Help keeping these alive

Vivienneleroux

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I received this living plant arrangement a few weeks ago after my grandmother passed. I'm an outdoor and veggie gardener. I don't know much at all about tropical house plants. Do I need to repot each of these plants into their own individual containers? They seem to want to die right now (I'd pulled out all the dead stuff before the photos) There's also fungal gnats coming out of the moss.

Help! I really want to keep these plants alive.
 

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Karla

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I received this living plant arrangement a few weeks ago after my grandmother passed. I'm an outdoor and veggie gardener. I don't know much at all about tropical house plants. Do I need to repot each of these plants into their own individual containers? They seem to want to die right now (I'd pulled out all the dead stuff before the photos) There's also fungal gnats coming out of the moss.

Help! I really want to keep these plants alive.
First, spray with a home and garden spray to kill the gnats. If they return, take the plant out, in warm water wash the roots and replant in fresh soil. Place where they get bright indirect light. The gnats are the problem. Good luck and so sorry about you losing your grandmother.
 

Karla

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Not sure if Neem oil will work as I did not use it on the gnats. I. Would say try it.
 

ClissAT

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If you've got gnats then the pot is generally too wet, overwatered.

All those plants have been placed together because they are all low light types.
But it is a sacrificial green flower bunch.

It's meant to die like a bunch of flowers unfortunately.
I hate that method of producing arrangements. Seems so wasteful.
I see the arrangement is in an indoor pot meaning no drain hole in the bottom.
So to give it the best chance, I'd remove the coir around the top to let the growing mix breathe. Give the plant a little more light but no direct sunlight.
If you have a deep verandah, put it against the house wall on the verandah so it gets maximum light but no direct Sunlight.
Maybe change the whole plant to a standard black pot with drianholes in the bottom and sit that in a shallow saucer.
Only water when the saucer is empty.
Those plants will use a fair bit of water so in summer you may still find yourself watering it daily just a little.
Once the soil dries out a bit, the gnats should disappear but may be replaced by other critters so always keep it under close scrutiny.
As for insect sprays, in this case just a bottle of pre-made Yates Bug Gun or something that does all 3, fungal, bacterial and bugs like Rose Gun.
 

Karla

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I agree with most of what has been said but these plants can be grown indoors as I am growing both right now.
 

Rickyelwey

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One of those looks like a Cast Iron Plant and another looks like a Dumb Cane(I'm not sure tho, but for argument's sake) I'm guessing the rest of the plants that are in there are as low maintenance as the other two. I would learn a little more about the specific plants in your planter and see when a "general" growing season is for those and re-pot accordingly(for indoor plants I like terracotta but it sweats so plastic if you're worried about that). Watering and light tho, ignore them when it comes to water. Forget they're there, and in dryer climates, I would water maybe once a week, in more humid climates maybe every two weeks or so. Indoor plants do better with less, remember the "more is less" rule when it comes to watering indoor plants. Light: anywhere in your home that does not require a bulb to see during the day is perfect :) indoor plants are easy and I hope I made sense and was helpful <3
 

Vivienneleroux

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I got them all separated and repotted today. Now I just have to find a place inside for them as it's below freezing today! 20200222_110813.jpg
 

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