Repotting a Money Tree: Soil, Drainage, and Depth

Step-by-Step Money Tree Repotting Owner needs best soil, drainage, and technique for a healthy money tree. Instructions Container at least 2x root ball size. 2 inches drainage medium (pea stone/gravel) at bottom. Quali

Ponytail Palm White Mold: Mildew or Scale?

Distinguishing and Treating White Growth on Ponytail Leaves Ponytail palm has white mold on leaves. Owner asks how to remove and save plant. ID and Treatment Powdery = powdery mildew (fungus) → spray fungicide. 3D bump

Indoor Banana Brown Edges and Powdery Mildew

Fixing Humidity and Fungus on a Michigan Houseplant Banana 6-7 ft indoor banana browns at leaf edges; white powdery spots on leaves. Sits in window. Solutions Brown edges = low humidity. Mist daily; keep soil damp not

Dwarf Banana Corm Rot and Pests

Rescuing a Container Banana from Root Rot Banana has yellow/brown lower leaves, small flies in soil, powdery residue in crown center. Diagnosis Nick says corm rot from overwatering. Likely no drainage in pot. Repot with

Multiple Plant Damage in Cold Damp Weather: Diagnosis

Bird of Paradise, Persian Shield, Pentas, Ruellia, Jasmine: Winter Decline Multiple species showing brown leaves, holes, white stem bumps, scale-like foliage, plus a strange wormy thing (fat head, eyes, fangs, 1) after c

Bougainvillea Stops Blooming After Pot-in-Ground Trick

Why a Previously Working Bougainvillea Hack Failed Bougainvillea bloomed after owner trenched around it and sank a pot to restrict roots. Now its sad again; neighbors bloom. Annuals planted at base. Root Cause Nick says

Bird of Paradise Fungus from Black Stalks

Treating Fungal Spots on Bird of Paradise Stalks 6-year-old Bird of Paradise has black spots on stalks, losing leaves, no blooms. Water/fertilizer unchanged. Treatment Nick says constant conditions + black spots = fungu

Amaryllis Failure to Bloom and Bulb Size Myths

Why New Amaryllis Bulbs Didnt Flower Two Christmas amaryllis produced foliage but no flower stalks. Owner heard bulbs shrink each bloom cycle; wants to grow large commercial-size bulbs. Information Failure to bloom: po

Rubber Tree Leaf Drop Indoors

Why Rubber Trees Shed Leaves in Containers Rubber tree lost all original leaves; new ones wilt and fall. Watered weekly, in low-light window over a vent. Fixes Heat vent dries air—mist frequently to raise humidity. Wat

Bougainvillea Overwatering on Timer

Daily Drip Irrigation Kills Bougainvillea Bougainvillea got 45 min daily drip watering; leaves/bracts burning. Owner cut to 45 min twice weekly. Correction Nick says still way too much. Bougainvilleas thrive on neglect;

Newly Planted Foxtail Palm Freeze Damage Assessment

Evaluating a Recently Planted Foxtail After a Hard Freeze Central FL foxtail planted weeks ago got 32°F with wind; frost blanket blew off. Fronds purplish-brown, one green, spear slightly brown. Trunk ok. Outlook Sound

Pygmy Palm Fungus Treatment and Patience

Managing Fungal Disease on a Multi-Trunk Pygmy Palm Tampa Bay pygmy palm has white dots, yellow/rust patches. Insecticide didnt help; fronds browning. Owner asks if dead. Plan Likely fungus. Switch to copper fungicide.

Mystery White Fluff on Palm Trunk

Unidentified Substance on Palm Requires Expert ID Palm trunk has white fluffy sticky stuff; leaves browning. Owner asks if fungus or bug and simplest fix. Advice Nick cannot ID without seeing it. Recommends taking sampl

Heat-Tolerant Tropicals for Reflective Full Sun Planters

Container Plants for Searing Heat on a Mirrored Deck San Diego (Tiburon) deck has full sun plus reflective coated windows. Only fountain grass survives. Owner wants elegant tropical like banana. Recommendations Banana

Propagating Bougainvillea for a Fence Line

Two Methods to Multiply Bougainvillea Owner in Lakeland, FL wants to fill 120 ft fence with bougainvillea cuttings from a 12-ft plant after freeze. Techniques Layering (easiest): Scrape bark on low branch, bury in soil

Miniature Orange Tree: Gnats, Leaf Drop, and Overwatering

Multi-Stage Rescue of a Potted Citrus A miniature orange in Oklahoma apartment bloomed, then got gnats. Ultra-Fine Oil fixed gnats, but then leaves curled, browned, dropped. Owner waters every 5 days with Superthrive. D

Foxtail Palm Stunted New Fronds

Why Are New Foxtail Fronds Bunched and Not Opening? Foxtail has new shoots but they stay bunched in center, no height gain. Causes Nick says stunted emergence usually means fertilizer deficiency (use balanced palm ferti

Musa Dwarf Cavendish Cold Shock Recovery

Can a Banana Survive 10°F Exposure? Musa Dwarf Cavendish had 15 minutes at 10°F, then 1.5 hours in heated car at 0°F outside. Leaves brown, soft, then brittle. New leaf emerging but frost-bitten. Prognosis If corm (roo

Identifying and Treating Palm Rust Fungus

Black Spotted Spores on Potted Palm Fronds A thin, fan-like potted palm has black spore-like spots on leaves. Owner wants disease ID and cure. Diagnosis Nick says its rust fungus—common when fronds stay wet. Copper fung

Ponytail Palm Bulb Shriveling: Normal or Trouble?

Understanding Ponytail Palm Base Changes New ponytail palm has double base with puckered, separated feet. Owner repotted in larger pot, didnt trim papery roots. Asks if underwatered, should trim dead roots. Expert Reass