Killed my Mother in laws tongue

honeybean · August 2020

Help! I think I’ve killed my Mother in laws tongue!!

I thought it was a succulent and would like the full sun and gave it a holiday outside. Obviously I was very wrong and have virtually killed it in a matter of days. It’s gone from being lush and green and healthy to very pale and sick looking. What should I do?

Should I cut off all the wilted drooping stems because I am assuming they won’t recover and give it a good feed?

thanks

Dovefromabove · August 2020

It wasn’t used to the sun poor thing ☹️

Dont feed it ... you wouldn’t give an invalid a rich meal would you 😉

Just keep it where it usually lives and treat it as normal.

Those drooping leaves may well die in which case I would carefully cut the individual leaves off as near the base as possible with a fine sharp blade (I use a craft scalpel).

The plant will survive but it’ll look less than
oerfect for a while.

I would repot
into fresh welldrained compost in March (that’s when I repot my houseplants) and hopefully you’ll get lots of new growth next year.

Good luck 🤞

punkdoc · August 2020

I am sure many of us, have at some time wished we could....... our Mother in Laws.......

honeybean · August 2020

Dovefromabove said:

It wasn’t used to the sun poor thing ☹️

Dont feed it ... you wouldn’t give an invalid a rich meal would you 😉

Just keep it where it usually lives and treat it as normal.

Those drooping leaves may well die in which case I would carefully cut the individual leaves off as near the base as possible with a fine sharp blade (I use a craft scalpel).

The plant will survive but it’ll look less than
oerfect for a while.

I would repot
into fresh welldrained compost in March (that’s when I repot my houseplants) and hopefully you’ll get lots of new growth next year.

Good luck 🤞

Thank you for your advice.

I am less than pleased with myself. I have had this plant around 10 years and am so annoyed with myself. I don’t know what I was thinking!

I won’t feed it and will let it recover peacefully in its original spot.

Thanks

Buttercupdays · August 2020

Don't feed it, give it a drink!

Give it a small amount of water, enough to moisten the compost and let it drain - is that a separate pot that that I can see inside the ceramic one? It won't want to be sitting in water.

Then leave it for a few days to see how it responds. If the leaves are fully recovered then leave it, if only partially so then give a little more. They are tough plants and can put up with most things, so there should not be a problem.

Biglad · August 2020

I'm sure the expert advice given will turn the situation round. On the plus side, best thread title ever. By a mile

Dovefromabove · August 2020

I put mine out for a day or two each summer, but in a shady spot during a rainy spell do it gets a good wash and a soak ... then indoors again and let the compost get pretty dry before I water again ... come to think of it, today is the perfect day to pop it out by the back door ...
done it ... it’s on the table on the terrace ... it’ll come in tonight or before if the current soft rain becomes a deluge ...

JennyJ · August 2020

Do be careful not to overwater it, @honeybean. Mine was left untended with no water at all in my office during lockdown, in an East-facing window so sun for half the day, but filtered by the glass, and hot without the aircon on or windows open, and when I was able to go back in it was absolutely fine, no ill effects at all. Some of my other office plants, not so good.

Killed my Mother in laws tongue

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