turn brown and eventually fall off. I am looking at three examples from the same plant. The first leaf has brown spots appx. 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch in diameter all over the leaf. On another leaf one whole side is brown and shriveling. The third example has consumed almost the whole leaf and there's only a small green spot on the edge left. The stems appear healthy and green, as are the leaves until the brown spots consume them. I have had the plant in a north facing kitchen window since I received it, and it seems to have adequate water. After seeing this problem I cut a stem from the plant and started another one. It was fine for a while too, and now it's starting to do the same thing. It is also in the kitchen window. I leave the window blinds half open. I have experienced problems with this kind of plant before, i.e. yellowing leaves and also the brown spotting. Help! |
| Your growing conditions sound adequate, however you might want to try the following: promptly remove and and throw away any affected leaves so they do not serve as a source of reinfection, open the shades to allow more light to enter, fertilize according to package instructions with a water soluble fertilizer for foliage plants, water moderately so the plant is neither soaking wet nor bone dry (check with your finger and see if the soil is moist or not), and rinse the foliage top and bottom sides once a week in tepid water -- a kitchen sink sprayer is ideal for this. Based on your description I am not sure what the problem is, however it is possible that an insect such as spider mites is causing the problem. If so, washing weekly with plain water (and/or several applications of insecticidal soap according to the label instructions) should help as would increasing the humdity level around the plant by placing it on a tray of pebbles with water nearly to the top of the pebbles but not touching the bottom of the pot. I hope this helps. |
