Question

Plant   Hi Will,
I received an umbrella plant in March from my grandmother's funeral. I placed it in front of a south-facing sliding glass door and watered it once a week when I water all my indoor plants. It looked healthy and starting producing new growth until last week. My roommate thought he would "help" and placed it outside on Thursday and he forgot about it.  It stayed outside (South Louisiana) in 90 degree all day in full sun. Now, the top leaves have turned yellow/brown, have wilted, and have fallen off. It's been almost a full week and leaves are still falling off, top to bottom.  Did the plant receive foliage burn? Will it bounce back? What can I do to help?
Thanks!!

Answer
Hi Brad,

Your roommate made a common assumption and mistake in thinking that all plants like lots of sunlight. Your Schefflera needs to be protected from any direct sunlight and high temperatures when outside. No doubt most of the leaves are suffering from sun burn. Those discolored leaves will not recover and should be removed.

The good news is that the roots are probably okay if the soil stayed moist. That means the plant will survive and put out healthy new growth as it recovers. However, the new growth will be at the top of the stem and that will leave the lower portion of the stem mostly bare. If you want, you can shorten the stem by cutting it back so that the new  growth will come in closer to the pot and grow upward from there.

In the interim, keep your Schefflera indoors near a sunny window. (Indoor sunlight is much less intense than outdoor sun.) Water the soil when the top inch feels dry. Do not repot it or fertilize it or attempt to force it into a quick recovery. Be patient.

I have written an article 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.

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Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

Visit my website at: A link to HorticulturalHelp.com