Hello Mr. Sheffield, You said about the Croton not liking a draft. If you have a spot next to a door, you wont go wrong putting a Christmas cactus(CCs) there. They L💗ve a draft. I have one that hangs next to my front door. My Favorite Plant Man, I live in Alaska! Lol I really need your advise about one of my CCs though. It is in a 6"or 8" pot. The plant itself is 24" in dia. That measurment is on the X,Y, & Z. It's a big round ball. When it blooms it has hundreds of white flowers with hot pink pistols and colars. It is just gorgeous. Add i I inherited it from my late mom and you understand, I am very emotionally attached to this plant. My problem is it is in desperate need of a transplant. The mear thought fills me with dread and anxiety. I don't want to kill it but it has to be done. Here is what I'm hoping you can tell me: 1.)Should I stop the fertilizer for a time before or after the transplant? 2.) Is there something in addition too or in lieu of fert., I can give it before or after, to mitigate stress? 3.) Most plants like to be transplanted the day after watering. Are CCS that way too? 4.) Is there a way I can I mitigate busting off branches/leaves? (I know I won't save them all.) 5) What size pot should I go with since it has needed this transplant for more than 5 years? The standard 2" up or should I do 4"or even 6", bigger? 6.) Does the size of the leave spread have any bearing on pot size? Should I water as usual, letting it dry out a little in between or, will it need to be kept at damp for a few weeks? Honestly Mr. S, I'm just so worried. If I kill this plant it will be like loosing another piece of my mom. Then again, I know if I do nothing, that will eventually kill it too. Help me plant daddy?
@@LambentLark I wouldn’t worry too much. Plants don’t tend to die from repotting unless we do something very wrong. Choose a pot a couple of sizes bigger and give it some nice fresh soil. Make sure you water it in properly and then do your normal watering routine after that. You could try wrapping the foliage in something to keep them bunches up and then repot.
@@SheffieldMadePlants she's blooming right now. They do it twice a year here without any special prompting. Usually a few week after we hit 12 hr. of daylight. Were @13hr 23 min. Today. I'm not getting many blooms this year. Definitely time. I'll be brave this spring, as soon as just after she's through blooming. I would hate to move if I were preggers. I'll let ya know how it goes.🤞🏻
I’m from Florida USA,I have had several crotons that thrived outside for years..❤️love them and miss them. I now reside in Kansas,USA….All of my tropical plants that lived outside in Florida now live inside in Kansas…I’m learning how to be a houseplant mom…❤️
I’ve had several for 10 or 15 years now. I find having them spend the summer months outdoors on the patio is critical. I am even having some success with notching the stems to create more lateral stems to make up for the lowest leaves that are the first to drop under stress as the plants age, thus returning the plant to a bushier state from the tree-like shape that otherwise develops.
My Croton grew nicely in 65% humidity on a West windowsill, but the leaves got green. So I moved it over to the South window behind the window grid, where it is 45-50% only, but I placed it in pure water. Before, the roots grew massively into a water reservoir I placed under the pot of earth it was living in. So I realized it would not die in water only. It grows now the first 3 leaves after that move in January.
When I first started collecting plants about 5~ yrs ago I got a Croton. He then proceeded to die so quickly and with vengeance. Fast forward to today, my job gave me a free one that I have managed to keep alive for a month now... -edit: thanks everyone for liking this, it reminds me to keep watering the somehow still alive Croton..
@@j5nephews558 that's so funny! I just looked over at it. It's still alive, somehow.. it's been put into a corner because of said spider mites. Haven't seen any in a week... Thinking about adding the croton back with the others but idk if I want to fall for it's tricks.
@@thegameres816 if you wipe the leaves and stems with soapy water at least twice a month you will keep the mites controlled.. Let the leaves drip with the water top and bottom.. It won't matter if some gets soaked up by the dirt.
I’m the Garden gal at Home Depot & we just got a large shipment of exotics so im doing my homework today. I have a gorgeous ponytail palm & a ficus bonsai & many types of Dracaena! They all are thriving… watering is KEY!!
Croton grow well in self-watering where the root stay in the water. The top with lecca. Need sunlight but for self watering keep the base covered to avoid algae. Experiment & enjoy.
I am on my 8th croton!! 8😢. I refuse to give up! My family is exasperated and rolling their eyes. But i live in South India and almost everyone has a croton growing wild in their gardens or balconies. What am i doing wrong? And 8 times!!! Its just ridiculous. But i am being stubborn because i want to understand where i am going wrong and want to learn how to get it right! Talk about a checkered past with crotons!! Me and crotons habe a long history. But i must say ...i do have a couple more different types that are doing well and been with me for sometime......but this particular one that you are showing....the petra ....it just wont survive after coming home from the nursery. Hopefully i will learn a thing or two from your video. Thank you for sharing your wisdom and being a part of my gardening journey! Keep up the good work! Thank you
Same! I have shared my space with many at this point until they "departed" but I refuse to give up because I just love them. I have managed to keep a couple of them alive by moving them into a humidity tent. I'm in Upstate N.Y. and the winters are brutal. After watching several videos I just purchased a new one and will place it in a South or West facing window and monitor progress. good luck to you.
@@PurpleMonkeyWaffle Thank you for the sunlight hint. I'm pretty sure anyone with a screen name like "PurpleMonkeyWaffle" would only have good intentions so I trust your advice and appreciate your insight.
I too had a hard time with Crotons and especially the ‘Petra’, but I started spraying the leaves with water & watering just when the leaves are about to droop. This has kept them alive for about a year or so. The planter drainage too has to be good. Keeping my fingers crossed.
My croton has been in a clay pot in a west facing window. Never had a bug on him. Am looking to cut and propagate to get him to fill out. Luvin the videos. Keep em coming ❤
I have huge success with Crotons my one key tip to give anyone is always keep them in a plastic liner pot you lift out of a catch pot. Never put them into a terra cotta pot, a planter where the inside of the planter is unglazed that will leach all the moisture either. The plastic planter makes it easy for you to walk past and check for lightness in the soil so you also know to water it. I take a Croton and water it a little on top but let it sit in a low bow of water for like 15 mins or so, so the roots really absorb then let it drain in the sink and return it to its catch pot. In my home I water mine and check them every 6 days and everybody gets their leaves washed. I also spray them with Captain Jacks dead bug brew once a month just to prevent any unwanted friends.
