Al: Oh, I do indeed have more trees! I am a bit overwhelmed by the number of pots both in and outside of my home. I am an incurable collector. I could ask you questions about them all day. . . Back in March, you answered several of my questions about making the gritty mix when I was just embarking upon that adventure. I put a few plants that were on death's doorstep in the mix then. A few didn't make it (a draceana among them), a few are thriving (the aloe and spider plant love the mix!), most have held steady and are starting to show signs of growth (shefflera, swiss cheese philodendron). So I do have a sense of the patience required when repotting before the optimal time. I'm looking forward to seeing the results of undertaking things at the right time. It's been nice to practice with the mix, learn about it's water retention, and begin to tweak it for my needs before I moved my most-beloveds into it. This week I chopped an enormous floppy jade back to it's thick base and put it in the mix. Looking forward to that development. Also a favorite cactus whose name I don't know; it's about four feet tall, main stalk about 3-4" diameter with five stalks coming off the main, so maneuvering it was an exciting project. I was nervous about that one, but glad I did it when I got in there and saw how cemented the roots were in the hardest soil I've ever dealt with. I have a ficus lyrata (fiddle fig) that also reaches the ceiling, so I'm using your advice to give it a new shape. I'm planning on following roughly the same timing for it as for the elastica. I have a very big Bloodgood maple in a pot that's too big to move. I'd love to get that back to a manageable size, but it has just leafed out beautifully and I'm thinking that it is not the right time for that. Your comments are welcome. My other big question involves conifers. I have a very sick Wilma Goldcrest Cypress, and some kind of arborvitae (I think). I've noted that you don't recommend bare-rooting these, but cutting wedges. Is that correct? What about timing? Okay, I've rambled enough. As you can probably tell now, I'm addicted (like many folks I've read on this site). Thanks again for your help. I'm really enjoying learning about the plants, seeing their roots, and giving them conditions to thrive. blessings, brenda

I thought I'd post an update! This is how it looks now. As you can see, it has lost another leaf. (It's the ever-so-yellow one from the first picture.) Surprised it didn't fall off sooner, to be honest. It dropped off when I touched it the other night. The other three have greened up fairly well (something I wasn't sure was possible), and the new-leaf spike at the top has grown. The remaining leaves are also up instead of down now. All in all, a success thus far, I reckon. Thanks again :)

Ficus elastica "Burgundy" This plant is also one of my favorites. Back when I first moved out on my own, well I moved in with a couple of my best friends into our bachelor pad, lol. By splitting the cost, we could afford a really nice high rise apartment. Well, one of my friends had a really big rubber tree plant. I still remember helping him trying to move it into the elevator and up into our apartment. This past Spring, I seen them for sale, and seeing them brought back many good memories. So I had to buy one for my own. Since then, it has already grown quite considerably. I think that I may have to repot it next Spring into a bigger pot. These plants really are very forgiving. One (all- natural) trick that I use to keep the leaves nice and shiny is to clean them with lemon juice. This works great for removing water spots, dust, etc. :)

Roots look like they might have some rot- was this the case? Is the plant kept in a well ventilated location? Repotting was a good Idea. What did you pot it in? These are pretty hardy plants, it should bounce back. As to best potting soil, well LOLOLOLOL...…… some prefer gritty mix some simply use commercial potting soil. Mine is in Miracle Grow to which I have added perlite. There are lots of discussions on this type plant on both the houseplant and container forums. Look for the post on trimming Rubber trees ( don't remember the exact post, sorry) as it is filled with good information. General care: Bright indirect light to dappled sun. Moist soil but never a swamp, allow the soil to dry slightly in between watering- slightly less water in winter. Temperature: average room temperature, it will appreciate 70-80. Keep out of cold drafts. Air should be well ventilated though, not a stagnant corner.