I have been having trouble with my indoor plants getting weird or crispy (more info incoming)...

I am very new to plants. I got a Bamboo palm this summer followed by a Kimberly fern, two Bella parlor palms, a purple waffle and a purple velvet, and finally an asparagus fern (all were big-box rescues except or the asparagus and the bamboo palm).

All are kept in medium-ish light (some getting light from a west facing window through semi-sheer curtains) while the rest are in indirect light in the same room.

Earlier in the summer, I discovered a mite infestation on the bamboo palm. I treated with soap and water but it didn't kill them, so I treated it and all my other plants with Neem oil and followed the directions for diluting.

A few days later I misted all the plants well to wash them off.
I had not been informed that neem oil shocks plants and will cause damage, so I am not sure how much is related to the neem, but *all* of my plants are damaged and in a state of recovering now. Some healthier than others.

The bamboo palm had a lot of fronds crisp up brown and shrivel until they shed. However, it's sprouting new fronds and is looking much better lately. One of the bella palms is doing better but the other is still brown and crisp with a lot of the same shriveling, falling fronds.

The purple velvet didn't survive, tho it was a $5 Walmart rescue and wasn't in the best shape to start with.

The Kimberly Fern is still pretty crisp and doesn't look very healthy anymore, but worst of the lot is the Asparagus fern.
See Photo. It turned bright yellow after being a pretty neon green, and now the yellow has faded to a brown or almost white.

I don't know how to fix it or what's wrong. I have been watering until it runs from the pot and catching the runoff in a rock covered dish to help with humidity. I water maybe once a week, checking to see if the soil is moist an inch down or so. It's not in direct light but there is an LED lamp that hangs over it that is on nearly all the time. Before considering neem shock, my best online searching made me wonder if the always-on lamp was too much light.

I don't know if the damage is from neem shock, over or under watering, too little or too much light, or some combination of all.

I'd love any advice on how to repair it, as well as how to help my crispy Kimberly and bella.

DoctorColeuses

In regards to your Kimberly and Bella Palm some photos would help so we can see better what you're dealing with.

As for your Asparagus fern, those fronds are done. There is no coming back for them. All is not lost though. Asparagus ferns are capable of coming back with new growth as long as your treatment didn't damage the roots. Trim off the old fronds close to the soil and continue to water when the soil dries out roughly 1" deep. Soon enough new shoots will emerge from the root ball to replace the old. This is not a true fern but a member of the asparagus family and your new fronds will look like tiny asparagus tips as they emerge. Each tip will eventually develop the delicate fern like foliage and can grow as long as 3 yards or more, so you might want to provide something for them to climb. The stalks, (not actually fronds) do not branch and tipping them will only cause damage, not branching. Were you to inspect the roots you would find that it has relatively thick white roots will large white nodules that swell up when plenty of water is available and act like water reservoirs in times of drought. In spite of their delicate appearance they are quite hardy and will grow well in bright light, indirect sun.

My preferred method of dealing with spider mites, is to give my plants a good shower of 15-20 minutes, temp set at roughly room temperature. This helps wash the mites away, removes dust from the fronds or leaves and waters the plant thoroughly at the same time. Bella palms are notorious for getting spider mites and I would do this regularly whenever it needed watering.

I'm not aware that neem should or could have caused the damage.

The light situation sounds like very low light. That could cause slow decline. Purple velvet I think would want quite bright light, not sure the others.

Big box clearance plants may be 'at risk' to begin with, making it harder to diagnose.

Your location, and pictures, might help.

It's hard to have any expectations from rescued plants which are probably stressed, bug ridden or half dead to begin with.

I agree with others about the light situation, it doesn't sound bright enough for your plants which should be very near a window at this time of year.

Here are some photos:

First is of the "heathiest" bella. Some fronds are falling down and brittle, but there's new bright green.

The second pic is the less healthy bella, which might be flat out dead at this point.

Both can be watered until it drips out the bottom, but will feel dry as deep as I can put my finger by the next day.

Next is the Kimberly fern, and this is the "bad" side of her. The other side isn't amazing, tho. It is currently moist maybe 2" down and is sitting in up on rock w water down at the bottom for humidity (100% NEVER sitting IN the water, much lower than the inner pot).

Finally, the last one is my increasingly poor looking Bamboo Palm, who has really gone downhill after the Need treatment...I feel like I initially over-watered so I'm slowing down. I use a dowel to see how moist it is, and it's around half down now. I think everything needs water.

I haven't really gotten a good handle on a good watering schedule...I have a little purple waffle that wilts when it needs water then bounces back, so I kind of let that guide me.

What do I need to do different?

I also agree that low light and watering could be the cause too. If the soil is dry and you water, the water will flow right through and out the bottom. So it may appear you've watered enough but it's not near enough and water has not been retained in the soil. When watering, try watering slower- water a little then wait. Water a little, then wait (you don't have to water too slow though). Let it soak in. And water all around the plant. You will find you have to water less often this way.

Also, do you keep the drapes open during the day, and have plants near the light?

It does take time to figure out your plant routine! We've all had learning curves of some form. I think I too started out with a Kimberly fern. I'm convinced to this day that they don't like being grown indoors- that's my story and I'm sticking to it. Lol

I would try what Alyssa describes about the slow watering.
Cut off anything dry, crispy, brittle, all yellow- it never comes back to green and healthy. I think it looks more sad with dead stuff on it.
I think palm 2 is all dead.
I have no experience with ferns indoors. While humidity underneath may help (questionable how effective that is for any plant) the fern roots still need correct moisture. Again, try slow watering.
When a plant is all dried out, it feels light weight. After watering it should feel noticeably heavier.

