Help! How do I take care of this?

1. 61

   xanzacowposted 12 years ago

   Help! How do I take care of this?
   
   I am the world's worst at caring for plants. My five year old son gave this to me for mother's day. It was a puny little plant in a paper cup. It grew and flourished for several months, but now it looks like this. What can I do to save it?
   
   

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2. 87

   Pamela99posted 12 years ago

   It looks like it might need a bigger pot. Most plants need at least partial sun and water the plant once a week. Make sure it is in a pot allows the water to drain. Too much water can also kill a plant but from what I can tell by your picture it looks like that one needs more water,

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   1. 61

      xanzacowposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you Pamela. It is on the front deck which gets the full hot beach sun most of the day. I water it probably 3 times weekly. I do not even know what kind of plant it is to look up care on the web. I will try repotting. Plant illiterate. Lol.

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3. 82

   tmbridgelandposted 12 years ago

   Put it partial shade. The full summer sun may be burning it.

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   1. 61

      xanzacowposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks so much!

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4. 65

   OldRosesposted 12 years ago

   It's a begonia and needs full sun.  Please take it out of its paper cup which has no drainage.  Your plant is drowning!  Replant it in a larger pot with a drainage hole.  Outdoor containers dry out quickly and should be watered every day, twice a day during excessive heat.  I'm not sure what the growing zone is in your area of SC, but I would guess that begonias won't survive your winter.  You should bring it inside when it starts getting cold at night and definitely before your first frost date.  If you don't know when that it is, call your local garden helpline or ag extension office.  Let me know if you have any more questions about your lovely begonia.

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   1. 61

      xanzacowposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      It has been out of the paper cup since my son brought it home, but I am thinking it must need a bigger pot. Thank you. I did not know if I was watering too much or not enough. The pot it is in does drain. My son thinks it is peeing! LOL.

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   2. 60

      Jay Danoposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Are we sure that it is not a Cyclamen?It is special because it was a gift from your son.Check online or with a local florist to determine exactly what plant it is and write down detailed info how to care for it.It will be a valuable lesson in love.

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   3. 61

      xanzacowposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks Jay.

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5. 62

   Lisa HWposted 12 years ago

   It looks like a Begonia from what I can see (particularly on my somewhat iffy monitor).   Maybe you could look up "Begonia" online, compare pictures, and make sure that's what it is.  Then follow the plant care if, in fact, that's what it is.  Begonia's are pretty easy to take care of, especially if they're outside in summer. They're not too difficult to care for indoors either, though.  When you know there's a cold night coming (at the end of summer), bring it in before the night cold happens; because Begonia's just turn black even in a couple/few hours of Fall-night cold.
   
   Begonias do well in my yard where, say, Petunias find the 1 to sundown sun a little too much.   We get the sun at the back of the house until 1.  After that (where I keep Begonias, and where they do better than a lot of other plants do), there's full sun until sundown in the front of the house.  (So, the Begonias don't get sun all day where I keep them.  Also, at after 3 or 4, of course, the sun's on its gradual way down.)  Every year I can have them out there and really do very little but water them as needed.  They grow like crazy.

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      xanzacowposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks Lisa. Should I cut off all the dead parts?

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      Lisa HWposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I can't see any dead parts from the picture, but if there there are "crispy",  brown, dead blossoms; yes.  Pick them off.  If there are dead leaves take them off.  They tend to get "lopsided" when the light isn't right (healthier on only one side).

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   3. 61

      xanzacowposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks Lisa there are dead flowers and crispy leaves!

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6. 61

   kj forceposted 12 years ago

   Take it to a local nursery and have them evaluate it...if there is no hope, purchase another one without mentioning it to your son, ask the nursery what are direction for the care of this plant.. FYI...I've been in this situation with G-children and this is what I did....

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   1. 61

      xanzacowposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Good idea kj!

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