Thanks! I live in Arizona where we purposely shade our homes for summer survival.. I’ve now got a samsonite table with gro lights for my 12 exotics… i also am wintering out several succulents..They are all very Happy!! Cheers Mate!
@@jpp7783 I had that happen to two dragontree plants marginatas that I switched with each other. Both just started droppipng leaves for a year and died I coudln't stop it didn't know wtf was going on lol. but my crotons take abuse. people walk into them they get knocked around just growing under grow lights. they unkillable. mammy croton has wilted on me a couple times and bounces right back up like a peace lily. one of the best house plants imo. One of the only plants I never had died on me.
I just bought a beautiful Gold Dust Croton, quite a tall one at about one meter. Another great Aldi purchase at 12€.😊 I placed her in a back corner of my bedroom. The windows are large but crowded 😅 so I've given her a grow light. Hopefully Goldie will be happy there 😊
I just have to say that I love you sooo much, you're hilarious and have such good gardening tips!! I laugh about something every time I watch... THANK YOU
Thank you so much Richard, I have two Crotons now, having rescued one today from B&Q, it was so dry and hadn’t been watered for sometime and it was £8.00 and I got it for £3.00. And I’m sure I’m going to be able to get it recovered back to a stunningly beautiful plant. I’ll let you know what happens. The colours are unbelievable so I’m keeping fingers crossed for it. Thank you for all your brilliant videos because they are so entertaining and inspiring too. Please stay safe and well too xxxx Mags ❤❤❤❤
mist the bottoms of the leaves with neem oils then when they gone regular water as a routine maintenance. if you get mealies then I dont' know what to tell you lol Don'e throw the plant out still probably live for years. just keep it by itself.
They are one of my favorite plants, but I’ve had issues keeping them healthy. I usually wait for the guilt of my poor parenting to them die down before I buy another one… usually about 4 or 5 years 🥴 But I just bought one, and want to keep it healthy. Thanks for sharing this video.
I think this is my third time watching this video 😂 It's peak summer right now and all I have is a tiny single leaf like the top one at 2:29 plus one ultra tiny "bud break?" that both haven't moved for a month. thanks for the tin-o-spinach tip for feeding at 9:49 Ishh that'll probably help me because mine gets lots of sun all day long and I'll make sure its soil is good but not soggy. thank you again!
I have seen your beautiful Croton sitting on your shelf and was wondering when we'll get a video about it. Thank you so much! There is too little out there about Crotons. When I started, every guide said "never put it into direct sun". I thought differently, plonked it into my west-facing window where it gets 6 hours of sun in summer and it's loving life. Next year it'll get a chop back. Have you tried propagating the stem? Does it work?
I think im just lucky.....i bought a croton (same as the one in this vid) 5ish years ago as a sad little guy of one leaf in a dried up pot. For 1.75$ i figured, why not? Hes now 3ft tall, happy as a clam and all in a west facing, near the front door canadian home. ❤ this channel....thanks for all the great info!
Perfect Rich. This is just what I was looking for. Know that I am settling in with my plants and I'm starting to water and care for them. The exciting part is that I'm keeping a journal on all of them. Watering, light, etc. maybe in case I die. lol Speaking of dying I am struggling with a few thinking about it. The fight is on! OK on to the next species. It's insane winds and torrid rain here for days and I don't know when it will stop. Power outages also. Rich have a great plant week and that's that. Peace.
Also reporting that my new leave has unraveled some but the stem itself has grown taller then the one I staked and is v'ing off from the birth stem on my monstera. This is amazing action to watch. I got him under my grow light too. Proud Momma.
I hope your plant is doing well. I grasped in shock seeing it go in dustbin, and in the beginning of the video when u threw it on floor. 😅. I have killed a croton last year and this spring i purposefully avoided its repurchase, though it look absolutely gorgeous in the nursery!
My croton caught a bad case of the spider mites a few weeks ago. Gave the guy a shower, a soil drench with neem oil, and used insecticidal soap on the foliage. He's back in action and with his friends on the shelf!
I commiserate with trying to mimic their conditions and love for hot, humid weather. Hahaha. I live in Singapore where they are native plants here too. In fact, the entire South-East Asian is facing a heatwave for a few weeks now. My mom's pot of croton is left on the flat corridor, usually unbothered, and it just grows without us doing much, except pest control. Maybe one day I need to do videos on how we fail constantly at trying to grow non-tropical plants at our flat corridors! So many local high-rise gardeners here have managed to get roses and hydrangeas to bloom... it's amazing.
Thanks for this video. My once bushy Croton. Is now down to only 3 leaves 😢. I live in a state that doesn’t get a lot of sunlight during the winter months. However, it does seem to be doing a little better since I moved it from the living room to the bedroom. Where there is more light for a longer period of time. Definitely need to look into a grow light.
I have a croton I purchased about 6 months ago. It has been doinf pretty well. It hasnt grown any taller, but it has been sprouting leaves, & the leaves are a good redish orangish color. I have it in one of my vivariums, it looks beautiful.
