Question
I grew a baby crepe from seed in nov this past year it was doing beautiful about 3 -4 in high it began to get a few yellow leaves that dropped off so I gave it a smiggen of miracle grow which didnt help more leaves just fell off,I though I noticed some small blck specke on the back of the leaves so I rinse in tempid water incase it was mites of some sort.today I repotted it and rinsed the leaves and a little of the soil in hopes to change the soil enviroment incase something was amiss there ,im stumped.ive grown several and have a few other ones growing too smaller though and a few seemed to stop growing and are browning and dropping a few leaves .I know inconsistant watering is an important thing for them when tiny but all was going well then things changed .I have 3 goldens that are in my home so sprats that are harmful to them I dont use and dont know if I need to  yet,please help my beauliful crepe is fast turning into a bare stick lol.  linda thanks in advance,cant wait to hear back .

Answer
Linda:
The yellowing and subsequent leaf drop are evidences of a root malfunction. This can be caused by several things. Most often a water imbalance. When plants are in a young state, they are especially vulnerable to soil moisture/ drainage issues. Examine the roots from one of the yellowing plants and gently pull on some of the smaller roots. If it is dark brown and stips apart easily, then there may be a root rot present. This condition may be terminal. Watering schedules should be monitored closely to avoid excess soil moisture. Make sure that you always use clean/commercial soil that drains good.

Regards
Steve