Well, this is no good! Check out the link, then check out more sites, and search on this forum for more information. Or shall I say, more versions of information, and then from there you'll probably be able to conclude what your tree needs. It could be it is still reacting to the transport home from the store. I think larger plants can 'hang on' longer than small ones? Also, be careful with the water, if it's struggling right now with the transition, and with winter just ending so light levels are still lower and shorter, it may not need so much since it's not actively growing. Give it bright light only, so you can let the medium get drier - since in a sunny spot it's that much more difficult if it's too dry. My Alii gets so dry (6 inch pot, tree is @ 18" X 18" right now) that it weighs nothing when I pick it up, and then I water it thoroughly. It has grown new leaves on it's tips throughout this winter, and is now *finally* developing more side branches. Can you tip it out of it's pot to inspect what's happening below (soggy mess, rotting roots etc).? Hopefully, with just bright light, letting it get dry between waterings, and the lengthening of sunny days, you'll see some new growth. Then you can start slowly giving it more water and light, and adjust from there. Here is a link that might be useful: Ficus Alii

Alright, well if it's a smaller variety then probably a hanging basket wouldn't be a bad idea, but I personally have a love for upright plants. Out of 60 or so plants only 5 are hanging. But whichever you choose I'd still suggest at least misting the aerial roots (and the rest of the plant of course) so that moisture reaches the whole plant somewhat easily, especially if your house can get pretty dry. Perhaps when the plant gets larger misting a weak fertilizer solution on the aerial roots as well may help. I so wish that one of the stores here would decide to stock a Monstera some time in the near future. They're such neat plants. Good luck.

i have a variegated cheese plant since 1996... at the start it had split leaves unfurling... it was a small cutting when i got it... and i was thinking the same as someone here pointed out... that they were still splitting because they were part of an original mature plant... for a long time this plant did nothing... it merely survived... and barely a new leaf in 6 years or more... then this year i decided i needed to do something... so i repotted into good loamy compost... and bigger pot... bought larger moss pole and unravalled the plant... and tied it up to the new pole... then i bought some good biological plant food... with dropper which was a liquid feed when added to water(i prefer rainwater) that will cancel out problems with toxic water...the plant has now doubled in size over the summer and variegation is stronger... leaves are coming out fast...yet... not split :( i feel like its more of a simple philodendron and or the age of the plant this is very disappointing... any advice? i do keep it in bright light though not sun..

Purchasing a soil and adding 50% perlite is a half-measure that doesn't change the fact that perched water in the soil will still be present and the ht of the perched water table will be the same as it would be sans the perlite. To visualize, picture in your mind's eye mixing perlite into pudding at a half & half ratio and see how well-aerated and fast draining the pudding becomes. You'd still be growing in pudding because the perlite didn't change anything. At a 50/50 mix, fine soil particles COMPLETELY fill the air spaces between the perlite particles. This means the PWT will still be present at the same ht in a 50/50 mix of peat and a bagged soil. All the perlite accomplishes is an o/a reduction in water retention at container capacity. It doesn't increase aeration or drainage or the ht of the PWT. It can't until the perlite fraction reaches a threshold point where there in no longer enough small particles in the soil mix to fill the air spaces between the perlite particles. This might not even be achievable with 100% perlite if it the perlite is small and contains a lot of very fine particles. If you want better aeration and fast drainage, you need to base your soils on larger particulates - a lot of larger particulates. Half big stuff and half small stuff leaves you growing in a mix with all the negatives associated with all small stuff. Al