Me again Some plant parents don't know the difference between indoor and out door. Constant temperature is one rule besides water, light, food. Being a plant parent takes almost the same amount as being a human parent. Lots of love. Training them to grow up tall. Feed them when they are hungry. When they get hangry teach them the rule that is appropriate for there character. Enough said Hope all parents have a wonderful EASTER🐰🐣🐥🐇🌷💐
Hi Rich that k yo Hi Rich thank you for another great video. My crotonn gets least 6 hours of sun (when the sun is out) The pot sits in a glass pie plate(don't make pies any more). Watering when plate is dry. (Every day). Giving all my kids b banana water first then will switch. I am making babies with my Christmas cactus. Wish me luck. Have in egg carton. Will look for better pots for my two Swiss cheesd and will follow your suggestions on how to make them go up (you know good up and bad down Thank you again for all your teaching. Adding humor make people listen. Wishing you, your wife a your human kiddo a wonderful Easter ☺😇🤗😘🐇🐰🐤🐣
I love my croton! It had spider mites already when it came from the nursery and it was a battle to get rid of them. Now no spider mites even if the humidity has been very low for the whole winter. I can't wait for the summer so my croton can spend its long summer vacation at my south facing glassed balcony!☺🌴
I love crotons. Loves the hot sunny outdoors during spring and summer. My ex gave it to me about 14-15 years ago. Inside when outdoor temps below 60f. It also responds well to a spring trim. Drench it in the summer with the hose several times a week. Feed it every two weeks. It’s rather a pain in the ass to move it seasonally cause of the huge pot it’s in. I’ve seen it being used in flower beds and elementally esp at professionally maintained areas. They’re are gorgeous but expensive if used as an annual. Croty always does best when hot and in direct sunlight. Croty did something interesting about 4 years ago - it bloomed. I think there were 4 blooms that year. First and only time it’s bloomed. Look it up - very interesting bloom
i have a croton that i found by the thrash container and i took it home and did put it in a pot whit fresh soil and he has transformed in a beautiful and healthy plant which has been making a few side shoots and he has even has been giving a female and a male flower stam and he has given this summer twice these weird but gorgeous flowering stams so i must be doing something right that this beautiful croton that was so good as dead when i found this plant that was trow away
I have a variety of croton called, I think, Codiaeum variegatum 'Mother and Daughter'. Pretty sure I got it at one of the large grocery stores around here. It’s got a little leaf that grows off a “threadlike midrib”. It’s very cute and I think you’d love it.
I lost my Croton a while back. I don't do well with the narrow-leafed variety, but the wide leaf ones do well for me. I lost mine when I bought a prayer plant that came in with BUGS. In battling them, the Croton got infected. Unfortunately, I didn't realize the bugs had jumped plants until the Croton was at death's door. 😞
I used to move these around outdoors in the garden in Thailand when I lived there and they hate being moved and will lose their leaves. I have them indoors with a grow light here in Ontario Canada and they are still a fussy plant.
My croton dropped its bottom leaves ☹️. I want to have a nice full plant and I want to prune it to encourage growth, but I don’t want it to be top heavy. Will a hard prune encourage new growth on the lower, leafless stems?
My croton (Marley) was high up on the mantle which is right next to a transom window facing south-southwest so light and sun galore BUT Snape the Snake plant was getting all weirdly shaped so I moved Marley down a bit and Snape to the upper pot - Snape is straightening up nicely but Marley doesn't seem to be as happy in the lower position. Marley's has new leaves that are green so after watching your video I've moved him back to top spot - I want to see if those leaves will turn redder with all that light. More to come. Now Snape, where to put him? I'm in Canada, I hear you about weather challenges. Great channel - my favourite - keep up the great work!
I recently got two of these plants. I put one of them indoors where it has a lot of indirect light but no direct sunlight, and the other outdoors where it has many hours of direct sunlight. Both seem to be thriving so far after I move them to a bigger pot with a good soil mixture. The one inside is almost full green, although this green colour is way darker than the shade of green yours has. The one outdoors is slowly displaying its characteristics colours. My plan was to keep it like this for a while to see how they do but after seeing this video I'm thinking about moving the little fella outside to give him some nice treatment. What do you think ?
Nice video. I had this plant and knew that they require a good amount of sunlight, but thanks to this video now I know that I should be taking them inside when the temps are lower than 59F. My plants too have red leaves at the bottom followed by green leaves at the top.
My croton, is the opposite to green leafs. It is very dark in colour to the point of no other colour but deep purple. They come through green, but turn super dark. Its flowered though right through this summer. Had her for 3 years.
I moved a croton last year from one side of the room (north window) to a few feet from a south window, and it literally dropped all of its leaves.. but, it’s finally on its way back.
You know you're getting great advice when you catch someone trying to steal one of your plants, but you give it to them anyway because you have way too many plants.😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
@@SheffieldMadePlants TLDR : Don't be an idiot OR get a moisture meter. I sacrificed it at my alter of ignorance as I learned my watering lesson. The person I got it from told me not to let it dry out and man did I take that to heart.. Looking back I realize it was a slow death as I added top dressing to slow the evaporation, but didn't slow the watering because, ya know, I'm an idiot.
New subscriber here! I love your videos! After watching your videos I tried removing my ZZ plant from its ceramic pot to inspect the roots, but I had to give up after 30mins of struggling with it as it wouldn’t budge. (I had watered the plant in advance to loosen up the soil, and I tried using a chopstick to loosen soil around the edge of the pot.) It’s a little upset with me now because I see some leaves have brown tips and patchy colouring. Should I wait to repot it to let it recover or try again, this time with my new bread knife? p.s. Were any plants harmed in the making of this video? 🧐😂
Managed to get the plant out, but did end up cracking the pot in the process 😅 I was surprised to find so many rhizomes in there, there were about 6. The roots looked mostly in good condition too, but I pruned off any scraggly looking ones. There also appears to be 4 new shoots coming through. I separated the plant into 4 pots, I just hope I can do all the right things to keep them happy throughout the growing season! I will keep binging your videos to see what else I can learn! Thank you for all the great tips you’ve shared! 😁 I’m so excited to have this new hobby, even if I don’t get the results I hope for, the learning is the most interesting part for me I think!
I’ve had my croton for 3 years and this year it decided to up and die 😔 thank you for this information I think she died because I wasn’t doing any of this
I think I've been lucky with my Croton so far then. It's right in the window in the full sun, and the last 4 new leaves are green but the set underneath (these grew in my house) are bright red. I've made a note to water it a little more often and I always keep an eye out for spider mites because I've heard many ppl here say they're an issue with Crotons. So far so good! How are you getting on with your new Asparagus Fern btw? The tendrils shoot out like crazy huh? Mine have always been one of my most well-behaved plants.
