Question
Shefflera. Pot is in 28" OD Pot. was repotted approx April, 2006. Plant is 9' tall from floor to ceiling.  When repotted moved indoors from heated garage/outside in the summer months.  Just recently plant lost about 3 leaves (brown) and grew a pale/yellow mushroom.  Room well lit filtered light through south facing windows.  Thank you!

Answer
Hi Cathy,

Apparently, the soil that you added when you repotted 4 months ago was contaminated with fungus spores that are now starting to emerge as mushrooms. Fungi are not at all harmful to plants and are not the cause of the brown leaves.

If you want to get rid of the fungi, simply scrape them out along with the surrounding soil. As others appear subsequently, keep removing them in the same way. E
Eventually you will probably get them all.

I am concerned about your Schefflera being in such a large pot. A 9-foot Schefflera should be in a pot that is in the 14 to 17" diameter range. The danger of a pot that is too large is that the excess soil retains moisture around the roots for too long and leads to gradual root rot. You now must be very careful to allow the soil to dry out deep into the pot and not to add too much water when it does dry out.

How filtered is the south light? Are there blinds or sheers over the windows? How far away is the plant from those windows?

Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions.
   
Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

You can E-mail me directly at: [email protected]

Visit my web site at www.HorticulturalHelp.com

If this information has been helpful, please remember to give me a rating and nomination.

If you would like to e-mail me some photos, I may be able to provide some additional insights.