Hi all-

I originally posted this as a comment on another thread but it was suggested I

repost as new question for clarity. Sorry for any confusion. New to the forum and

still obviously confused at navigating ! :)

@talpa

Thank you very much for posting the link to the treasure trove of prior threads you’ve written over the years. (And thank you Anna for the question ). I regularly read through posts on gardening forums for anything I can learn and maybe it’s just me, but I’ve had a heck of a time navigating the Houzz site and forum in any clear way. The compilation of your prior threads is an excellent springboard of detailed information that I’ve only just started to study,

I read and digested the Overview of Good Growing Practices yesterday and I’m glad I started there. I’m fascinated to know the stark differences in potting up vs re-potting with root pruning. I have been collecting several varieties of ficus over the past 1-2 years and some have been potted up once now so this information comes at a critical time. I’m trying my best to learn all I can to help a growing plant collection thrive. Have you written a thread on the details of the root pruning process I can study now should the need arise in the spring for repotting?

I also have a beginner question regarding how repotting and root pruning applies to some other plants, for instance Ming and Fabian aralia and also crotons, I’ve read that they are especially sensitive to having their roots disturbed and typically fare poorly if that happens. I’ve potted up these plants one to two times now and I’ve taken great care to move the root ball intact to the next larger pot size without disturbing any roots. What would you advise in the future with these plants? Also, I’ve got a couple Christmas cactuses that I think qualify for being stuck in soil I’ve seen referred to as a “brick”. It’s very dense and takes water a long time to permeate it. The plants were potted up about 5 years ago and I’ve had them maybe 10 years now. One of them has had a large branch break off at the root which I’m rooting now in starter pots. The large old plant is due to be watered any day wondering if I should soak the dry rootball and attempt repotting?

thanks so much for sharing your years of knowledge!

Abby