Epiphyllum stems, also known as orchids, have no leaves.
Inge Angiletta / SFC
Question: I have a question about orchid cactus development practices. Most of the older “leaves” remain green, but I try to be careful about watering, but they are slightly twisted. The soil is always wet, and I only drink it when it dries up to my first knee. Surprisingly, even on these sharp leaves, there is new growth, and it is always shiny and strong. Is this the only way to grow these plants?
A: Erpilium, also known as the orchid cactus, or Ceres, which blooms at night, is a unique type of cactus — they are found in the wild. Unlike other cactus, their roots like to be wet, but not too wet. But they do not have the leaves of the cactus. The leaves on this plant are long, flat, modified stems. It is important to remember that some care changes do not change the changes in these stems. If the stem is exposed to the sun (usually yellow), you may experience wrinkles when you are exposed to cold temperatures, or if you do not get enough water. They seem to be doing the right thing by watering, but they may want to reevaluate to make sure they don’t get too dry. Leaf-like variants do not melt, as do many other houseplants. New, healthy arrivals are a good sign of a return to normalcy.
Q: Why are new leaves from my basil plant wrapped around and squeezed? They are outdoors in a lot of sunlight and are not cut off. There is no known mold on the leaves or at the base.
A: Basil generally loves the sun, hot temperatures and moderate humidity. Basil should be cut off whether it is used or not. Once cut to a height of 8 to 12 inches, pruning encourages a full-grown plant that provides a long and healthy harvest. During the removal process, your basil does not appear to have any mold or fusarium wilt. Considering that it is close to the flower, all the rain, heat and humidity we have, may be at the end of the cycle.
Q: I have a 4-foot-tall garden that was damaged in February. I was left alone until June, this time with some new leaves and a few flowers. During our heavy rains, I fed the fertilizer twice a day for acid-loving plants and soil acid (Copeperas sulfate). During the week there was a ring of burnt grass, and the bush looked like it had been burned. A few leaves are left, and most are brown and twisted. what can I do?
A: Gardenia is a large landscape plant that performs well in full sun or partial shade. It is a pleasure to see this wide leaf with its waxy leaves and sweet fragrant flowers in any landscape. They can usually be good because they prefer acidic soils in the range of 5 pH to 5.5 pH, most of which perform well up to 6 pH. From your description, it seems that you have over-fertilized the plant. Gardenias grow two fertilizers a year; The first in February or March and the second in September. Adding too much fertilizer too often can lead to root damage and poor plant performance and the type of reaction you see. Soil testing to determine the current pH is a good first step in identifying the problem. The application of copper sulfate can also have a negative effect on the soil, resulting in burnt grass. No additional products were applied until the soil test results were obtained.
Brandy Keller and Paul Winsky are Texas A&M extension agents and gardeners.