My first plant was a Croton, its 2,5 years old now and 1m tall :D its in "bad" regular soil but i will repot it to a bigger pot next week and mix some perlite in it. i have 100% overwatering it many times, not watered it for 2 weeks now and soil is still wet so i need to do something, no idea how its still alive.
I have one. I carried it to the far north . It kept its leaves. It' got cold ... it was near a cold window...dropped some leaves.... started blooming... leaves are warped... 😅 desperately holding on. Lol
My crotons are under grow lights for 5 years. they're pretty huge now. don't like to dry out or be root bound like a lot of other plants though so you really need to put them in big pots. But if they do dry out they kind of droop but then come back like some other plants. But even a slight Miss watering in your start losing leaves. I find them very hard to kill honestly. And I kill a lot of plants.
@@SheffieldMadePlants absolutely. my mammy corton in particular if you go way long without watering. will wilt just like a peace lily. thought I killed it. pops right back up. But one thing I notice is they are thirsty as hell. and its random so you really gotta check even if you watered 3 days ago. i put them outside. I got a huge big Petra Bush like 5 fit high and wide. and a tall skinny small bushed mammy corton like 4 ft. I lose the most leaves bringing them back inside after the summer here in the northeast US. I just had to upot the mammy to the same 15" pot my petra is in even though i didn't think it needed it. but it did lmao. relassy grow lights.
My journey with croton is long and bumpy, but somehow it's still here- alive! Although lately, Ive seen it's lower leaves started to get a bit brown (dead) at the ends (I have 'oakleaf' variety) and I'm not sure why. Maybe the watering? It's upper leaves seem okay colorwise- already getting red but seem to have a tendency to 'swirl' a bit? I spray my croton whenever possible so the humidity is better, but I must be doing something wrong, as it started to get fussy..
My croton seems to be a spider mite magnet. We have spider mites in the trees here in Oklahoma and I'm wondering if there's a preventative thing I can do before they kill off my baby leaves
I'm in upstate NY and it's late spring so I am contemplating putting my croton's outdoors but I am worried about bugs and other nastiness. I have been very fortunate with all my plants and have never had to deal with anything like that so will it become a problem?
I just bought a croton for my office which has no window but I have a 10w sansi light above, is that enough wattage and if so is 30cm above the top of the plant too close?
Just when he got to my Croton problem, the video was over 😢😢 I have just discovered webbing on my baby. What should I do??? This is my second Croton and I am determined to keep him alive!
I should send you a picture of my croton. It was in a planter of mixed plants that I eventually separated out, different plants, different needs. Anyway, my croton is just weird looking. ALIVE, but weird and not really growing. It’s sad and malformed. But alive, so I’ll keep at it. 🤷♀️
I can't stand croton. We have them everywhere in Florida. It's pretty much in our landscaping here. I never really watered mine in my flower bed. I let the Florida rain take care of that
I use those sticky things to kill those flying pests but they didn’t work by themselves. I watered all the plants with hydrogen peroxide and dish soap a few times and now the sticky things are bug free! Thought I got that tip from you but you don’t seem to mention it🤔
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Hello Mr. Sheffield, You said about the Croton not liking a draft. If you have a spot next to a door, you wont go wrong putting a Christmas cactus(CCs) there. They L💗ve a draft. I have one that hangs next to my front door. My Favorite Plant Man, I live in Alaska! Lol
I really need your advise about one of my CCs though. It is in a 6"or 8" pot. The plant itself is 24" in dia. That measurment is on the X,Y, & Z. It's a big round ball. When it blooms it has hundreds of white flowers with hot pink pistols and colars. It is just gorgeous. Add i I inherited it from my late mom and you understand, I am very emotionally attached to this plant.
My problem is it is in desperate need of a transplant. The mear thought fills me with dread and anxiety. I don't want to kill it but it has to be done.
Here is what I'm hoping you can tell me:
1.)Should I stop the fertilizer for a time before or after the transplant?
2.) Is there something in addition too or in lieu of fert., I can give it before or after, to mitigate stress?
3.) Most plants like to be transplanted the day after watering. Are CCS that way too?
4.) Is there a way I can I mitigate busting off branches/leaves? (I know I won't save them all.)
5) What size pot should I go with since it has needed this transplant for more than 5 years? The standard 2" up or should I do 4"or even 6", bigger?
6.) Does the size of the leave spread have any bearing on pot size?
Should I water as usual, letting it dry out a little in between or, will it need to be kept at damp for a few weeks?
Honestly Mr. S, I'm just so worried. If I kill this plant it will be like loosing another piece of my mom. Then again, I know if I do nothing, that will eventually kill it too. Help me plant daddy?
@@LambentLark I wouldn’t worry too much. Plants don’t tend to die from repotting unless we do something very wrong. Choose a pot a couple of sizes bigger and give it some nice fresh soil. Make sure you water it in properly and then do your normal watering routine after that. You could try wrapping the foliage in something to keep them bunches up and then repot.
@@SheffieldMadePlants she's blooming right now. They do it twice a year here without any special prompting. Usually a few week after we hit 12 hr. of daylight. Were @13hr 23 min. Today. I'm not getting many blooms this year. Definitely time. I'll be brave this spring, as soon as just after she's through blooming. I would hate to move if I were preggers. I'll let ya know how it goes.🤞🏻
Hello 👋
My Croton started to loose almost all leaves and the stem is getting dry from the top.
What do I do to save it?
Help please! 🙏
I’m from Florida USA,I have had several crotons that thrived outside for years..❤️love them and miss them. I now reside in Kansas,USA….All of my tropical plants that lived outside in Florida now live inside in Kansas…I’m learning how to be a houseplant mom…❤️
Quite the change!
I also live in Florida and have 5 new crotons from the Home Depot that are doing great- just gave them a shot of milorganite
I brought this plant about a month ago and this video came just in time to keep me from killing my Croton. Thanks a bunch!!
You bet!
The moisture meter really IS a game changer! Thank you for the suggestion!
You bet!
