I bought this plant and haven’t replanted it yet so I’m unsure which type of soil it is but there is lots of wood chips throughout and on top. I live in quite a dry and dusty apartment but we keep it at 69-71 degrees. I’ve recently been giving her 3 hours of morning light right beside the window at 8am-11am then close the sheer blind until the sun is past the building, open them up again so she can get the remaining indirect light for the rest of the day. I started doing this because I know they like sunlight but the first time I put her in front of the window I let her get too much sun exposure and she curled up her leaves and then got a little crispier on the edges. I watered her 3 times in 3 weeks and realized the water was really chlorinated. I just watered her again but this time left the water out for 24 hours and bottom watered her for 45 mins and made sure to feel her soil halfway down to see if it was moist or not. I’ve also been misting her leaves lately about 2 times a week because it’s so dry and dusty in the apartment. Should I cut off that stem that has the black dots on it? Is it going to affect the new growth or help it? Should I cut off any of the other leaves that have those black red and yellow dots on them? Or should I try to treat the affected leaves with a fungicide or an insecticide? I’m going to buy a moisture PH and light meter to see when to water her as well and what type of fertilizer to use as I haven’t used any on her yet.
Although it is difficult to get a precise plant ID from your photo, I believe you have purchased a Bird of Paradise – Strelitzia reginae or Strelitzia nicolai are the most commonly available.
Your plant issues could be related to a number of issues so I have attached a link below which will give you a fairly comprehensive guide to caring for your plant. Please pay particular attention to the pot size & type, soil requirements, watering, light requirements, fertilizing and common pests.
Strelitzia (Bird of Paradise): Care & Growing Tips (thespruce.com)
Hope this helps.
17.05.2022