Question
Hello,
My problem is with my Florida Beauty that I've grown since it was in a 2" pot. I keep it in a bright north-facing window. The lower leaves of various stalks have been turning yellow and dropping one by one, no more than 1 per day. I had to repot (root-bound) 2 weeks ago.

Previous repottings have gone well, from what I remember. It's grown to about 2 feet tall and just as wide, so I finally gave it some space in a new pot!
I repotted in a 10" pot, with a potting soil mixture that has a lot of perlite.. it drains well. I drenched the soil while repotting (maybe my mistake), and let the soil dry on its own. The soil now is slightly moist but not damp. I've kept it in a darkened/shaded room (bathroom) for 2 weeks of repotting recovery, and humidity.

When I returned it to it's old spot I noticed the yellowing leaves. 1 leaf turning "more" yellow as 2 others begin to turn, starting from the tip of the leaf; no curling or browning. Always bottom of plant. This has been going on for about 2 1/2 weeks.

I've looked for bugs but haven't found any: I mist with a 1 part soap (lemon dish detergent), 1 part mouthwash, 5 parts water solution.

Do Florida Beauties "sulk" for this long? Is is too hot in the window? It grew a full foot in 6 months that it was there..
Am I rushing the plant? Or maybe it really prefers the bathroom and doesn't want to leave? (leaf drop is less now that I've returned it to "rehabilitation"!)

Thank you,

Charis


Answer
Hi Charis,

Repotting is often traumatic for plants and it can take a month or more of "sulking" before they recover.

Moving it to the low light of the bathroom was not a good idea. The stres of the repotting was increased by the stress of too little light. The bathroom humidity is irrelevant unless you run the shower all day long. In any case, light is far more important than humidity.

It often takes plants a couple of weeks to react to changes in their environment. The leaf drop you see now is related to the low light of the bathroom, not the increased light it now has. Be patient and I expect that you will see gradual improvement once it is back in its original spot.

I have one other concern for the long run. The 10" pot may be too large. What size pot was it in before you uppotted? How did you determine that it was root bound? If the pot is too large, you run the risk of root rot.

Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions.

Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

You can E-mail me directly at: [email protected]

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