Why does the goldfish plant keep dropping leaves? Plus care tips
The goldfish plant, also called the goldfish flower, is a potted plant that is very well suited to growing indoors. It has dark green leaves and orange and pink flowers; seen from above, its flowers look like little goldfish. It is a hanging indoor plant that blooms very easily, but the goldfish plant also tends to keep dropping leaves. Why is that? What are the care tips for the goldfish plant?
1. Why does the goldfish plant keep dropping leaves?
1. Improper placement, light too intense
The goldfish plant likes shade and is suited to indoor growing; placed outdoors it drops leaves quite easily. So in spring and autumn, avoid strong direct sunlight; in summer, when the sun is especially strong, it should only get some angled light in the morning and evening, and during the day 50%-70% of the sunlight needs to be blocked, otherwise the leaf tips will dry up.
2. Watering too much or too little
The goldfish plant likes moisture, but long-term waterlogging or drought can also cause leaf drop. Keep the potting soil moist at all times (just slightly moist on the surface is enough). In summer, watering should be generous, and around midday and in the evening you should also spray water on the stems and leaves to prevent the leaves from drying up.
3. The effects of pests
For example, fine grains of soil at the bottom of the goldfish plant's pot may mean there are ants in the soil. This is because the plant's root sap is sweet and cool, which easily attracts ants, or there may already be some ants in the potting mix. It is suggested that you find a flower pot and replant it: lift the whole mother plant out together with its soil, then gently rinse the old soil off in a water basin or bucket filled with water, taking care not to damage the roots and root hairs, and finally choose another flower pot and replant it properly. Re-cuttings are just for safety; it is estimated that repotting with fresh soil will solve the problem you raised.
4. Caused by the discomfort of repotting
If you repot during the flowering period, the leaf tips may turn yellow and dry, and the flowers will fade faster. Just pinch off the ones that have turned especially yellow, care for it as usual, and pay attention to shading and keeping the leaf surface moist.
2. How do you rescue a goldfish plant that is dropping leaves?
1. Repot
It is suggested that you find a flower pot and replant it: lift the whole mother plant out together with its soil, then gently rinse the old soil off in a water basin or bucket filled with water, taking care not to damage the roots and root hairs, and finally choose another flower pot and replant it properly. Re-cuttings are just for safety; it is estimated that repotting with fresh soil will solve the problem you raised.
2. Water properly
The goldfish plant likes a moist environment, so keep the potting soil moist at all times. In summer, watering should be generous, and around midday and in the evening you should also spray water on the stems and leaves to prevent the leaves from drying up.
3. Provide proper light
The goldfish plant likes a semi-shaded environment. In spring and autumn, avoid strong direct sunlight; in summer, when the sun is especially strong, it should only get some angled light in the morning and evening, and during the day 50%-70% of the sunlight needs to be blocked, otherwise the leaf tips will dry up.
3. What are the care tips for the goldfish plant?
1. Where to keep it
The goldfish plant must never be placed in direct sunlight or left in blazing sun, and the temperature of its growing environment must not be too high. Keep it moderately warm, ideally between 15°C and 25°C.
2. Maintain environmental humidity
The goldfish plant grows very well in a high-humidity environment. If the air is dry, you can put some pebbles on a tray, add some clean water to the tray, and set the potted goldfish plant on top of the pebbles; this keeps the humidity up. Or you can frequently mist water around it, which also increases air humidity.
3. Avoid frequent watering
Although the goldfish plant likes a high-humidity environment, it cannot tolerate waterlogging. If the soil is often wet, the roots rot easily, so wait until the soil is dry before watering.
4. Fertilize appropriately
If you want it to bloom, you can regularly give it a little organic liquid fertilizer, or buy fertilizers with a relatively high phosphorus and potassium content, such as monopotassium phosphate, but the concentration should be lower: the concentration for fertilizing the goldfish plant is 1/4 that used for other flowers.
In addition, proper pruning of the goldfish plant is also very important, or you can pinch the growing tips when the plant is not leggy, pinching each branch one by one. You can do this when the leaves at the tips of the branches are visible to the naked eye; not only will the plant's shape look better, but the branches will also thicken and become woody, which helps resist disease, and with more branching the branches are less likely to fall over. Most importantly, it increases the chance of flowering.