I'm posting a couple pics. of one of my favorite house plants: the Mitriostigma axillare to show what I incorrectly did to it. I over fed it without realizing the instructions from Logees said it only required low fert. usage about once a month. As you might be able the see, some of the leaves have turned brown and starting to fall off.
When I spoke to Logees yesterday, I told the woman that it was putting out new growth on the top and she said that was a good sign and suggested I try to leach out as much fert. as I could.
This has been one of my favorites as it is so easy to grow and the flowers smell wonderful, so I hope I've not killed it but I wanted this to NOT happen you any of you. Lee.

Thanks for that Kevin!

You are welcome Lee Anne, Just trying to get my good deed in for the day. Seriously though, I did want to show people the results of overfeeding. Stupid me, I had the book from Logees where I bought it but just didn't consult it.
Hope your plants are doing well.
I see you are from Ontario. How's the weather there today? Here in Mississippi, it's hot, humid, and overcast. Typical Summer weather for us. I've lived in the South all my life and I've NEVER gotten used to the heat/humidity.
I used to spend a couple weeks each Summer in Detroit when I was a kid ( I'm now 54) and we'd take the Boblo (Sp?) boat cruise up the St. Claire River into Canada and it was lovely. Are you familiar with the cruise? Lee

I'm not familiar with that cruise...around here we have cruises up the St. Lawrence river to see the Thousand Islands.

The weather today is beautiful!! Low 80's with no humidity I hate humidity!

Lee Anne, thanks for replying about the cruise. I'm not familiar with the St. Lawrence but I'll e-mail my cousin who now lives in Atlanta, GA and ask her as it's been so many yrs ago since I last went on the cruise.
You are having lovely weather. Oh, what I wouldn't give for those temps. I think my northern European genes just haven't acclimated either to the heat/humidity. I hate humidity, too. The combo. of heat/humidity makes my asthma flair up and it's not pleasant.
Lee

I love Canadian summers! the winters though, that's a whole 'nother story

I guess the Winters are harsh but I think they'd be beautiful, too. L.

Beautiful they are indeed!

When it gets to be -45F the beauty gets lost behind a scarf, hat and ear muffs...

Oh yes, Lee Anne, indeed -45F wouldn't work for me either. Maybe I should try to settle for a little cottage on the coast of maybe Maine.
Lee

Bob Lo!! A sweet childhood memory. That, and Cedar Point - did you ever go there, Kevin?

Sheryl, Do you mean the cruise in the river in Detroit? I couldn't remember how to spell it as it's been so long. I remember (sp?) Ferrells Ice Cream Parlor.

Hi Lee!

Hey J. How are things? L.

Oh yeah - did you ever have a "Zoo" at Farrells? I got one for my birthday one year - took 8 of us to eat it.

Yup, the Bob Lo boat was/is the river boat - with dancing on the top level, that was so much fun. I think the boat was more fun than the park rides.

Kevin,
Welcome to the "How to make a plant look sick" club. I think most of us if we will admit it, has over fed something. I killed and I mean killed a few by trying mixtures that someone online said was great. I just can not do that. I am one of these people who needs to buy it already mixed. I love Miracle Grow for that. I usually research the new plants carefully regarding how much do they like to be fertilized. One thing people do not think about is the contents of any potting soil they may use. Some already has certain minerals, etc. in it and then if you feed on top of that. You get beautiful brown leaves just like you have.

I am reading your post regarding weather. Do not get me started on the weather. We have had the worst Winter and Spring (there was very little) , now we are fighting the 90 deg. heat again.
I am too old for this. I like the old fashion Spring, Summer Fall and Winter. No sudden changes, not too much rain. My greenhouse is full of cuttings and all I do is water. They just may not dry out. The temp in there today got as high as 100 deg.

