I haven't had one myself, so please be skeptical, but my guess is that what you're seeing is acclimation, not misery. Polyscias aren't known for coping well with change, and the odds are that the amount and timing of the light, the temperature, humidity, etc. are different in its new home.

If this has been going on for more than a month, then I would start to worry.

Raise the humidity any way you can--big pebble tray, even some pots of water around it. Mine is loving life in the steam bath that is my porch. Maybe even a vacation outdoors. I don't know how humid Ontario is.

I put some water in a cup at it's base.
The leaves have been dropping, and are still dropping.
i am scared of losing this tree.

aah.

I am afraid that the new greenery will die off...

How much are you watering?

As a last resort, you can put it in intensive care--put it in a giant baggie to make a humidity tent. They have some big, big baggies now, and if your plant doesn't fit, you can just put the plant in the baggie up to the pot rim and then hold the baggie in place with a rubber band.

Hmm, the baggie might sound like a good idea. How long would I keep the bag on for? should i mist it first?
At first i watered it quite well, it dried out, and then i proceeded to water it every 3rd day by only misting the top of the soil. hoping to keep the humidity up. but havnt given it a full water in about 2-3 weeks. ive wanted it to dry out a bit as i am aware that it is very drought tolerant.

I agree with placing it outside weather permitting. If you do, don't set in direct sun.
One thing I'd do is take Aralia to sink/shower and spray foliage..Try not aiming water stream on the soil. Hosing should perk it up..If you can do this 2 times a wk, it should help.
I mist religiously, daily, though it works to a degree, it doesn't come close to hosing leaves.
I wouldn't add any chemicals for the time being, other than a hormone/vitamin called Superthrive.
Good luck, Toni

I'm not clear what water in a cup at its base would do. Unclear whether in clay or plastic pot, depending on that I doubt a cup of water nearby will do anything at all, it can't be absorbed thru a plastic saucer anyway.

A pebble tray on the other hand, w/ pebbles in it & the Polyscias ON TOP of the pebbles (NOT SOAKING IN THE WATER) w/ the water level just below the pot will definately add humidity to the plant.

To respectfully disagree w/ Toni (Hi Toni, nice to see you back around here), since the plant is already ailing, I would NOT put it outside. Polyscias are said not to like to be moved anyway (I haven't really believed this myself), but since the plant is already stressed, changing it's environment now will only stress it further.

I too think this leaf drop business may be abt the plant acclimating to change of environment, they are known to react this way.

I've grown this plant on & off (diff. varieties) for 10 yrs + & have never considered it drought resistant (it's native to China), never read or heard this before either. It's customarily recommended to grow these plants on pebble trays, that would not be the case for drought- resistant plants (like succulents or Sansevierias); I believe this is incorrect info.

I just re-read the top of the post & saw it hasn't had a full watering in 2-3 wks, that's a problem, not enough water for this plant (which when in active growth can take a fair amount of water)! While mine is much smaller than yours, I water mine every wk to 10 days.

If you now take this rather stressed (& maybe dried out) plant to an enclosed baggie w/ mist inside, I believe the plant will rot & you'll lose the whole thing.

One of the hardest lessons for folks to learn who are new to plants, is that sometimes one just needs to leave the plant alone & let it recover.

It had a long trip, a new home, insecticidal treatment, etc. If it were mine, I'd give if a couple of wks of NO ADDITIONAL TREATMENTS OR CHANGES AT ALL & simply let the plant recover.

oh my goodness pirate girl!... as if i got your message with instructions a tad too late. I have put it outside for 3 days, and have sprayed the leaves with the house lightly. hopefully this hasnt stressed it out.

it is in a plastic pot, inside a clay pot that has a pool of water below where the pot sits. it has been full of water. no pebbles but i will add them. the pot as well is not emerged within the water.

i have taken it in as of tonight, and will not move it, and will keep the water up to 1 week.

how much should I water? a cup?

