Question
QUESTION: I have a crossandra that has lived happily on the same windowsill for 2 years but over the last couple of months the leaves have started losing their characteristic dark green and are turning a much lighter green. The plant seems healthy and has lots of new shoots, but these are also light green. I don't want to lose this plant - it's my favouite. What can I do?

ANSWER: Alison,

Look at the plant very closely in bright light for signs of insects. Fine webbing over the plant means you have spider mites. White bits of cotton on the back of leaves or in the leaf crotches is mealy bugs. Little round circles on the back of leaves that you can flick off with your fingernail or a thin knife is scale. If you pick up the plant and tiny insects fly out of it you have white fly. Any of these insects could be your problem. Or it may just need some fertilizer. Go to Walmart or a garden center and pick up Miracle Grow for blooming plants or one of the generic versions of it that is water soluable. Fertilizers always have 3 numbers like 20-30-20 and for blooming plants you always want that 2nd # to be the highest number.

If you find the insects email me back and let me know which you find and I will tell you what to do about it. Good luck.

Darlene

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you for answering. There are no insects of any kind. I've been fertilizing for the last few weeks with a suitable fertilizer for flowering plants. I used it last year too and had good results with my flowering plants so don't think there's a problem with that. This is the second year the plant has been in the same soil. Could it need repotting? I think the size is suitable - there are 4 plants in a 6 inch wide pot. The plant gets a mix of morning sun and afternoon brighness.
Any more ideas?
thanks

Answer
Alison,

It may well need repotted and this is the best time of year to do it. The best time to repot any plants should is between April 1st and July 1st. Only move it up to a pot with a diameter 2 inches larger than the diameter of the pot it is in now. If you put it in a larger pot you will be overwatering it and overpotting it and it is much more likely that you will have problems with it. It will be fine in the new pot for 2 years them need stepped up again. Another cause of light green leaves is lack of iron in the soil. You might pick up a small bottle or box of iron or trace minerals and apply according to the package instructions. Good luck.

Darlene