A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The House Plant Forum keeping plants alive and healthy

Hi everyone,

I hope I can get some feedback on 3 plants. Every year after Christmas I purchase some plants to bring some garden inside. I have been very unsuccessful over the years except for a Philodendron which I've managed to keep alive for 3 years now. I read abit of http://www.thegardenhelper.com/troubleshooting.html and will try some of the suggestions. The house has radiator heat...so in the winter there is very low humidity..I did not realize that was so important and will put a stone/water filled dishes below the plants.

The first plant is Aralia. It is in medium light(winter) and the soil is damp to the touch....when it gets drier i will water it until water runs through the drainage hole, let it finish draining so it does not sit in water and return it to its spot. The problem is it is loosing all it lower leaves. They just fall off. They are not spotted or damaged in anyway. I now only have the top 2-3 leaves on each stem and each stem has a new shoot growing out of the center. The stems are firm and healthy looking. It is my understanding that this is supposse to be a full plant. What can I do to stop the leaf drop?
The second two have similar problems to each other. The first is a palm tree. I don't know the variety, it just had a generic label. This is kept in the same area as the Aralia. The tips of all the leaves are turning a dry brown. The soil is damp, so I am afraid to water it anymore. Is this a sign of too much water or not enough? Stems are firm and healthy, leaves are upright. I don't think I will kill this one but I would like it to look healthy. Do I just cut the tips off? That seems wrong to me.

The last is a Dracaena Marginata. This was kept in low/moderate lighting. I just moved it to a warmer (72') area with brighter light. This one is also losing its bottom leaves but after some reading realize that it is supose to. However it tips are also dry and brown. Is this a sign of too much water, not enough humidity?

I am determined to have some beautiful houseplants and this week bought several small 3 inch potted plants (all supose to be "easy care")that I will keep in groups in different areas house but giving the same amount of water in an effort to figure out what it takes to make them thrive. Any help from those with a green thumb would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Hi Kathy

I found an excellent article about aralia, It has all the info,, leaf drop, diseases light requirement,, humidity is a must,, and doesn't have to be kept moist(soil) all the time,, http://www.plant-care.com/aralia-for-Interior.html



Can you get a picture of the palm?? There are soooo many and alot vary in the care,,, I have a Ponytail palm I take outside in the spring and summer and being in the winter,, and give it lots of light(NOT direct) that particular plant when the edges tips get brown yes I do cut them off and Mist 2-3 times a week.


The Dracaena Marginata I do have,, NO direct sunlight likes Misted 2-3 times a week,, decrease watering during winterand NO fertilizer, Brown tips could be from too much water OR Direct sunlight or too much fertilzer,, I have mine set back from a south window. It's true when new growth starts from the top,, you'll lose leaves at the bottom,, also over watering causes leaf drop.

Misting your plants really good can help with dry air and low humidity. also sometimes brown edges are caused by too much salts in the water or a reaction to flouride in the water you can switch to distilled water and it should be fine,,

I've never placed my plants in pebbled saucers because I mist them, it's just a matter of preference,, Just don't leave standing water in the pebble saucers too long you don't want root rot either

Hi Diane,
Thanks for the info I will keep trying but I've also moved to much smaller sized plants. The only reason I bought the palm was because my daughter absolutely loved it for her room. I do have it in indirect sunlight. I am begining to believe that alot of it has to do with the humidity in my house which I also like to keep at a toasty 70 - 72. I hope so because thats a relativly easy fix.

Here are some pictures of what Im talking about.

First the Palm.



Like I said, I have no idea what kind it is. As you can see, the ends are turning brown and curling. I will start misting it and see if that helps.

And the Dracaena


Its not as bad but from past experience it also gets worse, so I will mist it also. Anymore thoughts or tips are welcome. Thanks for your time. :wink:

Yeahhhhhhhhhhh you did it!! Thanks for the pictures,

I believe that is a parlor palm, to me it looks like it needs misting and moved out away from the wall somewhat so air is able to circulate around it better other than that, sorry ~ I don't know anything about them But I'm sure someone here does!


The Dragon Tree ( is another common name for Dracaena ), doesn't like it's leave tips touching anything as that will cause the tips to brown,, they like to lift and reach out naturally. I'd move it further away from the walls ,, I'm not sure what the plants are planted in the base of the dragon tree I'd be sure to find out if water requirements are the same,, altho' it looks nice one plant may be robbing nutrients from another <-- if lighting and water requirements are not the same,,

Here is a picture of My dragon tree,, notice how far away from the South window I have it, the leaves are lifted and out in it's natural state,, and there is plenty of air circulation,, :wink:

another thing about the dragon tree. check to see if it was "tied" to the other plants when it was put in the pot. a lot of places do that to make potting them easier. the problem comes that as the trunk grows larger, the tied cuts into it, killing the plant. i've gotten several that i had to cut the ties on.

i should add that the ties are often beneath the top of the soil, so you may have to dig.

Good Point Jiffy! It's been a long time since I've gotten several plants in the same pot I'd forgotten all about that!!

i usually try to get one or two of the "sets" off the clearance rack at walmart at the end of each season, and they ALWAYS have those stupid bread ties around them.