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- Q.Sticky Leaves On Indoor Bird Of Paridise - What is the cause and fix?
- Q.White Bird Of Paradise - Leaves grow 1 left 1 right usually...mine grows 2 left 2 right.
- Q.Bird Of Paradise - The leaves on my bird of paradise tree are curling in from the edges. What is causing this?
- Q.Bird Of Paradise - The leaves are curling from the outside towards the center. What could be causing this?
- Q.Bird Of Paradise - The leaves are curling from the outside towards the center. What could be causing this. Attached are some photos.
- Q.Cutting Back/rejuvinating A Bird Of Paradise Strelizia? - Hello, our new property has an enormous Strelizia (H = 2.5m, W = 2.5m) that's not been tended properly over ...
- Q.White Bird Of Paradise - I live in Lakeland Florida and got hit pretty hard with IRMA. My bird of paradise is very tall ...
Asked by
Anonymous on
February 14, 2018Q.Sticky leaves on indoor bird of paridise
What is the cause and fix?
- Answered by
WillCreed on
February 15, 2018A.The stickiness is called honeydew and it is secreted by both mealybugs and scale insects. Mealybugs look like bits of white cotton. Scale insects appears as slightly raised brown bumps on the leaves.
The treatment for both is the same. Mix a solution of 5 parts water, 1 part alcohol and a squirt of liquid dish soap. Then, spray the entire plant - all of the leaf and stem surfaces - until they are literally dripping wet. Thoroughness is the key to success because if you miss even a few of the nearly invisible juveniles, they will mature, reproduce, and come back to haunt you later. It is a messy chore, but one treatment is usually effective if you are really thorough.
Be sure that the spray gets down deep into the crevices where the leaf stems attach to the main stem.
Pests are often an indicator that the plant is under stress for other reasons. Make sure your B of P is close to a sunny window and that the soil is kept moist at all times. Healthy plants are much more resistant to plant pests.
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- Asked by
mmontana77063 on
March 10, 2018
77063Q.White bird of paradise
Leaves grow 1 left 1 right usually...mine grows 2 left 2 right.
Answered by
BushDoctor on
March 13, 2018
Certified ExpertA.This is not a problem. It is likely that your plant is a polyploid. This means that it can have multiple sets of genes in each cell. This can often make plants larger, and more productive. Just keep care of it as usual.
Was this answer useful?00- Asked by
jimcur on
March 19, 2018
11561Q.bird of paradise
The leaves on my bird of paradise tree are curling in from the edges. What is causing this?
- Answered by
BushDoctor on
March 20, 2018
Certified ExpertA.This can be a few different things. Can you include a photo? This will help me to see what is going on. In the meantime, this should help you get started: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/bop/leaf-curl-on-bird-of-paradise.htm
Was this answer useful?00 - Asked by
jimcur on
March 21, 2018
11561Q.bird of paradise
The leaves are curling from the outside towards the center. What could be causing this?
- Answered by
BushDoctor on
March 21, 2018
Certified ExpertA.There could be many causes to this. Can you include a photo? This can help me to see what is going on. This article will give you some information in the meantime: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/bop/leaf-curl-on-bird-of-paradise.htm
Was this answer useful?00 - Asked by
jimcur on
March 22, 2018
11561Q.bird of paradise
The leaves are curling from the outside towards the center. What could be causing this. Attached are some photos.
- Answered by
BushDoctor on
March 23, 2018
Certified ExpertA.This can be caused by a number of things. This article will help you to narrow down what it could be: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/bop/leaf-curl-on-bird-of-paradise.htm
Was this answer useful?00 - Asked by
Anonymous on
April 5, 2018Q.Cutting back/rejuvinating a Bird of Paradise Strelizia?
Hello, our new property has an enormous Strelizia (H = 2.5m, W = 2.5m) that's not been tended properly over recent years. It's flowering but struggling and ragged. I want to do more than simply trim - it's too big for its location and it clearly needs rejuvenation, thinning, TLC etc. My inclination is to cut the whole down to something around 400-500mm high and remove about half the root stocks (so it's about 800mm wide) including thinning out what remains of the root base. I'll probably also propagate from some of the root stock removed and plant them elsewhere. Would doing that be too savage? Will it survive and return to good health? BTW: I'm writing from the northern part of New Zealand, not tropical but temperate - excellent growing. It's presently late summer, with plenty of rain and temperatures still 20 degrees plus (Centigrade). You advice would be appreciated.
- Answered by
Downtoearthdigs on
April 5, 2018A.Because these plants grow well, they often outgrow their location.
They have thick, carrot like roots that will sustain the plant if you cut them back.
The Bird Of Paradise will come back with fresh leaves, but it will take awhile.
When you are faced with the overgrown plot that you describe it may be best to dig up the plot and replant a smaller division into the area, or move them entirely.
Either method will result in a cleaner area but both will need time to recover and bloom again.https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/bop/bird-of-paradise-pruning.htm
Was this answer useful?00 - Asked by
fdallas2 on
April 12, 2018
33812Q.white bird of paradise
I live in Lakeland Florida and got hit pretty hard with IRMA. My bird of paradise is very tall but it lost two middle stalks from the storm so when some of the stems get large they fold over from lack of inner support. Also when my stalks do get large and stand up they tend to dry and curl at the leaf end looking very unattractive. It was very healthy prior to the storm but now I do not know how to get it back healthy. It looks like a mess every time I look out at my pool and it breaks my heart. Can you give me some advice to a inexperienced gardener?
- Answered by
BushDoctor on
April 15, 2018
Certified ExpertA.As long as there are healthy replacements near the mother plants, sometimes the best option is to cut the main stalk, and let the replacements take over. I would still add wettable sulfur and dolomitic lime to the area, as I suspect an infection starting in the soil.
This article will give you more information on the care of these: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/bop/bird-of-paradise-outdoors.htm
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