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Questions and Answers: 2025

Question: hello. nashville, tn. i received a bromeliaceae plant for valentine's day. today 3/3 she is looking ill. not as vibrant …

  • Question

    hello. nashville, tn. i received a bromeliaceae plant for valentine's day. today 3/3 she is looking ill. not as vibrant as before. it also has some discoloration spotting that wasn't there when i first got it. i've let water sit in the center cup for 2days and noticed it wasn't draining so i took some water out. it now has white fuzzys mold like. please help save her.

    Answer

    Dear chunkymonkey7, often plants that get a white wild on them are being covered by something called "powdery mildew", a fungus that can harm the plant. There are multiple ways to deal with this, including clipping and removing affected parts, or using vinegar (mix two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with a quart of water and place it in a spray bottle to mist the affected parts). You can also add baking powder (1 tablespoon to a quart of water) and mist that onto the plant. For prevention, keep the plant in an areas with good air flow and don't over water. I hope this helps.