I never watch television. Okay, almost never. Really. In an entire year, the total amount of time dedicated to sitting in front of the tube wouldn’t add up to more than a couple of hours – and if that. I don’t know what’s playing regularly. I am unfamiliar with popular channels. I have no idea what commercials are being aired. I don’t even know if a formerly-popular program is on or off the air. I can’t even handle more than the basic buttons of a remote control without getting overwhelmed. I am totally television(ly)-challenged.

What my husband and I do instead is watch entire seasons of popular shows – obsessively - on DVD. On wintry Saturday nights – with some take-out food and microwavable popcorn – we can go through a marathon-viewing of at least 6 or 7 episodes of a series we’re fixated on at the moment. And we manage to squeeze in 1 to 2 episodes during weeknights. Since we have no patience for commercials and hate the ‘wait till the following week (or season)’ to find out what happens next, this DVD fanaticism suits us fine.

This obsessive style of series-watching has included the Sopranos and House, and we are presently hooked on (and bulldozing our way through) the series ‘Lost’ to get up to par with it. But before the Sopranos, House and Lost, we became mesmerized by a series recommended by my brother and his wife called ‘The Dog Whisperer’; an interesting and highly-controversial dog training program that stars Cesar Millan.

At the start of every episode, he announces “No dog is too much for me to handle. I rehabilitate dogs, I train people. I am the dog whisperer." Cesar believes that dogs aren’t born ‘bad’; they are born balanced - without fears, neurotic tendencies, obsessive behaviour or aggression. According to this instinctual trainer who uses common sense and a gentle firmness, most dog problems are caused by well-meaning humans who don’t provide the appropriate care. When good dogs go bad the ‘Dog Whisperer’ Cesar Millan steps in to save the day. He trains the masters, rehabilitates the animals and walks off into the sunset. Okay, the sunset is not part of the show but maybe it should be.

While watching this program, my imagination (as usual) took flight and I (for whatever bizarre reason) began to think about the health and performance of my plants and how they relate to the Dog Whisperer’s motto about the dogs he trains – that they are not born messed up; we manage to mess them up. Can you see the parallel here between plants and dogs? No? But it’s so obvious. Plants do not grow bad on their own. We bring them home healthy and whole from the garden center and we mess them up, which makes them grow badly. See it now? Ah.

Most indoor plants are quite resilient but no matter how tough their constitution is they will eventually succumb to the blunders that we carry out and impose upon them. We drown or dehydrate our houseplants by carrying out improper watering techniques, neglect to provide them with sufficient humidity, place them in locations where the lighting is inappropriate, expose them to cold temperatures, drafts, heaters and air conditioners, plant them in poor quality soil mixtures, make a multitude of repotting mistakes and quite often feed them too much, too little or not at all. Trapped in containers, indoor plants rely on us to provide all their needs; their well-being and survival is entirely in our hands. We decide whether they thrive or weaken. We decide whether they grow vigorously or sluggishly. And we decide whether they live or die.

No plant is brought home in poor shape from a reputable garden center or florist. It begins its journey in top form – without unhealthy leaves, poor growth and aesthetical imperfections. Its decline is caused by well-meaning humans who neglect to provide the appropriate care –mostly unknowingly. So when good plants start to grow bad, it’s usually because of something that we did - or did not do. And sure, the invasion of pests can cause damage, but since we’re responsible for checking for (and exterminating) those harmful critters, if a plant deteriorates or dies because of unwanted guests, it’s still due to our negligence.

Since most of the problems associated with houseplants are the consequence of poor growing conditions and inattentive care that we impose on them, I’d like to write about symptoms that appear on your indoor plants and what typically causes them. Once you recognize what faulty conditions are stressing and weakening your plant, you can take the appropriate steps needed to correct them.


What Causes Good Plants To Grow Bad?

Symptom(s):		Plant will not bloom (has reached maturity & blooming period)
Cause(s):		Insufficient light, excess nitrogen feeding, wrong day length (short day plants need less hours of light), dry air, under watering, repotting to larger containers (some plants need to be slightly pot bound to bloom), improper temperature (too warm/too cold)

Symptom(s):		Buds fall off or fail to open, premature flower loss
Cause(s):		Excessive heat, plant relocation (especially when buds form), fluctuating temperatures, cold drafts, under or over watering, improper lighting, low humidity, pests

Symptom(s):		Yellowing leaves
Cause(s):		Improper watering (most often over watering), cold drafts, temperature extremes, too much or too little light, too much or too little fertilizer, poor drainage, plant needs repotting, pests
Note:		It’s normal for an occasional lower leaf on mature plants to yellow and drop as time progresses.

Symptom(s):		Wilting, drooping of foliage
Cause(s):		Under watering (immerse in water for quicker recovery), over watering (roots may be rotting and incapable of absorbing water), too much light, high temperatures (especially if plant wilts daily in midday sun), cold temperatures, low humidity, excess fertilizer, compacted soil, root, stem or crown rot, plant needs repotting
Note:		Severe over watering (soil is soggy) and under watering (soil is bone-dry) can both cause wilting; make sure you determine which one is troubling your plant before taking appropriate action. A chronically over watered plant should be repotted in fresh soil.

