Plant not doing good

Discussion in 'General Gardening Discussion' started by Alan Aldred, Jan 19, 2026 at 5:24 AM.

  1. Alan Aldred

    Alan Aldred Apprentice Gardener

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    Hi All
    We're visiting our Son and family in Thailand and doing a bit of gardening for them.They bought various things like bougainvillea which we have planted them all but one particular thing is not doing well. Can you help? Here are the before and 1 week after pictures. (the before shot is not that close - sorry) upload_2026-1-19_12-20-56.jpeg upload_2026-1-19_12-21-31.jpeg
     
  2. ViewAhead

    ViewAhead Total Gardener

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    Hi, @Alan Aldred. :)

    I take it this is some type of bamboo. Most do not like to dry out, so it could be it has done so and will drop some leaves to compensate. If you have a plant label, see if it mentions final height/size. That pot looks quite small. Not only will it be prone to drying out, but also the roots won't have much room. There are arguments for keeping bamboos in pots, especially ones that spread, but it would need to be a fairly sizeable one. Most bamboos do not like too much direct sun either. If it gets too hot, the moisture problem will be exacerbated.

    Bamboos do naturally shed some leaves (these brown and then drop off) and then new ones grow through. It may just be at that stage in its cycle.

    If it isn't a bamboo, I would still suspect its water requirements are not being met. Plants in pots need daily attention even in moderate climates like the UK.

    Hope that helps.
     
  3. Pete8

    Pete8 Total Gardener

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    It doesn't look like bougainvillea that the OP mentions and I'm not sure it's a bamboo either but does look very much like Oleander which grows well in Thailand.
    Maybe @Alan Aldred can confirm which it is.
     
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    • ViewAhead

      ViewAhead Total Gardener

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      Ah, yes, it could be Oleander. I assumed the bougainvillea was just mentioned in passing.

      If it is Oleander, ignore my recommendations above! :) It would need sun. I still think a bigger pot might help, so the roots can go downwards, and maybe a feed as it could be hungry.
       
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      • Alan Aldred

        Alan Aldred Apprentice Gardener

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        I should say the pot is hand made in concrete and is bottomless and they do get the sun from 3pm to sundown (7pm now in January)
         
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        • Alan Aldred

          Alan Aldred Apprentice Gardener

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          No, sorry to mislead you there. These plants were bought with the bougainvillea. I will ask my Son what kind of plants they are. I can't see them buying bamboo because there already so much of it in the garden already. upload_2026-1-19_16-55-21.jpeg
           
        • Pete8

          Pete8 Total Gardener

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          Yes - that's more bamboo than is really necessary :biggrin:
           
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