Question
My plant was fine until I brought it in or the winter, then it starting losing it's leaves and continues to do so.  I have moved it to another location thinking maybe it was not getting the proper amount of light, but no change.  The leaves have nothing on them that is visible to the eye.  Any help would be appreciated.  Thank you

Answer
Dear Dot Brown, Schefflera is a relatively easy plant to grow indoors, but all plants undergo some changes when you are used to growing them outside and you have to bring them inside for the winter.  You don't mention if the leaves are changing color as they drop, but I have a fairly easy guide for diagnosing the problem.  First, let me address one possible problem.  It is very common when bringing plants inside to place them over a drip saucer so as not to damage the floors.  This is fine, but be sure to remove any water remaining in the saucer as this will cause the roots to suffocate and lose leaves.  Okay, so here is the basic rule of thumb:  If the leaves are turning yellow and dropping, then it isn't getting enough light.  If the leaves are turning black and dropping, then it is getting overwatered or there is water left in the drip pan.  If the leaves are wrinkling and dropping, then it isn't getting enough water.  Let the plant dry to an inch deep in the soil, and water thoroughly, remove standing water, and wait until the top inch is dry to water again.  In addition, sometimes plants can get spider mites and you can spray the plant thoroughly once a week with soapy water, bottoms of leaves too, in order to control them.  Here is an interesting fun fact about spider mites.  To determine if your plant has spider mites, take a white sheet of paper and hold it under a leaf.  Tap a few times on the leaf sharply so that anything on the underside will land on the paper.  Now carefully inspect the paper.  If you see anything moving, then you have spider mites.  Now if you take an ink pen and draw a circle around the moving spider mite, it will be unable, at least for a few minutes, to cross the ink line and will be trapped.  If you draw a circle around the spider mite but leave an opening in the circle, the mite will walk around the circle until it finds the exit and leaves that way.  The big question is, how much time do you have to have on your hands to discover this about spider mites?  Well, all levity aside, I hope this information helps your plant.  You can also prune it back a bit and it should grow back looking better.  Please let me know if this doesn't help or I can assist you further.  Good luck, Melissa