Need growing advice!!

topic posted Sun, October 21, 2007 - 8:46 PM by  MindExpansion
Hello all,

A friend of mine recently purchased a single Salvia Divinorum plant, it came as a rooted cutting.
It was in pretty sad condition when it arrived, had many wilted leaves and was pot-bound.
They cut off the sad looking larger leaves to stop the plant wasting energy on those, it was re-potted in a bigger pot and is now growing indoors. It is just going into summer here and it is not very humid so they have been misting it 3 or 4 times a day and it has been getting 6 or so hours of morning sunlight half filtered by some light curtains.
It still looks quite sad though, it has been re-potted for about a week now, and it still has some curving of the leaves and some wilting, there are brown spots on the leaf as if they are dry spots which then sort of disintegrate leaving an open hole on the leaf.
It has been doing that since they got it, and it not having stopped has them concerned.
Some of the leaves also have brown tips, including new growth.
There does not appear to be any insect infestation, however today they found a single miniature caterpillar and removed it.
I was wondering if I could get some advice to help my friend, a few things that came to mind were:
1. Perhaps a higher humidity is needed, thus a humidity tent.
2. Needs more sunshine
3. That single caterpillar has a bigger apetite than your average elephant.
4. It is just taking its time growing in to its new environment.

Many thanks in advance,
Peace and happiness find you all.
posted by:
MindExpansion
Virginia
  • Re: Need growing advice!!

    Wed, February 6, 2008 - 10:33 AM
    I had some bad luck with direct sunlight. I moved my plants to a western exposure, which is shadded durring the afternoon and they where thriving. I brought them inside since the danger of frost.

    I currently have them under flourescent lights and in the basement. The temp is rather cool and the light is on 24/7. Needless to say i am having similar issues as of this point. Well all except for two plants which are green but infested with aphids.

    I speculated that the soil wasnt beeing addequately drained since i watered them once and weeks went by before they where dry again. So i repotted two of the poor looking plants in some soil mixed with perlite, the previous stuff had a high percentage of peat mixed in it. I Moved one of the repoted plants to a north facing window. I had some pretty good rooting success early on with the north exposure. I am keeping the other one under the flourescents to see if it is the light/temp or the soil or something unknown. But like i said i have two green 'healthy' looking plants under the lights, with similar soil and they are experiancing the same temperatures as the rest but those two are infested with aphids and the aphids are uninterested in the yellow sickly plants.

    IF all else i hope to keep them going until the last frost so that they can go back outside where they where happiest.
  • Re: Need growing advice!!

    Sat, February 9, 2008 - 7:49 PM
    there are several growing guides around, this one is very good as it discusses some of the issue you mention

    www.erowid.org/archive/rh....guide.html

    I have three large specimins of the Hoffman strain and one of them got the brown leaf problem this winter. This plant had wilted a couple times because it began needing more water all of the sudden (right around 3 feet) and I was keeping it on a lower water cycle to avoid root rot.
    If your plant oes through the stress of wilting too much so that it needs a lot of water to straighten it up, you may see the brown leaves. The article above metions that this strain gets those and optimum growing conditions will help take care of that. As far as the curving leaves, I'd make sure you don't have spider mites. I've fought them with the Crysanthemum sprays and when they're gone, the curling stops.

    They don't like direct sun. Partial sun is best.
    • Re: Need growing advice!!

      Mon, March 17, 2008 - 2:15 PM
      the plant has spider mites or similar infestation . Its really hard to get rid of .my plants have had it for years and years .... don't bother with misting inside it can lead to more problems . It doesn't need misting it will adapt . you can try parafin oil sprays to combat the mites. once they get growing good they will grow faster then the leaves can be destroyed . the plant will tolerate some direct light i wouldn't worry about it too much . If you keep it fertalized it will help combat the mites and accelerate the growth
      • Re: Need growing advice!!

        Mon, March 17, 2008 - 2:18 PM
        oh yeah they turn yellow and purple without fertalizer but they also turn yellow if you over water or they get sunburn. leaves with major damage from the mites may also yellow and of course lots of holes and curled edges .
        • Re: Need growing advice!!

          Sun, March 30, 2008 - 6:15 PM
          for Spider Mites I've been using Schultz's Pyrethrum (aka some Chrysanthemum extract) Insect Spray. I see the webs start to form and I soak the plant. I also water it a lot afterwards. The mites dissappear for about a month or so, but they return. If anyone has a better solution, I'd like to hear about it.

          When you've got mites, you'll have curled and browned leaves. When they're gone, you should fertilize and water and make sure they get indirect sunlight and, especially this time of year, you'll get all kinds of new healthy growth.

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