@@SheffieldMadePlants Yesss!!! Moisture meter and Sansi Lights just changed my plants' lives !! 🥰
I’ve had several for 10 or 15 years now. I find having them spend the summer months outdoors on the patio is critical. I am even having some success with notching the stems to create more lateral stems to make up for the lowest leaves that are the first to drop under stress as the plants age, thus returning the plant to a bushier state from the tree-like shape that otherwise develops.
What do you do once it's a tree?... I was given one by a neighbor and it's about 3 and a half feet tall...
@@Jay-is2jy You just enjoy the tree! Plop it in a sunny corner and enjoy.
My Croton grew nicely in 65% humidity on a West windowsill, but the leaves got green. So I moved it over to the South window behind the window grid, where it is 45-50% only, but I placed it in pure water. Before, the roots grew massively into a water reservoir I placed under the pot of earth it was living in. So I realized it would not die in water only. It grows now the first 3 leaves after that move in January.
When I first started collecting plants about 5~ yrs ago I got a Croton. He then proceeded to die so quickly and with vengeance. Fast forward to today, my job gave me a free one that I have managed to keep alive for a month now...
-edit: thanks everyone for liking this, it reminds me to keep watering the somehow still alive Croton..
Nice!
Check periodically for spider mites
@@j5nephews558 that's so funny! I just looked over at it. It's still alive, somehow.. it's been put into a corner because of said spider mites. Haven't seen any in a week... Thinking about adding the croton back with the others but idk if I want to fall for it's tricks.
@@thegameres816 if you wipe the leaves and stems with soapy water at least twice a month you will keep the mites controlled.. Let the leaves drip with the water top and bottom.. It won't matter if some gets soaked up by the dirt.
@@thegameres816 the mites are so small they spread on air currents, that's why some people get an infestation on everything
I’m the Garden gal at Home Depot & we just got a large shipment of exotics so im doing my homework today. I have a gorgeous ponytail palm & a ficus bonsai & many types of Dracaena! They all are thriving… watering is KEY!!
I've never bothered with crotons but might do this year having watched this. I'm a calathea fan myself ❤❤
Croton grow well in self-watering where the root stay in the water. The top with lecca.
Need sunlight but for self watering keep the base covered to avoid algae.
Experiment & enjoy.
I am on my 8th croton!! 8😢. I refuse to give up! My family is exasperated and rolling their eyes. But i live in South India and almost everyone has a croton growing wild in their gardens or balconies. What am i doing wrong? And 8 times!!! Its just ridiculous.
But i am being stubborn because i want to understand where i am going wrong and want to learn how to get it right!
Talk about a checkered past with crotons!! Me and crotons habe a long history.
But i must say ...i do have a couple more different types that are doing well and been with me for sometime......but this particular one that you are showing....the petra ....it just wont survive after coming home from the nursery.
Hopefully i will learn a thing or two from your video.
Thank you for sharing your wisdom and being a part of my gardening journey! Keep up the good work! Thank you
Thanks for sharing 👍
Same! I have shared my space with many at this point until they "departed" but I refuse to give up because I just love them. I have managed to keep a couple of them alive by moving them into a humidity tent. I'm in Upstate N.Y. and the winters are brutal. After watching several videos I just purchased a new one and will place it in a South or West facing window and monitor progress. good luck to you.
@@PurpleMonkeyWaffle Thank you for the sunlight hint. I'm pretty sure anyone with a screen name like "PurpleMonkeyWaffle" would only have good intentions so I trust your advice and appreciate your insight.
I too had a hard time with Crotons and especially the ‘Petra’, but I started spraying the leaves with water & watering just when the leaves are about to droop. This has kept them alive for about a year or so. The planter drainage too has to be good. Keeping my fingers crossed.
My croton has been in a clay pot in a west facing window. Never had a bug on him. Am looking to cut and propagate to get him to fill out. Luvin the videos. Keep em coming ❤
Thanks!
Lucky! Mine is a magnet for spider mites. 😠
And there I was thinking all this time that Crotons were those hard bread thingies that you find in your Caesar Salad.
I have huge success with Crotons my one key tip to give anyone is always keep them in a plastic liner pot you lift out of a catch pot. Never put them into a terra cotta pot, a planter where the inside of the planter is unglazed that will leach all the moisture either. The plastic planter makes it easy for you to walk past and check for lightness in the soil so you also know to water it. I take a Croton and water it a little on top but let it sit in a low bow of water for like 15 mins or so, so the roots really absorb then let it drain in the sink and return it to its catch pot. In my home I water mine and check them every 6 days and everybody gets their leaves washed. I also spray them with Captain Jacks dead bug brew once a month just to prevent any unwanted friends.
Thanks for the tips
Thanks. I love my croton but have had a few die on me. Hopefully I can keep my boy alive with these helpful tips.
Thanks! I live in Arizona where we purposely shade our homes for summer survival.. I’ve now got a samsonite table with gro lights for my 12 exotics… i also am wintering out several succulents..They are all very Happy!! Cheers Mate!
😂 We have Crotons in the Caribbean too and yes these fellas love that heat and sunshine. 🌞 🏝️
Who’s Larry ? lol. I have a croton that was loosing most of her leaves . I moved it closer to my window and it has come back. 🙌🏼. Thank you.
They need more sunlight than most houseplants. And they easily go into shock and drop leaves when moved around.
@@jpp7783 I had that happen to two dragontree plants marginatas that I switched with each other. Both just started droppipng leaves for a year and died I coudln't stop it didn't know wtf was going on lol. but my crotons take abuse. people walk into them they get knocked around just growing under grow lights. they unkillable. mammy croton has wilted on me a couple times and bounces right back up like a peace lily. one of the best house plants imo. One of the only plants I never had died on me.
"Pulling its trousers down" really got me 😂😂😂😂
I just bought a beautiful Gold Dust Croton, quite a tall one at about one meter. Another great Aldi purchase at 12€.😊 I placed her in a back corner of my bedroom. The windows are large but crowded 😅 so I've given her a grow light. Hopefully Goldie will be happy there 😊
I just have to say that I love you sooo much, you're hilarious and have such good gardening tips!!
