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Oct 17, 2016 12:53 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: aud/odd
Pennsylvania (Zone 6b)
Garden Ideas: Level 1
Do you constantly buy a certain type of plant that always die under your care? I mentioned in another post that there are two plants I buy and they always die.

My madness purchases over and over are.......

Orchids,,,,,,,,they always sell them in the winter when I am weak and when I see the pretty flowers I cannot resist,

The other are
Calathea........ I love foliage almost or even more than flowers. Calathea have the such interesting and pretty leaves. Foliage is forever flowers are fleeting unless I buy this plant then foliage is fleeting too.

My newest find had to have............
Calathea Ornata
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Last edited by Cinta Oct 17, 2016 12:55 PM Icon for preview
Avatar for Deebie
Oct 17, 2016 1:43 PM CST
Name: Deborah
midstate South Carolina (Zone 8a)
Don't Sweat the Small Stuff!
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Cinta, have you tried treating your calathea like you treated your tri-color stromanthe (the plant with the moving leaves) Green Grin! They like basically the same kind of conditions moist soil and high humidity. Also, the calathea may have gone dormant, but not many people know that they do have rhizomes. The next time one of yours dies, be sure to check out the roots before tossing the plant. nodding
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Oct 17, 2016 2:38 PM CST
Name: Tiffany purpleinopp
Opp, AL @--`--,----- 🌹 (Zone 8b)
Region: United States of America Houseplants Overwinters Tender Plants Indoors Garden Sages Plant Identifier Garden Ideas: Level 2
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Fuchsias! I've never gotten one to live more than about 5 months. My record in OH was the 5 months, here in AL I think the record was 2 mos.

Anything that can't handle soupy humidity, low altitude, and 95+ temps every day for 5 months AND coming inside to dry air & temps around 60 for about 3 mos is not going to make it at my house. I try to avoid buying anything in the "alpine" realm.
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Oct 17, 2016 4:52 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: aud/odd
Pennsylvania (Zone 6b)
Garden Ideas: Level 1
Deebie said:Cinta, have you tried treating your calathea like you treated your tri-color stromanthe (the plant with the moving leaves) Green Grin! They like basically the same kind of conditions moist soil and high humidity. Also, the calathea may have gone dormant, but not many people know that they do have rhizomes. The next time one of yours dies, be sure to check out the roots before tossing the plant. nodding


Maybe I will try that. I grow that moving leaf plant in a pot with no holes. I know the one I loved was dottie and I thought it was dead and when I put the pot outside for the summer and forgot about it until I saw leaves coming up. The next year it did not come back. *Blush*

Tiffany, I kept fushia alive for 2 yrs I was surprised because they usually die before summer is even kicking in the heat. I do not know why that one lasted so long.
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Oct 17, 2016 5:15 PM CST
Name: Deborah
midstate South Carolina (Zone 8a)
Don't Sweat the Small Stuff!
Charter ATP Member Amaryllis Tropicals Plant and/or Seed Trader Seed Starter Plumerias
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Cinta, something similar happened to mine. It looked tired over the winter (went dormant) and I put it outside for the summer, and I know that I saw new leaves. But I see no sign of it now. Confused I still have my prayer plant (marantha), though. It basically grows the same way.
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Oct 17, 2016 7:46 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: aud/odd
Pennsylvania (Zone 6b)
Garden Ideas: Level 1
When I put it outside it was just a pot of dirt I thought. I was going to throw it in the compost bin but forgot. It did grow that summer but it did not come back the next summer.

I guess I should knock on wood.....my prayer plant lived last winter. It is outside now and doing good I will see if it lives this winter.
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Oct 18, 2016 5:31 AM CST
Name: Sally
central Maryland (Zone 7b)
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Christmas cactus/group.
They all seem to get really thin flat leaves when I have them awhile. And the pot becomes very dense with tiny roots? I just don't know how others get them to have nice plump leaves. Current one has been out in the shade all summer and never got happier, sadder, anything.
My MIL has a little three inch potted grocery store CC. Never repotted in 4 years. Nice and plump. I water about weekly, it runs over the side of the rootball and leaves a tiny bit in a bowl underneath. Loves it.
Plant it and they will come.
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Oct 18, 2016 5:33 AM CST
Name: Sally
central Maryland (Zone 7b)
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I had a rattlesnake Calathea. Awesome leaves, they fold at night too. Grew great from a tiny clearance plant, uppotted to about 8 inch, then I divided it and it never recovered, but the section I gave away grew fine.
Plant it and they will come.
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Oct 18, 2016 6:49 AM CST
Georgia (Zone 8a)
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sallyg said:Christmas cactus/group.
They all seem to get really thin flat leaves when I have them awhile. And the pot becomes very dense with tiny roots? I just don't know how others get them to have nice plump leaves. Current one has been out in the shade all summer and never got happier, sadder, anything.
My MIL has a little three inch potted grocery store CC. Never repotted in 4 years. Nice and plump. I water about weekly, it runs over the side of the rootball and leaves a tiny bit in a bowl underneath. Loves it.


