Question
i have a plant called a 'china doll' which, when i got, was fairly small/medium. it is now very big, i have had to transplant it two times into bigger pots. what i'm wondering about is that some of its leaves look almost singed, or burnt. i read that it could have something to do with the soil PH or something, but i'm not sure, since it is indoors. thank you so much!

~Leanna


Answer
Hi Leanna,

If the singed leaves on your China doll (Radermachera) are limited to some of the older leaves, then you probably don't have much to be concerned about. The brown leaf edges can be casued by occasionally letting the soil get too dry or by very dry air.

Another possible cause is related to the soil pH that you referred to. If your local tap water is on the hard side, then the minerals in the soil and the increased pH resulting from the hard water can damage leaf edges. If this applies, then switch to filtered, distilled  or rainwater for your China doll.

If the newly emerging leaves are getting brown edges, that may be a more serious problem. In that case, some of the roots have been damaged either from severe mineral build up in the soil or from root rot.

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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