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Sun, Mar 13, 11 at 20:40
| Hello all!
I wonder if everyone is as anxious for spring as I am??? I am trying to wait until it warms up to repot most of my plants into gritty mix. Will probably have to do my scheff soon though bc it's roots are poking thru the bottom. Hope to wait on my super fussy rubber tree or plant until it can be outside in sun for a few weeks... I have done a few plants so far ... 
And small prayer plant 
A jade and cactus 
And sans 
I also did another I think it's called Madagascar dragon tree ?? Not sure though. 
The last one did very well for a while now it's turning brown at the tips and losing bottom leaves. ( please disregard where my cat has chewed leaves. I'm working on that problem too.) I'm wondering if this is normal part of the process when we go from mucky mess to gritty mix? And is there any action I should be taking or will it work itself out? Thank you in advance for your help? Amy |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| Hi, Amy - I don't usually notice any difficulties when I repot anything, but having repotted thousands of plants into the gritty mix I have a good sense of how they'll react and can usually do things to head problems off at the pass. Most houseplants are better repotted in the summer when the sun is bright & the foliage can make food faster so roots recover quicker, so that's a consideration. Not knowing things like how many roots you removed, if all the old soil was removed, if you've fertilized, how you're watering ..... For instance, I'm, guessing the Dracaena would need watering every 4-5 days in a clay pot and just after repotting. Are you watering more often than that? less often? If you want to start a dialog about how you made the soil and how you proceeded with the repot(s), maybe we can figure something out? Al
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| Okay, al... I did completely remove all the old soil and pruned roots that were circling the bottom and those growing up on the side. I am watering when the wooden skewer comes out completely dry, maybe once a week defiantly less than I thought it would be . Started fertilizing with foliage pro about two weeks after repot -I think 1/8 tsp per gallon every time I water. Here is a pic of my gritty mix  I did find zoo med pine bark fines smaller and used them in this batch but everything else is same... Turface all sport screened thru insect screen; manna pro grit- rinsed; and zoo med repti bark - straight out of the bag! |
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| In a clay pot, when the repot isn't yet reestablished, you probably should water more often than weekly. The skewer technique works very well for established plantings, but it's important that the roots in the upper soil level get enough water immediately after repotting. My guess is because you removed a part of the roots, the remainder of the roots couldn't keep up with the water demands of the foliage, and the week-long interval between waterings was depriving the upper roots of sufficient water. Try watering the Dracaena marginata every 4 days until you see new growth. At that point, you can go back to the skewer until you get a feel for how often you need to water. If the appearance of the foliage doesn't meet with your approval, we'll fix it come summer by cutting it back hard, so you'll get all fresh foliage. Deal? ;o) Al |
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| Cutting back hard, gulp and audible gasp for breath. Lol. Can we call it pruning? Do you think thats wHat my naughty kitty was trying to get me to do? Okay - I am not going to wuss out you re PRUNING. Good to know about watering newly repotted plants more often. Will do, Thank you al for speedy response and never ending support. Take care. Amy |
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| Lol - it's jus cuz we go way back! Lol Al |
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| Nice job, Amy! I'm as anxious for spring as you are! I have so much re-potting to do... but I want to wait until we have favorable weather so I can leave my plants outside for the summer... well, most of them. Nice looking mix... and nice work on the potting! :-) |
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