Streptocarpus Sun Damaged Leaves

Primroses have specific light requirements.

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Cape primrose (Streptocarpus spp. and cv.) is a member of the Gesneriaceae family, which includes violets, gloxinia and other herbaceous perennials. Sometimes called false violet, streptocarpus is easy to grow, although its growing requirements seem strict. The plant needs bright, indirect sunlight and warmth, but not heat. It also needs moist, but not wet, soil. With proper care, Cape primrose produces masses of petite flowers all year long. Too much water, too much heat or too much sun causes leaf damage from sunburn, leaf scorch or heat stress.

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Leaf scorch can happen to virtually any plant, especially those that cannot tolerate direct sunlight, like Cape primrose. Leaf scorch generally occurs when the plant transpires moisture from its leaves faster than the roots can supply more. Direct sunlight, heat, insects or disease, or a combination of dry soil and high heat or sunlight levels damages Cape primrose foliage. Leaf scorch causes the leaf margins to turn brown, and the middle of the leaves between the veins to turn yellow. The side of the Cape primrose most exposed to sunlight shows more damage than the rest of the plant. Leaf scorch normally does not kill the plant, according to the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis.

Treatment

Keep the growing medium for Cape primrose moist while it recovers from the damage. Spritz the plant with a fine water mist to keep the atmosphere around it humid. Move the pot out of direct sunlight. If heat rather than sunlight caused the damage, check the ambient temperature around plant. Cape primrose prefers temperatures above 50 degrees Fahrenheit but below 90 F. The plant may drop some leaves, but should recover on its own.

Prevention

Give the plant filtered light exposure near an east-facing window, or use fluorescent grow lights in place of natural sunlight. Place the plant beside the window rather than directly in front of it, or use sheers or shades to filter the light. Fertilize Cape primrose weekly. Mix half the amount of fertilizer recommended on the product label with an equal part of water. Stop fertilizing it in winter and begin again in the spring. Keeping water off the leaves prevents rots and fungi from invading the plant. Maintain the proper temperature and keep the plant humidified. When you repot Cape primrose, leave an inch or so of the top of the roots above the soil to prevent rot.

Symptoms Similar to Sun Damage

Foliar symptoms of rot and disease mimic leaf scorch or sunburn. Check the roots and stem for signs of infection. Many infections produce watery-looking lesions on stems and roots, or may cause roots to discolor and darken. If the Cape primrose appears infected, take a sample of the diseased area to your local cooperative extension service to find out which disease it is and the proper way to treat the infection. Overfertilizing Cape primrose may cause fertilizer burn, which has symptoms similar to leaf scorch.

ReferencesMissouri Botanical Garden: Streptocarpus GroupMissouri Botanical Garden: Scorch, Sunburn, and Heat StressUniversity of Oklahoma; Plant of the Week - Streptocarpus; 2000"Fine Gardening"; Abundant Indoor Blooms; Steve Frowine;Missouri Botanical Garden: Fungal Spots, Blights and BlotchesResourcesUSDA Plants Profile: Streptocarpus Lindl.University of Minnesota Extension; Streptocarpus - Cape Primrose - the False Violet; Jesica ConradUniversity of Vermont; Streptocarpus; Leonard Perry, Ph.DPhoto Credit George Doyle/Valueline/Getty ImagesRead Next:

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How to Remove Dead Dry Leaves on a Calathea Makoyana

Print this articleThe Calathea Makoyana is also known as the peacock plant because of its striking decorative leaves. This plant originated in Brazil and is accustomed to a tropical climate that is difficult to duplicate in other climates, such as in the U.S. It is important to prune the plant to improve its overall health as dead leaves will stagnate growth and lead to the further dulling of colors. If you remove the dead leaves from the right location, they will regenerate and remain healthy.

Related Searches:Difficulty:Moderately EasyInstructions Things You'll NeedScissorsSuggest Edits1

Run your hands through the plant and find the leaves that have only partial discoloring -- these do not need to be completely removed.

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Cut the yellow or brown section from the deteriorating leaves with a pair of sharp scissors, leaving a very small amount of yellow. Cut the area at the same angle of the leaf, rounding off the sides to retain the leaf shape. If you cut into the green part of the leaf, this can cause more decay.

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Search again for any leaves that are completely or mostly yellow, or even brown. These must be removed entirely.

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Hold the leaf at the point where the bottom stem and leaf connect. Cut the stem as close as you can to where it meets the leaf.

ReferencesLearn2Grow: Calathea Makoyana Care and MaintenancePlant Care: Removing Leaves from Indoor PlantsGuide to Houseplants: Peacock PlantsRead Next:

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How to Remove Dead Leaves From Nepenthes

Print this articleNepenthes, which is among the most varied and dramatic-looking carnivorous plants, looks best with its dead leaves and traps pruned. Foliage tends to die back on the lower part of the plant, and the dead plant material and bare stems leave gaps in the plant growth. Removing the dead leaves and sparse stems encourages new shoots. The plant has pit traps formed from leaf tissue into nectar-scented cups to attract live creatures. In the wild, a large Nepenthes obtains nutrients from frogs, rodents and insects.

Related Searches:Difficulty:Moderately EasyInstructions Things You'll NeedClippers or sharp knifeSuggest Edits1

Cut off a dead leaf at its base, next to the stem. Use clippers or a sharp knife and take care not to nick living areas of the plant.

