Hi, I have like a week ago purchased a baby Murraya Koenigii plant. It is about 5" tall. I moved it from the small pot it arrived into a 6" pot like 2 days ago...I used the Organic MiracleGro potting mix in the new pot... I noticed this morning that a few leaves are turning black/brown on the very tips.. on a couple of leaves I noticed a few tiny dark spots too... I am so worried it might die... Somebody please help.... Many thanks in advance.. M
Leaves turning black is, of course not a good sign. These plants like to stay evenly moist and do well in bright light, warm conditions and moist, but well draining soil. I am not sure why you replanted the baby so soon after bringing it home. It is generally better to let plants adjust to their new environment before repotting or fertilizing. Murraya in particular tend to suffer stress when they are moved. I also think that that was probably quite a jump in pot size for the plant. When potted plants are put in pots that are too large, their roots do not grow fast enough to fill the space. The soil can hold stagnant water for too long and the plant can suffer. It's better to increase pot size gradually. I would try not to stress the plant for a while. Put it in a bright warm place and keep the soil moist, but never wet. Then hope for the best. There are a lot of post on these forums about growing Murraya koenigii and M. paniculata. You may want to use the search function (on the green bar at the top of the page) to find them for good advice.
Hi Eric, Thanks so much for replying... Well...the manual I got with the plant said to wait 2 - 4 days before repotting...so I thought it would be safe... :( Bad decision I guess... Also, I didnt know that once you select a place for the plant to sit, it shouldnt be moved. Because it was so small and portable I was moving it to the kitchen to water it and then put it back in its place. My husband saw me doing that yesterday and was telling me that the plant should be left alone. :( Being a first time gardener, I had no idea. I grew up in a huge house with lots of space around for plants and trees (back in India) and they just grew by themselves. We had this huge curry leaf plant..It was like atleast 12 feet with thick branches..as kids we used to climb on it.. Thanks for your advice again..may be I will repot it into a smaller pot ? Mala
I'd say leave it for now. What they generally mean by 'don't move it around' is to keep it growing in the same place, and not relocate it to several different places within the house. It's not that you *can't* move it or it will die when you water it. It's not that severe! ;-)
Thanks DGuertin... I have not touched the plant since.... :) It is so disheartening to see it sick.... :( I have even started talking to it now... :| Thanks again for your support... Mala
