Before I start, please realize I've only really been growing Hoyas for 2 years, so I am definitely still a newbie. But, I do repot all rooted cuttings I get within a week or two of receiving them. I hose off all media from the roots when I do this. I am not gentle at all. Reason is because I am using inorganic growing media, so I want all the bark/soil etc completely off the roots. I haven't had any problems doing this, in fact, it's amazing the root growth I get when I move them into the new media. Also, I do use 4 inch pots, but again I'm using inorganic media which dries much more quickly, so there is less chance of root rot. I use the bigger pots for stabilization, as they spend most of the year outside with a natural breeze, and the smaller pots tend to tip over a lot. When I was using an organic media, I did keep them in smaller pots though. Renee

Thank you for your responses, Liatris and Doona. Liatris: I'll follow your advice re soaking the pots before attempting to remove the ficus. They are currently in 40cm terracotta pots which narrow towards the base (not very practical). I plan to repot in 55cm terracotta lookalike plastic pots. Will try to propagate the prunings, but haven't had any luck when doing this before. Perhaps they take more readily in Qld! Doona: I'd never plant a ficus in the ground! Have seen what havoc they can cause. Will take your advice re Seasol. Another few questions re ficus: My larger and older Benjamin (in a big black tub) has lost the gloss on many of its leaves, and lots of them have yellowed virtually overnight. Do you know what could cause this? What is the remedy? Some leaves have brown blotches - could it be sunburn? What fertiliser should I use, if any? Thanks again for your help!

Thanks Tom! I thought it was too cold to repot outside today, so I managed it indoors. Needless to say, I was unable to rinse the roots. I did shake them out gently a bit to remove loose dirt. It was unbelievable the potting mix they were put in by the grower. They were so damp! It looked like just pure dirt or very fine bark. The drainage was terrible and they were marked as being able to stay in their pot! One of them, the Meyer lemon would have died. I am sure they will be much happier now!

Yep - each pot becomes a sort of mini garden...although I generally grow mine in individual 4 inch pots (after pricking out) and keep them in larger trays for ease of watering, moving and keeping the pots upright (rampaging collie).. Plants are infinitely adaptable, really want to live and are amenable to being lifted and moved, sometimes numerous times. With gypsophila, for example, I will keep half a dozen in a pot and transplant them in chunks rather than single small plants. If you can grow tomatoes, you can certainly grow other perennials....germination can be tricky and as you accomplished that, the loss was down to misfortune (pesty creatures) rather than incompetence or lack of knowledge. Keep trying - maybe just some cheap and easy annuals. Growing from seed is as easy as any other aspect of gardening - maybe easier in some respects and most perennials need no special treatment apart from an autumn sowing and a chance to germinate and grow with very little input needed from us. - I certainly do not faff about with heat or light although that can be required for some vegetables which need to mature over a longer season than a cold climate will allow. Perennials are actually easier in that many will simply grow in their own time, just as they would in a natural, non gardening setting.