Question
I've recently repotted an age old, sentimentally valued Scheffelera. At the time it was in a clay pot, and watered weekly with diluted fertilizer. The new growth is looking bright and flat leaved, but older leaves continue to stay puckered. Is this a watering issue or would a plastic pot, within a ceramic pot aleviate the problem?

Answer
Hi Deb,

If a plant's leaves wilt or pucker as a result of temporary soil/root dryness, they will return to form after the plant is watered as long as the drought is not excessively long. Plants that are kept drier than ideal for an extended period of time will develop symptoms that are more or less permanent.

I don't have a great deal of information about your Schefflera, but I suspect that it was kept a bit too dry (it may have needed water every 5 or 6 days) causing some of the older leaves to pucker permanently. Increasing the water and/or repotting will not alleviate that now. However, as you have observed, new leaf growth will not be affected by prior drought.

Repotting is tricky and it is easy to do substantial damage to a plant if it is done unnecessarily or incorrectly. It is rare that older, well-established plants need repotting. Yours probably just needed to be watered a bit more often. If you moved your Schefflera into a larger pot, you have to be careful not to inadvertently over water and rot the roots. Larger pots with added soil retain moisture around the roots longer so unless you adjust your watering routine accordingly, then root rot is likely.

I have written articles on repotting and on Schefflera care that I will email for free to you (or anyone else) who emails a request to me at [email protected].

Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions.

If this information has been helpful, please click the Rate Volunteer bar below and enter a rating and nomination for me. I am a volunteer on this site so Ratings are the only compensation I receive for answering plant questions.

Need more information? Visit my website at:
A link to HorticulturalHelp.com

or email me at [email protected] or call me at 917-887-8601 (EST)
 
Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

Visit my website at: A link to HorticulturalHelp.com