Philodendron Hope

Scales:

There are many species of scales that are commonly found in indoor house or greenhouse plants. Some species of the insect can have an armored shell like covering that will protect its entire form while others will have none at all. Those with the waxy shell can have its protection removed by simply scraping it away. It is easiest to tell the difference as the soft scales (no armored protection) produce honeydew while the armored scales will not. Scales feed on your plant by sucking on the plant’s sap. This will promote poor growth which will eventually stunt the growth of your plant. It can also lead to your plant being infested to sooty mold.

The most practical thing to do for your first attempt at cleaning up your plant from its infestation is to use soap and water to wash off the leaves and stems. If your plant is heavily infested, you can try an insecticide spray schedule on your plant that involves 2 to 3 sprays a week every two weeks. It is usually best to discard the plant however before the infestation can spread.

Nitrogen Deficiency:

If you start seeing some discoloration and yellowing of the leaves on your plant it is usually caused from a Nitrogen deficiency. The yellowing usually starts at the tips of the leaf and works its way inwards with no particular pattern. It will consume the oldest, lower leaves first until only the newest growth stays green. Here are a few recommended tips to handle a nitrogen deficiency. If you own a fish aquarium empty some of the aquarium water you have replaced into the soil of the plant. Another solution would be to spray the leaves of the plants with a foliar fertilizer (fertilizers made especially for applying nutrients to the leaves) with a mix of about 5-10-5 (percentage of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium).

Potassium Deficiency:

Symptoms of Potassium deficiency vary among plant species, but always appear first on the oldest leaves. Older leaflets of some palms are mottled with yellowish spots that are translucent when viewed from below, followed by the leaves rolling and giving a burnt look (necrosis) from the tip inward. In other plant varieties symptoms of Potassium deficiency are older leaves that appear withered and frizzled with yellow tips and brown margins. Yet in other cases symptoms appear on older leaves as marginal or tip necrosis with little or no yellowish spotting present. When left unaddressed it will progress from the older leaves to the younger leaves, eventually killing the plant. Potassium is responsible for chlorophyll formation which plays an important part in the strength of cells, in turn enhancing the ability of the plant to resist plant diseases, insect attacks and cold conditions. The best way to take care of Potassium deficiency is to use a fertilizer that contains Potassium Sulfate. A note of caution though; an excess of Potassium may tend to delay maturity.