Should I re-pot the Schefflera?

13 years ago

As this got to be a more involved question, I'm starting a new conversation so I don't over take the other persons thread.

I've flushed out my schefflera as was directed in this thread:

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/houseplt/msg111225339059.html?10

The root ball was much smaller than the pot and the soil is very heavy (lots of peat). I am sure it had a pwt, that was rotting the roots.

Should I go ahead and put it into a smaller pot without bare rooting it and if so, do I use this same soil, or do I switch it over to the gritty mix now?

or since it is in such horrible soil, should I gently bare root it and repot it all in gritty mix now?

Thank You

Jamie

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Comments (4)

jamiedolan
Original Author
13 years ago
I hope I didn't really screw up...

I feel bad I didn't follow the directions properly and may have really messed up this schef.

Once I took it out of the large pot, it was not what I expected, as you saw in the photo the root ball was tiny compared to the pot, less than 1/5 of the size of the pot. After examination, the roots in the ball there was (as shown in the photo) were not all that substantial. I think that the roots have been rotting away in this wet slop of a soil that barely drained.

I decided I had no choice but to get it out of this soil that it was drowning in.

I cleaned off the root ball and put it in the new Turface, Pine Bark, and Perlite gritty mix I just made.

All went well, fertilizing and transplanting. I also added a mycorrhizal product to the roots.

Then.... perhaps I should skip this part, this is the bad part of my day. I tried to bring it back into the house myself. It had such minimal roots that it didn't hold in the gritty mix that well. It fell out of the pot, down a couple step and hit the ground. Amazingly, It appears to not have suffered any physical damage. I moved the pot in, then brought in the schefflera. I re-planted it in the pot in place. It would not stay standing on it's own, I didn't get it buried quite as deep as I had it when I was outside. All I could think to do was to place some #3 grit around it, thinking the #3 is large enough that it would not cause a problem with it being on the top of the mix. So it is held in place now with the grit.

Only time will tell how much damage or perhaps if I am very lucky, good I have caused. Looking on the bright side, perhaps I saved it from upcoming death from root rot and it will like it's new mix despite the trama.

I did not prune it and will leave it un pruned until next summer as advised.

I have to go apologize to my plant some more. :-(

Thanks
Jamie
jamiedolan
Original Author
13 years ago
If it does make it. I have to say it looks so much nicer now that it did before. Better pot, and it is positioned better. I did tie up one branch to give it a little support with some plant Velcro tape.

{{gwi:113349}}

Jamie
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jojosplants
13 years ago
Hi Jamie,
I've droped a plant or 2 myself. :( I hope yours makes it!

Looking at your picture, I can tell you, your gonna need a much bigger catch tray. ;)

JoJo
jamiedolan
Original Author
13 years ago
On big pots like this, Do you just use a deep store bought catch tray that is a couple sizes larger than the pot?

Jamie

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Should I re-pot the Schefflera?

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Should I re-pot the Schefflera?

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