Help, my Mango sapling is losing all its leaves
Yykz Sage
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
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Embothrium
7 years agoBulldog Climbing Service
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a 'tree' house plant that has been losing all it's leaves...
Comments (6)Well, first things first: it's a Dracaena fragrans. I think. The reason why it hasn't attempted to grow back any of the lost leaves is because it can't. All you can do when you're a Dracaena is get taller or branch, and branching would only be likely if it had grown mostly horizontally for a period of time, or if it had flowered. So it gets taller. Is there a way to regrow? Well, kinda. You could cut the plant back, at which point it would be forced to sprout new growing tips. Or you could air-layer (.pdf file) and start over again with the tops of the plants. The more interesting question to me is why you're losing so many leaves in the first place. Granted, keeping your plant alive for two years is an accomplishment in and of itself, but the leaf drop looks like a fairly extreme case of something or another, too. It would like more light, though that's not why it would be dropping leaves. Soil breakdown is a possibility, as is over- or under-watering, fertilizer buildup, and temperature. Pests are an outside possibility, but these aren't really known for having pest problems, and most pest problems would have progressed well beyond obvious by now. So. When you water, do you pour water in until it starts running back out, or do you only add a little bit at a time? Does the plant ever have to stand in a saucer full of water? Is the plant in a draft? Is the plant in the path of an air conditioning or heating vent? How long has it been since the plant got new soil? Is the water in your area naturally high in fluoride? How do you decide when it's time to water? (by schedule? by feeling the top couple inches of soil? by weight of the pot? whenever you remember?) Are there roots coming out of the bottom of the pot? I'm going to go ahead and bet $10 on soil compaction and/or rootbound: that's a lot of plant for the size of the pot it's in. Unlike saucer, I think I would go up a pot size unless you're planning to cut it back, and if it's as potbound as I suspect it is, I might move it up to the next largest size regardless. If it were my plant. Which it is not. Look at the roots first, like saucer said....See MoreJade Losing Almost All Leaves Please Help!
Comments (3)At the risk of sounding rude (which I hope I don't in questioning this), I'd just ask, are you sure it was cold enough inside your school for parts of the plant to freeze? If so, brrrrrrrr. If temperatures drop under 40 degrees, I don't keep my jades outside at that point, and jades certainly are not frost tolerant, but I would be surprised if your inside temperatures have dropped below 40? But maybe they have right next to a very old window during the winter. I only question it because other factors could cause parts of the plant to die off, and the plant may not have been at optimum health to begin with, based on it being indoors and not having big, healthy roots. It sounds to me, based on details such as your saying the root system is small, that the plant is probably not in well-draining soil and that it's possibly not receiving enough light (they don't thrive as indoor plants). Parts of the plant dying back and leaf loss are indicative of a situation where the roots are unhealthy (confirmed by a small root system), and rot could happen as the roots continue to die off. And no, there won't be a stench with the rot. If the root system is small, that's perhaps the biggest indicator that the soil is too heavy. If it's in bagged soil, even so-called "cactus soil" from a store or nursery, that won't be well-draining enough. You'd want to mix well-draining ingredients like pumice or perlite into that soil to lighten it. Also, it's important not to overwater. I wait until the leaves have a very slight give to them--the plant will actually tell you when it wants water. You don't want to wait until the leaves are wrinkled or anything close to, but you can learn to feel the leaves and discern if they are barely less plump than they are normally, and at that point I water and the leaves plump up again. And again, in the wrong soil the plant will retain way too much moisture for too long, so that'd be the first issue to look into. This post was edited by teatree on Fri, Jun 28, 13 at 20:27...See MoreFicus Benjamina losing all leaves! Help!
Comments (61)What kind of soil is it in? Virtually all containerized houseplants need regular nutritional supplementation; so YES, you should have a good fertilizer on hand and have a strategy in place that includes regular fertilizing that is adjusted in relation to the changes in growth habit as the plant makes it's way through the growth cycle. No one can tell you how to fertilize w/o knowing something about your soil and your watering habits, because those factors determine how much you use and how often you use it. If I guessed you were just getting interested in learning how to best provide for your plants' cultural needs, would I be right? In most cases, the manner in which a person addresses the issues for which you seek guidance will depend on your level of experience. I use, as do many others, and highly recommend Dyna-Gro's Foliage-Pro 9-3-6 fertilizer. There are a number of reasons for this, and I can direct you to a thread that lays out those reasons if you have interest. Your plant probably shouldn't be fertilized until you see signs of new growth. My guess is, the soil has been kept overly wet, which accounts for a very high % of the problems for which folks eventually arrive here in search of resolution. Once all the leaves fall, the amount of water your plant uses will be minuscule, so make sure you do not over-water. If you don't know how to use a wooden dowel/skewer as a tell, and want to, just ask. Many folks here use or have used that method with good results. It doesn't lie and will tell you when your plant does/doesn't need water. Al...See MoreFiddle Leaf Fig losing all of its leaves...HELP!
Comments (3)My guess is that it is severely root bound and needs to have the roots soaked. Also, it was probably grown in a greenhouse and used to high humidity. You will get a better answer on the houseplant forum, we talk about the edible fig here....See MoreYykz Sage
7 years agoken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
7 years agowisconsitom
7 years agoDave in NoVA • N. Virginia • zone 7A
7 years agowisconsitom
7 years agoBulldog Climbing Service
7 years agoYykz Sage
7 years agowisconsitom
7 years agoDave in NoVA • N. Virginia • zone 7A
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agowisconsitom
7 years agoBulldog Climbing Service
7 years ago
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