The only one I can help you with is your succulent. It's a echeveria topsy turvy. They like full sun but in Florida you should pick a spot that's shaded from the hottest afternoon sun. If your plant wasn't outside when you bought it you're going to have to acclimate it. I would do this over a few weeks starting out with maybe two hours the first day and then increase a little everyday. They like a fast draining soil. So at the VERY least cactus succulent soil mixed with perlite 1/2 if each. I switched to Al's gritty mix and mine are doing great! You can search it on this forum and see if you're willing to put the work into it. Also they need drain holes because succulents are susceptible to root rot. Which you should never pour water on TOP of this plant. I water mine by slightly lifting a leave and water on top of the mix NOT the plant. Also echeverias loose their bottom leaves as they grow. But also I've learned that when they have root rot typically the bottom leaves are effected first. So you should repot ASAP and see if your roots are slimy. A couple of mine are blooming here is one of them. They have VERY pretty flowers. Hope this helps! Sorry I couldn't help with your others. :)

Hi, welcome on GW!
I can't really see if there are drain holes at the bottom of the pots, but they are very important! So when you repot, use a fast draining soil as LilBit said, Al's mix or cactus mix with extra perlite. You can also look into semi-hydroponics, it is a foolproof way to keep these plants happy. You can place the plants beside the windows, just make sure no direct sun touches the leaves.
The Yucca has drooping leaves with dry edges and washed-out color right? These can be because there is no drainage in the pot. Soil stays wet for long and the roots get too little oxygen. Also salts build up in the soil. I believe Yuccas can take more sun so place closer to the window.
Sansevieria is a succulent-like plant therefore it likes its soil being on the dry side. Yours look like a little overwatered. It can also take more light.
Echeveria could use more sun, so as LilBit said, repot and introduce it to full sun.
Ficus looks ok, make sure the soil drains well. It has leaves all along the stem, that's good. There is plenty info on Ficuses on the GW.

Both of the previous growers mention soil choice, which is probably the choice that's going to have more influence on how well your plants do than any other. I think the tipping point for a good soil vs an inappropriate soil is found in whether or not you can water to beyond saturation whenever you water, without having to worry the soil will remain soggy so long it significantly impairs root function (due to lack of O2 in the root zone) or causes root rot, which can easily happen with some of the plants you listed that don't like wet feet.

You might find the link below helpful.

Al

Here is a link that might be useful: How to avoid the common issues.

Thank you all, so very much. Truly gracious.

LilBit7765 - I'll be sure to repot this weekend. Beautiful piece, and great information.

MsGreenFinger - You're completely right. I am going to purchase new pots to alleviate this. Great advice on plant placement as well. Thank you.

Tapla - The Guru. I've given the link provided a thorough read. #Blessed

I'll be sure post an update soon, I'd like to know that i'm heading in the right direction. All my best, Thomas.

Thomas - I can't reply to your messages because of how you have your user page settings configured. You'll need to change your settings or provide your addy in the messages.

... the ficus is pretty root bound. The roots have pushed through the bottom holes of the plastic pot so I would like to alleviate this by repotting & upotting.

Even though you had second thoughts about repotting, your plant is in good health (if the picture is current) and you have quite a bit of growing season left in FL, so I'd do the repot now if it was my plant.

I planned on using a mixture of equal parts perlite, potting soil, and cactus mix as I replant all my plants tomorrow (FIg/Yucca/Snake/Succulents). Would you advise this is a suitable substance for all of the above?

We all have different standards. For me, that soil wouldn't be suitable because it's based on a high % of fine particles, and you're going to have to deal with the fact that it will still hold a lot of perched water, but it's much better than grabbing something like MG off the shelf. I often observe that the difference between a good soil and a not so good soil pivots not on what the soil is made of, but on whether or not you can water correctly, to beyond the point of saturation so you're flushing the soil when you water, w/o having to worry about prolonged periods of suppression of root function or root rot while the soil dries to a more appropriate moisture level. Soils that hold most of their water inside of soil particles instead of between them are a remedy for a large number of the problems people come here seeking remedies for. They are much more forgiving of the tendency to over-water, and virtually prevent issues associated with salt build-up and badly skewed nutrient ratios in the soil solution due to an inability to properly flush the soil when you water.

I'd keep my eyes open for a source of southern yellow pine bark mulch in an appropriate size, and consider building your soils based on large fractions of chunky bark or other mineral ingredients like Turface, DE, grit. We can talk more about soils if you want to chase that topic for a while.

Secondly, would you advise just detangling the roots and removing the old soil or pruning, detangling and removing old soil?

I'd probably saw off the bottom 1/3 of the roots, then bare root completely or almost completely. In addition, I would remove roots that are already potential problems. Those would be roots growing straight down under the trunk; roots growing back toward the inside of the root mass; roots that are encircling, girdling, j-hooked; roots growing straight up; large roots growing immediately above another large root; ..... I'm sure, after the first repot, that the container it's in will probably be on the large side, so I wouldn't plan on potting up, unless you use a soil like the gritty mix, in which case you can put it in a 55 bbl drum if you want. There is no such thing as over-potting if you use a soil that doesn't hold perched water. BTW - a good soil and very large pot significantly increases growth rate, as long as you're fertilizing and the plant gets adequate light.

Lastly, is it necessary to water the plants post repotting or can I leave them dry? (Especially the Lyrata)

The lyrata needs at least a damp soil after you water, and it's best to water thoroughly to get the soil settled around the roots and help eliminate large air pockets. If you have succulents, a barely damp soil is best for a week or so if the roots weren't disturbed much. Some succulents require a period of callusing if their roots are cut or broken to prevent root rot, but that depends on the plant.

