Please don't use coffee or tea on the plant, they are not tonics, regardless of what you might read.

10-15-10 does have much more P in it than your plant could ever use (in relation to the amount of N), so a fertilizer with a different ratio (ratios are different than NPK %s) would be better. 10-15-10 is a 2:3:2 ratio fertilizer. A 3:1:2 ratio like 24-8-16, 12-4-8, or 9-3-6 would be a better choice because it supplies nutrients in the same ratio as the average ratio in which plants use nutrients.

That said, it's probably not the fertilizer that's at issue. The usual prime suspect would be over-watering, but under-watering could be an issue as well. Some plants respond vigorously to a decrease in light by shedding foliage; and one of the primary symptoms of tight roots is that 'tufted' or 'poodle' look that occurs when foliage is concentrated mostly near apices (branch/stem tips).

It's difficult to tell what might be going on with your plant, so I wopuld suggest that you return to the basics & make sure that you aren't inadvertently limiting your plant by providing unfavorable cultural conditions that ensure significant limitations.

Al

Here is a link that might be useful: About the basics .........

Hi. I have just become probably overconfident in my skills with plants, and, to the delight to myself and significant other, bought enough patchouli plants to fill every south facing window in the house. I just want some help. Like you said, I am not a fan of the try and fail method. I love my plants, and I finally....after years...got a jade plant to live AND a jasmine plant to live. If these patchouli die...(don't even)

Okay so I bought vermiculite for the soil. Who knows if I'll even use it. maybe for the jasmine....but what I really care about is/are the IDEAL conditions for growing patchouli indoors.

Right now they seem happy, repotted in the windowsills, heathy roots when they arrived in the mail and some are flowering.

When you grow indoor flowering plants, how do they get pollinated? And please can you just give me a magic soil recipe so none of them die? Honestly, i'll get peat, pine bark, anything it takes. I'm surprised so many people get frustrated finding anything...after all can't you just buy everything online?

Maura

Edit - okay. Learning that pine bark is expensive and hard to come by...

However, the good news is that I repotted a Madegascar Dragon Tree and was shocked to discover the roots were wrapping around the pot and at the very bottom, rotten! I am mixing my own soil now and getting better drainage to avoid this.

Still my main concern is patchouli, so I'm staying on this thread... ;)

Al...I have purchased pine bark, perlite, vermiculite, sphagnum moss, peat, compost, top soil. All plants look good so I guess I'm fine. But eventually I will need help with the patchouli.....I'm experimenting with watering frequency. One got sorta burned by the sun. Lesson learned...

What I really need is a perfect container. Right size with good drainage...

Okay what I bought was not pine bark. I realize that now.

Based on how things LOOK, I'm thinking that whatever the first 3 pictures represent looks very water-retentive. The bagged product appears to be all sapwood and heartwood, which would also be inappropriate as any meaningful fraction of a medium. Does the picture with the quarter @ the upper left represent material from the bag?

Al

I agree. The picture with the quarter in the upper left is actually what I am thinking about purchasing. Lowe's and Home Depot only have pine bark mulch, not fine particles. In order to get fine pine bark, it seems amazon is the only way. Unless I can manually break up the pine bark mulch.... In a blender?

I was just wondering if I could use pine bark mulch, break it up, and maybe use it to turn my jade into a bonsai. I know that may seem like a stretch, but I really do want to learn about good gardening practices, and thank you, Al, for responding. I want you to know that I have a lot of respect for your opinion as I have read your thread on basic gardening, and so far you seem to be the best.

Maura

Okay just splurged and bought the most expensive dirt on earth. More to come later....

your student,

Maura

Thank you for your kind assessment. ;-) I'll watch to see what you came up with.

Al

I have an orchid now. Still waiting on the pine bark shipment. I DO have Pine bark mulch now...and a bonsai pot...and a small jade...

Hey Al, how can I get my basil to grow faster? Because I need to make pesto and that baby is Small!

Basil likes full sun, a soil that has excellent drainage, and fertilizers with a 3:1:2 ratio. Can you spread some of that soil out on a white piece of paper and take a pic to share with us? Basil is one of the easiest of the herbs to grow, so something is fundamentally wrong.

Al

i killed my purple basil the same way. I have Thai Basil, though. It's gorgeous

my basil is not getting enough sun.

Although it is growing in a beautiful place.

you are right. Gotta do what the plant wants, not what I want..

sorry I didn't have a dime

Al, these do not look good to me.

I trimmed off too many leaves.

Please help

I went back through the thread, and I'm not sure I know what you're growing in. Tell mew about the soil (how you made it), your watering, fertilizing, sunshine - anything that has a cultural influence on the plant.

Al

Al, could you call me? There are so many Patchoulis and all soil and sun combos differ. In addition, watering frequencies differ. I have "propagated" or whatever you call it. I made patchouli babies. Some are doing remarkably well, others not so much. None have died thank god. Some are too tall, others don't have flowers....,,,

I think the ones in full sun are getting sunburned like me. It seems the pine bark fines cause a need for increased watering

I could put down pine bark mulch

For now I will create some partial shade for my babies

You can call me if you like, and we can chat about growing in containers. I just got back from a wknd in Chicago & have a lot of chores, but I'm off tomo. Send me a Houzz message & I'll give you my #.

Al

Sorry I had some panic when my plants got sunburned. All is well at this moment in time. I gave them partial shade. When it's sunny out tomorrow I'll take a pic and explain the soil. Really the challenge begins once the cold weather comes. This I can handle. Plus, it's supposed to rain this week. No worries. Enjoy your day off. :)

Cocoa core Vermiculite Worm casting And good potting soil

........ no idea what that means, but combined in any ratio other than when a truly good potting soil would make up an overwhelmingly high % of the o/a mix (like 95%+), it would yield a medium the grower will have to do constant battle with for control of his/her plant's vitality. To be clear, a "good" soil is one that when in use causes no need to be concerned that long periods of excessive water retention will affect root health or root function. Adding coir, worm castings, or vermiculite to what is already a good potting medium would, decidedly, represent a step in the wrong direction.

Al