Sounds like overwatering. It's very possible it is experiencing root rot. What is on the leaves in the second picture? The 2 brown dots?

I live in a NYC apartment . The plant gets west facing light. (The person at the store helped me pick it out based on the fact that I needed a plant for west facing lower level light.) It is not near a window. All of our radiators are underneath windows so I've moved it away from the window to get distance from the blast furnace radiator.

How cold was it when you brought it home?

tj

Sue - I had not even noticed the brown spots until you pointed it out and now that I look at the plant really close up I see tons of them. They appear to only be on the new growth leaves. How on earth did I not notice these before? I look this plant upclose daily! Jeeze, am I this spaced out?

I admit this totally freaks me out. I'm completely afraid of insects. (Why I've never owned plants before.) And, I'm concerned too about what happens if they travel to the other plants in my house. Part of me wants to pitch this plant right now! But, that feels a bit rash.

I have watered this twice in the last month. I watered it slowly in the tub with the bottom raised up so it could drain through the drain hole. I kept the plant in the tub, raised, overnight to drain thoroughly. The first time I just stuck my finger in to feel the soil. The second time I used a water meter, which showed it was extremely dry.

We also have an umbrella tree and it is dropping leaves now too. I was told it’s because of the season. We also have scale on our tree and you may too. I see little spots? The plant store game me 50% of my money back because it could have come from their store. I only water once a week and make sure to let it drain out the bottom

Scale is pretty contagious to other plants, so I would treat it pretty quickly. I would call the nursery and ask them what they suggest to treat the tree? (I don't want to tell you a chemical/soap treatment and then have everyone scream about chemicals=bad)

Don't freak out, the bugs won't infest your house. Don't throw the plant out either.

isnt the light green growth.. new growth ...??

and if so.. it was severely stressed by repotting it when it was growing new growth ...

i dont understand the light situation.. how far away is it from the window ... unless its a foot or so from the light source in the long run.. it will lack proper light

its not a radiator issue... unless it was literally touching it ....

and its not a humidity issue ... that was not good info from an alleged expert ... i would expect more from a quality seller ... no wonder they didnt want to sell you the humidifier ...

the stress of repotting is not overcome in one month.. especially when the timing is so bad ... [and also wonder why they insisted on repotting ....]

and i also wonder how cold it was outside... and how cold the car was... when you brought it home ...

it is probably not wilting due to lack of water.. so just stop watering it.. unless you use one of al's tells .. and you figure out the the pot needs water ...

its severely stressed... fert is not a response.. and drowning it wont help ...

also.. light issues dont show up all that fast either.. so though it might need to be closer to the window ... that isnt an issue right now ...

scale may be an issue.. and that can be dealt with.. if it can get over the severe stress or transportation and repotting ...

and a caveat ... dish soap is a detergent ... detergent is not used on plants... if your research indicates an insecticidal soap is an option ... then use that .. not detergent ...

ken

ps: contagious is not the right term for describing a bug .. or in this case.. scale.. which probably isnt a bug .... and since scale barely moves in its lifetime.. other plants arent really at threat ... but it never hurts to isolate a new plant ... [i know what she meant .... regardless of the words used...]

and btw.. i would NEVER buy another plant at a store that sold me a plant with scale ... and if its bigbox.. i would be all over them for such.. there are laws about selling bad stock ... and if they didnt return my money ... i would report them to the local AG office for such ...

You don't mention where you live, but I'll assume and comment as though it's winter, given what you said about the heat being 77*. BTW - the plant should LOVE 77*, but would love it even more if nights were about 10* cooler than day temps.

..... purchased from a reputable nursery ...... they transplanted it to this pot with soil for good drainage. Since bringing it home, it has gone from healthy to sad. What can I do? There was no good reason to transplant it unless you insisted on it being done. The best time to transplant most trees grown as houseplants (other than citrus and other fruiting trees) is June. It's best to avoid repotting/ transplanting or even simply potting up in the dead of winter when the plant is largely quiescent (resting). The reason is, the fresh medium deep in the pot has a tendency to remain saturated for extended periods. This can/does limit root function to the degree roots cannot colonize the saturated medium at the bottom of the pot. For that reason, I suggest you start using a "tell" to "tell" you when it's time to water. See more about a "tell" below.

There are other "tricks" you can use to limit the amount of excess water a planting can hold, but I don't know how interested you are in using one or more of those simple techniques, so ask .....

It has lost about 1/3 of its leaves and continues to drop about 3-8 leaves per day.First, there IS a possibility you're care regimen is not to blame for the leaf loss. Schefflera, like many houseplants, respond to a decrease in light levels by shedding foliage. The mechanism by which this occurs is technical, but I'll describe it if you like.

