Question
I have a large corn plant that is about 6 years old. It is located in a very bright room and has been happy up until now. I have tried replanting it,into a larger pot with new soil, but it has continued on the down hill road. Many of the leaves truning yellow and dying, it has lost it's lush beautiful tropical look. I have  also tried moving it to a brighter place, all to no avail.
Each of the branches seem to just be dying. At first I thought one of the branches had been broken by a passer by, then upon closer inspection I discovered that many of them just looked like they were being strangled? Some of the leaves seem OK, but the stem to the leaves is dying. Can this be saved or is it just time for a new plant?
I have had many of this type of plant and this is a new problem to me? Is it a diesase or a bug? or???

Answer
Dear Suzanne, There are two things that come to mind, so let us try to address those first and then if this advise doesn't help, please let me know.  The first problem could be overwatering.  Sometimes it will happen with new plantings (since you just repotted it) that the new soil is richer and retains water more than the old soil.  Be careful to water the plant only when dry and be sure to remove any water standing in the dish as it will cause the roots to rot.  Usually you should only repot when the plant is screaming for more room and then replant into a pot just slightly larger than the old pot.  The other possible problem could be scale which is very common and will cause the leaves to turn yellow and will shrivel the trunk.  Scale will appear as small bumps that are on the trunk or the leaves.  If you suspect scale, you should spray with horticultural oil (SunSpray is the best) several times 7 to 10 days apart.  A good measure to take in case of insect or disease infestation is to spray the plant with a product called Triple Action Plus, as it will kill mites, insects and fungus - and if the plant is sick, it would be one of those three that is causing the sickness.  You can actually mix the oil and Triple Action together to spray the plant just to cover all bases.  Be sure to trim off any yellow or brown foliage as it won't improve.  Try the spray, and decrease the water and see if that helps.  If this doesn't help your plant, please write back to me.  I apologize for the delay in my answer, I am switching to a new computer and it isn't set up yet, but I should be more prompt in future. Good luck, Melissa