Question
I am fairly new to keeping houseplants, but seem to be doing OK.

I have a Radermachera that has been doing realy well.  However, since the darker nights have been coming in, I have been loosing quite a few of the leaves.  It is situated in a corner, which gets light during the day.

Can you advise the best way to care for it

Answer
Hi Sue,

What a pleasure to have someone new to housplants know the botanical name of what is commonly called China doll!

To answer your specific question, I suspect that the problem is light related. Corner locations don't usually receive enough light for Radermachera. It needs lots of bright light, but protection from direct midday sun. A north or east windowsill is best. It also is a bit fussy about temperature, preferring constant temps in the 65 to 75 degree range and away from warm or cold drafts. It doesn't respond well to changes in light, so find a good location for it and leave it there.

China doll is a notoriously finicky plant that will drop leaves rather dramatically for many reasons, including a change in environment, improper light, irregular watering, temperature change, pests, normal aging, and repotting. My overall advice is to keep it potbound, prune it regularly, and provide a consistent environment for it.

BTW, it is difficult to keep this plant looking good indoors for more than a year or two. Good luck with yours.

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

Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

You can E-mail me directly at: [email protected]

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