I have a beautiful bouganvillea which thrived all summer and is still covered in flower, how do I manage for winter? I have unheated greenhouse/ garage/ pantry. Would any of them be suitable to overwinter it?
My brother has a poinsettia about six years old. My mother brought it for him the year before she died. It’s extremely big and needs repotting but we don’t know when to do it. We have been told it’s very rare that these plants survive very long.
I was wondering what would be a suitable plant for my Kitchen. I’m thinking of the fumes etc that are generated in a normal kitchen and the effect these might have on a plant. The window is westnorthwest facing so only gets sun in late afternoon/evening. Temperature fluctuates between 12C and 20C but very rarely … read more
I have peace Lily for 25 years its leaves have started to turn yellow and die.
do I need to put this in bigger pot or leave it same for sometime . This is a 9cm pot size.
I have an anthurium plant since last2 months . Recently started brown spots on its leaves . sending you pic. What is the reason and how to treat?
Many thanks on your advice on preventing slugs from getting into my pot plants in the greenhouse. However any advice on removing or getting rid of slugs already present. I have been resting my Christmas cactus outdoors and will be bringing it in shortly please help me get rid of any potential slug infestation of … read more
I am just wondering that what is this plant ? It has orange colour stem and last year it had orange colour flowers. How to care that plant?
Could you please tell me the name of this plant. Are they outdoor or should they be treated as houseplants? There is another one with lavender floor flowers.I’ve had them out during the summer and they were very happy and flowered heavily. I’ve now taken them indoors and wonder will they last the winter. They … read more
I recently moved to a new house and found some of these plants in a shed, all dried out but flowering. The flowers look like yellow pins in a pin cushion. Could you tell me what they are please?
I got a present of an Orchid today. I don’t know its name. It is in a plastic container and it looks to be set in bark. There seems to be about 3 rings of root at the bottom. Since its bark, the water will just run through. How do I know when and how … read more
i keep finding this white stuff on dead plants in my indoor garden. Is that what is killing my plants? Please see photo attached
I got a present of a gardenia house plant. How do i care for it? – watering, positioning, room temperature.
My friend has a small heather plant. She wants to know if it is an indoor or outdoor plant?
my amaryllis bulbs have started to grow. only green leaves,no sign of a flower shoot. they have been dormant up to now. one new one is in full bloom.
I potted up some houseplants in peat free compost last year. Now I can see tiny worms round the base of the pots, obviously coming out of the compost. Is there a way to get rid of them? I really don’t like having worms crawling around the floor!
I have an orchid which I pruned when it finished flowering it now has a stem of about 16 inches with another growth of about 5 leaves at the top where the flowers used to be, these leaves look so healthy would it be possible to get this new this new growth to root or … read more
I have a beautiful Cheese plant approx 4ft high and for the past few years grew leaves every day – it was so healthy. It is in a bright room, no direct sun but nicely warm and this week it has lost approx 4 leaves each day. Should I withhold water (its quite dry). Also … read more
A tall Busy Lizzie with pale watery stems, can you give me a name for this plant please?
I moved the Philodendron Xanadu to the front porch of my house which is enclosed and it is doing much better and I will move it indoors completely soon. It gets tiny aphids mainly on the back of the leaves. I have sprayed it with a house plant pest spray containing fatty acids its (been … read more
I have a healthy Swiss cheese plant, but the leaves have started weeping. Looks like little drops of water, but when it falls on my wooden floor it leaves a permanent stain. I know the leaves are poisonous and I have a cat. Is there anything I can do to prevent this?
I have a 20 year old umbrella plant that has taken over an entire side of a bedroom! The top has now hit ceiling and bent over by about three feet. It has seven branches already coming out from the base. The main stem looks like the bark of a tree as it has turned … read more
What is the best way to treat this plant to help it flower again next season. It has such a gorgeous intricate tiny flower and really lovely foliage that I’d love to keep it growing. At the moment the one stem is lovely and thick and solid. I am not watering it since the flowers … read more
I have a young philodendron xanadu plant which is not doing so well. Some of the leaves are a bit yellow at the edges and distorted. I fed it and watered it and gave it a slow release fertilizer tablet. I had it indoors but put it outside in a shady sheltered spot in the … read more
I bought several cigar shaped 7 cm tubers at Bloom this year. They have produced great lush foliage but no flowers yet. Can you identify them for me please? Regards Michele
This cacti plant produces lovely orange flowers. It has never been re-potted and the roots are beginning to come through the end of the pot. Can you tell me how to do this without breaking the plant?
I attach this cactus plant which has four different growths. At the tip of it the colour is a light brown and looks a bit like mould. Can you enlighten me as to what it is and if the plant is dying? I put in into a bigger pot last year and this is the … read more
I have a lovely angel wings plant which is green and turns red as it get a lot of sun. it also has small pinks flowers. It is growing great but I think there are too many big leaves on it. Can I remove the bigger leaves so that small leaves can have room to … read more
My office is in a very dusty environment, is there a house plant which would help?
