Help with my first plant: Umbrella tree, Schefflera arboricola
Pretty sure that I have a braided schefflera. Found it by the dumpster in my condo building last summer (pot and all) and took it home. Bought new soil and re-planted it. It lived on my balcony for the summer/fall in filtered/partly direct sun, and I took it inside for the winter. I bought a blue/red plant light because here in Wisconsin, we don't see the sun much in the winter and it was looking really sad. That has helped it prosper, and I got tons of new growth.
However, I recently noticed that some of the leaves are dying again (like they were pre-light and when I had millipedes) and getting droopy, and there's a weird shiny, slightly sticky substance on all the leaves. I did have little millipede looking things in the soil, but thought I drowned them when I soaked the plant a few weeks ago. I've read some stuff that says they can be good for the plant, some not so much. But since it was sad, I took the chance and drowned them.
So post-millipede drowning and post-light, it was doing great. Until the past week or so. I pruned it today, thinking maybe the lower-hanging leaves weren't getting enough light and the pruning would be good for it. Discovered 2 of the 4 trunks were dead and cut those off. I also found a few millipede things in the soil again today. I'm thinking about using a systemic insect control on it, and then a fertilizer the following watering. I should be able to move it on the balcony again in the next month or so, dependent on this crazy weather.
Any tips? Am I taking the best course of action? This is my first plant, and seeing as I found him by the dumpster one day, I'd like him to survive ME, and I'm quite attached. Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you so much!
Comments (14)
Andrew Saylor
8 years agoRelated Discussions
HELP - repotting Schefflera arboricola 'Variegata'
Comments (12)Sorry hadda run off like that.....Moby was playing (don't know if you know him, but has sentimental value.... : ) As far as falling off a truck, I doubt it. It's in a pot like anyone would repot a plant in. Has one of those 'connected' bottoms so water sits in it unless you tip it sideways. Friend said it just looked like someone just threw it out in front of their house and I can't imagine why no one grabbed it up before him. Maybe like an eviction situation? I never really got details. Just know I know plants and this poor guy had been laying out there for at least a month. That's how HARD he'd tried to grow upright. He was downright 90º angled up to the sun from his pot. Friend did good taking care of him, getting him growing right, except for turning after he'd righted himself. Like I said, we were of two minds on that one. Friend grew up on a farm so I imagine he was used to only natural growth. I tried to teach him about consistently rotating plants, but to no avail. Probably why this guy STILL looks so funky. But that's part of his charm. I will definitely try to take pics outdoors tomorrow. We're calling for low 50's, which is really GREAT for our time of year (VA east coast, near Va. Beach). I see we're on opposite coasts. But I know our weather is MUCH different. In fact, if you don't mind me asking a non-plant related question.....why is it when I watch TV shows filmed on the CA coast that one person has on a sweater and long pants yet another has on a tank top and shorts? I mean, we have strange weather here where one day you wear shorts and flip-flops and the next you need a sweatshirt. But (and I know it's TV) from what I can see, people in your area have all kinds of different clothing on all on the same day??? Plus, I see shows with real estate with the homes with no screens in the windows? Don't you have bugs? We have nasty mosquitoes, being so close to swamp lands and wet lands (which I guess you don't have??) If this is too "off topic" feel free to email me in detail. This has been a question I have been wanting to ask for soooo long now and never knew where to ask it. Didn't want to Google.....ha ha ha. Bonnie aka brit5467...See MoreSchefflera (arboricola?) problems
Comments (4)The best media are those you can water to beyond saturation w/o having to worry your soil will remain soggy so long it affects root function/health. I use this as my soil, and nothing more than Foliage-Pro 9-3-6 as a fertilizer. I have no trouble, after a little pinching, growing attractive and healthy plants: My impression is, you're going to much more trouble than what's required to grow consistently healthy plants. If by chance it's not an over-watering issue, the problem probably lies in some of the other ministrations you described. If you can get your plants in a soil you can water appropriately, and provide favorable light/temps for your plants, fertilizing and just maintaining plants in a state of good vitality suddenly becomes MUCH easier. Al...See MoreUmbrella tree (Schefflera Arboricola) - black spots, white powder leaf
Comments (12)These plants are survivors, very tough if given proper care. I was given one that was over water for how knows how long. It started dropping leaves, I was careful with water it drooped more leaves , I then removed it from the pot washed all soil off and removed all the rot I could. It was left with one small piece of root. I repoted it and babied it watering only when the top of the soil dried out. It not only survived but I have taken many cuttings off of it over the years.. Don't give up on it is my point. All of what I said above happened in January, the worst time of year to try and save a plant from such dire circumstances. As Dave asked: what exactly do you mean by repot? Did you look at the roots? Change the soil?...See MoreSchefflera arboricola dying - black "veins"?
Comments (10)Update on the situation - I saw some more infected leaves, and this time, I found what appear to be eggs. I also saw other (unidentifiable) alien structures on my plant, shown below: An "egg"? A possible other "egg" Up-close shot of the "veins" Not even sure what these are. There are some more images, that may or may not make things more clear....See More
Dave
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoDave
8 years agoAndrew Saylor
8 years agoDave
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoAndrew Saylor
8 years agoDave
8 years ago
gardenfanatic2003
8 years agoAndrew Saylor
8 years agoAndrew Saylor
8 years agoTook an hour today to clean each leaf top and bottom and stems with the alcohol/water combo. He looks a lot better, don't you think? Will watch it for signs that the scale comes back and update accordingly. I feel a lot better knowing I've done all I can, and it's a hardy plant, so I have high hopes. Glad there's this forum to ask :)
User
8 years ago
Dave