If the soil is super dry something else I do to get it rehydrated is bottom watering. I actually started doing this for the plants that don't like leaves wet but I realized it can be a great method on occasion for all plants as the soil soaks up the water like a sponge.

I also tend to be a sucker for clearance rack plants (I probably have 75% of my plants that came from the clearance rack at some point or another). Often all they need is a little TLC

I would address the light issues, it does sound like you have a pretty low light situation. Do you keep the drapes closed most of the time?

I've headed advice and have taken to watering more slowly, as well as using dowels to check soil moisture before watering. I am a little worried the issue is there's simply not enough light, which isn't a problem I can really fix.

There are a few windows I could move (for example) the bamboo palm, but they each have vents under them. None of them take in good light (north facing in a treed back yard, south facing, west facing with a towering home 15 feet away).

My purple waffle, which was otherwise doing just fine, has started to turn yellow.
I am starting to think either I or my house is not cut out to sustain plants, and it's very depressing.

Seriously this is causing me a lot of anxiety.

You said all were big box rescues. Don't carry the guilt on your shoulders if they don't live. Move on. Then buy a fresh and well cared for pothos or green and silver Aglaonema- both are very forgiving. Or get a Phalaenopsis with plenty of buds, enjoy it for months, don't worry when it goes out of bloom.

Sally is absolutely right. You need to be starting with a good sized, healthy plant. You may think you're saving money buying these marked down plants but more often they are at a huge disadvantage already. Plants will experience stress being moved from their growing greenhouse to the point of sale place in any case, then being moved to your house, so it's important to make a good start with a well grown plant. There are some tough plants which will do well in the conditions you can provide, and also some which are grown to be temporary pot plants. Enjoy them while they last and don't feel guilty for throwing them out after a few months. Think of it as similar to buying a bunch of flowers.

The vents are unlikely to be a problem. As long as the plant is not in direct contact with a heating element, the plants should be okay although warm heated air will cause the soil to dry out sooner. Good light is very important so make use of whatever light you have available.

From the looks of your plants, it seems that watering has been more of a problem for them than light.

As far as your asparagus fern goes I would recommend trimming off those dead fronds. They are pretty much done and keeping them there is doing more harm to the rest of the plant. Its hard to tell exactly what went wrong with it without knowing your full care routine/ setup for the plant. However, when leaved dry out like that it is usually due to a lack of water or not enough humidity.

I'll leave a link to a full care guide for the asparagus fern that should be of great help! The same website discusses a few other ferns that you might want to take a look at!

https://bantam.earth/asparagus...

@micaelaburlando94 - Is that your website that you keep promoting?

You have definitely had a rough start. It's just no fun to wait around for one plant to recover or even sadder, die, let alone all of them. Recovery can take a while.
Knowing what I know now, If I were you, I would nurture these plants, and hope for the best, but I would purchase some new healthy happy plants, that will grow easily in your environment, so you can enjoy them and this hobby, while nursing the damaged jungle you have. Growing houseplants should be fun and rewarding. Good luck.

@willc no I wish it was! It's my neighbor's. He has an amazing garden/vivariums and got me into plants. I get all my info through him and his site.

@micaelaburlando94 - No offense to your neighbor, but I suggest that you broaden your horizons.

DoctorColeuses said:I have been having trouble with my indoor plants getting weird or crispy (more info incoming)...

I am very new to plants. I got a Bamboo palm this summer followed by a Kimberly fern, two Bella parlor palms, a purple waffle and a purple velvet, and finally an asparagus fern (all were big-box rescues except or the asparagus and the bamboo palm).

All are kept in medium-ish light (some getting light from a west facing window through semi-sheer curtains) while the rest are in indirect light in the same room.

Earlier in the summer, I discovered a mite infestation on the bamboo palm. I treated with soap and water but it didn't kill them, so I treated it and all my other plants with Neem oil and followed the directions for diluting.

A few days later I misted all the plants well to wash them off.
I had not been informed that neem oil shocks plants and will cause damage, so I am not sure how much is related to the neem, but *all* of my plants are damaged and in a state of recovering now. Some healthier than others.

The bamboo palm had a lot of fronds crisp up brown and shrivel until they shed. However, it's sprouting new fronds and is looking much better lately. One of the bella palms is doing better but the other is still brown and crisp with a lot of the same shriveling, falling fronds.

The purple velvet didn't survive, tho it was a $5 Walmart rescue and wasn't in the best shape to start with.

The Kimberly Fern is still pretty crisp and doesn't look very healthy anymore, but worst of the lot is the Asparagus fern.
See Photo. It turned bright yellow after being a pretty neon green, and now the yellow has faded to a brown or almost white.

I don't know how to fix it or what's wrong. I have been watering until it runs from the pot and catching the runoff in a rock covered dish to help with humidity. I water maybe once a week, checking to see if the soil is moist an inch down or so. It's not in direct light but there is an LED lamp that hangs over it that is on nearly all the time. Before considering neem shock, my best online searching made me wonder if the always-on lamp was too much light.

I don't know if the damage is from neem shock, over or under watering, too little or too much light, or some combination of all.

I'd love any advice on how to repair it, as well as how to help my crispy Kimberly and bella.

can anyone h


can anyone please help me with the name of this fern n what is causing the curling and drying of the leaf.
thank u