What is the name of the Christmas indoor plant with the organge like fruits. We have one here at work and we dont know how to care for it.
I have a Parrot Plant (indoor) it is infested with white fly .I have sprayed continually and even washed each leaf and stem with the spray but no avail . Its still infected and even the floor around it gets sticky .what causes white fly and how can I get rid of it.
A small beetle is killing of a house plant, can you suggest a treatment after re-potting with new fresh compost.
I’ve got vine weevil in my indoor pot plants. I’ve seen some adults & got rid of them. What can I use to control them? I’ve got a lot of indoor plants & don’t want to throw them out especially a Ficus that I’ve had for 10 years. Would it be best to repot everything … read more
The name of house plant which looks very like a primula or a geranium, please and thanks
I have 3 beautiful amaryllis all different one small and scaelet red, one white with a red inside and the third a huge not so scarlet red flower and all flower around the same time. I am wondering can I plant all of them in the one big pot even though they are all different
Any suggestions for large plants for Bathrooms. The room is quite big and bare looking. Indoor Palm looks great but the leaves keep going grey and dying. I assume this is caused by steam? Any other indoor plants I have come across are too small.
My Christmas cactus completely failed to flower this winter. It budded, but the buds all fell off before opening. I have it in a north-facing window. Any ideas?
I have attached photo of plant that I have for about 7 or 8 years. It was replanted into a much bigger pot about 18 months ago, and since that, the leaves are getting brown patches and sometimes the full leaf goes brown and dies. It is not in direct sunlight. I water it (and … read more
I live in a small flat and would like to know where I can get effective and attractive air cleansing plants.
I’m trying to source the double flowered “apple-blossom” variety of pelargonium. They’re available as plugs or plants from Thompson & Morgan ( https://www.thompson-morgan.com/flowers/flower-plants/patio-plants/geranium-appleblossom/p02824TM )but they don’t deliver to Irealnd. I can’t find seeds listed in any of the online catalogies. Are they available in Ireland?
I have flies in the soil of my house plants and now see small maggots in the soil also. What do I do to get rid of the problem? Will they spread to my orchids?
The plant is potted in a kitchen corner below a slanted Velux skylight (about 13′ tall). There is an abundance of leaves at the skylight and very little below. Can I prune the entire top from time to time to encourage growth further down (as it was in the beginning).
I have a parrot plant on my kitchen window sill, it is getting too tall for here, can I nip the top of the plant to stop it growing up? I have moved it to another place but the leaves drooped so I had to put it back on the window. Any advice on this … read more
I have a house plant and I slowly seem to be killing it but I cannot research how to feed it as I do not lknow its name (it was a present). I hope my description will help you figure out what it is.Plant is 1 foot tall with red/maroon leaves that rise upwards and … read more
I was given a lovely Amaryllis at Christmas, pale pink and white, two flowers emerged. Please advise if it will flower again or is it just a ‘once off’.
I was given a lovely Amaryllis at Christmas, pale pink and white, two flowers emerged. Please advise if it will flower again or is it just a ‘once off’.
I have a beautiful red geranium in my conservatory which has been in flower for 5-6 years continuously. However the leaves have recently become pale and veiny. Can you advise what to do?
My indoor yucca got frost damaged while in the garage over winter. It has started to re-shoot alright but I need to cut the top of the “trunk”. What should I seal it with? Where would I get It?
I have a phalaeonopsis in a southern exposure window for about 8 months now that has done very well. After the first flowers wilted, I pruned the spike down and got two new offshoots from the spike, each of which carried a full load of blooms for several months. Throughout all this, the plant has … read more
My mother was given a slip of this plant and it has gown very well. Unfortunately we don’t know what it is. Can you help please?
I got present of cockatoo plant is it a house plant and what type of soil do i need for it can i use multip soil??
I have two large foxtail ferns out in my garden for last two years. They appear to have died in the frost / snow. They have shed their needles and arms are now brown and brittle.Will they reshoot or are they gone.Was it mistake to plant them outside?
Cheese plant very large and beautiful, i moved this to my bedroom due to lack of space, but it appears to be giving off a musty/bad odour. i completely changed the soil/compost and also the planter, wiped the leaves and stems from base to tip but still the musty smell pervades, it is upsetting me … read more
This year I planted a lot of indoor hyacinths in pots in my house.I was just wondering What do I do with the bulbs when they are finished flowering?I have Amarylis also that are still flowering what do I do with the bulbs also when they are finished flowering?
I am plant-sitting arum lily with red spathe. stems and leaves are dying. It is in a conservatory off kitchen. Watered it till just damp.how do i save it before its owner returns?