When a plant is raised in full sun or under light shade cloth, then shipped to a wholesaler or its point of sale, then arrives in a home, the light level is only fraction of what the leaves are conditioned to, and they would be perfectly conditioned to the amount of light they were getting when they were maturing. While leaves are somewhat adaptable to changing light conditions, few can directly transition from very bright light to light levels in a home that doesn't have a LOT of sun exposure. For the record, leaves are better at adapting ti an increase in photo load than a decrease. So, given the fact the plant is rather new, and it often takes a month or more for symptoms resultant of a light reduction to be made manifest in the symptom of leaf shedding, what you see just might be an inevitable result of the change. By inevitable, I mean that no amount of 'conditioning' the leaves gradually to a dimmer environment could have made a difference. Some changes in light levels are simply beyond what the plant is genetically programmed to deal with, no matter how gradually the change occurs.

It has had lots of new growth the entire time I've had it, but the new leaves are drooping. A drooping appearance in newly emerging leaves is a normal part of the plant's morphology. If any of the leaves appear to be misshapen, it could be a signal that over-watering is in play. Schefflera is particularly affected by Ca deficiencies due to over-watering, even when there is an ample supply of Ca in the grow medium.

The plant continues to drop leaves, grow new ones, look droopey, and certainly have not as nice of a shape and look as when I brought it home. As noted, the leaf loss could be inevitable, or it could be that you're over-watering, especially in light of the fact the plant was potted up. Using the tell will help you get your watering under control. It may not stop leaves from falling if they are being shed due to a light change, but the plant will gradually adjust. Things happen slowly during the months of winter. There is also a bit of white streaking appearing on the outside of the terracotta planter. Nothing to worry about - normal.

What can I do? I'm very new to owning plants and appreciate any help. To start with, if there is something I (or anyone) said that you don't understand; or, if you have concerns, don't be shy. What I just said can be the start of a conversation, or it can be a single recommendation, but then you'll miss the good stuff.

Growing things proficiently can be very easy if you get the basics right. The main areas where growers get into trouble are soil choice, light levels, watering issues, and fertility, the first 3 are pretty much equally important, but fertilizing is an essential part of all container grower's care regimen, so ask about that if you like.

This short piece about Overview of Good Growing Practices will help you avoid all the most common pitfalls every grower faces at some point on their journey to a green thumb, if it's put into practical application.

Questions/ concerns?

Using a 'tell'

Over-watering saps vitality and is one of the most common plant assassins, so learning to avoid it is worth the small effort. Plants make and store their own energy source – photosynthate - (sugar/glucose). Functioning roots need energy to drive their metabolic processes, and in order to get it, they use oxygen to burn (oxidize) their food. From this, we can see that terrestrial plants need plenty of air (oxygen) in the soil to drive root function. Many off-the-shelf soils hold too much water and not enough air to support the kind of root health most growers would like to see; and, a healthy root system is a prerequisite to a healthy plant.

Watering in small sips leads to avoid over-watering leads to a residual build-up of dissolved solids (salts) in the soil from tapwater and fertilizer solutions, which limits a plant's ability to absorb water – so watering in sips simply moves us to the other horn of a dilemma. It creates another problem that requires resolution. Better, would be to simply adopt a soil that drains well enough to allow watering to beyond the saturation point, so we're flushing the soil of accumulating dissolved solids whenever we water; this, w/o the plant being forced to pay a tax in the form of reduced vitality, due to prolong periods of soil saturation. Sometimes, though, that's not a course we can immediately steer, which makes controlling how often we water a very important factor.

In many cases, we can judge whether or not a planting needs watering by hefting the pot. This is especially true if the pot is made from light material, like plastic, but doesn't work (as) well when the pot is made from heavier material, like clay, or when the size/weight of the pot precludes grabbing it with one hand to judge its weight and gauge the need for water.

Fingers stuck an inch or two into the soil work ok for shallow pots, but not for deep pots. Deep pots might have 3 or more inches of soil that feels totally dry, while the lower several inches of the soil is 100% saturated. Obviously, the lack of oxygen in the root zone situation can wreak havoc with root health and cause the loss of a very notable measure of your plant's potential. Inexpensive watering meters don't even measure moisture levels, they measure electrical conductivity. Clean the tip and insert it into a cup of distilled water and witness the fact it reads 'DRY'.

One of the most reliable methods of checking a planting's need for water is using a 'tell'. You can use a bamboo skewer in a pinch, but a wooden dowel rod of about 5/16” (75-85mm) would work better. They usually come 48” (120cm) long and can usually be cut in half and serve as a pair. Sharpen all 4 ends in a pencil sharpener and slightly blunt the tip so it's about the diameter of the head on a straight pin. Push the wooden tell deep into the soil. Don't worry, it won't harm the root system. If the plant is quite root-bound, you might need to try several places until you find one where you can push it all the way to the pot's bottom. Leave it a few seconds, then withdraw it and inspect the tip for moisture. For most plantings, withhold water until the tell comes out dry or nearly so. If you see signs of wilting, adjust the interval between waterings so drought stress isn't a recurring issue.

