This is the time of year that people call us and ask, "what's wrong with my plant-- does it need repotting?" We have a secret theory that because people start living inside again as the weather cools, and maybe have just noticed that their inside greens look a little bedraggled. Repotting your plant will not fix all its problems and cure its asthma, so to speak. Repotting only works if the roots are too big for the pot. How do you tell if it needs repotting? If the roots are coming out the bottom of the drain holes, or if you've had the plant for a year or longer (unless it's a cactus), it needs repotting. Otherwise, it is always easier to diagnose the patient if one can see the body; but here are a few things to check before consigning your plant to the compost heap. 1. Does it need water? or conversely, has it had too much? If the dirt has pulled away from the side of the pot, and the leaves are turning brown and crispy, it is too dry. If there are little gnats flying, and the leaves are soft and yellow or black, and the pot feels really heavy, it is probably too wet. 2. Is it sitting directly above or close to a heat source that you have recently turned on? As with cut flowers, forced air heat is very dehydrating to plants. They will tolerate being within a few feet if you pay attention to the watering, but being right on top of a heater is never a good idea. 3. Does it need more light? If you are dependent on window light, the days are getting shorter now, and you may need to supplement. Check with your power company to see what it costs to leave one 100 watt bulb on for 8-10 hours a day. The good news about plants is, they really don't care if the light source is incandescent, flourescent, or full spectrum-- they just care that it's on 8-10 hours a day so they get enough energy to manufacture chlorophyll. Then, make sure your plant is sitting directly underneath the light, and about 2 feet away is ideal. the further away your light is, the less the plant benefits from it. There are times when it is appropriate to salvage a plant, and there are times when it is appropriate to toss them on the compost heap. If you are interested in nurturing them, and are willing to look at them every day and extrapolate what their symptoms might be, go for it! But it is OK to toss them when the flowers stop blooming, and get another one. Keep this in mind if you are debating over whether to get your friend cut flowers or a plant-- after all, you wouldn't give them a doberman pinscher puppy, would you, if you didn't know whether or not they wanted one.

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