wrote in message
ps.com...
I bought a nice-looking plant for my apartment about a week ago from
Home Depot. The guy in the garden department said it was a low-light
plant that didn't need much water. How much light is considered "low
light" isn't completely clear to me, but I have the plant in my
bedroom, where it gets less-than-average exposure to daylight. The
plant is about 5 feet tall, with some leaves probably stretching to 7
feet.

Anyway, I don't know what kind of plant it is, and now it looks like
it's dying. I repotted the plan when I brought it home. Since then,
the tips of a lot of the leaves are turning brown (dead), and some
leaves have flat-out dried up and falled off.

The soil looks fairly moist (dark colored). I've probably poured 2-3
cups of water into it since I bought it. Is that not enough? Too
much?

I really like this plant, but I don't know how to save it. Can anyone
offer some expertise?

I took a couple digital pictures in case anyone wants to try to ID the
plant (you'd be my hero). Thanks,

http://cs-people.bu.edu/jlupien/plant1.jpg
http://cs-people.bu.edu/jlupien/plant2.jpg

-Jeff


Your plant is a member of the genus Dracaena. Probably Dracaena marginata,
based on the red outline on the leaves. It's good that you've watered it
sparingly for now. It's adjusting to the light conditions in your home. It
may lost leaves and look like crap for another 6 months, but it *will*
adjust. Stick your finger in the soil down to your knuckles. If it feels
moist at that depth, DO NOT ADD WATER. Leave it alone. But, don't let it get
any dryer than that.

If you think you'll be addicted to houseplants like this, you'd be wise to
invest in a copy of "Crockett's Indoor Garden", published in the 1970s.
Here's a link to a great used bookstore that had copies available CHEAP:
http://www.powells.com/s?kw=crockett...garden&x=0&y=0

Some people in this newsgroup will claim this is a useless coffee table
book, but you can safely ignore those people because they are idiots.