Tropical (?) health advice

Hi All,

I found these plants at B & Q today, reduced to 50p and £1 each. Since I would pay that for the pots alone Im chuffed with the bargain!

Theres a Flamingo Plant (according to the label) and its not looking too healthy. Can anyone suggest what I should do with the rough bits? There are several leaves which have half turned brown and crispy, do I leave them, or take off the leaf, or remove the entire stem?

The Vriesea (again label name) looks pretty good to me, leave it as it is?

The Dendrobium Nobile has dropped all its flowers, they were all in the bottom of the pot when I removed the plastic. Should I remove the little flower stems right back to the main trunk or leave them?

Thank you
KC

 

The Anthurium (Flamingo plant) has been allowed to dry out and/or subjected to cold draughts. They like lots of heat, lots of humidity, lots of moisture and good light (but not direct strong sun). You can cut the brown leaves off.

The Dendrobium nobile has probably suffered the same fate. Not too much water until the spring (try to keep the humidity up) and place outdoors in a sunny spot from June'ish till September in a bright sunny spot. Don't fiddle with the aborted flower stems.

The Vriesea is @strongylodon area of expertise I think as he has a few Bromeliads if I recall correctly. My one tip is use boiled or filtered water and pour the water into the leaf margins not the soil.

 

As longK says, water the 'vase' where the flower stem emerges, you can keep the compost just moist. It is difficult to see whether the red spathe has finished flowering, I presume so as it is in the sale. The actual plant will not flower again but soon will produce small offsets from between the lower leaves. These can either be removed when around 4/5" high and grown on or left on the plant, and eventually flowering in about two years time.

 

Thank you both