Saturday, January 14, 2012

Question on a decorative sweet potato plant?

Last april, I bought a what I am nearly 100% sure to be a decorative sweet potato plant. It did great throughout the year, so when it became winter, I brought it inside. It struggled at first, but seemed to get along. I cut off some of the longer vines, and put it next to a window, and it seemed to survive. Well, some tiny spiders and looked like mold formed on the surface of the plant. It didn't seem to affect it, and the plant always seemed to have atleast 1-4 green leaves on it, barely surviving I guess.



Well its nearly spring, and its nearly survived all winter, but now all the leaves have fallen off, leaving just the vine. I repotted it in a larger pot and cut the vines down to about 6 inches, but I don't know if it will survive. The roots filled the old pot, and when I cut the vines they had a lot of moisture in them, so I assume it was healthy. I watered it and put it next to a window again. Is there anything else I can do to insure its survival, or will it die?

Question on a decorative sweet potato plant?
Doesn't sound good. The spider mites can weaken a plant so it's immune system can't fight off diseases. The mold was probably a fungal disease. Keep it in a warm spot and see if any buds look like they are developing. If not, toss it and get a new one this spring and when it gets infested, if it gets infested, address the problem. The leaves make the food and when they're gone it's bad.
Reply:It sounds like it may have gotten too much water. Just let it dry out a little and water periodically and in the spring put it back out even if it looks dead. Sometimes these will come back if they have been left in a warm place.


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