Al

Repotting and needs of the snake plant slightly differs from the other plants (same gritty mix is good though). There is a Sansevieria forum where you can find plenty info on these plants.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sans forum

Will admit I liked reading your no top watering idea

I have come to the conclusion that the most optimal solution is to proceed with Al's Gritty Mix. With this mix, Is it safe to say that it will serve as a great universal medium for my current range of plants (will be purchasing a dracaena and more succulents) that will all be repotted in the same day.

Is there anything that is already pre made that is very similar to the mix? I was considering going to a local nursery and seeing if they have something similar that they might be making behind the scenes, and purchasing it from them in bulk.

I ended up purchasing a different fig, one that was more to my liking.
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I have yet to water or repot the plant. As it stands, I will more than likely just purchase a tray to keep under the plant such that I can keep it watered until I formulate a Gritty Mix for the repot. Will this suffice?

I would like for this ficus to keep growing as large as possible. With that said, my next moves are to repot. Please feel free to make edits as you please!

1. Source and create gritty mix
2. Remove ficus and remove lower 1/3rd of root structure. Also remove roots that are deemed inefficient as indicated above. Keep the roots wet during this process.
3. Repot into a larger, well draining pot
4. Flush a couple of times, and then move back into position.

I will seek out a 9-3-6. Is it true that I should not fertilize until I see new growth sprouting?

I am so full of questions, so once again I greatly appreciate all of your time.

This post was edited by tsouth on Sun, Aug 24, 14 at 23:03

You said you would forgo, but by the rest of your message, it looks like you intend to make it at some point.

It will work extremely well for dracaena, succulents, yucca, sansevieria, your ficus, and the scheff, and just about any other plant you intend to keep in the same soil for more than 1 growth cycle. Do wait until you see the plant pushing new growth before you fertilize - usually less than 2 wks after repotting.

Al

On my succulents I was told that I could do the "tug test" tug on it a "LilBit" and see if there's resistance. This will mean the roots are taking hold in the pot do then it's ok to fertilize. If I remember correctly you should wait till the roots have healed up a bit and started taking hold. But I'm sure Al will be back to comment or someone that's more knowledgable than me. This is what I do and so far so good. :) hope this helps

Tugging on a cutting to see if it's rooted is a little like breaking your finger to see how strong it is. ;-) When you tug on a plant, any fine roots that are forming are very easily broken, which sets the plant back. I try to secure plants in their pots after repotting so they can't be moved by wind or being jostled for the same reason. Secure plants reestablish in a fraction of the time it takes those that can move in relation to the pot.

Not a succulent, but you get the idea:
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Al

My apologies, i've updated the post to correctly reflect my future plans. Yes, I will be proceeding with the Gritty Mix, bar none.

LilBit - I see what you did there ;)
Al - I'm on it. I've gained the confidence I've needed.

My graciousness extends to the community here. I've gained invaluable information from each and every one of you. My sincerest thanks.

I've got a question now Al? (Surprised? Probably not. Lol) how long typically does it take after replanting in the gritty for the roots to "take hold" so to speak? Thank you
PS. How long do you typically leave your "tie downs" on? (Sorry don't know what else to call them)

This post was edited by LilBit7765 on Mon, Aug 25, 14 at 1:01

It depends on the species, what growth phase the plant is in, and how much reserve energy it had at repot time. Most healthy houseplants, if repotted at the appropriate time, should recover and be on their way back to normal growth rates within 2 weeks. That's typically what I see.

Al

Thank you!!! :)

I underwent the task of repotting the ficus yesterday evening.
My new substrate consist of 24qts fir bark (soaked and sifted), 8 qts cactus soil, and 8 qts perlite.

I removed the tree from its original pot, removed the bottom 1/3rd of roots, and pruned a few large, encircling anchor roots.
I then repotted into damp soil and moved the plant into a medium lighted area.
I did not water the tree, and have yet to as of this morning. I wanted to wait 24 hours to prevent any chance of roots forming a fungus.

I noticed just 2 leaves limping this morning, they felt very soft compared to the others. These leaves were also newer considering they were at the end of the branch so i'm assuming this is natural.

Could anyone guide me on the next steps to take, as well as any precautions (should I water thoroughly tonight or let it sit longer?) A few "what to expect" now's would be very helpful as well so I don't perceive the tree is crashing on me.

Thanks!

A tree that crashes, perhaps because it lost a lot of fine roots because they dried out during repotting, or you removed a very large % of the fine root mass during repotting, or because you didn't water frequently enough during the immediate aftercare, isn't usually cause for the panic it inspires in growers not used to the fact that your tree will defoliate as a drought response, but usually bounce right back, as long as the tree was in reasonably good health. Young trees, such as you commonly see growing as houseplants, are a very high % of dynamic mass, which gives them a strong "will to live". You really do have to almost work at actually killing them if you have a good soil and don't forget to water for half a trip around the sun.

You're using something close to the 5:1:1 mix, so the soil should hold quite a bit of water. Just poke around in the soil a little where there are no roots to see if it's still damp, cuz damp is all you need/want. You don't want wet/soggy.

Is your tree FIXED so it can't move in relation to the container. Rigging a tree so if it moves the pot has to move with it helps the tree reestablish much faster.

Al

Working on stabilizing the tree now. It's a shame to see the plant go through these stages! Anyways i'm looking forward to the bounce back. First watering after repot was today.