Question
I have a 7' indoor umbrella plant, living in a 20" pot, that is about 30  to 32 years old and I've had it it's entire life.   Lately I have noticed this strange white film covering the dirt, however the leaves are also falling off.   Some of the leaves are curled at the tips and some even appeared to be burned at the tips.  On just a few of the leaves I have noticed some light sap and on just a few of the leaves are some white spots, but not very many white spots.   Mostly all the leaves are fine.   My full tree is not looking so good these days and I would love to bring it back to its former beauty.   The tree is huge, and sits not directly in front of the large windows, but it does capture the morning sun.  It is on the opposite side of the room so the sun can get to it.   I moved to my new home about 7 months ago and when the movers handled the tree, I don't think they were very gentle with it even thought I specifically told them to be careful.  The ball of the tree was half way out of the pot so I immediately dug it out and placed the tree back in the pot but it hasn't been well since.

I added miracle grow potting soil about a month ago, after first scrapping all the white stuff off the top of the soil but it only came back again.   And I have seen a couple of mushrooms growing out of the soil, but I took them out as soon as I saw them.   What the heck is going on with my tree?   Can you please advise on what I should do?   Not sure whether repotting it will even help.   I look forward to hearing from you.

Answer
Hi Randi,

Congratulations on providing such good care of your Schefflera for so many years! There are a number of things that have affected your plant recently and it is likely they all started with your move.

Obviously, rough handling on the part of the movers was not good for the Schefflera, but I don't think that is cause for major concern. If your Schefflera is across the room from the window, then it is not getting quite enough light. When well-established plants experience a reduction in light they often react by shedding some of their older leaves. If your plant can be moved closer to the window that would slow the leaf loss.

When a plant is  moved to lower light, it grows more slowly and uses less water so it is important to make that watering adjustment.

You mentioned 'light sap' and that does concern me. If is sticky and found on the tops of leaves and the rim of the pot or on the floor below, then that means your Schefflera has a scale insect infestation. I know your first question is where the heck did they come from after all these years. The answer is that scale can exist in very small numbers and in a near dormant state and invisible for many years and remain undetected. If the plant comes under stress for any reason, then the scale will reproduce and multiply to the point that they become noticeable. I suspect that the "white film" on the soil surface is residue that the scale secretes. It is sticky on leaves and it is called honeydew.

Next you want to know how to treat them. You will need to spray the entire plant with a solution of 5 parts water, 1 part rubbing alcohol and a squirt of liquid soap. This treatment is very effective as long as all leaf and stem surfaces are drenched until they are dripping wet. Otherwise, you will miss a few of the scale insects and they will later reproduce and come back again. I understand that spraying a large Schefflera in your home is not an easy task and very messy. If you cannot move it outside temporarily to treat it, then move it to the center of the room and put lots of newspaper or plastic tarp down under and around it to protect your floors. Sorry, I don't have a less messy or easier solution for you.

New soil should never be added to the top surface of a plant's rootball. It serves no useful purpose and can make watering more difficult. I suggest that you remove all loose soil that is not in immediate contact with the roots, which should be just barely covered. By removing most or all of the Miracle-Gro soil you added, you will probably eliminate the fungus (mushrooms) problem and a potential fungus gnat problem. Miracle-Gro potting soils are the most commonly available potting soils and are often contaminated with fungus spores and fungus gnat larvae. That said, I am not advocating repotting or replacing all of the original soil. Just remove as much of the Miracle-Gro soil as possible. The extra soil is also keeping the soil around the roots too wet for too long between waterings and that may be causing root rot and adding stress to the plant.

To sum up: Remove excess soil; provide more light if possible; treat the scale insects; and water the soil only when the top 20% of the soil is dry to the touch.

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

I know I have porvided a lot of information herte so please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions.

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Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

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