Question
Hello, I have a song of India plant. I water it every 10 to 14 days or so when the soil is dry. However, all of the leaves have fallen of the stem leaving only the stem which is still green but with no leaves on it.  Will this plant ever grow leaves again? Is is too far gone and I should start all over again?  What am I doing wrong? Is there any hope that it will grow leaves again?

Answer
Hi Elba,

Your Pleomele reflexa 'Song of India' should be located in front of an east or north facing window that is uncovered throughout the day. It is not a low light plant, so if you don't have it close to a window, that may be the reason it is not doing well.

If you made the common mistake of repotting your plant, then there is a very good chance that the roots are rotting and the plant will not recover.

If it is still in its nursery pot, then it should be watered as soon as the top half-inch of soil feels dry. Depending on the size of the nursery pot and the available light, it may be that you are not watering frequently enough.

If the roots are rotted due to over watering, then it probably will not recover. If it is suffering from inadequate light or water, then it may recover if you increase the light and watering. However, new growth will only come in at the ends of the stems. Therefore it is best to prune the bare stems back by at least one-third to eliminate some of the bare lower stems. If the stems are dry and brittle, then it is too late to salvage the plant.

I have written an article on diagnosing plant problems that I will email for free to you (or anyone else) who emails a request to me at [email protected].

Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions.

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Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

Visit my website at: A link to PlantCareExperts.com