Hello, I have a few new plants that I recently got. I am wondering on their care, and if they look healthy or not. If not please help me address the problem and fix it.





Here are some other plants I've had for a few months and don't look that good.



Mostly bare, leaves fall off and have brown tips.


Black & yellow flytraps, shriveled pitchers.



Yellow tips on cut ends.

The first two (Inch Plant and Geranium) look great. The Ficus looks like its not getting enough sun and probably too much water. The pitcher and VFT are suffering because they didn't get their long winter's nap. Does the Dracaena have drainage? It may be drowning.

Dracaena does not have drainage, it is placed in gravel. So it's practically in the water, and it's been like that for months. Also I have a few questions about the other two.
1. About the Ficus, what should I do about the overwatering problem, other than cut down on watering. Should I treat it or should I leave it alone?

2. About the carnivorous plants, should I just cut the suffering parts and leave it alone? What could I do next winter to ensure that doesn't happen again?

The second one is actually a begonia.

Sue beat me to it- begonia.
Number one, stripey purple and silver, likes plenty of light. Currently a very happy plant. As is begonia.

Adding my 2 cents, I'd remove all the white decorative stones so the roots can breath and the air will help the soil dry some, not keep it constantly damp.

Here are our database entries with photos and information:

#1 Inch Plant (Tradescantia zebrina)
#2 A variety of Rex Begonia (Begonia rex)
#3 Weeping Fig (Ficus benjamina)
#4 A variety of Pitcher Plants (Sarracenia) ?
#5 Lucky Bamboo (Dracaena sanderiana)

Pots with drainage holes in the bottom are essential for aeration at root level and proper drainage and I'd advise removing pebbles from atop the soil because they can deter proper watering.

The reason I put the pebbles is so gnats don't have nests and kill the plant. So after I remove the pebbles how should I deal with the pests afterwards? Also should I just leave the ficus alone after the pebbles are removed, or should treat the overwatering problem? It is putting off new growth, but I'm starting to see a brown spot on one of the newer leaves.






Sorry for the bad quality.

Fungus Gnats are usually a sign of overly wet soil; to keep them at bay, allow the soil to dry longer between watering.

Thanks, I've been wondering how to get rid of them since they are very annoying. Now about the brown spot on my ficus, is it normal?

Also about the carnivorous plants, what can I do to make them do well since summer is approaching?

This is going to sound strange but it has worked for me, lay slices of raw potato's on top of the soil, somehow it does work and kills off the annoying gnats that are in the soil..