I laugh about something every time I watch... THANK YOU
Thank you 😊
Thank you so much Richard, I have two Crotons now, having rescued one today from B&Q, it was so dry and hadn’t been watered for sometime and it was £8.00 and I got it for £3.00. And I’m sure I’m going to be able to get it recovered back to a stunningly beautiful plant. I’ll let you know what happens. The colours are unbelievable so I’m keeping fingers crossed for it. Thank you for all your brilliant videos because they are so entertaining and inspiring too. Please stay safe and well too xxxx Mags ❤❤❤❤
I’m sure it will 🤞
I have a croton, rag doll, I've had it for years and no matter what I do, spider mites ❤ this plant
I have a mammy croton and it’s exactly the same, a spider mite magnet
mist the bottoms of the leaves with neem oils then when they gone regular water as a routine maintenance. if you get mealies then I dont' know what to tell you lol Don'e throw the plant out still probably live for years. just keep it by itself.
Just got one today !! Came here to see how to take care of it
They are one of my favorite plants, but I’ve had issues keeping them healthy. I usually wait for the guilt of my poor parenting to them die down before I buy another one… usually about 4 or 5 years 🥴 But I just bought one, and want to keep it healthy. Thanks for sharing this video.
I think this is my third time watching this video 😂 It's peak summer right now and all I have is a tiny single leaf like the top one at 2:29 plus one ultra tiny "bud break?" that both haven't moved for a month. thanks for the tin-o-spinach tip for feeding at 9:49 Ishh that'll probably help me because mine gets lots of sun all day long and I'll make sure its soil is good but not soggy. thank you again!
I have seen your beautiful Croton sitting on your shelf and was wondering when we'll get a video about it. Thank you so much! There is too little out there about Crotons. When I started, every guide said "never put it into direct sun". I thought differently, plonked it into my west-facing window where it gets 6 hours of sun in summer and it's loving life.
Next year it'll get a chop back. Have you tried propagating the stem? Does it work?
I’ve not yet. When it grows on a bit I’ll give it a chop
I think im just lucky.....i bought a croton (same as the one in this vid) 5ish years ago as a sad little guy of one leaf in a dried up pot. For 1.75$ i figured, why not? Hes now 3ft tall, happy as a clam and all in a west facing, near the front door canadian home. ❤ this channel....thanks for all the great info!
Most enjoyable, entertaining, and educational croton growing video! Thank you!! ❤
Thanks!
Perfect Rich. This is just what I was looking for. Know that I am settling in with my plants and I'm starting to water and care for them. The exciting part is that I'm keeping a journal on all of them. Watering, light, etc. maybe in case I die. lol Speaking of dying I am struggling with a few thinking about it. The fight is on! OK on to the next species. It's insane winds and torrid rain here for days and I don't know when it will stop. Power outages also. Rich have a great plant week and that's that. Peace.
Also reporting that my new leave has unraveled some but the stem itself has grown taller then the one I staked and is v'ing off from the birth stem on my monstera. This is amazing action to watch. I got him under my grow light too. Proud Momma.
At this point it's save to say I have a murderous history with a lot of plants. xD
😅
I hope your plant is doing well. I grasped in shock seeing it go in dustbin, and in the beginning of the video when u threw it on floor. 😅. I have killed a croton last year and this spring i purposefully avoided its repurchase, though it look absolutely gorgeous in the nursery!
Yeah they always do
My croton caught a bad case of the spider mites a few weeks ago. Gave the guy a shower, a soil drench with neem oil, and used insecticidal soap on the foliage. He's back in action and with his friends on the shelf!
I commiserate with trying to mimic their conditions and love for hot, humid weather. Hahaha. I live in Singapore where they are native plants here too. In fact, the entire South-East Asian is facing a heatwave for a few weeks now. My mom's pot of croton is left on the flat corridor, usually unbothered, and it just grows without us doing much, except pest control. Maybe one day I need to do videos on how we fail constantly at trying to grow non-tropical plants at our flat corridors! So many local high-rise gardeners here have managed to get roses and hydrangeas to bloom... it's amazing.
Thanks for this video. My once bushy Croton. Is now down to only 3 leaves 😢. I live in a state that doesn’t get a lot of sunlight during the winter months. However, it does seem to be doing a little better since I moved it from the living room to the bedroom. Where there is more light for a longer period of time. Definitely need to look into a grow light.
I’ve had my croton for a few years now. He lives in an east facing window with a few hours of sunlight each day. 😀🇨🇦
I’m not really a fan of Crotons, but yours is so pretty; I may change my mind 😊
Try a small one 😁
Well that was just delightful
I have a croton I purchased about 6 months ago. It has been doinf pretty well. It hasnt grown any taller, but it has been sprouting leaves, & the leaves are a good redish orangish color. I have it in one of my vivariums, it looks beautiful.
Me again
Some plant parents don't know the difference between indoor and out door. Constant temperature is one rule besides water, light, food. Being a plant parent takes almost the same amount
as being a human parent. Lots of love. Training them to grow up tall. Feed them when they are hungry. When they get hangry teach them the rule that is appropriate for there character. Enough said Hope all parents have a wonderful EASTER🐰🐣🐥🐇🌷💐
Happy easter plant friend 🐣
Hi Rich that k yo
Hi Rich thank you for another great video. My crotonn gets least 6 hours of sun (when the sun is out)
The pot sits in a glass pie plate(don't make pies any more). Watering when plate is dry. (Every day). Giving all my kids b
banana water first then will switch. I am making babies with my Christmas cactus. Wish me luck. Have in egg carton. Will look for better pots for my two Swiss cheesd and will follow your suggestions on how to make them go up (you know good up and bad down Thank you again for all your teaching. Adding humor make people listen. Wishing you, your wife a your human kiddo a wonderful Easter
☺😇🤗😘🐇🐰🐤🐣
Same to you! Thanks for watching 😁
I love my croton! It had spider mites already when it came from the nursery and it was a battle to get rid of them. Now no spider mites even if the humidity has been very low for the whole winter. I can't wait for the summer so my croton can spend its long summer vacation at my south facing glassed balcony!☺🌴
Love your videos very helpful
Glad you like them!