I called the store and they said it could be because it was near a radiator. That IS a possibility, but it's more likely the low relative humidity near the radiator would be a contributing factor to the underlying cause of an issue with the root system. They suggested we move it, use a humidifier, A room humidifier is a good idea. and get a water meter so we know we are watering it the correct amount. Water meters no not measure moisture levels, they measure electrical conductivity. To validate, clean the probe and insert it into a cup of distilled water and note it tells you it's DRY. Sprinkle in a little salt to kick the ionic conductivity up a notch and not the water is suddenly WET. The 'tell' you can read about will not fail you. Water schefflera only when the tell comes out nearly dry.

root-over-rock ^^^

Al

its like al reads my mind.. lol... shes in new york city ...

only came back to clarify about the radiator ... if its too hot.. and the plant is too close.. you might burn.. or dessicate ... dry out ... a few leaves closest to it ...

i meant it would not cause all of what you are seeing.. and definitely not scale ...

got to finish cooking and eat dinner... good luck

ken

neem oil- a natural tree-derived product or soap spray.

Realistically, better to throw out the whole thing.

Odds are it was infected when you brought it into your home.

Air out your apartment well, and buy your next plant from a different plant store!

That is a nice plant, and it would be great to save it if you can.

I've had scale on an umbrella plant, but it was on the backs of the leaves. Check your leaves, old and new, front and back, to see if anything is there. If you think it's scale, they can be wiped off with an alcohol cotton ball.

Do the black things move, like they are insects, maybe aphids? Are they stuck on like scale?

Al is probably right that it will adjust. The light, soil, and humidity are different now, so it may be reacting to those changes. Good luck, you are wise to be concerned before it gets really bad.

Air out the apartment? For what reason? Toss the plant? Why? While I agree 100% that it would be your or the plant owner's choice to discard the plant, it seems a like a radical course to me over what should prove to be some minor adversity.

I would encourage K to look into adjusting the plant's care regimen and treating the bugly uggers. It would prove to be a learning experience and provide the satisfaction of accomplishment, instead of bailing at the first hint of adversity. Socks is on track in thinking the plant can and should adjust to the changes it's enduring, especially with some changes in care.

Al

Scale is a bug infestation.

It will infect your other plants.

Furthermore, the scale will encourage the growth of mold.

As the song goes,

You gotta know when to hold 'em and know when to fold 'em,

Know when to walk away and know when to run...

You can treat scale. You can clean the leaves and remove it all and then spray.

Yes to the Kenny Rodgers approach. I'm going to walk away and run with this plant to the curb. In my life, I have loads of other accomplishments and experiences learning from adversity. I don't need more of it to come from a houseplant.

I appreciate everyone's recommendations and am certain the knowledge you've imparted will help me with future plant endeavors. Thanks all and especially to Sue who noticed the spots in the first place.

IMO first plants go into shock when moved from a greenhouse to a regular house . I have no idea if what you have is scale but it can be treated. Take a leaf with the spot to the place where you bougt the plant then they will tell you what you are dealing with BTW it is winter how did you transport the plant home? IMO the plant looks quite healty and I would not be in a hurry to ditch it . It had a lot of stress to overcome so give it some time Really if you don't want the job of being patient with a fairly healthy looking plant then get fake. All living things need your patience and care . I have found water meters stuck into plants a really poor way to decide when to water \BTW.

I'm pretty sure that is not scale. Although the pictures are out of focus you can see legs in the first photo. Hence not scale. Standing the plant in the shower (covering the soil) and giving the leaves a thorough slooshing with your fingers should deal with the bugs. Repeat occasionally. It would be a dreadful pity to throw out a large house plant for the sake of a few insects. But if that's your decision go with it. However, it's unlikely you'll find an easier and more forgiving house plant to learn on.

"However, it's unlikely you'll find an easier and more forgiving house plant to learn on."

Amen. Schefflera belong in the column under 'easy as it gets'.

Al

Don’t turf them plant! It’s honestly quite lovely and fine. Give it time and take care of it. It likely wasn’t cheap and you are going to waste a lot of money if you turf a plant anytime it looks a bit sad vs try and help if

I ditched the plant out of fear that the bugs would get on to the other plants in my apartment. (I have three other plants that are doing great, all from the same store and I was worried that the bugs would migrate.) If I still lived in a house I probably would have put this plant in the basement while posting it for free on craigslist.

The store told me they would give me a credit for the plant. It was only $40 or $50 bucks, which I thought was quite reasonable for that size plant. The other big plants that I purchased from the same store are thriving in my apartment - philadendron sellosum. They are monsterous and happy. Also only $45. The place is a huge landscape center in a weathly suburb and they have an indoor plants section. I would expect a place like that to be so much more expensive. They were incredibly kind to me too with shopping help.

Yes, Patricia, I too have been thinking about a faux plant for that room, or just keeping a rotating vase of nice greenery, which can often last up to 8 weeks. I'm up for experimenting with caring for plants, but not up for dealing with bugs. I get that this might be part of having plants, and if so, then plants are not for me.