Question
Hi Darlene,
    A couple of weeks ago I bought these 2 plants and repotted them from a 10" pot to a 12" pot. Both plants receive some afternoon sun as they face a window to the west. I am confused about how much water these plants need. The tag that came with them says to keep soil moist although in researching on the internet, most seem to suggest watering sparingly. Are there signs to look for? - will they droop? Also some of the leaves have some brown streaks down the ceter of the leaves where it appears that part is dying. there are no visible mites, bugs, eggs that I can see. Any help with understanding these will be most appreciated. I have watered at time of transplant 1 & 1/2 wks ago and that is it. The soil still looks moist. Thanks ,Jill

Answer
Jill,

First of all, does the water you are using have chlorine and flouride in it? Those 2 plants are very sensitive to chlorine and flouride. If your water has that, then you need to leave it sit in an open bucket for 48 hours before using it on the plants so the chlorine and flouride dissipates.
The new pot does have a drainage hole in the bottom doesn't it?  If you just bought the plants why did you repot them so soon? The nursery probably just moved them from an 8 inch pot to the 10 inch pot (so they could charge you more) just before you purchased them. Plants should not be repotted unless they are rootbound. That is why they are not drying out sooner.  There is too much soil for the amount of roots and when you moisten the soil it does not dry out soon enough for the roots to have a chance to breathe. Do not water it again until the top 1 inch of soil feels pretty dry. Since it is spring and the roots are growing I won't reccommend that you move it back to a smaller pot. Just be very careful not to water it before that top 1 inch of soil is dry and do not leave it sitting with water in it's drain tray for more than 1 hour. Flouride and too much water is what is causing your brown spots.  Good luck.
                                        Darlene