Question
We have a 12 year old Stromanthe that has moved house with our family on 4 occasions.He appears always content to reside in semi-shaded corners of rooms and constant temps.His foilage is always very healthy,vibrant green/red leaves forming large fan shapes.This indeed is the problem,he has grown to approx.4 foot in height with various strong stems producing numerous fans of leaves....but this has all eminated from a small 6 inch diameter plastic plant pot contained in a dry ceramic pot.We have now transplanted the plant into a larger container but he has trouble remaining upright (top heavy).What are his chances of survival if a drastic cutback was undertaken ? We have obviously attempted to stake him but he is not too happy..Would appreciate any advice on the way forward.....Thanks

Answer
Bill,

If you just recently repotted it that is part of the problem. You repotted it at the wrong time of year when the roots are not growing and will not fill the pot till later in the spring. It would be best to stake it until April 1st to stabilize it Then prune it and you can try rooting the cuttings.. It is also not the best time of year to prune it back or to root cuttings. If you do not want to root cuttings you can prune it back but make sure that you leave several leaves on each branch you prune back. Next summer you can prune it back further. If you prune all leaves off this time of year it will die. This is a difficult plant to grow so congratulations!! If you have more questions feel free to write again. Good luck!