plant help???

[peterm15]

well theres one thing i dont have... a green thumb.. all my plants are dieing... there in indirect sunlight by a window but not too close that they catch a draft.. 2 have like no leaves but the ones that are there are all droopy... and one has crunchy leaves... all of them are hibicus.. anyine have any tips...

if needed ill get pics up later

[peterm15]

sorry for the second post but i put this in the rong forum.. sorry..

[peterm15]

does no one have a green thumb???

[HeatherRose]

Heather's Mom Says: Hibiscus needs direct sunlight to bloom. Far enough from the window to not catch a draft also means not enough sunlight, especially in the winter. Hibiscus bloom pretty much allthe time in ideal conditions. Should be in a south or west facing window. Brown crunchy leaves are not from too little light. It is either a: a watering problem...too much or too little. Wait til the plant is almost dry to water but dont let it dry out. or B: a pest...check for spider mites...little very very small fast moving red dots on the underside of leaves...you may notice cobwebs, check for scale insects, little brown bumps on undersides of leaves, dont look like bugs, but produce a sticky 'honeydew' substance you will notice on leaves and the floor....check for mealy bugs, white cottony spots. If you have pests try safer's insecticidal soap (organic)...but if leaves are as far gone as I think and you want to save the plant youare gonna have to use tougher chemicals to bring it under control....or throw it away and start over. If you start over in the same pot, m,ake sure you wash it well in bleach. signed Heather's Mom :D

[peterm15]

well thank you heathers mom.. and thank you heather for asking for me...
well its not a bug problem.. none that i can see and watering may be but im getting better at it.. i stick my finger about an inch down and if its slightly dry ( not crunchy) i water... but never enough to give it wet feet.. im gonna check for bugs again so hopefully not..

would these grow or bloom ( couldnt care less about blooming) under reptile floresent lights.. if so ( and theres no bugs ) im just gonna put them in the enclosure for now to see if that will help... and if it is getting proper conditions and proper watering how long do you think until i see a difference..

thank you once again for the help heather and heathers mom... lol...

[Kyle Barker]

reptile lights grow plants really good in my opinion. pop them in and they should do fine.

[peterm15]

ya i was talking to one lady today and she said the same thin.. im supposed to soak them in water fertilise them and put them in the tank... withen 3 weeks they should be full of green again.. im gonna do it on sunday.. thanks alot for the help everyone..

[pablo111]

Plants need food too. A lot of self proclaimed plant gurus dont even know what ratios of nitrogen potassium and phosphorus their plants need...

Get yourself some good plant food- or do some research and make some.

You'd be amazed what the right food does for a plant. You can literally watch a plant's arms straighten out and stiffen within an hour if you feed it the right stuff.

[peterm15]

thanks alot.. i have some food but the plants are just getting worse.. im gonna wait for the spring and pick up a few new ones..

[Kyle Barker]

possible things it may be from the sounds of it.

too dry
lacking nut's, possibly too much. did they do anything before going brown?
too cold, but you said its a little ways back
not enough light, or if you moved perhaps too intense and burning? but that should show signs before brown crunchy leaves

if it were me i would put it in one of your lit tanks and let it dry a bit then resume normal watering. no reason aside from bacteria/bugs/fungus/disease that it shouldnt do great. those plants are pretty hardy.

[peterm15]

i did that... its under uv and everything... but it got better for a few days then dropped all that was left...

[Kyle Barker]

:( could be lots, could also be shock while being "sick".

better luck with the new ones :)

[peterm15]

thanks alot...