By Tiger1234
Hampshire,
United Kingdom 
Hi everyone, can you help? In spring this year I bought a beautiful rodo (Giant ) in a pot which I repotted into a much larger pot a couple of weeks ago. I did all the correct things including using acid compost. It really flowered fantastic and has now produced hundreds of new buds for next year. I fed it during the summer and stopped at the end of August. Over the last week or two it has started to loose some yellowing leaves and does not look so vibrant now. Is this natural? I keep it watered well in dry spells and can only keep it in a pot as my soil here is not acid enough. Would one more feed do more harm than good? Tiger.
10 Oct, 2015
Answers
Hi Bamboo, I have not been on site for some time now as we have moved home in the last year and everything is new including the garden. It is nice to hear from you, thank you as you have helped me in the past. Back to my question, the pot is no more than twice the original but I have placed a saucer underneath, which does fill after rain or a good watering. Should I remove this?
It does drain well and I can't see any signs of insect attack on the plant. Am I worrying over nothing? I do have a photo but not recent.
10 Oct, 2015
You should certainly remove the saucer - the only time you might need it is during summer, or any time of year when its warm and dry, when plants in pots may dry out and its hard to get them wet enough again - in that instance, a saucer underneath helps with the process. But as soon as the weather's wet, and especially if temperatures are lower, no sun about, take that saucer away...and particularly now, as autumn progresses into winter. It also helps to raise the pot off the ground - either with pot feet or just bits of broken roof slate, so long as they're flat. Stops ants from getting in at the bottom, and improves drainage.
10 Oct, 2015
Thanks Bamboo, will remove the saucer and use it only in summer as you suggest! Other than that it should be OK. Will feed in spring and end in June.
10 Oct, 2015
It would do far more harm than good - in fact, it shouldn't have been fed past the end of June, really, but there's not much you can do about that now. If its just losing a few leaves, its probably nothing to worry about, but ensure there isn't a problem with vine weevil, or ants in the pot (you'd see fine black dirt around and under the pot with those) and inspect the backs of leaves and all stems for any sign of scale or other insect infestation. I'm assuming there's good drainage and the water escapes freely from the bottom of the pot, without being trapped in any outer tray or container...
It would have been good to include a photograph - I note you say you potted into a 'much larger' pot, and that sometimes can cause problems if the size of the pot is more than 2/3 times the size of the rootball of your plant.
10 Oct, 2015