What to do with this office plant?

[Louis Balfour]

I’ve had it years, but it’s becoming a nuisance.

The light in my office is mainly from above, so it has obviously reached up for it and it now has a lot of “trunk”.

The leaves are falling off and it emits some sort of sticky sap over everything. I could be persuaded to bin it for something else, but are there options?

[KingGary]

Sticky sap means it’s probably got scale insects living on it. Look on the underside of the leaves, they look like tiny lumps. If you want to keep it, chop it off back to a stump, 6-8” inches above the soil. It’ll grow back and be much bushier. Done it loads of times, ours is almost 40 year old.

That pot’s way too small too. Get one 2 or 3 times the size.

Edited by KingGary on Saturday 19th October 14:18

[Louis Balfour]

[KingGary]

Louis Balfour said:

That’s them. Chop it off, not sure what the weird drainpipe installation is either. You shouldn’t need that as it will grow back much bushier if you keep pruning it.

[Louis Balfour]

Thanks.

The drainpipe is support.

[Simpo Two]

KingGary said:

Louis Balfour said:

That’s them. Chop it off, not sure what the weird drainpipe installation is either. You shouldn’t need that as it will grow back much bushier if you keep pruning it.

In my experience once a plant has scale insect it's almost impossible to remove them. A systemic insecticide would be the weapon of choice, if you can still get them.

You could add another tie further up to make the plant more of a tree shape, which would be less intrusive.

[Louis Balfour]

Unfortunately the plant didn't make it.

I cut it down as suggested, and then tried to remove the drainpipe. It was welded into a tight root ball.

I have binned the plant, moved another variegated chap to its location and will seek out a replacement.

Thanks for the input.

[KingGary]

That’s a shame. They are very resilient if well cared for. Good luck with the new one!

[Simpo Two]

KingGary said:

That’s a shame. They are very resilient if well cared for.

Yes, apart from the scale insect it looked perfectly healthy.

[bigpriest]

Too late now but you can chop the root ball off to neaten things up a bit and give the plant a second chance - roots usually re-grow fairly quickly.

[KingGary]

bigpriest said:

Too late now but you can chop the root ball off to neaten things up a bit and give the plant a second chance - roots usually re-grow fairly quickly.

Indeed. The plant that could have been so much more! Assuming the bin men haven’t been, I’d be replanting.

[Louis Balfour]

Guys you're killing me here.

I have what is effectively a root ball with a plastic drain pipe bound into it. I am also sixty years of age and want to enjoy an office plant before I die.

Percy the plant is in the green bin okay!

[paralla]

Devils Ivy is pretty much un-killable.

https://amp.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/dec/...

[Louis Balfour]

paralla said:

Devils Ivy is pretty much un-killable.

https://amp.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/dec/...

I have one.

[bigpriest]

Louis Balfour said:

Guys you're killing me here.

I have what is effectively a root ball with a plastic drain pipe bound into it. I am also sixty years of age and want to enjoy an office plant before I die.

Percy the plant is in the green bin okay!

How about a christmas cactus? Smaller and easier to manage. Looks like a nice green plant and then in November / December you get bright orange flowers for visitors to complement you on.

Or a large photograph of the other plant you killed

[Louis Balfour]

bigpriest said:

Louis Balfour said:

Guys you're killing me here.

I have what is effectively a root ball with a plastic drain pipe bound into it. I am also sixty years of age and want to enjoy an office plant before I die.

Percy the plant is in the green bin okay!

Or a large photograph of the other plant you killed

Like the lurid visions in my nightmares, which haunt me nightly before I awake screaming and drenched in sweat?

[Simpo Two]

'Louis Balfour - Plant Murderer'.

Don't you realise that thing was giving off oxygen? May a horde of Japanese knotweed infest your nether regions sir!

[Louis Balfour]

Simpo Two said:

'Louis Balfour - Plant Murderer'.

Don't you realise that thing was giving off oxygen? May a horde of Japanese knotweed infest your nether regions sir!

This is helpful how?

I am going to hell aren't I.

[KingGary]

Louis Balfour said:

I am going to hell aren't I.

Well, yes. Follow original instructions. We can live with the weird plastic pipe if it’s for the greater good!

Edited by KingGary on Saturday 19th October 22:58