Root health depends on several things, but the most important of those factors involves a triangle that can work for you or against you. Soils based on fine particles don't hold enough air at container capacity. Container capacity is the state of water retention in the soil after the soil has been completely saturated and has just stopped draining. Soggy soil kills fine roots. When air returns to the roots, the plant spends energy it shouldn't have to spend to regenerate new roots - so a cycle of death and regeneration develops that's extremely costly to the plant in terms of reserve energy. During the soggy period, roots can't effectively take up water and the nutrients they need, which are dissolved in water. Poor root function often leaves the plant unable to keep distal parts, like leaf tips and margins hydrated, so leaves often develop necrotic areas that spoil the plant's appearance. The 3 sides of that triangle I mentioned are your choice of soil, your watering habits, and your nutritional supplementation regimen. All 3 of these important considerations are firmly linked to the each other and affect the others. If you can get them right, your job suddenly becomes much easier and the rewards for your efforts greater. Your margin for error becomes significantly more forgiving as well. You should be growing in a soil that allows you to water at any time of the year, such that the entire soil mass is completely saturated and at least 15-20% of the total volume of water you used to irrigate passes out of the pot through the drain after complete saturation. Get to that point, and the rest is as easy as choosing and using an appropriate fertilizer regularly. Almost all of the problems (health, appearance, insects, disease) described in this forum are related to poor root health. A plants best protection against disease and insects is a robust metabolism, and the metabolism of a high % of plants are suppressed by poor root health. As below, So above - Healthy roots Are what we love If the link I'll leave below makes sense, I'll link you to another thread that goes into detail about container soils and water retention. Gaining an understanding of the information in that thread probably represents the largest individual step forward a container gardener can make. Without question, it transformed my growing experience. Al Here is a link that might be useful: This one first

here's what it does if i don't pay attn to it for a couple of weeks. LOL here's what it looks like when i pulled it out, with some long roots. i had to have tabor "my son> hold it up LOL but this is a small one, just to give ya'll an idea what this crud is like. and some have really thick stems!! do ya'll have any idea what kinda grass it is?? by chance and how to kill this stuff?? its all over my garden and everywhere else in my flower beds. i don't want to use any heavy un organic things. so far i've been using newspapers, and i put 5 of them down, overlapping and them things grew right on up through them!! i was never so amazed in my life!! i have some osb down in an area, and it still grows, i don't mean like a month later i lifted the board, i'm talking 3 months later. this is some stuff on steroids!!! LOL its just crazy!!! LOL what are your target plants??

I forgot the obvious, Safer's Soap, never did did say my suggestions was good for other species, nor would be safe for tree and shrubs, nor pesticides used for tree and shrubs would be safe for indoor plants. We did say not to over do it. What I suggested Mealies should die instantly, then wash them off with clear water, I said to change out the soil as well, and kill ants. Soap and water will also do the job. Then wash it off. The sticky stuff on the leaves could be sap coming out of the hydraods from overwatering, this is to prevent them from drowning. In all insturctions given especailly from non-professionals, you must use some common sense, and very good judgement, Cactus and succulents, are not like coommon shrugs, and trees, so you don't fertilize spray, or what ever what the same products, they are far too strong, if in doubt don't, just toss out the plant, I will send 'Jade' plants to any one willing to send the postge first. I will not charge you for handling or the plant. So just let me know if you managed to kill it. Norma Always change the soil, from any plnat that you got from a Nursery, don't ship plants with soil, wash the soil off with Chlrox then rinse off. Wash your hans before handling another plant. These same instructions have been going out for the past 8 years, I think Pirate Girl can back me up on this. Sorry to bore the rest of you that already know this, but there are people out there that are new that need to be helped. Norma

flowerlilies, Often people who work in garden centers don't really understand much about pests, diseases, and chemicals. You should ask first on the GW forum for the particular kind of plant. And don't believe the first poster who responds, because we can make mistakes too. Though, if we let a reply stand without further comments, that's probably a tacit approval. It's really important not to panic and apply a barrage of remedies before you have a good diagnosis. Also, when you post a question, it's important to give a general idea of where you live, because pests and diseases are regional, rainfall and winter damage can play a role, etc. For example, a diagnosis of scale insects on roses would be more likely if you are in Southern California, Hawaii, or Miami. But rose midge, suggested above, doesn't exist in those places. One thing I can say for certain, the purple spots with lighter centers are either cercospora spot or spot anthracnose, both fungal diseases that usually don't require control measures. Also, there may well be some spray damage, because homemade and "organic" sprays are rather likely to damage plants if not used carefully. Large purple smears are often the result of spray damage. What are you saying is wrong with the open mauve flower? If the grayish things are scale, they will scrape off easily with a fingernail.