I acquired a 3 foot podocarpus gracilior about a month ago. Within the last week or so it has become a bit shrunken in appearance: some of its leaves (especially those closest to the trunk) have turned dry and crispy, and some near the top have become twisty and wilted. The tree just doesn't look happy anymore. It's next to an East-facing window and gets direct light in the mornings. The temperature here has been hot, so we have air conditioning running for most of the day but never at night (the plant is next to a radiator, but the heat is never turned on.) I mist the tree every morning and water it moderately once a week or so. Its soil is always kept moist (but not soaked). I love this tree (it looks a bit like a muppet to me) and I desperately want it to revive! Thanks in advance for any advice. NB: the plant actually looks healthier in the pictures than it does in real life. It just looks a bit saggy compared to its lushness when I first brought it home.
Look for mites, in case those are possible. You may need a magnifier. Otherwise, as you have mentioned it probably has to do with the growing environment - maybe the air conditioning is enough to bother it.
Thanks, Ron B. I checked, and there are indeed mites, although only in the soil. I've identified three different types of insect, actually: something that looks like an aphid, small white worm-like things, and a tiny spider-like thing - although I only saw one instance of these last 2, so they might be one-offs. I diluted a small amount of dish soap and applied it to the soil. I thought this would work quite quickly, but I'm still seeing live insects in there. Am I better off re-potting the plant altogether? I'm hesitant to do this as it's already been re-potted recently. Thanks.
Thanks, Ron B. I checked, and there are indeed mites, although only in the soil. I've identified three different types of insect, actually: something that looks like an aphid, small white worm-like things, and a tiny spider-like thing - although I only saw one instance of these last 2, so they might be one-offs. I diluted a small amount of dish soap and applied it to the soil. I thought this would work quite quickly, but I'm still seeing live insects in there. Am I better off re-potting the plant altogether? I'm hesitant to do this as it's already been re-potted recently. Thanks.
