Question
I received a Croton plant about a month ago as a gift. Ever since I've been searching for its needs and have understood that light and water are of great importance so I've placed it where it can get sunlight (not directly) for a couple of hours and I water it almost every other day. I also use fertilizers. But sadly the biggest leaves which were half way through the body of the plant started to dry from their tips and fell off. In 2 weeks the plant became completely bald in the middle. The top is full of leaves which are in good color. The other big leaves are sloping by the day and begin to dry too. However the bottom of the plant is also full of leaves and new plants were growing from the bottom when I got it too. So what you see is two balls of leaves one on the bottom and one on the top which are joined by a piece of wood!!! I had decided to cut the top part off at least to give the bottom part a chance to grow, as its about a meter tall and it doesn't grow! (Not a single leaf has appeared since I got it)
I really feel hopeless. Anything I can do to save the other leaves from drying and falling?
p.s: I spray it 2-3 times a day with water to keep it moist.

Answer
Maryam,

Yes sunlight is very important to Crotons and it needs full sun, not indirect sun for at least 4- 6 hours a day. At this time fertilizer may be burning the roots since it is not getting enough sun. The interior leaves are not getting enough sun, that's why you are loosing them. Your plant was problably grown outdoors in full sun before and you moved it indoors and limited it's sun to only 2 hours. It also can stand to dry out a bit more between waterings. Outdoors in full sun you may need to water twicce a day if the temperature id over 30 degrees centigrade. Indoors with minimal sun you are keeping it too wet, it is not a swamp plant. It needs to dry out a little between waterings so the roots can breathe a bit before they are wet again.

Give it more sun and at least a few hours of dryer soil between waterings and it will start growing more new leaves. Good luck.

Darlene