however, I can't find anything on established or larger Mings.

Ming Background:

• It's 6', in a painted ceramic ~12" Pot with dish.
• It faces SSE and has been there every (toronto) winter for 5 years. The first 3 summers was in a slightly less sun exposed window, SSE. It stays here now.
• Water 3-4 cups, every 4 days or so.
• Fertilize once a month. liquid 4-12-9.
• I spritz it and the other plants in the window a few times a week.
• I rotate it 90º every now any then. so it doesn't get too heavy on one side (had to wire support it for a couple mths... its straight again)
• In the pot are two types of ferns. and a flower.
One very small type fern with very little light green leaves, it also crawls.
The other is much larger, there are 3. 2 dozen dark 4" leaves per branch and about 18" tall now. Last year and this year it flowered. a branch with tiny balls 1-2mm white/yellowish.
The flower hasn't flowers since the first year. was bunch of little red pedels. since its been crawling around the pot. Dark THICK green leaves.

a few months ago i lost a bunch of leaves. I thought i'd let it go. Since new growth has been coming out the top. And i finally have a "branch" coming from the bottom to hopefully fill in the space where all my leaves died off.

Problems:

1. As fast as new leaves come in from the top, leaves just below it are dying. either segments or whole leaves.

2. The new 'Branch' near the bottom (just about the original pruning, 6" up) doesn't seem to sprout many new leaves. its been a mth or 2.

Questions:

Does a Ming get too Tall for itself? How tall is too tall?
Is it a bad idea to cut the top?
How do I get it to grow from the bottom or create new 'branches'
Are the ferns hurting it?

Thanks for any help you can offer.

PS
I would Post a Photo, but the interface here doesn't seem to offer that. (if i am posting in the wrong place please move it, i'd be happy to post a photo for you)

I don't have an answer about Ming heights.

One question. Is the bottom of your Ming getting the same amount of light as the top?

Some plants lose lower branches/leaves with age. A normal process.

I doubt ferns are causing harm, unless they're blocking light near the lower Ming trunk/branches which would explain the reason lower branch lost leaves.

Hope someone has an answer. Congrats on the blooms, Toni

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/houseplt/msg031444551431.html

I have started a journal now, in hopes to be able to use a link to post an image of my Ming.

a picture says 1000 words. hope it helps.

the fern is pushing through the leaves a little, but i wouldn't say its blocking too much light. Hope that picture is enough for you to make out.

W/o going into details yet, I think you should A) flush the soil thoroughly, B) change your watering habits after you arrange things so you CAN, C) change fertilizers, D) pot up temporarily (if your plant hasn't been repotted recently) until you can E) do a full repot around Father's Day.

If you're up for the work, let me know & I'll help you through it. You might want to look at an over-view with a good amount of helpful information, too. See below. What you learn will help you with all your plants.

Al