My schefflera is DYING!!!?? Argh

[Ahtee]

Why oh why is my schefflera plant dying? It's leaves start by having a small brown patch and subsequently the leaf just falls of, and it's slowly but surely making the plant look bare. Could it be due to the uv lights not being strog enough to penetrate through 4 feet of cage and leaves? Or had anyone had other similar encounters n rectified the problem?
Thanks in advance

 

[ChameleonRave]

Schefflera plants and I have a long history of not getting along. I seriously have two that I got maybe a week and a half ago, nearly two weeks or so from Home Depot, as well as several other plants. Some of the plants have partially died due to the cold temps, however, the Schefflera always die on me, no matter how much attention to detail I put in them.

I have no green thumb. Unless it's a pothos plant. I can keep those alive.

 

[Ninkylou]

I have described in a few previous posts how I managed to fix my scheff problems.

First I replaced them....

Then I used a functional garden pot that I put inside a more decorative pot and tjhere is a good bit of air space between them.

I made a potting mis of 1 part sand, 2 parts organic soil and 1/4 activate charcoal (it keeps the soll fresh and improves drainage. After repotting with this mix I drilled a crap tone of holes in the utility pot, bottom and sides. I think drilled lots of holes on the bottom of the decorator pot and some on the back side of it. Those I did big like the size of a quarter. The pot is made of this glazed expanded foam stuff. Looks like ceramic but is very light. I did that to improve airflow.

I have had very few problems since I did that in in November. I actually have to trim back a lot of leaves at the top of my plants.

I also added 2 6500k LED lights and will be adding some T5 grow lights next month (I don't want to move another 48" fixture)

So bottom line is I think they get much water and not enough light.