I purchased my first lipstick plant 5 days ago. It was in perfect condition when I brought it home and now it's losing leaves by the minute and getting worse every day. I was hoping it was broken vines from being transported, but more and more vines are going downhill and fast. Is there anything I can do to save it or just wait and see what happens?. I gave it a small drink on Monday and the soil right now feels moist not soaked, any advice would be appreciated
Picture is somewhat out of focus. Do you think these spots are bugs?
I would give it a deep soak by plunging the whole pot into a bucket of water and hold it down until the bubbling stops. Then lift it and let it drip. There should be no standing water in the tray when you put it back. A little bit of water that seeps slowly out of the pot is OK. These plants need a lot of oxygen in the root zone, but also need plenty of water. That balance between air and water is tricky to maintain, unless the soil is just right.
Removing any broken branches with wilted leaves would help. Less-than-vigorous plant mass is the milieu of pests. While the soil still feels moist on top, it's very moist. The sticky at the top of the this forum can help you understand the basics of watering plants.
Are you able to inspect those spots with a magnifying glass? Adding a pic of the whole plant to this discussion could be helpful.
Here are some more pictures, it's definitely nots bugs, the brown spots are indented and the vines are so fragile that all the vines sticking off the plant and bending and breaking, and if I touch a leaf it falls. On another forum they though it might have been from the leaf shine that was sprayed on it before leaving the store, or from cold water being used when I watered it as I forgot to check the temp. Such a shame this plant was so perfect when I brought it home and now it's half bald and in horrible condition.
