Topic: Aspidistra Help!

[Trixiebelle]

I inherited an aspidistra plant (from my very much loved Uncle) last year.

It's in a pot about a foot square in the house. It's about 3ft wide and 2ft tall now and is dire need of re-potting, poor thing.

A couple of questions:

1. Would it be ok to put it outside when it's raining for a couple of hours or so? Just so it can get some fresh water on its leaves and save me having to dust it!

2. What sort of sized pot/compost would be best for it if I re-potted it?

3. Does it need feeding throughout the year with anything?

I'm not very good with houseplants. I can kill cacti and they manage to live in deserts 8)

Thank you in advance :)

[David R]

I love these plants, do you know they are really expensive to buy as they take so long to grow - you just dont see them for sale any more. Garden centre near me had one once and I snapped it up, the salesman said they should sell them at about £1 per leaf.

Now, sounds like a repotting is in order, but what about splitting it in two or three- just cut the plant with a knife, sounds brutal but it will give it a chance to spread a bit. Pot into ordinary soil, but dont feed; they dont like too much feeding. I give mine cold tea only a few times a year and a bit of rose fertilizer in the summer and thats it.

Bit of a wipe now and then is a good idea and they are prone to spider mite. Honestly though, compared to cacti (which are easy to kill! - how much of a desert environment can you give in England) these are impossible to harm.

[Trixiebelle]

David R! Thanks for the info but I wouldn't trust myself to cut/split it. I'd rather plant it in a pot that's big enough to spread its roots and stay as a singular plant! I'm in competition with Gracie Fields :D

And what do you mean by 'ordinary soil'? Stuff out of the garden or stuff from the Garden Centre that says 'Ideal For Houseplants' on the bag?

And at the moment it's residing at the back of my dining room in semi-shade. Will it appreciate a bit of sunshine?

Trix X

[Rosa_Mundi]

Garden centre compost, not garden soil. It doesn't like sunshine, and is fine in shade; and yes, you can put it out in the rain. They will even survive outdoors in mild areas, but they start to look tatty quite quickly.

[Mrs Ava]

Aspidestras are commonly known as the cast iron plant as supposedly, they are very hard to kill.  They were very popular in times when gas was used to light the homes as the fumes and soot that the gas lamps produced didn't harm these lovely green plants.  They don't mind being a touch pot bound and will flower quite happily.  The flowers are fab as they are ruby red but hidden almost in the compost around the base of the plant.  Mine is fed at the same time at the rest of my conservatory plants, which during the summer is about once every 2 or 3 weeks.  I do leave it in the garden in dappled shade during July and it comes in again at the end of September/start of October at the same time as my orchids and other tender plants.  I would repot it into something like a John Innes compost - something sturdy as they can become quite big, mine has over 50 leaves, my grandads in a monster with well over 100 leaves.  I do mist it - as I do with all of the conservatory plants now, just to help keep the spider mites at bay.  Mine lives quite happily in the conservatory and doesn't mind being baked or chilled, altho it never gets frosty in the conservatory as it is heated.  Hope this helps.

[Poppy2]

The variegated form is lovely but do not feed it as the variegation tends to go if you do. Yes i would put it oudide when the danger of frost is over, in a semi shaded spot where it won't get sun on wet leaves. Red spider mite I find can be avoided if you do that,bringing it in before the frosts. Don't put it straight into a very warm room, introduce it to its winter quarters gently.I agree that I also would not like to hack it up with a breadknife but sometimes you have to "bite the bullet!" Good luck. :D

[busy_lizzie]

We have two aspidistras, and they really thrive on neglect.  I am always forgetting to water them, but it seems to make no difference.  Mine are in quite sheltered corners - one on the Landing up one flight of stairs and the other in a darkish corner in our sitting room. If they are lucky, I wash the leaves with milk to make them nice and glossy. busy_lizzie

[Trixiebelle]

Thanks for all your help!

Said aspidistra is now in a spanking new pot on the dining room table. We will never dine there again  ;D

BUSY-LIZZIE: I like the idea of houseplants 'thriving on neglect'! That's probably why all me other houseplants have carked it apart from the aspidistra and a clematis from the back garden has 'mysteriously' grown through a gap in the  the living room window-frame and wrapped itself round my dolly-maid!