I have this Swiss Cheese Plant for about 8 weeks – thought the leaf damage had occurred in the garden centre but even the newest leaf is starting to show the dark patch – Any hints on how to cure it? Hazel Luskin Glennon
With great interest I read Rachel Darlingtons article on Orchid Rescue but she didn’t tell me what to do with the plant when it has finished flowering. Please let me know do you re-pot? water? feed? . What temperature it needs etc.
Cyclamen left in car overnight and leaves and flowers drooping, how can I revive it?
I bought a Licuala palm at Bloom 2009. In the last couple of weeks, the leaves started turning brown and I’m afraid it will die. Can you help please? Thanks
I have 2 geraniums in the house and they were flowering but now there is no flowers at all. What would you suggest?
I have a Yucca indoors now 5 ft tall can I plant it outdoors?If so in what conditions and what time of year?
I have a hosta growing in my garden which gets eaten by slugs every year before it gets a chance to grow. Could I expect it to do well indoors if I were to dig it up and pot it?
I got some Amaryllis last year which flowered beautifully. When the leaves died off I cut them to just above the top of the bulb and put them in a brown paper back to rest. I have replanted them now as the leaves started to grow, there is no sign of any flowers on them … read more
I am growing 2 bird of paradise from seed. they are about 2 yrs old. I potted them on into bigger pots this Spring and they have grown significantly. I hav noticed that some of the strong roots are growing out the bottom of the pots, tilting the pots. Should I leave them till next … read more
What should i do with my venus fly trap regarding dormancy. Should i put in in the fridge when the time comes or in the shed.
I have just bought an Anigozanthus elegans (Kangaroo Paw) and I am curious as to how to look after it. Is it hardy in Ireland or should I leave it in a pot and take it in during the winter? Any relevant information on its care would be most welcome.
Is it possible to buy a rose called Joseph’s coat in the republic? I have seen it in a old gardening book, and its just what i would love on my back fence.Or could you suggest another type of climbing rose that is just as colourfull.
I have a 10ltr carboy (glass jar) that i want to make into a terrarium for the sun room, what plants would you reccomend?
I have a Yucca tree 2yrs now, and its leaves are dead and looks scorched although i kept it indoors & watered when necessary. Is there any way i could bring it back to life again?
this phalaenopsis has had this unusual growth for the past two years. Instead of the usual arching stems the flowers (56 of them) seem bunched up. The plant is quite healthy otherwise and was not like this when bought several years ago.
Can you explain why my late mother always used tea to water her geraniums. She also infused banana skins for her roses and used the water from boiled eggs to water foliage plants Does this work, I wonder why?
Two year old peace lily – I imagine should be re-potted. Straightforward re-potting or any specifics to be careful abot?
Hi – I have a stephanotis plant for about 3 yrs and it only flowered when I bought it. I dont overwater it and do feed it regularly during summer. Is there anything I can do to get it to flower? Many thanks.
Hi Gerry, I have a cactus house plant just like the winter flowering cactus which produces cerise coloured flowers in winter, however mine produces orange flowers in summer, or rather it DID! Now it just produces luscious green glossy cactus leaves, some buds but it hasn’t flowered in years! What do you advise re best … read more
Watering & light requirements for indoor Yucca & Money Tree for both summer and winter?
what kind of plants can grow well with pathos plants in a terrarium
I have an indoor dwarf orange tree; recently a shoot has grown from it which is not normal compared with the others, its leaves are much larger and it has long thin thorns. The leaves also have winged petioles like a grapefruit. What is the cause of this unusual growth and should it be removed?
Do I water the coconut part thats in the pot or leave it dry? Should it be covered up with peat?
Gerry, Could you please advise on the attached picture of my cactus it is so tall it is tipping the roof of my conservatory…. Thanks a million, Poppy
Should I divide a large Clivia? Bloomed well but has baby plants at the base ..Thought I read somewhere that they like to be pot-bound?
Hi Gerry. I have had a peace lilly for 2 1/2 years. It was in flower when it was given to me at Christmas 2005. After a while the flowers faded and there have been none since! It looks very healthy and I have re-potted it a couple of times as it became pot-bound. I … read more
have this plant for about 3 years now it flowers about3 times a year can you tell me what is the best time to re pot
i have 2 large house plants the ends of the leaves are gone brown i was told to water them once everyweek should i water them sooner and can i clip off the ends of the leaves that are gone brown
Hi Gerry, The leaves on my tomato plant have started to droop badly. What can I do to bring it back to health?
I bought clivia plant back in March, it was in flower at the time, garden centre adviced me that when it had finished flowering, I should put it outdoors in a bigger pot, I did this, but it struggling outdoors.
Hello Gerry, I am a new member and would like your advice about how and when to prune some indoor Abutilons as they are very leggy. Thankyou.
HI Gerry, I have one of the above house plants (parlour palm) which I bought before Christmas in Tesco’s. It sits in my sitting room facing the window and near the radiator. It has started to turn brown at the tips and occasionally I have dead leaves on a full branch which I have cut … read more
Is it possible to cut down a rubber plant that has grown too tall or would it look bad?