Question
Hi.  I have had my umbrella plant for at least 10 yrs and recently repotted it about 2-3 weeks ago.  It was originally in an 8 inch pot and it had overgrown the pot. The roots had grown through the drainage hole and into the drainage pan.  I repotted it into a 12 inch plastic terra cotta-looking pot.  My problem is that about 3 days ago I noticed a white substance along the whole top layer of soil with some "flies" on the base.  Otherwise, the plant itself looks great. It is about 2 feet high.  It faces the window and gets sunlight in the morning.  I live in NJ and I notice that the more I water it, the worse it looks.  So I in all honesty, only water the plant about every two weeks.  It remains indoors - I'm not allowed to have plants outside in my development.  I also has had two recent additions to my "garden area" - a basil and a mint plant that are from someone else's garden (I don't know if this makes any difference).  Please help - I don't have a green thumb but I love my plant and want to save it.

Answer
Chrissie,

It sounds like your new soil may be moldy. It may not be draining well enough. The flies are probably fungus gnats because the soil is holding too much water and causing the roots to rot. Scheffleras love the sun and it would do much better this time of year out doors.Since that is not possible you need to give it as much sun as possible. When you water it you need to empty the drain tray a couple of hours after you water it. You can empty it using a turkey baster. If you have a porch or patio that you could set it out on for a few weeks it would help it recuperate from the repotting faster. You can spray the surface of the soil with Lysol spray and that will kill the mold or white stuff growing on the soil. Keep it on the dry side for the next couple of months. Water it less when you water it and the problems should clear up. Good luck.

Darlene