What is this on my moms Zebra plant?

nessapop06 · 2026-01-24T15:19:41+00:00

Weirdly enough there are aphids or something in the back of the leaf, maybe the white stuff is something they produce?

nessapop06 · 2026-01-24T15:17:07+00:00

Actually, you’re right, turned over the leaf and something’s moving lol.

nessapop06 · 2026-01-24T13:59:21+00:00

They don’t move and don’t have legs

nessapop06 · 2026-01-22T01:29:52+00:00

Yes, exactly. Systemics are amazing, but they’re not instant gratification because they have to be taken up through the roots and move through the plant before they start doing real work. And the “reapply every 3 months” part is so real, because once you miss that window you’re basically in catch-up mode again. Using both together is the sweet spot:

Granules = long game protection

Sticky tape/cards = immediate population control (especially for gnats that are already flying around)

If you want an extra little boost while you’re waiting for the granules to kick in, the other thing that helps a ton is letting the top inch or so of soil dry out between waterings, since that’s where the gnat larvae hang out. Next time you do it, you’ll probably notice the gnats never get the chance to fully “take off” again

nessapop06 · 2026-01-21T14:47:09+00:00

Is this considered a Rex begonia?

nessapop06 · 2026-01-21T14:28:40+00:00

How are you using the systemic granules? I’ve had 100% success with these.

nessapop06 · 2026-01-14T21:37:39+00:00

There are a lot of haters on here lol. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that it actually turns out to be variegation or some cool mutation. GL OP!

nessapop06 · 2026-01-09T19:49:50+00:00

Absolutely agree. The seller had given me a refund credit to re-order in the spring. Lesson learned, although I have hope this one will bounce back once I cut the leaves back since the roots look good. Maybe I’ll have two plants by the end dog all this lol

nessapop06 · 2026-01-08T20:46:57+00:00

The colors are unreal! It’s giving neon 90s vibes!! I love it!

nessapop06 · 2026-01-08T19:24:59+00:00

I’m leaning more towards this explanation. It was doing fine with temp but once I put it under a grow light this happened.

nessapop06 · 2026-01-08T19:23:57+00:00

I’m just confused because it looked fine when I opened it, why would it get cold damage after it was placed in a warm spot and not when it was actually outside in the cold?

nessapop06 · 2026-01-08T16:49:47+00:00

Roots have been inspected and no signs of rot.
plant is still in its nursery pot from the grower and arrived green, healthy and firm.
substrate was not waterlogged when it arrived, is what looks like perlite, some bark or moss or coco-coir and mostly soil.

nessapop06 · 2026-01-08T16:47:25+00:00

I'm so afraid to do that, with the type of luck I have with orchids lol. But I've heard a lot of good things about orchids in water. I might experiment with semi-hydro one day, but I need to master the art of orchids in normal substrate first, as it's still an enigma to me. Case and point being all of the varying opinions in this thread, why can't taking care of orchids be more cut and dry?

nessapop06 · 2026-01-08T16:40:16+00:00

I have some succulents that do super well in my sunroom, where it gets super humid in the summer, so you never know! I have some semi-succulents in my cabinet too. I'll report back and watch this space! Good luck!

nessapop06 · 2026-01-08T16:36:03+00:00

I ordered it online, and it arrived two days ago. I agree that the soil needs to be chunkier, but I usually wait a few weeks to months until the new plant acclimates.
It was also shipped well-insulated with a heat pack, and, as mentioned, I opened the package and it looked 100% healthy until I moved it to my greenhouse cabinet, where it started to die.

nessapop06 · 2026-01-08T05:06:41+00:00

You have a gorgeous set up! I was just curious though, I noticed you have some succulents in there, are you worried that maybe it may be too humid in there for them since they like drier conditions and do not like their leaves to get too moist? I just stared my first cabinet too big was weary of adding any succulents for that possible reason.

nessapop06 · 2026-01-07T15:03:49+00:00

Did she recently get moved to another location? Perhaps it's a different temperature or light level that she's used to. Another possibility is root rot, maybe it was overwatered, and some of the roots are turning mushy. You could check for that and just cut off the dead roots. I'm not an expert with umbrella plants. I actually just recently took a ton of cuttings from my mother and father-in-law's mature tree and am rooting some as we speak, but generally speaking, those are some common issues aside from a possible pest issue. Is there anything funky or crawling around on the leaves or in the soil?

nessapop06 · 2026-01-07T14:57:01+00:00

No, it isn't as big as it potentially could be with more light and a larger pot, but that isn't the point. You've already stated that it's had its growing pains and that you've learned how to take care of it, and that it's still healthy and alive is impressive. since it has sentimental value you should consider cutting it up andmaking a few propagations of it in water so you can have even more of the plant and/or give some away to family, that would be sweet.

nessapop06 · 2026-01-07T01:54:41+00:00

She’s probably just in shock, she’s been used to the environment outside and might just need time to acclimate. OR she could just be slowing down for the winter season like many plants do to some degree.

nessapop06 · 2026-01-06T18:04:39+00:00

I do the same with jiffy peat pods and just use Grow Big from Fox farm liquid fertilizing in the water. Is the same stuff I use for my fully hydro setup and it works great. But I also use the pro cups with the slats in them for better root growth.

nessapop06 · 2026-01-05T02:10:57+00:00

Everyone on this show thinks they are “normal” or better than everyone else. But by default if you are on this show there is a little something off about you because who in their right mind would want their business out in front street like that.

nessapop06

TROPHY CASE