Newbie here! My wife and her gangreen thumb killed our mum that our 8year old brought home from school. It isn't totally dead. I clipped all of the wilted flowers off and I have been watering it. One little branch started to get more leaf growth but they wilted away. There is a lot of new growth on the soil around the main plant... Could this be sucking the water and whatnot from the soil? Should I lop off the old plant? I have tried reading about this but they assume you already know alot
Hi, The wilting can be caused by too much water as well as too little water. Cut back on watering until the soil down to your first knuckle is dry. It also needs sun light and warmth. You don't say where you live but I figure it must be in a colder climate if you are keeping it in the house. You can keep the dead blooms and stems cut back but the new growth you see around the base of the plant is the roots doing their job, so don't take if off. Once a stem has flowered it doesn't produce another bloom so you can cut them back by about half. It is probably not going to bloom again this season unless you have a greenhouse or a strong grow light for it. When it does start going dormant, keep it in a warmish place water once in a while during the winter and watch for signs of new growth next spring. Place it in full sun after the last chance of freezing temps, either in the pot or in the ground.
I am in the Chicago climate (about 60 miles away as the pigeons fly). I have it on my computer desk so I remember to water it - we have managed to kill cactus plants in the past Right above it (within 6-8 inches) is a flourecent light for my keyboard. I read that it could be used to simulate sunlight. Unfortunately, I never shut off the light so that may be bad for it.
