I have a sago palm that everyone told me to toss because it was so badly infested with scale, one of the hardest of the bugs to kill off! Well, I separated it from my healthy plants and drenched it with insecticidal soap every two weeks for a month or so and now it is beautiful, rewarding me with alot of new growth. My point being that not all hope is lost and if you really want to save your plants you should try. I inspect my plants on a daily basis, looking for bugs, new growth etc and I think that can be a good thing, because you will notice right away when something is wrong. As long as you aren't overwatering or overfertilizing, looking at them and giving them attention won't hurt them. In fact, it is for sure that you will be able to nip any bug infestations in the bud, before they do too much damage. If you weren't concerned, you may have not noticed the bugs on them now. Spider mites are brutal to crotons, and will probably always be present in small numbers. You did good to wash them, now you need to spray with insecticidal soap till they are gone, and a few more treatments after that for good measure. Misting the plants a few times a day is also good way to keep the spider mites/mealies under control. I have lost a croton or two to both the mites and the fact that they were overwatered before I got them, so don't be too hard on yourself if you lose them. Right now I would isolate them and treat them with some chemicals, don't over water, and follow the instructions on the chemicals you choose for treatment. Considering your plants are under enough stress, insecticidal soap is the gentlest thing you can use that is still effective. You will know when it is time to throw in the towel, they will probably quickly drop all their leaves and you'll be left with nothing but stems. (Hopefully they will recover instead!) Good luck

How many leaves are at the top, and are they droopy? If not then your croton is okay, just old. How tall is it? How long are the leaves, and can you post a picture? You only have 2 options other than leaving it alone if the leaves aren't droopy. 1. You can cut off the top and propagate it. I would recommend rooting it in water first, then potting it once it has roots. As far as the old pot with the long stem, I would cut it 6 inches above the soil line. It should produce 2 or 3 new growths. Toss the leftover piece of stem. 2. You can air layer the top. This involves rooting the top while it is still attached to the plant, so never endangers the cutting, #1 above has some risk. You will CAREFULLY notch the stem about a foot below the bottom leaves and wrap the cut/stem with damp long fiber sphagnum moss. Then wrap that with plastic wrap and secure top and bottom with twist ties. The stem at and just above the notch will produce roots into the damp moss. Once there are visible roots in the moss, you can cut below the notch and pot the top. Rooting could take 2 or 3 months depending on your conditions. In either case, the old potted base is your insurance policy. It should produce new growth. When was it last repotted? If you try #2, get back with me for important details. Russ

Julie - It sounds like root rot and there's not much you do once it happens. I've lost several Crotons to it. Either too much water or some foreign agent. Petra is a very common variety and you can replace it from any of the nurseries or big box stores. If you're coming to a swap, I can give you a much nicer and more interesting variety. Let me know.

That's crazy, Purp! Most of my houseplants are in moisture control and they seem to love it! They're all thriving and growing like crazy. But maybe it's because I don't water, per se, but rather mist heavily only sporadically with water from my dehumidifier, then once in a while, i water them thoroughly. I dont know, bit i do know that I dont wAyer them nearly as much as I mist them. I also add miracle grow plant food. Thanks for the advice! I can't get any perlite right now, maybe next week, but I did move the plants outside in the sun. I gave them a spot for now that only gets about an hour of full direct sun per day and I'll move them to another place that gets more full sun in a few days to acclimate them. Hopefully moving them won't upset them!