Hello
I hope all is well
I have this beautiful Stromanthe Plant that was doing great and all of a sudden her leafs start to came out very bright green. usually when the new leafs comes out it had this dark pink colour and it will take about a week for the leaf to fully open with light pink on top. 2 weeks ago the new 2 leafs came out and they never opened. they came out and start to die! I cut them at the end and when I open them they were yellowed with a lot of wrinkles inside. even the new leafs are having the same bright green colour and I kinda feels like its going to happen again. do you know what should I do? or what did I do wrong?
Thank you all so much in advance
Your plant’s problem could be due to to too much or too little watering, the quality of the water you use for watering, not enough light, or (less likely) pests like aphids.
Stromanthes like well-draining potting soil, indirect (filtered) light and to be watered so the soil is moist but not soggy. They also like high humidity, so a misting of water might be helpful from time to time. They prefer a temperature of 18-27°C (65-80°F). It is recommended to fertilize the plant with quarter- to half-strength balanced fertilizer every 2-3 weeks during spring and summer.
Have you changed how often you water the plant? You should water when the top 2.5-5 cm (1-2 inches) of the soil is dry – if the soil gets too dry, the leaves will get limp and droop and could begin to turn yellow/brown and curl up. However, this should be evident with all the leaves, not just the new ones.
Leaves can also turn yellow when the plant is over-watered, or if the soil has a buildup of minerals, chemicals and salts. If this is the case, sometimes you will see whitish deposits on top of the soil or a crust on the outside of the pot. If this turns out to be the problem, scrape the top layer of soil from the pot and discard it and replace it with fresh potting soil, or simply repot the plant. For watering, it is best to use distilled water, but if you use tap water, which contains lots of minerals, chlorine and fluoride, leave the water in an open container overnight, and the minerals will sink to the bottom, while the chlorine will evaporate. When you water, don’t use the bottom 2.5 cm (1 inch of water) in the watering can. See SF Gate. How to Water Plants with Alkaline Water or Tap Water.
The plant’s leaves may lose their colour if you keep the plant in really dim light, so perhaps moving it to a slightly brighter area (not full sun) would be a good idea.
Although it does not sound like your plant has any diseases or pests, stromanthes are susceptible to aphids. Take a look at the entire plant, especially the curled, wrinkly leaves, to see if you can see any little critters – if so, remove them manually and squash them, and wash the plant down with a spray of water. Treat with an insecticidal soap from a nursery to get rid of the aphids. In any event, to discourage pests and diseases, make sure that the soil surface remains clean of debris and keep the surfaces of the leaves free to dust, so that the plant can “breathe” well.
All the best with your lovely plant!