Another one of my plants needs your expertise! This one has been slowly dying one leaf at a time. They turn brown slowly and look bruised and then in one day they shrivel up and die. Starting from the bottom. I've already had to throw away two stems... What am I doing wrong? ( photo / image / picture from catay5's Garden )
Looks like one of mine when the stem rotted at ground level. Do you water on a schedule or when the soil is dry? Stick you finger into the soil, I wouldn't water until it's dry down to at least the first knuckle then water, some plants do better if you wait until it's dry to the second knuckle. What kind of plant is it?
Hedera helix with spider mites? If the soil is dry and plant wilts, it just needs more water. If the soil is moist and plant wilts, the roots are rotting.
It looks like it might be a Hedera helix - English ivy; do you know? If it is, and if you let it get too dry at some point, what could have happened is that it got spider mites, because that often happens when the ivy goes dry. Get a spray bottle, put in 1 tsp of mild dish soap and 2 cups of water, then spray the plant all over, especially the undersides of the leaves. If it has mites, you'll see water clinging to the webbing. Go ahead and spray it down well, and do that every week for four weeks. The other thing is to learn to understand the soil moisture, all the way to the bottom of the pot. Here's a little video that might help you http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tf-8InSamYQ You don't want the soil to be too wet, the roots will rot, and if it's wet, let it dry out more between watering. Also you don't want it to be too dry. When you water, allow the water to run out the bottom of the pot, then leave 1/4 - 1/2" water in the saucer, so there's a little extra available. Don't water again until the soil has reached the slightly damp stage. Ivies don't like to dry out, they often don't recover. Good luck.
Often potting soils are not the best thing for some pot plants. Often they do not retain water. Even though you may water them,unless you let the pot sit at least 20 minutes in the water it may just be draining away before the roots can soak it up. Ivy will naturally shed leaves and grow new ones. One thing I do for pot plants is to tear up a cellulose kitchen sponge and put it in the bottom of the pot, then add potting soil. The sponge will absorb water and the roots can draw from it. It helps to keep proper moisture level and you don`t get the wet/dry syndrome.
You didn't say where you live. If your temperatures are above freezing and you have a sheltered area to put in outdoors I'd give it a try. Ivy indoors often succumbs to mites, but might reroot if the stems are cover in potting soil and placed outdoors in shade. Ivy can take my cool damp weather (have hedges of it and also a couple of outdoor wreathes). They tend to be prone to bugs with dry, hot indoor temps.
