First- I know China Dolls don't like lighting changes and get bitchy in the winter. Try not to move them and water them less in the winter… soil is well draining and chunky. Not pot bound, no root rot or bugs up top or down bottom. See why I am asking for help?
I have a China Doll that I fear is in very bad shape. It started going downhill a bit, so my wife handed it over to me to try to save. It showed brown circles on the leaves. Looked like classic brown/black spot. My first move was to put an air-layer in just in case it was something irreparable, and it needed to be pruned back badly.
What I did:
I bathed it in copper soap top and bottom, waited 12 hours, then ran it under cool water in the shower, making sure to spray the undersides of the leaves. (the soil was pretty dry prior to the shower. I made sure as part of the process to give it a good soaking (great draining soil), as I knew I would be stingy on the water moving forward.
I put it in a small bathroom with a window upstairs and added a grow light. The net light was a bit brighter than it was before in it's old location. Added an evaporative humidifier to make sure the humidity came up to 40-45% and added a heater to bring the temperature up to 73-75 degrees.
What happened next? It began turning more yellow and losing more leaves. Waited a few days and it kept losing leaves. So much so, I didn't dare spray it again at the one-week mark.
No critters under the microscope (see photos). Roots aren't rotting, and smell normal (see photos (yes, they are scratch and sniff so you can smell them too!)
The fantastic news is that the air layer I put on last month threw out some decent roots, so in a couple of weeks, I could cut that off and reduce the load on the plant.
Please take a look and tell me what you think… or please forward to a plant guru who may be able to help. I have answered a lot of posts helping folks out and I am stumped. Please help me help this lovely little tree!
Thanks friends!
FunPudding out!
by Fun_Pudding_9282
5 Comments
You think that’s not pot bound?…. There is almost no soil and the roots are packed super tight in the shape of the pot. How is that not pot bound?
Not pot bound?????? That thing needs an up-pot and new soil. I think that’s 90% of your problem… it’s 60% roots or am I crazy? Lol
The yellowing could be nutrient deficiency? What’s your fertilizer routine and when was this last repotted?
It’s severely potbound and needs a bigger container.
Definitely all bound up. It’s conforming to the pot’s shape. Rake the roots out gently and put it in a bigger pot. I usually repot at about watering time, since one should water plants in when potting and repotting.
If it weren’t a china doll, I’d recommend cutting the bottom 10-15% of the roots completely off, but china dolls are finicky. So don’t do that. But it can be an option for other hardier plants.
I don’t believe it’s pot bound per se honestly, but at the same time the roots being attached basically to the wall of the pot might cause some stress with temperature changes.
Might also be some mineral lacking but I’m no expert I’ll admit.