Hi all!

I did a thorough cleaning of my plant room today, since I have been a little lazy lately in keeping up with spraying my plants for pests, picking up all the dead leaves, cleaning up the windows and floor area, and picking off some of the yellow leaves still on plants.

In my observation of closely looking at each one of my babies, I have begun to realize that some of them had been loosing leaves, or growing porrly, due to so many vairables.

On my lemon meyer, I thought I was loosing leaves lately due to watering practices, when in reality, it was having a problem with mites, that I have not kept up with lately. I saw them all over the new growth.

Then a couple of my denias were loosing their leaves due to staying dry too long in a small pot in the hot sun. Not enough watering.

Then I was loosing leaves on my big gardenia, up until last week, once I started giving it a little iron. It was also being shaded from the plants in front of it, getting less sun, causing it to fade in color.

I lost one completely to root rot. That thing lost everyleaf and croaked..:--(

And then, I have pondorosa lemon tree that was loosing it leaves, because it was so root bound.

I am beginning to realize that it can be pretty tough and tricky if you don't have ALL these things down to a "science" for everyone of my plants. It takes alot of tuning in, with our plants consistenly, and experience.

Just watering them, and to stand back and do nothing else for them, they would certainly decline in health over time. It is worth all the effort though, to see them respond to good care..:-)

There are MANY variables that could cause leaf drop. We just have to find out for ourselves I guess. It is not so bad when we know our plants well though. This we take the time to do because we love them.

So I do the best I can with all the best help here, and treat each plant as unique. I guess there is no clear cut answer as to why I loose my leaves, or see them fade in vitality in the winter for what could be many different reasons.

Thanks though, for all the support here in at least trying to always help everyone narrow down their problems..

Most my plants are doing ok, in fact awsome, but there is always the few that require constant attention.

If I need correction, please let me know..:-)

I could be wrong.

Good day! And pray for spring to arrive A.S.A.p.

Mike