I bought a Rhizophora mangle seedling nearly two years ago. It's still alive, but it seems to be just hanging on. Every month, it grows two new leaves, and the old ones shrivel up and die, but the new ones still look thin, sickly, yellow with black spots that slowly grow over time. Strangely, the 3 leaves the seedling came with are still attached and look healthy, green, and fleshed out. It seems like each new generation of leaves are more sickly than the last. I live in an area with harsh winters, so I've been growing the mangrove indoors under a fluorescent shop-light, with the light on for about 10 hours a day and the leaves nearly touching the light. I also keep the plant heavily watered, since it's natural environment is swamp. I haven't fertilized it at all, as I'm not sure what kind of fertilizer it needs, and I don't want to risk stressing it out any further. Is there anything I can do, or should stop doing, to help this plant?
Thanks. That really only covers growing mangroves in aquariums and doesn't address my specific problem, but it's an interesting read.