Kevin, I wanted to show you my Mitriostigma axillare but thought I would put it up in my blog instead. I have a story about this plant also. The first one I owned I did almost the same as you did. I have no idea what I gave it that it did not like. I also have no idea how it happened. I had it in the bird room with my little flock and one day I looked at it and all the leaves were off the entire plant except for a few on the top. I could not believe my eyes. One day I am enjoying the beautiful sweet blooms, next day I have a stem with a few leaves on it. I usually throw this kind of thing away, but I love this plant and I decided to bring it back if possible. It is still living, still has only leaves on the top and it is a good 16 inches tall. It is really funny looking and yet I see signs of new growth on the stem at the bottom.....I think.....In the meantime I bought another one and that is the one I cherish and keep in my bedroom with my special Schlumbergera. It is cool in there and has a Southern window. It seems very happy. Please take a second and check out my blog so you can see how pretty it is. I will take a picture of the sick one in a few days and show that to you. I just want you to know you are not the only person who has a sick "African Gardenia".

Sheryl, Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!! The Zoo. They'd turn on something that sounded like a siren. Is my memory correct on that? Yes, there was dancing on the boat. Kinda like what a person might think of a boat being like in the 1800's. What IS the word I'm looking for regarding the STYLE of the boat. I want to say something like paddle-wheeler.
Lee

Hey Jacquie, I'm sorry I'm late responding to yours and Sheryl's posts but I'm still trying to get used to this new site and I've been thinking that I should be getting alerts if someone had responded and it wasn't 'til I read Boojum's recommendations on how to set the pages up so that I could tell when someone had responded and I didn't I realize you and Sheryl had indeed done so.
Jacquie, I think the only way I learn is through messing something up. It seems it really takes that for me, for it to get through my being so bull-headed, stubborn.
See, when you got your Mitriostigma you were just caring for it the way you thought it should or had you done research? Well, I've no excuse, really, for almost murdering this one as I have the book written by Byron E. Martin and Laurelynn G. Martin,"Logees' Grenhouses Spectacular Container Plants" which has the Mitrio. listed, among many others, is is detailed about water, light, temp. and fertilizer. I'm looking at the book right now.
I prefer to mix my own orchid mix but all other things, I'm with you, have it made, mixed, minced etc. up for me.
You must be an optimist to see the possibilities of the first Mitrio. to at least maintain a vestige of its former beauty. When the woman at Logee's asked me if I had growth on the top of the Mitrio. and I said yes then she said that it will probably be alright but to 'leach, leach, leach.' Today, I leached, tomorrow I'll leach, and I'll probably leach Wednesday. I'll try to remember to take a pic. of it since I've cut off the dessicated leaves and trimmed it up some. Remind me it I don't send it to you.
Heat: I was telling Owen last week that people can love Summer all they want and I guess there are some aspects that are nice but I hate the heat/humidity of the South and I've lived here all my 54 yrs. I've never gotten used to it. I just looked at the thermometer and it's already 98. It will certainly get to or over 100 before sundown.
Ok. Off to take the pic., see if anyone else has been kind enough to respond, make a salad, then just lounge around the rest of the afternoon. I'll not bore you with all the things I've done today. What I will say is they were all tedious.
Lee

Jacquie, here are the pics. Do you think it looks a little better?






Lee

Oh Lee, yes, much better.. How did you do that? I want to do it .....NOW.....!

I am going to bite the bullet and try and propagate these little suckers. I took cuttings today. I should put them into the soil immediately I guess, but my way is to put them in water for a day or two and then put them into the coir or the starting soil. We will see what happens. I also took cuttings from the Star and Royal Jasmine tonight. I am going to do the Camellias tomorrow if the heat is not over 90. I have plants to ship that I postponed until Wed. because we are having another stupid heat wave. My customers are great about that and we keep in touch until the plant is safely at their house and inside and unwrapped. They seem to love the extra attention.

. I am tired and want to go to bed. My dog was sick all day and that makes me very tired. He is 14 and every day he is alive is another gift for me. He is my best friend since most of my friends are gone or in nursing homes. My husband is a deceased Marine Capt. and I miss that man big time. Nuff of that stuff. Have a good evening my new friend. JB