How to successfully grow heritage, memory plants. Learn how to keep precious plants from
passed-on loved ones healthy. If the plants do get sick, article tells you how to save them.
passed on plants, memory plants, heritage plants, how to save important memory plants, keep
houseplants healthy
How to Grow Heritage, Memory Plants in Your Indoor Garden
My Grandma Beanie (Albina) Bawden was one of those lovely souls who always had a kind
word to say about everyone and everything—no matter the circumstances.
So it’s not surprising that her plants thrived in her Montana home, even during the dark, cold
days of winter. It’s my view that plants in addition to responding to their environments,
respond to their owners. And when an owner has a heart of gold—well, the plants respond by
growing abundantly and beautifully!
Such was the case with Grandma Beanie’s Christmas cactus pictured here. The plant burst in to
bloom every December/January showering everyone who looked upon the plant with the sight
of lovely red-pink blooms.
Grandma had the foresight to give the plant to another family member with the same sort of
lovely heart, my cousin Debbie. The photo here was just taken, so you can see the plant is
blooming well, even though Grandma passed away in 2015. It’s also my belief that plant’s hold
on to a piece of their original owners, and that also helps them thrive.
That’s what makes heritage/memory plants so special. Besides the fact that you always think of
the person who passed when you view the plant, the plant does hold some of the person’s
energy. Every time you care for the plant, it’s as if you touch base with the person and say
hello.
If all goes well with memory plants, they thrive for many years, like Grandma Beanie’s
Christmas cactus. But there are times when memory plants do struggle. This could be because
there have been ups and downs in your life—and the plant may be neglected for a time. If this
happens, don’t feel badly. This circumstance is more common than you might think. I get emails
from people from all over the world who want to save a precious memory plant.
How to save a sick memory plant
First, know that it is often possible to save a memory plant. It is! There are a few things you can
do to help ensure that the plant gets healthier and regains its grandeur once again. And if you
can’t save the mother plant, you may be able to propagate a daughter plant from the mother
and start growing a whole new plant from the original.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when reviving a plant that has been neglected or fallen ill
with disease or pests.
1. Examine the plant. What has changed since you first got the plant? Does it seem to have
shrunk in its pot? Is the soil soggy? This may be a sign that the plant is experiencing root rot.
While this isn’t a death sentence, it is difficult to pull a plant out of this, but not impossible.
If you think the plant has root rot, I would suggest propagating a part of the plant, just in case
you can’t save it.
2. Make sure the plant isn’t sitting in water. If you have the plant on a drainage tray so it
doesn’t drain water onto your floor or carpeting, that’s fine, but you need to place marbles or
pebbles/gravel into the drainage dish so that any excess water drips below the top of the
gravel. You never want roots to sit in water.
3. Let the soil dry out as much as possible between watering. Try to let the top inch to two
inches of soil dry out well. This may stop the fungal infection from growing. Whether you can
let the soil dry out will depend on the plant, but most houseplants can be allowed to approach
dryness, except for a few water lovers like maidenhair fern.
4. Repot the plant in new organic potting soil that drains well. I like Pro-Mix BX for that
purpose. It’s lightweight and well-draining. This helps prevent further fungal spread. When
repotting, shake off as much of the old soil as possible and then gently spray the roots with
warm water.
Winter isn’t always the best time to repot, so I would wait, if you can, until late winter to repot.
5. Water the plant once repotted. However, don’t water again until the top one to two inches
of soil has dried out. If you are worried about the plant drying out in between watering, you can
mist the foliage with water in between. The leaves will soak up the moisture.
Houseplant pests?
If the plant is infested with pests like mealybugs, scale or fungus gnats, also examine the soil for
root rot or too much wet. Plants that are grown in soggy soil tend to attract pests, which like
the moist conditions. For instance, fungus gnats (little annoy things that look and act like fruit
flies) lay their eggs in the first inch of moist soil. Dry out that first inch and you dry out their
eggs and the cycle stops.
To treat mealybugs, spray with isopropyl alcohol. To treat scale, spray with neem oil.
Have you been underwatering?

Of course, it’s possible you’ve been forgetting to water your plant and that’s the reason it’s
struggling. If so, start watering it when it needs it! There are apps to remind you of things—so
use one for your houseplant!
This article tells you all of the ins and outs of watering houseplants. When you water, always
use warm water and make sure to saturate the plant’s soil. Then let the plant approach dryness
before watering it again.
Have any questions about saving a precious houseplant? Feel free to comment here or send an
email about your memory plant. We’re here to make sure that plants and their precious
memories are preserved, and that you always enjoy Gardening in the Great Indoors!