the plant is extremely stressed ... i would not start applying goos on leaves damaged due the the stress.. which was presumably improper watering ... [ i see on reread.. you already goo'd it ... ]

also.. it is stressed.. not hungry.. fert is not a response ...

does the pot have drainage?? .. is that a pot in pot??? was it sold that way???

i would keep it properly watered.. and otherwise ignore it for a few weeks.. and see if it can settle down ...

and then if there is no drainage.. i might repot it in a month or two ...

there is no instant gratification in the this rescue.. so do not love it to death.. by heaping cure upon cure upon cure ...

ken

Hi Ken,

Really appreciate your response! Unfortunately I did have to apply a mild soapy water to the leaves because of the spider mites. Should I have just wiped it down with water instead? Or even leave it?

Yes, the inner nursery pot has proper drainage. The outer pot is just a holder in case of leakage, it does not have drainage holes. It was sold in a similar way but I have used the outer pot it came with for something else.

Thanks for your additional notes as well, this is definitely a waiting game. However since the condition is worsening, is it worth it at anytime (maybe after more leaf loss) to cut the trunk and let it start over?

For what it’s worth, moisture meters do nothing at all to give you an actual idea of what’s going on moisture wise. They detect salts in the water and not even moisture. Don’t rely on them.

Thanks for the info Dave!

The ingredients of dish soaps and household cleaners read like a long list of phytoxic products that shouldn't be allowed near a plant. Detergents destroy cuticular wax (wax in the skin of leaves), which disallows the plant from limiting transpirational water loss (which can contribute to wilting) and makes it much easier for pathogens to enter the plant and facilitates insect herbivory. It also destroys root lipid membranes should the soap contact the soil. Some people will crow they've been using dish soap for years and have noticed no ill effects, but there are people who drink a quart of whiskey per day and notice no ill effects, too. If ever you need to use a leaf cleaner, use insecticidal soaps from long-chain fatty acids of potassium, specially formulated to be easy on plants. For mites, use a mix of 2 parts water to 1 part of 70% unscented rubbing alcohol every 4th day.

Since your plant wilted when you could still detect moisture in the soil, the wilting is from over-watering, a high level of dissolved solids (salts) in the soil solution, or a combination of both.

I would repot into a medium that is almost impossible to over-water - one that, after a thorough watering, holds little or no excess (perched) water in a 100% saturated layer of soil at the bottom of the pot. That saturated layer is every container gardener's worst adversary. Short of that, if you can't/ don't want to make the soil, I would repot using some ballast at the bottom of the pot to limit the amount of excess water the pot CAN hold.

I'll wait for some sort of idea what way you'd be inclined to lean on this before providing more specific instructions.

Al

Hi Al,

Thanks so much for your thorough reply. I definitely regret using dish soap and will steer clear in the future. Live and learn.

I'm surprised to hear your advice on repotting the plants since I had spoken to a few others and the consensus would be that repotting right now might stress out this plant to the point where it wouldn't be able to recover (though it might already be there). What you're saying makes sense considering the conditions of the soil/plant when I first found it.

I'd be interested in following the method that would create the best chance for this FLF, which sounds like it would be repotting in the very well-draining medium, What would this medium be, like just sphagnum moss or a soil mixture? I have MG indoor plant soil, peat moss, perlite, and compost on hand but am open to getting whatever you recommend! Thanks again, really appreciate the response.

Alana

Thank you for your insight Al (Alan)!

I live in Golden, CO. It's pretty dry here which is part of the reason I had created the plastic tenting. Is the plastic tenting helping at all?

Unfortunately the plant is looking worse today; the leaves are drying out from the stem attachment and even the stems near the top of the plant are starting to wrinkle. Are these symptoms of advanced root rot and is the plant still savable when it starts to look like that?

I will plan on repotting immediately with the materials on hand and your recommendations. I have some extra gravel in my driveway that could potentially be used as ballast, is it okay or is using materials that have been outside not recommended for container plants? Sorry, I am a complete novice when it comes to this. I also have some river rocks handy but those are quite large for the size of these plants (2 inch diameter). Is the gravel is okay, about how deep should I fill up the bottom with that material?

Since there are two plants in the container, would it be better to repot in separate containers? I suspect that there will not be an extensive root system from my initial assessment of the root ball or lack thereof so would it be better to have them in smaller pots to begin with? I have some 2.5-4 inch old starter containers lying around. When the plants have been repotted, should they be watered thoroughly?

Thank you so much!