No, not a cup of water (likely too much) you need to pls. observe the plant. Lift it out of the outer pot & water until you see water come out the bottom of the pot. That shows when it's enough water.

Is this plant 4 inches tall or 4 feet tall? The OP says 4'.

A 4' tall plant needs more than a cup of water at a time!

Soil can pull away from the sides of the pot when really dry and water will run right out. Water running out the bottom isn't always the best indicator of good saturation.

It should not sit in water in the decorative pot, must be raised up above it.

It could be upset at the move, might have gotten too hot or sunburned in the car, improper watering, or the insect treatment.

If you do come to suspect that you are not watering enough you could always put it in your bathtub (if it fits) and totally submerge the soil. I have had some soils in the past that had a dry spot in them. This has been especially true whenever the soil has gotten very dry at some point and has shrunk away from the edge of the pot. Of course i'd check the soil itself first(if you can).

It wouldnt do to make the problem worse if it is an overwatering issue.

Well!!

The Aralia had lost ALL of its leaves, and since then, has been sprouting baby leaves. For the last 3 months, the baby sprouts will get to a particular size and then die off. And then more babies will follow. It has been a non-stop cycle. As soon as they get to the point where they open up, and start to look like a leaf, they first go a little tainted grey, and then finally brown and dried up. WHY can't I get this plant healthy again. It is in the bathroom now, there is a south facing window, and the sun is filtered through a cloth shower curtain.

PLEASE HELP, I was the guy who originally posted this, and I am still having problems..

I have posted pictures on an old website of mine to give you guys a better look at the plant.. ...
i really hope it helps!

http://snjnky.tripod.com/balfour_aralia.html

Couldn't get the site to load, but I sure want to commend you for hanging on to your plant...and the plant too for hanging in there...LOL I'm attaching a link with an excellent article by George Elbert which I hope helps. I've several Aralias over 10 years old and my mantra is "If I underwater plant might lose a leaf or even a branch but overwatering can cause root rot and the whole plant dies". In other words, water well and then let get fairly dry before rewatering. You can use your finger or in deep pots a bamboo shishkabob stick to check moisture, or lift pot to check weight...you'll soon get the "feel" for how often to water.

Be sure drainage is good...almost the entire amount you pour in should drain out within a few minutes. To be sure you are really watering thoroughly I'd set pot on drainboard or in bath and really pour water on. After youu get a feel for amount needed you perhaps can water in place although you'll need a deep saucer and pebbles underneath to be sure bottom of pot stays above drained water until it evaporates It's much easier for me to just stick pot in shower. Be sure plant is not too close to vent of heat/air conditioning.

Good luck...these are beautiful plants and once you get it healthy I'm sure both of you will be glad you hung in there...josh

Here is a link that might be useful: Aralia care

Here is a link that may work better!

Thank you josh, for your help.

Here is a link that might be useful: Aralia Pictures!

That is a pretty sad looking aralia. I wonder what would happen if you cut it back. It is spring so time is on your side. I am no expert and I have lost an aralia or two but this is what I might do. Pop it out of its pot. check the roots trim the roots back, cut the aralia back then repot probably down a size or two then think happy thoughts about both the aralia and your gram and maybe your plant might start growing. Good luck

Diane

Of course you are absolutely right, Diane...that's getting to "the root" of the problem! I agree...lift it out and if roots look mushy and smell bad, cut them back, and I agree that cutting top back also a good idea and repotting in a smaller size pot.

Only other suggestion is to take it to a good greenhouse/nursery nearby and ask them to examine/repot if you don't feel confident. Best of luck and let us know how it goes...josh

The link didn't work much better, at least for me, I had terrible trouble & delay loading it, then little red Xs which started opening way too slowly for me to stay with.

Also, it's hard to judge the leaf color on the first Pix or 2 since the background is virtually the same color as the plant. Could you maybe hold it up against a wall of another color? I don't really see what you think is so wrong w/ it.