I love crotons. Loves the hot sunny outdoors during spring and summer. My ex gave it to me about 14-15 years ago. Inside when outdoor temps below 60f. It also responds well to a spring trim. Drench it in the summer with the hose several times a week. Feed it every two weeks. It’s rather a pain in the ass to move it seasonally cause of the huge pot it’s in. I’ve seen it being used in flower beds and elementally esp at professionally maintained areas. They’re are gorgeous but expensive if used as an annual. Croty always does best when hot and in direct sunlight. Croty did something interesting about 4 years ago - it bloomed. I think there were 4 blooms that year. First and only time it’s bloomed. Look it up - very interesting bloom
Great stuff 👍
i have a croton that i found by the thrash container and i took it home and did put it in a pot whit fresh soil and he has transformed in a beautiful and healthy plant which has been making a few side shoots and he has even has been giving a female and a male flower stam and he has given this summer twice these weird but gorgeous flowering stams so i must be doing something right that this beautiful croton that was so good as dead when i found this plant that was trow away
I have a variety of croton called, I think, Codiaeum variegatum 'Mother and Daughter'. Pretty sure I got it at one of the large grocery stores around here. It’s got a little leaf that grows off a “threadlike midrib”. It’s very cute and I think you’d love it.
You always make me smile ... thank you 👍😁😁
My pleasure 😊
One of my favorite plants I lived in Florida then grew outdoors
Interesting. Red leafed aquatic plants do the same, losing the red if the light isn't adequate. Thanks for this one
Thanks for watching 😁
I lost my Croton a while back. I don't do well with the narrow-leafed variety, but the wide leaf ones do well for me. I lost mine when I bought a prayer plant that came in with BUGS. In battling them, the Croton got infected. Unfortunately, I didn't realize the bugs had jumped plants until the Croton was at death's door. 😞
I used to move these around outdoors in the garden in Thailand when I lived there and they hate being moved and will lose their leaves. I have them indoors with a grow light here in Ontario Canada and they are still a fussy plant.
My croton dropped its bottom leaves ☹️. I want to have a nice full plant and I want to prune it to encourage growth, but I don’t want it to be top heavy. Will a hard prune encourage new growth on the lower, leafless stems?
It should do yes
My croton (Marley) was high up on the mantle which is right next to a transom window facing south-southwest so light and sun galore BUT Snape the Snake plant was getting all weirdly shaped so I moved Marley down a bit and Snape to the upper pot - Snape is straightening up nicely but Marley doesn't seem to be as happy in the lower position. Marley's has new leaves that are green so after watching your video I've moved him back to top spot - I want to see if those leaves will turn redder with all that light. More to come. Now Snape, where to put him? I'm in Canada, I hear you about weather challenges. Great channel - my favourite - keep up the great work!
Marley and snape 😁
Still an attractive plant, even with green leaves.
True
I recently got two of these plants. I put one of them indoors where it has a lot of indirect light but no direct sunlight, and the other outdoors where it has many hours of direct sunlight. Both seem to be thriving so far after I move them to a bigger pot with a good soil mixture. The one inside is almost full green, although this green colour is way darker than the shade of green yours has. The one outdoors is slowly displaying its characteristics colours. My plan was to keep it like this for a while to see how they do but after seeing this video I'm thinking about moving the little fella outside to give him some nice treatment. What do you think ?
Yeah I’d go for it
Nice video. I had this plant and knew that they require a good amount of sunlight, but thanks to this video now I know that I should be taking them inside when the temps are lower than 59F. My plants too have red leaves at the bottom followed by green leaves at the top.
Marley is flowering !!!! I didn't know what it was and just looked it up.
Love your sense of humor😅
Thanks!
Just bought this 2 weeks ago this will help.
Thanks so much for the tip!! My next plant addict will be croton.😁👍
Are you hungry? You tried to eat that plant twice during the video 😂. As always, thanks for all you do!
Can't help myself 😂
My croton, is the opposite to green leafs. It is very dark in colour to the point of no other colour but deep purple. They come through green, but turn super dark. Its flowered though right through this summer. Had her for 3 years.
You need some strip lights for under those wall shelves! I've been using them for years and it helps a lot.
What you got?
I moved a croton last year from one side of the room (north window) to a few feet from a south window, and it literally dropped all of its leaves.. but, it’s finally on its way back.
Want this plant next with the fig leaf one ❤get the ficus Tineke on order yayyy
I live in Florida and there are croton’s everywhere in the landscape so i never bothered buying one, but after watching i think now i want to 😂😂
You know you're getting great advice when you catch someone trying to steal one of your plants, but you give it to them anyway because you have way too many plants.😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Now, I'm thinking about it. I probably should have reported them.😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Nonetheless, your plant care advice is top tier!
I have murdered a croton before, poor thing. Hopefully next time will be better now, tho! Thanks for the tips and sass as usual.
What was your weapon of choice?
@@SheffieldMadePlants TLDR : Don't be an idiot OR get a moisture meter.
I sacrificed it at my alter of ignorance as I learned my watering lesson. The person I got it from told me not to let it dry out and man did I take that to heart.. Looking back I realize it was a slow death as I added top dressing to slow the evaporation, but didn't slow the watering because, ya know, I'm an idiot.
I’ve just been to Japan wehre they have literal hedges of these things. They were absolutely beautiful just growing outside or in shopping malls
Oh my goodness you are freaking hilarious. 😂 But seriously, you killed his brother ☠️😂
Great video! I was like when you do a thorough analysis of a specific plant.
Thanks!
