Hey! Thanks for the info! You're right...Don't Mist! It only increases humidity for a couple seconds, really.... and, as you note, increases the chances of fungus/pests/unsightly leaves. Also, I'm glad that the plants have plenty of light. That's good to hear, as it allows us to eliminate one more variable. How long does it take for the potting soil to dry out (deep in the container)? I assume that the problem lies with the potting soil, which sounds water retentive. If the primary ingredient is peat moss, it's almost assuredly staying too moist. As you know, this can interfere with nutrient delivery and uptake. This is why I hesitate to recommend fertilization...it could be that there are nutrients in the soil, but nutrients that are simply unavailable to the plant. I will tell you that I fertilize my plant with Foliage Pro 9-3-6, which has higher Nitrogen in relation to the other major nutrients. It also includes all the minor nutrients. When I fertilize, I also add white vinegar (a capful) to the watering solution - but I can only recommend this for the potting mix that I'm using. I don't know how it will affect a soil with different drainage characteristics. My sister grew a couple Avocados in peat-based soils and the plants declined eventually. I actually decided to grow an Avocado to see if I could find a way to keep these plants happy both indoor and out, so that my sister would be able to grow them successfully, too. I've found that the potting mix makes all the difference - if light and fertilizer are equal. The taller the plant grows, the more likely it is to discard its lower leaves.... and that's why I prune the main stem and pluck any unsightly leaves. A bare Avocado stem will resprout leaves as long as the roots are healthy. Josh

I bought a one-gallon Fudingzu from Nurcar this spring. It grew right along over the summer. It responds to misting with new growth. Repeat, it responds to misting with new growth. I moved it to the front porch while my deck was being renovated, and neglected the watering. Leaves turned brown at the tips. Moved it back, resumed watering (and misting with the hose several times a day). It resumed new growth after several weeks. Left it outside til temps were threatening to go below 20, then moved it into the garage, which stays app 10 degrees warmer. Again, let it get too dry, since it was cold and dark out there. With the recent dip in temperature, finally brought it indoors to a sunny west window. Dropped a lot of leaves (too dry), but not all. It still has a nice form and plenty of leaves. Within a couple of weeks, set literally dozens and dozens and more dozens of buds, which are now opening. Butterfly's advice to flush salts out of the pot is very good. Osmanthus are said to react poorly to buildup of fertilizer salts. If you want new growth on your Osmanthus, please follow Mike's and my advice: mist the branches. Outdoors, you can just mist with the hose several times a day, til the branches drip. Indoors, maybe you can water it in the shower or tub, spraying the branches all over. I'm not sure why misting works so well with Osmanthus (I do it to my other potted plants outdoors as well). Maybe the humidity in its native habitat. But make sure, this really does work.

It might be a lack of nutrients esp Potassium. 1/4 tsp per gallon is low about 30 ppm Nitrogen. Try increasing the solution to about 88 to 100 ppm (3/4 tsp to 1 tsp per gallon) on a few seedlings as a test. I dont think the the leaf browning is due to salts, due to the very low fertilization rate used.

I believe that your roots may be getting frozen by colder temperatures, and a heat mat may be the solution. It's also important not to water it too much through the winter since they cannot take in that much water with lower light/temps. I've ended up selling dozens of a titanums through eBay through 2015 and got rid of all but one of them which I'm keeping by a windowsill myself. I'm finding that the ones that get browning do have their roots stressed whether it is due to overwatering, transplanting, or too shock from too much sun. That is usually followed by a dormancy period, and it's only good to activate it again when you can provide it with warmer temperatures, and brighter light. Here's the one I still have. <a href="http://s832.photobucket.com/user/stevelau1911/media/DSC02524_zpsemcmh6ox.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i832.photobucket.com/albums/zz246/stevelau1911/DSC02524_zpsemcmh6ox.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo DSC02524_zpsemcmh6ox.jpg"/></a> By the way, do you happen to be Adam Price from Indiana? I did send there 8 months ago so I was just wondering if it is you.