Chookie wrote:
In article ,
"odonata28 \(Linda\)" wrote:


I bought what I was lead to believe was good quality potting mix...meanwhile
my happy plant is miserable and my japonica is dead.
What happened I thought I was doing them a treat (they've thrived in sand)
It was a Christmas present for my plants.
Any ideas what I've done wrong?


Probably repotting them in hot weather did them in. Whenever you disturb (ie,
damage) the plant's roots, you reduce their ability to take in water and
nutrients -- you might hear it described as 'transplant shock'. That's why
you always water plants when transplanting/repotting.

Often, you will see recommendations to prune shrubs when repotting. This
lowers the amount of water the plant needs in the short term.

If the roots are disturbed and the weather is hot, you get a lower amount of
water going into the plant and a higher amount going out. Sometimes, even
keeping the plant well-watered and cool will not save it.

Suggestions: make sure your happy plant is well-watered and keep it in
dappled shade for a while. You could try a bit of pruning (dunno what a happy
plant is, so this might not be possible -- some plants shouldn't be pruned).

Sometimes, dunking the plant into a large container when problems occur,
will help save it. I always put seaweed extract with that. I completely
submerge the plant for a few minutes, then pull it out completely and do
this when it dries out again. This pushes nutrients through a damaged
root system and leaves. You can molly coddle a plant which is supposed
to be low maintenance.