What can I do to help a red spike plant whose leaves are droopy

Question

I replanted a spike I purchased into a larger pot. After a day or so I noticed it looked as though something was infesting the stem. I sprayed it with sevin, a bug killer, but it did not seem to recover and the leaves stayed limp and began to rot off.

Answer 1

Red spike can refer to several different plants, so I don’t know what you actually have. However, there are a couple of things. First, when you buy a plant, it should not be infested with anything – if you find something wrong with it within a few days of purchase, you should return it to the store for a full refund. In fact, any reputable plant store should guarantee their product for a year.

Another couple of things I’d like to tell you about – one is that you shouldn’t repot plants as soon as you buy them – give them at least 6 months to adjust to a new environment; second, please don’t use any kind of ‘cide unless you know exactly what you are treating for.

Good luck and happy gardening.