[Raketemensch]

Hi,
I've had this plant in a pot for about 2 years and the tips of the leave have always been a little bit brown. Recently however, the brownness has spread and the structure of the leaves is more chaotic and less upright.
The foliage is about a foot and a half in height and width and the leaves are striped light and dark green on their front and have purple backs.
It would be great if someone could identify this plant for me and even better if they could suggest what it's sickness is and how to fix it!
Thanks

[Belfast]

Chinese Evergreen Houseplant Care
"CHARACTERISTICS:

Chinese evergreen, or aglaonema, is a versatile low light, low growing, durable plant. They are produced in many different varieties. The foliage is either silvery green with some dark green or the reverse, mostly dark green with light green streaks.
Take precautions to keep the plant in temperatures above 55° F or 12.78° C. Chinese evergreens get a mottled brown spotting on the leaves when they have gotten too cold. The damage is irreversible.
These plants will have stunted new growth and rotten stalks if the soil is kept too moist. The plant will loose lower yellow leaves if the soil is too dry.

PRUNING:
Remove discolored lower leaves. Pull off greenish blooms unless you enjoy their look (Be sure to remove them when they die). We recommend cutting the stalks periodically to keep the plant leafy and full. The center new growth can be pulled out to maintain the stalk's compact growth."
http://www.evergrowing.com/tips/chineseevergreen.htm

Aglaonema
http://www.gflora.com/index.php?cmd=genus_body&genus_id=37

[James Kilkelly]

[Raketemensch]

Thanks people, much obliged. I have actually been sprinkling the leaves with water but it hasn't helped. Should I cut off the leaves that are mostly brown do you think?

[Liparis]

GPI is correct. These plants are from rainforest or heavy wooded areas. Keep humidity high, allow compost to dry out between waterings, water again until evenly moist as soon as the compost is dry. Get to know the weight of your plant pot so you know the difference between wet and dry, remember watering a dry compost doesn't nescessarily mean wet compost, it could run down the sides of the compost and pot if it becomes too dry. In such a case, soak the plant from the bottom. Using plastic pots now-a-days cancels out the "is it wet or is it dry" trick. With a clay pot you would tap the sides of the pot, a dull sound meant compost was wet, a hollow sound dry.
Gravel trays as GPI says is beneficial. Never grow these plants on window sills above a radiator. Spray foliage several times a day with plain water. Wipe the leaves free of dust at least weekly.
Immitating dappled shade will give superior results of colour to the foliage.
Badly browned foliage can be removed, foliage with brown tips can be trimmed back to good material, this will prevent death from too little leaves. Damaged leaves won't recover, just don't be too quick to remove too many before new leaves grow. If it's in Front of a window, move it to the side, not the opposite side of the room, you will get reverse problems.
A rule of thumb for light. Light passing through a sheet of glass is reduced by 50% immediately, it reduces by around 30% for each metre you move away from the window. Sunlight passing through a sheet of glass is greatly maginified, even although the light diminishes.
Bill.

[inishindie]

Good advice all around for house plant care......

I had one of those "lucky bamboo" pots given to me last year and it had a couple of brown leaves on the tips. I thought a day out in the garden would do it good to get a drop of rain on it to clean the leaves and give it a bit of vigour.

I left it outside overnight and the results were quite dramatic... It is a reminder to harden plants off properly and to bring them inside.....

Cheers