demise

My poor Orchid! Another of the lower leaves was fading fast and yellowing; I noticed there was black tissue around the base and thought that was just the leaf dying so I gave it a little tug. It came off. And so did the entire top of the plant, including that beautiful new young leaf. The center of the whole thing is black with rot. I'm not sure how it happened- did I water it too much? (but the pot always feels light) or did I make a mistake in cutting back the stem and introduce pathogens? Well, it's done for now. 

I am tiring of these dumb cane plants that are failing to thrive.

No matter where I put them, they are pale and leggy and unhappy. Not to mention poisonous to cats and small children, both of which I have crawling around the house. So today I gave them the axe. Dumped on the compost pile.

This third one is still doing okay, if a bit small.

I thought perhaps they were doing so badly because mostly cuttings and hadn't rooted well? But when I upended their pots, found quite a lot of nice-looking roots. So it wasn't that. O well.