In a normal acclimation process, some indoor plants can be expected to lose some leaves, but it should not be excessive. Some acclimation difficulty could be considered normal. However, if you have done you're homework....then you'll do the very best you can to position any new plant in the best location possible. It's really not a waiting game. You're the one in charge. If you have placed the new plants in a location that does not provide enough sunlight, you will see some foliage drop fairly soon. But as the weeks and months go by, your plant will become leggy, lank, and obviously unhappy. If you place a low-light plant in full sun, it will burn in a few hours. If you proceed to over water your plant from the moment you get it home, it will lose some leaves, yellow, and perhaps develop root rot and die.

Yes, we need to know what types of plants you have in order to help.:) I have overwintered a whiskey barrel in the past. I cut the hardy plants back and dropped them in the bottom. Get yourself a completely submersible titanium aquarium heater (don't use the glass ones!) rated for the number of gallons of the barrel. Stick it in the barrel and plug it in. It will keep the barrel from freezing. It won't heat it up warm but it will keep it warm enough to prevent freezing.

I have some Spider Plants. Please look at this photo. This Spider Plant is in Universal Potting Soil. Do you see that the angle between soil and the "Stem" is 0 degrees? Look at this photo: this plant has this root (I made this photo 1,5 mont ago). Look at this plant now (only on steam) Do you see that the angle between soil and the "Stem" is 45 degrees? Compare the angle of inclination here and here angle = 0 degree (universal potting soil), the length of the stem is 41 centimeter) angle = 45 degree (soil= 1 part of coconut and 1 part of universal potting soil.), the length of the stem is 48 centimeter now) 45 degree > 0 degree and I see that plant with 45 degree (1 part of coconut and 1 part of universal potting soil) is a more happy than plant with 0 degree (universal potting soil). So the soil is very important for plants

Sunny asked: Is the Masakuni wand better for watering potted plants and vegetable garden? I wouldn't consider a high quality water break to be essential to watering plants in the ground; and, if you only have a few plants in containers, you can get by with any middling product just by using extra care. Where the Masakuni wand shines is in the fact that the number of holes and their small size allow the water to move through the device fast enough (so it delivers more water) but under low pressure so it doesn't blast the soil out of pots. I have a LOT of woody plants, and need to make the watering rounds daily, even if only few plants get watered daily, because some plants require watering every 2, 3, 4, or 5 days, so the variation in time intervals between individual plants getting watered means it's guaranteed that 50 or more plants are going to need water every day. The Masakuni wand cuts watering time in half and it allows me to apply water very evenly to the entire surface area of the soil, which becomes increasingly potential as the rate at which the water passes through the soil increases. In the mean while I found a website from Japan that sells Bonsai related products. Have you had any experience with Bonsai Network Japan shipping products to the US? I have no experience to fall back on with regard to Bonsai Network, but I wouldn't be afraid to purchase the #2836 wand with shut-off/ flow control from them, which sells for about $50 before shipping. I have a couple of bonsai friends who use that wand and like it very much. I read an article about growing desert rose, the writer mentioned your name and your soil mix. I know the gritty mix and the 5:1:1 mix have gained a fair degree of notoriety, which says much more about the usefulness of the media than it says about me. Still, I've had enough people define their growing experience as having been transformed by changing their thinking about soil choice, and embracing media that embody The Concept which provides the underpinnings upon which highly aerated and fast-draining media are based. In all honesty, understanding the concept is far more valuable than simply following a recipe as the concept broadens horizons and offers the grower a great deal more in terms of flexibility. John said: I'm too sensitive to plants and when they suffer, it's hard for me too. At one time, I solved this issue by consulting with experts on each plant and we chose the right lighting and I also began to buy special water for irrigation. Not always, but in a very high % of cases where plants are suffering, you'll gain the most traction with regard to turning things around by making sure you are using a grow medium that allows you to water correctly, that is to say, to beyond the point of complete soil saturation so you're flushing the soil when you water. Some media remain soggy for so long after a thorough watering that it severely limits root function, or worse, root health. If you're unable to water as described without need to worry about damage to root function/ health, you can be absolutely sure you're leaving a large fraction of the plant's potential in terms of growth rate, vitality (health), eye appeal, and yields where yields are a consideration, lying on the table. A poor medium can very easily be responsible for sapping more than 90% of the plant's potential in the 4 areas I just mentioned. While all cultural factors deserve to be considered critical, odds favor soil choice as the underlying factor most likely to be limiting. In many cases, even diseases and insect infestations can be blamed on soil choice; this, because a plant's ability to defend itself is linearly related to the plants metabolic rate. Trees and herbaceous plants prioritize their parts, but perhaps it's better to say that the strength of energy sinks has a distinct order: Energy is first allocated to respiratory function, i.e. to maintenance of living tissues, then, to production of fine roots, followed by flower and seed/fruit production, then primary growth (extension of both roots and shoots), then secondary growth (thickening), and finally, the synthesis of defensive chemicals.Since synthesis of defensive chemicals gets the short end of the stick, it's the first to be impacted by limitations imposed by stress. .... seems like a good place to close, John. I'll leave you with this Overview of Good Growing Practices, in hope you'll find value in it. It also highlights the importance of soil choice, and relates it to the quality of the opportunity growers might provide for plants to realize their genetic potential. AL