NOTE: Cast-iron plant may be referred to as Aspidistra elatior in this article, in fact, those are the same plants, Aspidistra elatior is the botanical name for Cast-iron plant.
The cast-iron plant (Aspidistra elatior) has earned its reputation as a hard-to-kill houseplant, as well as being a beautiful outdoor foliage plant. Many other plants, such as low light conditions, can be killed by this plant because it can survive lots of neglect and growing conditions. It has arching, lance-shaped, deep green, glossy leaves that can reach around 2 feet long and 4 inches wide.
When grown outdoors, it sometimes produces small cream and purple flowers near the base of the plant, but the blossoms don’t show up when the plant is grown indoors. The cast-iron plant has a slow growth rate, and the best time to plant it is in the spring.
Why does my Aspidistra elatior roots have rot?
Root rot on your Cast-iron plant (Aspidistra elatior) can be dangerous if left untreated. In order to keep your plant alive, we strongly suggest that you follow our advice if the signs start to show: blackened and mushy roots.
Why does my Cast-iron plant have gray mold spots?
Gray mold spots are a specific fungus that regularly harms flowers and spreads swiftly. If you notice any brown (or gray) spots, this fungus is probably to cause. You risk your plant dying if you ignore these warning indications.
Our Solution
When you understand the root of the issue, the solution makes perfect sense. The majority of the time, it is caused by the Aspidistra elatior being overwatered. We urge you to cut off the infected roots and leaves, remove the affected sections of the plant, and then repot your plant in a fresh container with sterile potting soil.
Why does my Cast-iron plant have leaf spots?
If your plants exhibit symptoms like rapid color changes in the leaves or leaves that wilt or droop, we give you all the information you need to recognize them and rescue your plants. For owners of Cast-iron plant, this kind of illness is among the most distressing.
Why are my Cast-iron plant leaves turning yellow?
In the world of horticulture, yellowing leaves are undoubtedly the most common problem. The two main causes of this problem are overwatering and a lack of nutrition.
Whether you think your plants are getting too much water, cut back on how often you water them, and take the following measures to see if they might be nutritionally deficient:
Here are some signs of yellowing caused by the many deficiencies on the Aspidistra elatior in question:
- Yellow patches between leaf veins on elder leaves are the first sign of magnesium shortage. Veins continue to be green while the leaf’s core turns yellow. The leaf’s edges yellow last.
- Another indicator of iron deficiency is yellowing between leaf veins, but young leaves on plant tops and branch tips are first affected.
- Sulfur deficiency starts with the newest leaves, turning them yellow throughout.
- Leaf edges turning bright yellow but inside leaf remaining green are signs of potassium insufficiency. The symptoms first appear on older leaves, and the leaf edges quickly become dark.
- A broad yellowing indicates a nitrogen deficiency. Yellowing starts with older, inner leaves. Yellowing spreads as it advances, eventually touching new leaves as well.
Our Solution
According to the symptoms mentioned above, you just have to act accordingly. You can reduce your watering frequency, or fix a deficiency in Potassium, or Nitrogen, for that, you just have to buy a special soil for your deficiency, a consultant in a gardening store will know perfectly well how to inform you.
Is my Cast-iron plant sunburned?
You can easily tell if your Cast-iron plant (your Aspidistra elatior) has a sunburn. In this case, your plant will change color, starting to turn yellow or white, much like it does on us.
As we saw above, the leaves of your Cast-iron plant can also change color if it receives too much water or insufficient light.
To find out if the yellow leaves have been sunburned, look at the part of the bottom that is tinted closer to the base. The yellow leaf is probably burnt and not something else if this portion stays greener.
Why are my Cast-iron plant leaves turning brown?
Most of the time, leaves of a Cast-iron plant that turn brown is a sign that your plant has been sunburned, it has probably been exposed to too much direct sunlight. Don’t panic, your plant probably won’t die from this, but its growth will take a hit.
Should I leave my Aspidistra elatior in direct sunlight?
No! Don’t leave your Aspidistra elatior (or Cast-iron plant) in the sun if it displays the symptoms mentioned above; that’s why it’s in such a bad situation.
Our Solution
As explained in the paragraph above, the solution is simple, just place your Cast-iron plant in a place where the light does not reach it directly, in this way and with a correct watering, your plant should resume its life rather quickly.
Why are my Aspidistra elatior leaves drooping or wilting ?
When you become dehydrated, this usually happens. Large plants are more vulnerable since they need more water on a regular basis than smaller plants.
An easy way to know if your Aspidistra elatior is lacking water is to under-weigh its pot, if it looks light, it means that the soil and the roots are probably quite dry, and therefore need water!
Our Solution
If the soil in your plant’s pot is completely dry, you will need to start by moistening it so that the roots will also benefit from the water. A common mistake is to drown the Cast-iron plant right after a dry period thinking that it needs a lot of water.
This is the case, but giving too much water at once is the best way to finish it off, you should actually water the soil normally, resuming a quiet watering rhythm.
Caring Tips for Aspidistra elatior
Water Occasionally
Water is essential to the survival of your plant, however, it is important to balance the rate of watering. As we explained above, overwatering could have fatal consequences for your Aspidistra elatior.
Touching the soil will let you know whether your plant needs water or not; if it still feels damp, it’s generally best to wait a few more days.
Always keep temperatures stable
Maintaining a consistent temperature for your Aspidistra elatior is also a good idea, especially if it is kept indoors. At GreenShack, we typically advise reserving a temperature between 65 and 85 degrees F. Of course, avoid positioning your Aspidistra elatior close to air conditioners, radiators, or other sources of hot or cold air.
Keep your Cast-iron plant Dust-Free
This one is about houseplants. Your indoor plants’ leaves get dusty just like your furniture does. The problem is that this might prevent photosynthesis from beginning, which would result in the plants gradually losing their color.
This would also make the pests happy, a real descent into hell for your Cast-iron plant.
To remove the dust, gently rub the plant’s leaves with a microfiber cloth. Dust can be removed more easily with a damp cloth, but stay away from corrosive substances like rubbing alcohol!
Keep drainage in mind
If you tend to overwater, you need to pay attention to your drainage, and we advise choosing a saucer and a pot with drainage holes if they are not already there.
In the meantime, if you don’t have holes in your pots, you can add volcanic rocks (or any rocks with holes) at the bottom of your pot, this way it will create a channel so that the water doesn’t stay in your skin too much (to avoid that roots start to rot!)
