Photo of roots..

It looks really soggy, but I always think that. Is it? Maybe a bit low, or more accurately, the soil looks a little high on the trunks. There are leaves coming from under the soil.

Does this discussion hit home for you?

It was planted level as the original Walmart pot. I believe I watered this just the other day. I have been trying to check moisture in the pot with my finger going atleast 2" down and by the weight of the pot. No more ceramic pots for me...

Have you considered trying something that won't hold excess water for so long the way MG (or any pot filled with mostly peat) does? Going in that direction is an easy way to end these worries about sogginess. Your ceramic pot is probably much more pretty than that nursery pot, but I know you're probably saying the weight of it confuses you when trying to determine the moisture level in the pot. That's another reason people like well-drained, chunky potting mixes. It eliminates the need for pot lifting, and makes finger poking impossible, so that's out too.

I was hoping someone else would chime in about the soil level regarding this particular plant. The plants I buy at WM (which have nothing to do with WM except being the store selling them) all seem to be planted very deeply. Many of them end up higher (or the soil level lower) after I see what's going on after removing the old potting mix. Some things will just grow more roots if you submerge more of the stem, other things can rot. I don't know which is the assumption for Scheff. BUT, even if it can be assumed it will be fine, that probably doesn't include if it's in soggy mostly peat-type soil (like MG without anything added to make it more porous and airy.)

I won't be using Miracle grow anymore for house plants. But this time of yr I'm stuck on what I should do at this point.

The soil I got from Heartland nursery is the personal brand used in there plants. But currently its sitting idle till I re-pot the poinsettias. Just dont know if I should break this up and re=pot or pull the plant out of the pot each time to check the lower half?...

It doesn't look like an emergency, if you water less frequently, but it's hard to say how long you could keep it happy that way. Probably a few months, it doesn't look unhappy except for the few yellow leaves. Let it dry well while you think about it...

I agree. Let the plant dry down until the container is so obviously light you can be sure it needs water. Scheffs tolerate dry soils very well, so you're much more apt to have problems related to an excess of soil water than a deficiency - within reason, of course. Repot (a full repot, as opposed to potting up) in June.

Al