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Prune a Nepenthes stem at its base when the stem has dead leaves or bare areas. Feel along the stem to where it ends in the pot if it is a large plant or it has crowded stems. Insert the clippers around the stem as close as possible to the plant without cutting other stems, or use a knife to sever the stem. Cut the stem 1 to 2 inches from the growing medium.

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Remove dead material regularly and new shoots will help to fill out the plant. Pruning gives your Nepenthes a healthy and lush appearance, free of bare areas.

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Cut dead traps off a Nepenthes by clipping them right next to the stem. This keeps the plant from having stumps on the stem. Use sharp clippers.

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Prune a mature Nepenthes 30 percent in the spring to encourage new growth. Cut all of its stems back by almost one-third of their length. Support remaining stems on a wire trellis or allow them to hang over the pot.

Tips & Warnings

A Nepenthes that isn't producing pitchers may need higher humidity or more light.

Plant live stems that you prune from a Nepenthes in a suitable growing medium such as vermiculite to propagate new plants. Keep the cuttings at 100 percent humidity for the first two weeks.

A terrarium with a cover, an aquarium or a clear plastic box work well for starting carnivorous plants. Transplant the young Nepenthes plants into pots with excellent drainage — such as azalea pots — once they are well-established.

Dead plant material can attract pests. Dispose of dead leaves. Pruning your Nepenthes controls the plant growth so you don't have to repot it as often.

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ReferencesBotanical Society of America: Nepenthes -- The Monkey CupsInternational Carnivorous Plant Society; Growing Nepenthes in a Completely Inorganic Substrate; Heiko Rischer; June 2000The University of Florida Miami-Dade Extension; Curious Vines for the Serious Hobbyist; John McLaughlin; May 2007ResourcesTexas A&M University; Weird Plants; David Wm. ReedRead Next:

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How to Remove Dead Leaves From Outdoor Ferns

The 12,000 species of ferns grow in a wide variety of climates.

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Ferns add lush, low-maintenance greenery to the garden or landscape. Most grow happily in wet, dark areas with heavy clay soil where most other plants flat out refuse to thrive. This diverse group of plants has members that grow in cold climates and in the tropics and there are species for both deep shade and full sun. The occasional pruning keeps outdoor ferns looking green and lush all year round.

Related Searches:Difficulty:EasyInstructions Things You'll NeedClippersSuggest Edits1

Prune ferns early in spring before the new growth starts. Using a pair of sharp clippers, remove the dead fronds at the soil line.

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Cut up the fronds into sections 2 to 4 inches long and lay them on the soil at the base of the ferns. This creates a natural mulch layer. As the fronds decompose, they add organic matter to improve the soil in your fern garden.

3

Trim out dead fronds in late spring or summer if you miss the early spring pruning. Clip the dead fronds at the soil but be careful not to damage the new growth. If you cut into a developing frond, it will grow deformed or die.

ReferencesSeattle Pi: Ciscoe's To-do List: Tidy Up Ferns but Don't Throw Away the FrondsAustralian Distance Education: Australian Native FernsWashington Native Plant Society: Sword FernUniversity of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension: Growing FernsPhoto Credit Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty ImagesRead Next:

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How to Remove Dead Leaves to Prune a Hard Frozen Hibiscus

Remove leaves from hibiscus plants in early spring.

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Hibiscus is a tropical plant that does well in all climates if you care for the plant properly. The tropical variety can withstand cold to about 40 degrees and then must be brought inside for the colder months. Continued exposure to hard freeze temperatures will kill tropical hibiscus. Hardy hibiscus can be wintered outdoors up to growing zone 5. Both types can be pruned in the spring for optimum summer growth and flowering.

Related Searches:Difficulty:Moderately EasyInstructions Things You'll NeedPruning shearsAlcohol-based cleanerSuggest Edits1

Don't remove leaves from a hardy outdoor hibiscus during the cold months. Even though the leaves are brown and dried, they will insulate the plant from freezing. Carefully pull brown or yellow leaves by hand from a tropical hibiscus before bringing it inside for the winter.

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Prepare tropical or hardy hibiscus for pruning in February or March by removing any remaining leaves. Brown and dried leaves will fall off the branch easily. Pull any remaining dried or brown leaves by hand prior to pruning.

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Clean and sterilize your pruning shears with alcohol-based hand cleaner or rubbing alcohol to remove disease-carrying organisms. Wipe the blades with the solution and wait about 15 seconds before cleaning it off and cutting.

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Cut branches back by about one-third, starting with the longest. Look for a leaf node or eye facing up. This is the direction the new growth will take. Prune after removing all the old leaves so you can easily see where the new leaf nodes are sprouting.

Tips & Warnings

Don't prune or remove leaves on hardy outdoor hibiscus until all danger of frost has passed.

To winter indoor tropical hibiscus, place the potted plant in a cool place such as a basement for the winter months where temperatures will remain above freezing. Water once a month. Bring the plant upstairs in March; remove any remaining leaves and prune the plant. Place in a sunny window and feed an acid-based plant food every other week. Put the plant outside in the shade during the day in the spring and gradually accustom it to full sun to avoid burning new leaf growth.

Ask your nursery whether your hibiscus is hardy or tropical to determine proper winter care.

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ReferencesUniversity of Washington Botanic Gardens: Elisabeth C. Miller Library; HibiscusHidden Valley Hibiscus: Pruning HibiscusPhoto Credit Ablestock.com/AbleStock.com/Getty ImagesRead Next:

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