New subscriber here! I love your videos! After watching your videos I tried removing my ZZ plant from its ceramic pot to inspect the roots, but I had to give up after 30mins of struggling with it as it wouldn’t budge. (I had watered the plant in advance to loosen up the soil, and I tried using a chopstick to loosen soil around the edge of the pot.) It’s a little upset with me now because I see some leaves have brown tips and patchy colouring. Should I wait to repot it to let it recover or try again, this time with my new bread knife? p.s. Were any plants harmed in the making of this video? 🧐😂
I’d go for it now. Try and avoid poking the rhizomes
@@SheffieldMadePlants Ok, thanks! I’ll try… Hope I won’t have to smash the pot… 😬 Maybe I’ll update here if I’m successful 🤞🏻
Managed to get the plant out, but did end up cracking the pot in the process 😅 I was surprised to find so many rhizomes in there, there were about 6. The roots looked mostly in good condition too, but I pruned off any scraggly looking ones. There also appears to be 4 new shoots coming through. I separated the plant into 4 pots, I just hope I can do all the right things to keep them happy throughout the growing season! I will keep binging your videos to see what else I can learn! Thank you for all the great tips you’ve shared! 😁 I’m so excited to have this new hobby, even if I don’t get the results I hope for, the learning is the most interesting part for me I think!
I’ve had my croton for 3 years and this year it decided to up and die 😔 thank you for this information I think she died because I wasn’t doing any of this
Thanks for sharing
I think I've been lucky with my Croton so far then. It's right in the window in the full sun, and the last 4 new leaves are green but the set underneath (these grew in my house) are bright red. I've made a note to water it a little more often and I always keep an eye out for spider mites because I've heard many ppl here say they're an issue with Crotons.
So far so good!
How are you getting on with your new Asparagus Fern btw? The tendrils shoot out like crazy huh? Mine have always been one of my most well-behaved plants.
I didn’t get to keep those plants. I just borrowed them. Too expensive
I love my croton! ❤
I have one in a Crested Gecko enclosure that is growing well.
My first plant was a Croton, its 2,5 years old now and 1m tall :D its in "bad" regular soil but i will repot it to a bigger pot next week and mix some perlite in it.
i have 100% overwatering it many times, not watered it for 2 weeks now and soil is still wet so i need to do something, no idea how its still alive.
I have one. I carried it to the far north . It kept its leaves. It' got cold ... it was near a cold window...dropped some leaves.... started blooming... leaves are warped... 😅 desperately holding on. Lol
My crotons are under grow lights for 5 years. they're pretty huge now. don't like to dry out or be root bound like a lot of other plants though so you really need to put them in big pots. But if they do dry out they kind of droop but then come back like some other plants. But even a slight Miss watering in your start losing leaves. I find them very hard to kill honestly. And I kill a lot of plants.
Thanks for sharing 👍
@@SheffieldMadePlants absolutely. my mammy corton in particular if you go way long without watering. will wilt just like a peace lily. thought I killed it. pops right back up. But one thing I notice is they are thirsty as hell. and its random so you really gotta check even if you watered 3 days ago. i put them outside. I got a huge big Petra Bush like 5 fit high and wide. and a tall skinny small bushed mammy corton like 4 ft. I lose the most leaves bringing them back inside after the summer here in the northeast US. I just had to upot the mammy to the same 15" pot my petra is in even though i didn't think it needed it. but it did lmao. relassy grow lights.
My journey with croton is long and bumpy, but somehow it's still here- alive! Although lately, Ive seen it's lower leaves started to get a bit brown (dead) at the ends (I have 'oakleaf' variety) and I'm not sure why. Maybe the watering? It's upper leaves seem okay colorwise- already getting red but seem to have a tendency to 'swirl' a bit? I spray my croton whenever possible so the humidity is better, but I must be doing something wrong, as it started to get fussy..
I wouldn’t bother spraying tbh. The ups and downs in humidity probably isn’t helping
Can u put them out side in the summer
Yep if the min temps are above 15c
My croton seems to be a spider mite magnet. We have spider mites in the trees here in Oklahoma and I'm wondering if there's a preventative thing I can do before they kill off my baby leaves
I got some miracle grow,food,but do I need fertilizer as well???😊
No the miracle gro is the fertiliser
I'm in upstate NY and it's late spring so I am contemplating putting my croton's outdoors but I am worried about bugs and other nastiness. I have been very fortunate with all my plants and have never had to deal with anything like that so will it become a problem?
You’d need to give it a good clean when bringing it back in
I just bought a croton for my office which has no window but I have a 10w sansi light above, is that enough wattage and if so is 30cm above the top of the plant too close?
Should be yes
Do you water the croton from on top or bottom?
Bottom but both is good
My son just bought me one in a 4” how long should I wait before repotting ?
Only when it’s rootbound
Just when he got to my Croton problem, the video was over 😢😢 I have just discovered webbing on my baby. What should I do??? This is my second Croton and I am determined to keep him alive!
I should send you a picture of my croton. It was in a planter of mixed plants that I eventually separated out, different plants, different needs. Anyway, my croton is just weird looking. ALIVE, but weird and not really growing. It’s sad and malformed. But alive, so I’ll keep at it. 🤷♀️
Spider mites got mine 😬
I just threw it outside in winter
My Croton Petra is sad. She has drooping leaves and I don’t know how to perk them up.
What about pests??
I could have really used this Video a month ago, sadly mine has already passed away
Crotons are a dime a dozen here in south Florida.
and outdoors. I didn't even know they'd grow indoors (St Pete here!)
I can't stand croton. We have them everywhere in Florida. It's pretty much in our landscaping here. I never really watered mine in my flower bed. I let the Florida rain take care of that
My Croton in the last two years are shooting out flower spikes!
I use those sticky things to kill those flying pests but they didn’t work by themselves. I watered all the plants with hydrogen peroxide and dish soap a few times and now the sticky things are bug free! Thought I got that tip from you but you don’t seem to mention it🤔
Not from me. Not for gnats anyway
Can you propagate these?
Yes
@@SheffieldMadePlants how can you mine is leggy?
@@tillissabarcia7538 cut underneath a node and pop in some water for a few weeks for roots to grow
Thank you sir. Now maybe to fix my husbands horrible plant I ruined 😭💔
Well, mine didn't get enough sun andnot enough water!