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Aspidestra

mollstonemollstone Posts: 2
in Problem solving
Dear all
i am desperate for help. I inherited a50 yr old aspidestra 20 years ago . It grows but the leaves grow brown. It was healthy but I put it in the conservatory which I thought may not have been good so moved it to a cooler bedroom but to no avail. I can’t find anything in the books or on line. As this was my Grandmother’ s I do not want to lose it
please can someone help quickly?
Regards
sheila 

Posts

  • ButtercupdaysButtercupdays Posts: 4,546

    Does that pot have drainage? It won't like sitting in water.
    It also looks as if it may get too much sun.
    The Victorians liked them because they could live in dark, sunless rooms with minimal care.
    Mine lives in an unheated, North facing porch. It gets no sunlight and needs only very occasional watering. It also gets plenty of (very) cold air whenever the front door is opened. It is happy, dark green and no brown edges.
    I think you may be killing it with kindness :)
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    Similar story here. Mine used to go like that, browning spreading down from the tips. I moved it from the living room (dark-ish corner) to the bathroom windowsill, east-facing with obscured glass so the light is filtered, and the window is open every day even in winter. It's much happier now. I reckon they really don't do well in the warm dry air of centrally-heated rooms.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • Cambridgerose12Cambridgerose12 Posts: 1,134
    I agree, the cause of the problem is too much sun. When the leaves go brown, you have to wait for the plant to grow new shoots and gradually cut off the damaged older leaves until what remains is just the new growth. But right now the browned leaves are all that’s keeping your plant alive, so you’ll have to leave them on and live with the brown for a few years, I’m afraid...
  • mollstonemollstone Posts: 2
    Thankyou very much everyone I’ll try the garage for a while
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