wannabe said:
Dear Plant Pimp,
I have 4 questions for you:
1. How can you tell when it's time to repot a houseplant?
2. What does it mean when the directions on the plant say to 'keep the soil moist?' Does this mean that I need to water it every other day?
3. Do those Miracle Grow sticks really work?
4. Is it normal for the leaves on my brand new ficus (sp?) to be falling off? There are new leaves growing on top, but others are falling off too.
1 - different plants will give you different indications about when it's time to pot up a size. Generally, if a weekly watering isn't sufficient, and the root mass is growing out of the soil, the plant is ready to be repotted. A palm tree, as an example, will break the pot it's in when it's time to repot.
2 - keep soil moist usually means that you want the soil to feel like a wrung out sponge. Not wet, but holding water. If the plant is in a hot, bright spot and drying out, then you might need to water it every other day.
3 - yes, the sticks work. They are for people who can't remember to use the fertilizing solution, and do a decent job.
4 - leaf drop on a ficus is not a good sign, but very common. This can be caused by overwatering or underwatering, so you have to give me more information. Where is the plant. How bright a spot, how warm, how much water are you giving it. Are the leaves dropping yellow or green?