Help for my sickly piper methysticum (kava kava)

Here's the info:

I ordered this plant from HI about three weeks ago, it arrived safely and in good condition. I repotted it about three days after I got it, using organic potting soil mixed with Perlite in a terra cotta pot. When I repotted it I had to snip away the roots growing around the bottom and the sides of the original pot, as they'd begun to make rings around the container (it was underpotted).

It sits in a south facing window between two other houseplants. It gets about eight hours of sun a day, and I've added a cheapy grow light to help it squeeze a few more hours of light in. I water it every 2-3 days (or whenever the soil starts to feel dry around the roots). I don't fertilize it.

The plant thrived for a few days. Then the newest leaves started to crinkle along the edges, form holes throughout the leaf, and got a washed out look to them. I snipped three of them when they started to die. Now the older leaves are starting to do the same thing. Also, the leaf stems are forming cracks in them. I'm starting to get worried. I wonder if I'm over/under watering, have pests, or if the plant is maybe getting too much sunlight.

Any help would be much appreciated.

It's probably a little stressed from the transplanting & root reduction. It's still worth checking on your watering since that's a very common problem with houseplants, and you might move it somewhere that it gets bright indirect light rather than sun until it recovers a little bit.

Thank you! I've moved it, and I'll keep a close eye on the water situation.

I've drunk it but never grown it....Kava in its usual habitat grows in dabbled sun, even temps hovering around 80 degrees F, good air circulation, and high humidity somewhere around 70 o 80 percent. Root pruning was not a good idea (over potting would have been better) and direct sun coupled with the low humidity normally found in houses will cause the leaf damage you describe.

Discovered last night that my green thumb hasn't turned brown. The poor kava was infected with 'awa dieback before I ever received it. I'm just going to have to chuck it and start over. I feel bad for the wasted time, but I've learned what to look for now. Apparently the vendor experienced a small amount of contamination in that particular crop variety.

Vadis, thanks for the reply! This was a full-sun variety (according to vendor), but it did seem to thrive better in indirect sunlight. And humidity indoors is not really a problem in Sioux Falls. We've got lots- and to spare! :) But I think you're right about the root reduction. Coupled with the stress of transplant, and the disease, it was just too much all at once for the poor thing.

Live and learn! Thanks for all the advice, guys!