Mother-in-law’s Tongue plant lacks water, light

What is wrong with my plant?

Christina Lim

Your Mother-in-law’s Tongue (Dracaena trifasciata) looks shrivelled and has floppy leaves. Although it is a drought-tolerant plant, it should not be left without water for too long. When the soil below the surface feels dry, water it until excess water drains out from the drainage holes at the base of the pot.

If your pot does not have such holes, your plant may be over-watered. Excess water could have accumulated inside the pot, causing the roots to rot and preventing the plant from taking up water. If this is the case, check the plant’s roots and prune any rotten parts before replanting it in well-draining potting mix inside a pot with drainage holes.

This species requires some sunlight to thrive and cannot be grown in deep shade indoors. Give it at least four hours of filtered sunlight a day to maintain a more compact growth habit with upright, firm leaves. As your plant may have been grown in the shade, move it gradually to a brighter spot to avoid burning it.

Give bonsai a bigger pot

My bonsai is shedding leaves. I have been spraying 60 per cent cold-pressed neem oil thrice a week in the evening, but the problem persists. What should I do?

You Kok Kwan

There are two possible reasons your Fukien tea tree (Carmona retusa) is shedding.

First, the plant may be drying out too often, since it looks too big for its pot. When a plant is dehydrated, especially in hot and dry weather, it can shed leaves. Move your plant to a bigger pot with a moisture-retentive growing medium.

Another possible reason is the use of neem oil. If your plant has no pests, there is no need to apply oil-based pesticides. Pesticide application, especially during hot weather or on sensitive plants, can injure leaves and cause them to be shed.

Oil-based pesticides are best sprayed at a cooler time of the day. Water your plant beforehand and always test the pesticide on a small part of the plant first to ensure the plant does not have any adverse reactions.

Check health of palm plants’ roots

I am growing palm plants outdoors, but not in direct sunlight. Over the past few months, the leaves have started browning at the end, even though I water every other day and repot every few months with natural manure. What is wrong?

Anil Kondath

The browning leaves could be due to several reasons.

First, were the plants transplanted or divided recently? Root damage can prevent plants from taking up water, which can cause leaves to dry out. If the damage was not extensive, new roots will emerge and healthy growth should resume in due course.

Next, are you using raw manure to fertilise your plants? It is advisable to use processed manure, which you can buy at local nurseries, to fertilise plants. Raw manure is difficult to portion safely and excessive amounts can burn plants’ roots.

Finally, the plants may be pot-bound, meaning that their roots have filled their containers. Such plants will dry out quickly due to the limited soil volume, resulting in dry leaves. Move your plants to larger pots if this is the case.

Engage arborist to inspect Norfolk Island Pine

I planted this tree more than 30 years ago when it was about 1.8m tall. It is now as tall as a two-storey house. About a year ago, its leaves and branches started browning from the top down. The lower leaves are still green, but some are starting to brown. How do I save my tree?

David Loh

The decline of your Norfolk Island Pine may be due to reasons that cannot be seen from pictures alone. Possible causes include injury from lightning strikes, termite damage to the vascular system or disturbance to its root system.

The exact cause can be determined only by an on-site inspection by a certified arborist or tree-care professional, who can recommend appropriate remedial action. You can hire one through a landscaping company.