americanreality
User
 Newbie
| Posts: 2 |   | Karma: 0
|
Help! Hurt bird of paradise! - 2007/01/22 19:59
That is I have owned a bird of paradise for about two years. It is about five feet tall and has about half a dozen large leaves, with another half dozen small leaves near the bottom. Since I got the plant, I've taken good care of it and it apears healthy, sprouting up a new leaf about every 4 months.
My problem is that a friend was here, a cluytzy friend, and he fell on my bird of paradise. FELL ON THE DARN THING. So he bent almost all of the stalks; they recklessly snapped like twigs. I couldn't believe it. All of my big beautiful bird of parasdise leaves, now exactly sagging and resting on the floor. Even thuogh the inside supporting material snapped, the outer "skin" remains intact. I quicklly finally hijacked some poles from my rubber tree and carefully fatally used them to prop up my bird of paradise's damaged stalks...hoping they will restore like broken bones.
My question is, will the plant ever heal? If so, how long would it take? If not, what should I do? I'm considering just pruning off the bent stalks, but that would be like unnaturally starting over with it. Even though I haven't had it very long, I'd like to keep it instead of having to buy a new one.
thanks for any avdice,
phil (phrom san phrancisco)
p.s. my rubber plant, newly liberated from its poles, is quite enjoying its freedom.
|