Must be something about MILs. My MIL does everything unimaginable with plants and they thrive. I do the same and they die within weeks. Hilarious!
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Oct 18, 2016 2:17 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: aud/odd
Pennsylvania (Zone 6b)
Garden Ideas: Level 1
Sally I had the same problem and I started keeping them moist all winter and it worked.
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Oct 19, 2016 9:52 AM CST
Name: tarev
San Joaquin County, CA (Zone 9b)
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Cinta, orchids are such addicting plants, I have hits and misses with them first time around I got them, but now I know which ones I can handle and had to learn a lot about them. I remember always wondering how come the Phal orchids in the grocery stores still looks good after a long time there, then I realize, ah, it is cooler. At home, it gets rather too warm for them, and I tend to overwater, so I adjusted my method, giving them more air either thru open window or using our ceiling fan, and keeping them drier during cold season. Adjusting my watering and changing their media as soon as I can safely do it when I bring them home, so the roots have time get more air at root level.

Waiting patiently for the plant to show active growth after it rests from blooming is another tricky part. No amount of watering or fertilizing will hasten it, if it wants to rest, it will rest then resume active growing when it is ready. It still needs moisture of course, but not too much, it will just rot the roots, when it is not ready yet. So different when it is in its ideal set-up of course with the right temps, humidity and light, it will resume growing faster. But in our individual growing areas, it varies, one or two aspects may be off, so it will wait.


I love Calatheas too, I wish I can grow them nicely here, but our humidity is so low. It is such a high humidity plant.
Last edited by tarev Oct 19, 2016 9:54 AM Icon for preview
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Oct 19, 2016 1:13 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: aud/odd
Pennsylvania (Zone 6b)
Garden Ideas: Level 1
Tarev it is odd that the orchids live a yeat before they start to die

I am using old aquariums now to keep the humidity lovers happy.
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Oct 19, 2016 3:10 PM CST
Name: tarev
San Joaquin County, CA (Zone 9b)
Give PEACE a chance!
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Do you repot them after you get them? For Phals, I try to repot as soon as I can, with or without blooms, oftentimes the roots in those containers are just so suffocated. So by the time the plant finishes blooming, which is really a long time for them, collar rotting has ensued and it dies. That was one of my mistakes before, I waited too long.

That's for Phals only, for other orchids, I have to wait if they are in bloom when I acquire them before I attempt repot.
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Oct 19, 2016 11:53 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: aud/odd
Pennsylvania (Zone 6b)
Garden Ideas: Level 1
It seems when I repot them is when they die. I use to see them planted in moss. The ones I have purchased in the last couple years are in orchid bark.

The long bloom time is why I buy them. I am like a detective. I see them and I hunt through the ones that look like a favorite color. Then I try to find the one that only has 1 to 2 buds open. That way I have blooms until March even April.

It is usually right after Christmas Home Depot has carts of them. Last year they had so many you could not get down most of the isles they had to have hundreds. They were gorgeous most had 4 blooming stalks and they were only 5.00. I was there for an hour looking through them. Hilarious! Hilarious!
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Oct 20, 2016 9:55 AM CST
Name: tarev
San Joaquin County, CA (Zone 9b)
Give PEACE a chance!
Adeniums Cat Lover Garden Photography Region: California Houseplants Plays in the sandbox
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Oh I love those $5 bargains! Lovey dubby It allows me to learn more of the plant, and not feel so bad if I fail Big Grin
Avatar for Munib
Oct 20, 2016 8:23 PM CST

Cinta if you want that your calatheas stay health and live long then you do heavy watering in winter or summer
Avatar for Munib
Oct 20, 2016 8:24 PM CST

Here is the pictures of my some calathea and winters is start nowlemme show you
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Oct 20, 2016 9:35 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: aud/odd
Pennsylvania (Zone 6b)
Garden Ideas: Level 1
Munib your pic did not come through. Try again I really want to see them.
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Oct 21, 2016 11:06 AM CST
Name: Steve Claggett
Portland Orygun (Zone 8a)
Beekeeper Cat Lover
purpleinopp said:Fuchsias! I've never gotten one to live more than about 5 months. My record in OH was the 5 months, here in AL I think the record was 2 mos.

Anything that can't handle soupy humidity, low altitude, and 95+ temps every day for 5 months AND coming inside to dry air & temps around 60 for about 3 mos is not going to make it at my house. I try to avoid buying anything in the "alpine" realm.


Fuchsias do not like hot weather, on hot days here I water them twice a day. After the first frost I move them to the garage for 3 months. I've learned they deal with hot better if I cut them back hard so there is little old wood above the soil line. I have 6 baskets and 2 uprights growing as trees that are doing good for me. I had 2 plants that I fought leaf spot with until I started using filter water. I grow under a north facing eave that allows about 2hrs of early morning sun.

This is late May this year.
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Oct 21, 2016 4:34 PM CST
Name: Sally
central Maryland (Zone 7b)
See you in the funny papers!
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'do not like hot weather' reminded me of the Streptocarpus I've killed,
All my plants need to go outside for summer. If I kept any inside, I would forget to water them.
Plant it and they will come.

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