Hello, HelloPanda, :) Did you bake garden soil before potting with it? Bagged soils are 'supposed' to be sterilized, something yard soil isn't. Yard soil contains insects, disease, and who-knows-what-else, but nothing good. As far as potted plants go. Garden soil needs to be baked at 375 for 45 minutes..Soil stinks when baked.. Neanthe Bella's are slow-growing. I don't believe in over-potting, but when roots fill a pot the plant should be placed in a larger container. Are roots sticking out of drainage holes? How fast does soil dry? If soil dries a day after it's watered, most likely it's root=bound. If pot is large, 'more than 2" larger than rootball,' repotting isn't needed. Soil pH for NB should be about 6.0. Slightly acidic. You mentioned soil being alkaline. If the palm were mine, I'd remove it from its pot. Check roots. Discard old soil. If rootball is tight-fitting, palm would be repotted in 1-2 size larger container, with drainage holes, in fresh, semi, well-draining soil. Last, leaves would be showered and soil watered thoroughly..until water seeps out of drainage holes. Oh, before watering, I'd add slow-release, Palm fertilizer pellets and Superthrive. Then palm would be set in a brightly lit window. East is fine, or a few feet from west or south.. No, it's not good that new growth is dying. There are many reasons new growth dies. Could be because of soil or over-watering. Palms don't like wet feet, especially during winter months. Moisture in the air is one thing, 'humidity,' but not wet soil. Good luck, Toni

Dear Purple, I do appreciate your experience, your love for plants, and you concern for helping others nurture their own passion. My feelings are quite the same as yours, but my experience is different. What I've learned is that the critical factor in having healthy, beautiful plants is soil moisture/aeration cycles. Perhaps if anyone has found their plants doing better as soon as they ended the "wet saucer" practice, it was not so much that in itself, but other factors that were allowing the plant(s) to reach more favorable aeration levels between waterings. There are always many variables in operation. What I do know is that by ascertaining the soil moisture throughout the medium in which the plant is growing (meaning all the way to the bottom of the pot), and by allowing the moisture/aeration ration to reach the optimum level for that particular variety of plant, you are taking the first, largest, and most important step in assuring a long and beautiful life for your plants. This is not "arcane anecdotes," but practice established over 50 years, by 1000's of people, and millions of plants. I'm not saying what you, or anyone else, are doing is wrong. On the contrary, if your plants are thriving, if they make you happy and beautify your life, it is totally right. But don't you think people who are seeking advice should be able to consider several possible approaches? What about very busy people; even if they feel they can spare no more than a few minutes a week on plants, shouldn't they be able to have plants if they are willing to spend those few minutes? These are the people I'd like to encourage. Maybe some of them will get "bit by the bug," and end up with a thousand plants in their home ( the 1000 plant thing, as related in the 'first plant' thread, just blows my mind), using all sorts of culture methods - hydroponics, gritty mixes, tree bark, self-mixed soil recipes, exotics in environmentally-controlled cases the size of half a room. Who knows? So, to address a few of the matters you bring up, from my point of view -- 1) yes, newly potted-up plants are susceptible to rotted roots - all the more reason to get in there and make sure the soil has aerated thoroughly. (Also not-too-large pots, more porous medium, etc.) 2) it's not the roots growing through the drainage holes that "suck up" water in liners; the water actually moves back into the soil/root mass from the liner through those drainage holes, and spreads evenly throughout the pot volume, if the medium has a good particle/space ratio, where it is then available to the roots. 3) distinction between corporate and personal plants - (hoping I can shed some light on the interior landscape business here). First of all, it's a business, meaning it has to make a profit or it's out of business. Replacements are costly - therefore the technician must keep the plants looking beautiful (not just "clinging to life") as long as possible, or they cut into an already slim profit margin. Secondly, people are paying to have beautiful plants, and that is how they must be kept, or the customer find a new service. Thirdly, people get very attached to "their" plants - the people whose offices have plants, people who have plants near their desks, and the tech taking care of the plants. Fourth, corporate plants are not generally put into "adverse conditions" "at the limits of their endurance" "clinging to life" - no profit in it; contracts require that plants be placed in adequate light and protected conditions. So it might not be like having some of grandma's plants, but folks still love the plants that help make the corporate world a little less cold. I could go on and on. I'm sure everyone thinks I've already gone on way too long as it is. So you disagree with me? Cool! I love to examine differing viewpoints from varied angles, to try and pick out the threads of insight that knit together seemingly opposing positions. Oh yea, those nasty plastic disks in the bottom of some plants. I honestly don't know why they're so bad, they have holes and all and should just let water through, but they don't. I just know if you find them, you should take them out and throw them away.

Jerod. You have real beautys. If I had to start over, 98% of my plants would be variegated. Last night I got tired and signed off, but I plan on browsing your entire website today.. Planto, wait! Did you get another variegated palm??? I'm lost.. What type of palm do you now have, if you got another? lol. You know..when I bought palms in the past, I'd pot similiar to other plants. But, after a few died, I thought, wait..something isn't right. Especially when I lost a variegated Rhapsis. I normally pot plants 1-2 sizes larger than rootball, but after my Rhapsis died, I decided to try a different approach. In 1994/5 I bought long, narrow tree pots for my citrus trees. So, after locating another Rhapsis, 'pic above,' I decided to pot directly in the tree pot, even though the palm/roots was/were on the small side. Guess what..It worked. Tree pots are the answer when it comes to growing palms in containers. Seedlings. I filled the bottom w/styrofoam peanuts, then placed medium and roots in the container. I have a second palm, bought as a seedling, Bottle Palm, Hyophorbe, in a tree pot, too. Both are in the upstairs, west, bathroom window. But, 'whenever' we have strong sunlight, that west window is a little too harsh for both palms, especially Hyophorobe. One thing about palms in the bathroom, while showering, fronds are showerd, too. Humidity increase. BTW, a seller on Ebay has Caryota Mitis variegata for 30.00. Oh, wish I was rich..lol. Think of it this way. Instead of third time is a charm, think, three strikes your out.. BUT, now it's a whole, new ball game. IMO, some palms love strong light, 'desert palms,' but tropical palms will burn. Ask my Bottle Palm. I had to cut several leaves because that west window was way too bright. I placed in the bath tub..it's doing much better. Good luck, Toni

Hey guys Thanks for the advice. Several things are working against us though... First, I had divided them up - and there were babies in each clump, and they came apart pretty easy, either way - so my guess is both were planted in clumps, to begin with. Second, Size - Different growing conditions, etc - radical variance in size - And to begin with, all of mine were approx the same size - from several sources, so age vs size is indeterminable. Are there any actual physical characteristics of , say, a single plant, of each? Thanks