Question
My dad's funeral was yesterday.  One of the plants was accidentally left in my brother's car overnight and the temp here dropped into the teens.  Is there anything I can do to save it?


Answer
Hi Vickie,

I am sorry about your father's recent death. I wish I had better news for you about the Schefflera.

Scheffleras are tropical plants that will start to show some foliage damage below 40 degrees. At freezing temps, the roots start to suffer damage. Damaged leaves can be replaced by new leaves, but damaged roots do not recover or get replaced. For temps in the teens, I suspect pretty serious root damage, which is why I am not optimistic.

All you can do is to keep the plant warm, provide lots of bright light, and allow the soil to dry about one-quarter of the way down from the top before watering. Do not repot it or fertilizer it. Trim off any discolored leaves as they will never re-green.

If the roots were not seriously compromised, then a very slow recovery may be possible. I will keep more fingers crossed for you.

Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions. If you would like to e-mail me some photos, I may be able to provide some additional insights.

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Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

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