Question
hi there,

i purchased a healthy, three-stemmed schefflera that's about five feet tall two months ago. i immediately replanted it to a larger pot, and placed it in the corner window, which faces north and east. there is a radiator in the corner but i crack the window so it never gets too hot. there is a humidier on the floor nearby.

since i got it, leaves have kept browning and falling out. the higher-up leaves also have a wrinkled, rather than smooth, and droopy appearance. also, one of the stems has turned brown and completely died.

i think i have been fairly conservative with the watering, which i do only after putting my finger 2" into the soil and confirming that it's dry. i mist the leaves about 4-5 times a week.

i know that there's an adjustment period between any move out of the nursery, but i just wanted to see if this was normal.

thanks for any thoughts!
lian

here are some images of the plant:

http://diametrik.net/misc/schefflera01.jpg
- closeup

http://diametrik.net/misc/schefflera02.jpg
- closeup

http://diametrik.net/misc/schefflera03.jpg
- the dead stem

http://diametrik.net/misc/schefflera04.jpg
- closeup

http://diametrik.net/misc/schefflera05.jpg
- leaves near the top

http://diametrik.net/misc/schefflera06.jpg
- leaves near the top

http://diametrik.net/misc/schefflera07.jpg
- leaves near the top

http://diametrik.net/misc/schefflera08.jpg
- base / pot

http://diametrik.net/misc/schefflera09.jpg
- placement / lighting conditions

Answer
Hi Lian,

My answer will surprise you. The problem is due to the repotting that you did right after purchasing it.

As you already know, plants do go through an adjustment period when they are moved to a new location. Transplanting them at that time adds to the stress. More importantly, the added soil acts like a sponge and retains moisture for too long around the roots. In addition, if you didn't use the right potting mix and you neglected to loosen the roots around the outside of the rootball (two things that most folks don't get right), then the roots are even more likely to rot.

Thank you for the photos, but the one I most need to see is the entire plant and pot and that one was heavily in shadow and I cannot see any details.

The light and temperature are fine and your watering technique would be appropriate for a plant that is properly potted, as yours was before you transplanted. Misting is fine, but unnecessary.

I suggest that you unpot your Schefflera, remove the soil that you added, check the health of the roots, and put it back into its original pot.

Cut off and discard the dead stem if you haven't already. Other stems that have lost many of their lower leaves should be pruned back to a height of about three feet. New growth will emerge from a point just below the pruning cut and grow up from there. This pruning is the only way to replace leaves on the lower stems that have already dropped off.

This is a fairly radical treatment, but your Schefflera appears to be in poor condition so it is probably the only way to go.

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]

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