Dying Schefflera

[Swayne8998]

Hello all. My umbrella plant (shefflera) has been going downhill recently... There are leaves and stems falling off, and the base is brown. There are 3 "stalks" I guess you would say, and two of them are dying. Any advice??

 

[cricketkilla]

Hello all. My umbrella plant (shefflera) has been going downhill recently... There are leaves and stems falling off, and the base is brown. There are 3 "stalks" I guess you would say, and two of them are dying. Any advice??

If the leaves are turning black, its getting to much water. Some pictures would be helpful

 

[Swayne8998]

If the leaves are turning black, its getting to much water. Some pictures would be helpful

I will try... Yoshi is feeling a little playful :/

 

[MerCham]

Ha! I just posted about having the same problem w/my umbrella plant in another, unrelated post. Mine is dropping leaves and some stems, too. I've also noticed a few yellow leaves. It sounds like our plants are getting too much water. I'm cutting back a bit on the amount of water I drip into the enclosure, since the plant pot catches all the water. I'm also making sure I'm soaking up the excess water in the drip bowl (the pan the pot sits in) with folded paper towels.

 

[Trillian]

I'll be following this thread, mine is thinning out quickly too! The main stems are still solid, but it seems to be jettisoning the leaves below the 'canopy'. They are still green when it drops them, and there is a lot of drainage, the pot is on top of a plastic crate and full of holes. I think I might dial back the mistings anyway, it's currently set to 6 mistings a day for 2 minutes each time. Ivy's not impressed, it's starting to get rubbish to hide in. Oh the other thing I did was adjust the curtains of the window next to the enclosure so it gets more daylight.

 

[Swayne8998]

I'll be following this thread, mine is thinning out quickly too! The main stems are still solid, but it seems to be jettisoning the leaves below the 'canopy'. They are still green when it drops them, and there is a lot of drainage, the pot is on top of a plastic crate and full of holes. I think I might dial back the mistings anyway, it's currently set to 6 mistings a day for 2 minutes each time. Ivy's not impressed, it's starting to get rubbish to hide in. Oh the other thing I did was adjust the curtains of the window next to the enclosure so it gets more daylight.

Pretty much the same is happening to me :/ The stems are drooping, leaves falling... Yoshi is not very happy either! It's his favorite place to be in his cage Posting pics...

 

[Swayne8998]

 

[GlassEyez]

is it like that time of year or something? the one i have on my backporch is thinning out too.

 

[Swayne8998]

is it like that time of year or something? the one i have on my backporch is thinning out too.

Well it's 73 degrees and sunny, shouldn't be too bad...

 

[Trillian]

My membership pass for the Dead Schefflera Society.

 

[Swayne8998]

My membership pass for the Dead Schefflera Society.

Where???

Yours looks better than mine...

 

[Montium]

Yeah that soil is all wrong for them in enclosures. You want to go with a fast draining mixture. Sand, expanded clay etc. Take them out of the pots and hose off all the potting soil and replant them.

 

[shamelessw]

Also one of those pics looks like the stems black from the base up, DEAD remove that stem or it'll just sit and rot

:Edit:
Looks like the stem on the right is the only one worth saving

 

[RealIzeRecognIze]

My first schflerra started doing this and it never recovered. I had it outside too without the soil being too damp and it still just turned brown, dropped all its leaves, stems. So I think once they start withering they're done for.
Your setup looks pretty good btw, I would suggest putting large river rocks over that soil though.

 

[mrfixit01]

Hello all. My umbrella plant (shefflera) has been going downhill recently... There are leaves and stems falling off, and the base is brown. There are 3 "stalks" I guess you would say, and two of them are dying. Any advice??

It's not just schefflera that does that. If it gets too wet and can't drain or if it doesn't have enough bright light, or if it is root bound, that can happen. Repot it and use cactus potting soil. I had to cut large drain holes in the bottom side of mine and take it out every couple of weeks to 'air out'. It hangs in there, barely! Also, you may be right, it could be partly seasonal because they are in a growth stage right now. Good luck, keep us posted as to what works for you.

 

[ColombiaCham]

Do Not Buy Trinette

Here is the main thing with sheffleras :

1: Do not buy the trinette (the one with marbled leaves green and yellow) they require higher amounts of light. Buy the full green ones.

2: Do not buy plants that have older stems. These might look hardier but in fact are prone to dying under artificial light.

3: Re-pot but add an aerating mixture to the soil. so the roots are not wet all the time.

4: Be careful when you buy organic soil, you have to buy the one that is formulated for potted plants. Otherwise the actual soil deteriorates the roots and accelerates the death of the plant.

5: Make sure that you have a 6500K bulb or a full spectrum 2.0 bulb as it will help your plants grow.

Bear in mind that you will also need to trim the tops so that the bottom leaves receive light and the plant becomes more bushier. After a while the plant tends to adapt to artificial light very well. Just remember to re-pot every 6 to eight months. (you can remind yourself to this every time you change the uvb bulb)

Hope this helps.

 

[mrfixit01]

Here is the main thing with sheffleras :

Bear in mind that you will also need to trim the tops so that the bottom leaves receive light and the plant becomes more bushier. After a while the plant tends to adapt to artificial light very well. Just remember to re-pot every 6 to eight months. (you can remind yourself to this every time you change the uvb bulb)

Hope this helps.

Very helpful information. I just took a look at mine and decided to repot. Actually there were four root balls in the pot so I soaked them in a bucket for about 15 minutes and then carefully worked my fingers through the roots shaking them until they separated. I repotted into two pots, two stalks in each. Now they have room to grow, probably through the winter until next Spring. Also I used a different pot, one with a visible drain 'spout' so I can see exactly how much water may be standing in the bottom. But, yes as said previously, the black stalks are probably dead already and should be removed.

 

[Swayne8998]

Thanks for the help guys. I went to a florist today and they have the much bushier sheffleras... Montium suggested potting in sand. I picked up some play sand at Home Depot today. Would that work? Also thanks for the replies everyone

 

[ataraxia]

You can save it by putting it in sunlight and giving it water. Most shefflera die from lack of light and water. I also agree that they do like soil that drains really well. Even with a dual light fixture and the plant being within inches of the light you will still have a hard time keeping it alive. I have many schefflera's. They just barely make it through the winter months in the cages to revive themselves for the spring and summer then to go right back to the same conditions. Vicious cycle My largest one indoors is about 5 foot tall by 4 foot wide. It sits near a north east window in the winter and stays on the front porch in the summer

 

[Swayne8998]

You can save it by putting it in sunlight and giving it water. Most shefflera die from lack of light and water. I also agree that they do like soil that drains really well. Even with a dual light fixture and the plant being within inches of the light you will still have a hard time keeping it alive. I have many schefflera's. They just barely make it through the winter months in the cages to revive themselves for the spring and summer then to go right back to the same conditions. Vicious cycle My largest one indoors is about 5 foot tall by 4 foot wide. It sits near a north east window in the winter and stays on the front porch in the summer

Lol, being in Colorado I should have just a peachy time with that (although I don't know how bad winters get in Indiana )