Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
iluvbotany4life

Pearcea hypocyrtiflora help?

iluvbotany4life
14 years ago

I ordered a sort of "grab bag" of varies plants online and one of the plants I received was Pearcea hypocyrtiflora. It's quite small. I keep this plant inside because I live in Illinois, and from what I've read, the plant prefers high humidity. I keep the plant in a pot with drainage holes in regular miracle grow potting soil mixed with some peat moss. I keep the soil moist and I mist the plant everyday since it's pretty dry here. Well th leaves look lifeless, droopy, and dull. Some of the leaves' tips are starting to get dry like a crunchy autumn leaf :( I don't understand this because I make sure it is always well watered. I have also read that this type of plant does not like water sitting on it's leaves....which seems to contradict the fact that it likes high humidity. How am I supposed to keep the humidity high if I cant spritz it with water? The plant get a lot of sunlight, some direct sun. Should I keep it in a place where the light is less direct? Should I put it in a terrarium to increase the humidity? I'm afraid that it will die soon if I don't change something about its current living situation :(

Comments (6)

  • irina_co
    14 years ago

    It i a terrarium plant. Fish tank or big bowl top covered will work. It shouldn't be sitting in water, it just wants hi air humidity and it actually a low light plant - east window would be better.

    Good Luck

    Irina

  • iluvbotany4life
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Ok, I have transplanted it to a fish bowl-like terrarium, and it still looks dreadful, but it's alive. Should I be misting it too keep the humidity up or not? Cause I've read that it should be misted but I've also heard that the leaves should not be misted as the plant can't handle standing water on the leaves....Which is it?

  • okie_deb
    14 years ago

    My guess is the plant is dry as a bone against the roots but looking moist to the eye on the top soil of the pot from the daily misting.
    When you pick up the pot does it feel very light? Peat moss if not wetted prior to mixing with soil mix can repel water. If the pot feels very light set it in a bowl of tepid water 30 minutes or so and let it draw up water from the bottom. Then set it in your covered top terrarium and the moisture from the soil will make humidity if placed in a bright location. You will not need to spray mist once you get the soil thoroughly dampened.
    Good luck,,,,Debbie

  • dirtmonkey
    14 years ago

    Also, misting is no problem as long as it isn't too cold (like 65+). Mine did great in 100% humidity, with water sitting on the leaves sometimes for days because of condensation drips. The no-wet-leaves rule probably came from thinking of african violets.

    It's not really an easy plant in general, but once it gets somewhere it's happy, in a closed terrarium, it can grow pretty fast.

    Vincent

  • iluvbotany4life
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Thanks for all the help. I don't think it's a moisture problem cause I thoroughly mixed and dampened the soil/peat mixture until it was completely moist, but not dripping, before I put any plants in there. I think the biggest problem might have been that it was getting too much direct sun. My bowl terrarium is open so I think I might cover the open top with saran wrap to increase the humidity, cause the plant still doesnt look too happy in there.

  • okie_deb
    14 years ago

    It's been almost 2 weeks so how is the plant doing now with more humidity?,,,Debbie

0