Symptom(s):		Tall, leggy, spindly growth
Cause(s):		Generally this is a result of insufficient light. Other causes may include underfeeding.

Symptom(s):		Little or no growth
Cause(s):		Insufficient light, underfeeding, pot bound plant, dormancy

Symptom(s):		Curling Leaves
Cause(s):		Over watering, humidity too low, too much light, cold drafts, temperature too low or too high

Symptom(s):		Small, pale leaves
Cause(s):		Not enough light, underfeeding

Symptom(s):		Brown leaf tips, brown leaf margins
Cause(s):		Air too dry, under watering, over watering, overfeeding (fertilizer burn), temperature too high, drafts, chemicals in the water (especially fluoride), root rot
Note:		Brown tips can also be caused by leaves touching cold or hot surfaces such as window panes and radiators.

Symptom(s):		Lower leaves dry up and fall
Cause(s):		Under watering, too hot, not enough light

Symptom(s):		Abrupt defoliation of healthy leaves
Cause(s):		Transplant shock, not enough light (leaves will fall from the bottom), under watering (leaves will fall randomly from the plant), over watering (root rot), changes in environment that drastically affect previously enjoyed levels of light, humidity or temperature
Note:		It is normal for newly-purchased plants to drop a few leaves as they try to acclimatize to their new environment.

Symptom(s):		Yellow leaves, veins still green
Cause(s):		Iron deficiency (most often), hard water

Symptom(s):		Gradual (but continuous) defoliation
Cause(s):		Under watering (plants drop leaves if there isn’t enough water available to support them), over watering (roots have been damaged), insufficient light, plant needs to be fed

Symptom(s):		Brown, yellow or black spots and patches on leaves
Cause(s):		Too much sun, cold water (make sure water is room temperature), over watering (spots will be brown and soft), under watering (spots will be brown and crispy), pests

Symptom(s):		Variegated leaves revert to all-green shades
Cause(s):		Not enough light

Symptom(s):		Foliage pale and lifeless
Cause(s):		Not enough light, not enough fertilizer, soil too dry, pests (mainly spider mite)

Symptom(s):		Black leaves
Cause(s):		Cold damage, consistent over watering

Symptom(s):		Crown, stem, roots and leaves are soft, rotting
Cause(s):		Over watering (especially in winter)
Note:		If a plant has been frequently over watered in the winter, especially if it’s situated in a cooler location, this can cause the crown, stems, leaves and roots to rot. Move it to a warmer spot immediately, allow it to dry, repot if necessary to improve drainage and hope that it’s not too late.

Symptom(s):		Complete plant collapse
Cause(s):		Most houseplants are killed by kindness than neglect and the kindness in question usually involves water – mainly over watering. Other common causes of plant death include chronic under watering, severely insufficient light, very cold temperatures (transporting from garden center to home in the midst of winter can cause the death of a plant), cold drafts, strong sun, pests (if infestations are left untreated they can become severe enough to kill the plant)

Symptom(s):		Cottony masses on stems, yellowing leaves, distorted foliage, presence of honeydew or mold, sticky patches on leaves, stems or axils
Cause(s):		Mealy bug
Note:		For more information: The Root Of All Evil

Symptom(s):		Discoloured, distorted foliage, speckled, scorched or bronzed leaves, fine silk webbing, leaves may appear dusty and dull
Cause(s):		Spider mites
Note:		For more information: The Mite-y Battle

Symptom(s):		Small, dark bumps on stems and foliage, sticky spots on leaves or on the floor near the plant
Cause(s):		Scale insects
Note:		Damage caused by these parasites includes delayed, poor, stunted or curling new growth, discoloration, yellowing foliage, premature dropping of leaves and noticeable wilting. For more information: The Thugs Of The Insect World

Symptom(s):		Severely distorted leaves and stems, damaged flowers, sticky spots on leaves or on the floor around the plant, wilting, curling, yellowing and eventual leaf loss
Cause(s):		Aphids
Note:		For more information: If You Grow Them, They Will Come

In addition, in order to limit the need to diagnose and treat unwanted problems, dedicate some time in practicing preventive measures. Open windows daily if possible, run floor and ceiling fans to circulate the air, isolate newly-purchased plants to rule out pest infestations that can sweep through your entire collection of houseplants, clean, wash or shower your plants regularly and make sure humidity levels are at optimal levels (especially during the winter). Learn about your plant’s needs in order to be able to supply it with the appropriate amount of light, water and warmth. The reward from these small added efforts, particularly when carried out routinely, is healthy plants and no major problems to contend with. “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”



Now, wouldn’t it be really cool if the National Geographic channel would introduce a show about indoor gardening called ‘The Plant Whisperer' and the host would announce at the start of each episode: “No plant is too much for me to handle. I rehabilitate plants, I train people. I am the plant whisperer”?

I might even be inclined to watch it directly on TV if they did.

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