Water softener may be causing houseplant trouble

Q: We moved into our new home earlier this year. It has great light and I was excited to have so many options for placing all of my houseplants. Over time, several of them seem to be struggling. I’ve rearranged and offered different amounts of light to no avail. There isn’t a lot of direct light beaming down on any one houseplant, just nice bright light. I thought it’d be perfect. Any suggestions? — H.M., Albuquerque

A: The first thought I have is whether your new home is equipped with a water softener.

If you are consistently watering your bevy of houseplants with the softened water, they are being gradually poisoned. That sounds harsh, I know, but if your system uses sodium (salt) to soften the water, the accumulation in the soil is surely maiming your houseplants.

I’d suggest that you fill several plastic water jugs with water that comes from an outside tap to use when you need to water your houseplants. That way the plants will receive water that isn’t softened and will be healthier for them.

I’d also suggest a grand repotting chore. I believe that it’d be best to offer all of your houseplants new potting soil so there wouldn’t be any residual salt accumulation.

If repotting is something you’d consider, then you’ve got to get cracking. The temperatures have moderated a smidgen, but that’s no guarantee that they are going to stay cooler. Working outdoors, be sure to tackle this project in a well shaded area, so none of the plants are subject to too much, if any, direct sunlight. They are stressed enough, so be as concerned for their wellbeing as you can.

You could forgo the repotting and just water the bejeebers out of them using a hose outdoors to gently wash the salt accumulation out of the soil, but again, do this soon and gently.

One other thought would be checking to be sure that your plants aren’t being buffeted by air vents constantly. That should be a major concern, especially with the winter months that are coming soon. Having chilled and/or heated air blowing directly on the plants could be upsetting to the plants.

Q: My piñon tree is all of a sudden dropping lots of brown needles. What’s wrong with it? — P.K., Albuquerque

A: I’m going to suggest you get out there and give your tree a good look-see. Is this year’s new growth looking perfect? Are the grouping of needles just behind this year’s growth looking good and green? Is it older needles past last year’s growth that look brown and done, and that’s what is dropping?

If your answer is yes, then your tree sounds like it’s perfectly healthy. The dropping of, what I call third year needles, is absolutely normal. Those needles have done their job and are no longer relied upon by the tree.

If it’s this year’s growth that is troubled then that’s a different bailiwick altogether and I’d suggest you snip off some of the troubled branch tips, place them in a zip-close bag and take them to a qualified nursery to have the malady diagnosed. But, third year needle drop, that’s normal and don’t worry.

Happy Diggin’ In!

Tracey Fitzgibbon is a certified nurseryman. Send garden-related questions to Digging In, Albuquerque Journal, 7777 Jefferson NE, Albuquerque, N.M. 87109, or to features@abqjournal.com.