An accumulation of carbonates is what primarily drives any upward creep in pH as container media age, but that can be made pretty much a non issue by your choice of fertilizer and by choosing soils that can be flushed when you water to eliminate any build-up of carbonates and anything else dissolved in the soil solution. pH of container media is a consideration, but not as much of a consideration as it is in high bulk density mineral soils with their high buffering capacity. In container culture, if you're using a fertilizer that puts nutrients in the root zone in soluble form, your plant is going to readily absorb them, unless your pH is excessively high or low, causing required nutrients to bind with other elements and becoming insoluble. pH in containers is fickle, changing by the hour, so if anyone tells you they "maintain" a certain pH for their plants or suggests that you try, take it with a grain of salt. Temperature, moisture levels, fertility levels, NPK %, and the N source all cause pH fluctuations, making it difficult to maintain pH within the limits of 5-10 points (e.g. 5.1 - 6.1). You don't just 'change' the pH of a medium. If you want to maintain a tight range of pH, it requires regular testing with reliable equipment and an understanding of what chemicals can/can't be appropriately used to raise/lower pH as required. My water ranges in pH from about 8.1-8.5, depending on the time of year - quite high. For plants outdoors, I never worry about an upward creep in pH because I use an acid-forming fertilizer and I flush the soil when I water. In winter, I'm used to seeing some pH-induced Fe (iron) deficiencies as spring draws near because I can't flush quite as freely as I do in the summer, but they are easy to remedy by either slightly acidifying the fertigation solution or adding a little Sprint 138 (Fe supplement) to it. Sprint 138 is an Fe chelate formulated for high pH applications. The area in which you can make the most progress is a triangle bounded by using the right soil, watering correctly, and choosing a fertilizer that will actually fulfill the goals of nutrient supplementation for containerized plants. If you can get those right, you would be extremely unlikely to have problems you'd even consider were caused by pH issues. Best luck Al

I am sad boo hoo. I am a Steeler girl and you know we are not use to losing. I do not know what to do with this feeling. LOL

Jennifer1, I thought I'd sent a reply, but it's not appearing -- it sounds like there's some root problems, maybe due to poor drainage, or that, like you said, it's not getting enough sun. How many hours of direct sun does it receive? I wouldn't advise digging it up just to check the roots yet, but is the ground around it always wet, or are there flooded areas nearby after it rains? Hope this helps, Jim

Carolyn took some pictures when I visited them in N. Dak. a few years ago and I think that she posted some - which would have s/tumbled over the edge of the abyss, long since. Son took a video of me a couple of months ago, don't know how accessible that could be arranged to be. I can have him take a couple of pictures (could even include one of the back of my head, I suppose, though that'd be rather undistinguishable/undistinguished). Actually, I guess that backs of heads are somewhat distinguishable, for I find that sometimes I can recognize friends when they're moving away from me - but maybe it's the whole body that does the trick ... and moving, as well. Someone told me a while ago that when they saw me walking it reminded them of my Dad - who died 24.5 years ago: there was 28 years between us. I can talk to him about that. ole joyfuelled