Need help with umbrella plant

MissSkittles

Chameleon Enthusiast
For at least the second time I’m trying an umbrella plant in the enclosure and it’s not looking so great and losing leaves. It’s on the bottom of a 2x2x4 and I do have a sansi 15w grow bulb. It’s partially shaded by other plants and stuff. Is this not enough? Do I need to get the big 6500k grow light? The plant itself is healthy. First time it started looking ill I put it outside and it did great. Now it’s back in and ailing. Pretty much have had the same problem with hibiscus too. Advice?
 
I have umbrella plants in clarice and charlies cage and they do well... the more light the better, but Clarice’s is at the bottom 1/3rd or so with a 36w sansi and doing fine. Could it be getting overwatered? They seem to be somewhat drought tolerant and mine dont get nearly as soaked as the other plants do.

Hibiscus need really high light. Mine arent in enclosure but they are in really well draining soil and I water them often. They like a lot of water but dont seem to like to be very wet. Thats just been my experience thus far. Im not sure the 15w is enough for hibiscus.
 
Any chance the umbrella is too wet? Or that it has aphids or mealybugs? They are prone to them and that can make them look awful
 
Any chance the umbrella is too wet? Or that it has aphids or mealybugs? They are prone to them and that can make them look awful
Could be too wet. It’s right in the line of the mister’s main dripping. No pests on it. I’ll try moving it to a dryer area and see if that helps. The hibiscus is very small so it’s currently at the top of enclosure and gets a good deal of light from the plant bulb. I do want to eventually get the big 6500k plant light, but it has to wait.
 
Could be too wet. It’s right in the line of the mister’s main dripping. No pests on it. I’ll try moving it to a dryer area and see if that helps. The hibiscus is very small so it’s currently at the top of enclosure and gets a good deal of light from the plant bulb. I do want to eventually get the big 6500k plant light, but it has to wait.

Honestly I dont think they hold a candle to my sansi lights!
 
Witch one do you have? Watt wise I mean

I use a variety of them, but I have 2x 36w sansis on the large atriums and they are so bright we never turn on the room lights in those rooms! I tried a quad t5 and thought that was bright until I added the Sansis.

I use the 15w on my grow shelf. Just got the new 70w on sale and looking forward to testing that out.
 
Honestly I dont think they hold a candle to my sansi lights!

Agreed. I had those plant bulbs over scheff and they struggled big time. Even next to a window. Scheff arbocola need a ton of light, my mom has them in bright sunroom and outside in full hot sun during summer and that's how they do best.

OP you may have a pest infestation that is hard to see. They are very prone to them when struggling from light. With good light my plants did well with a little or a lot of water, in regards to water they seem easy going.

Another thing to consider is 2 of the same plants can be adapted to much different conditions. You may have bought a schefflera that was grown in full burning sun while another may have one that has spent years in the cool shade. If you flip those, you'll see them both struggle.
 
Agreed. I had those plant bulbs over scheff and they struggled big time. Even next to a window. Scheff arbocola need a ton of light, my mom has them in bright sunroom and outside in full hot sun during summer and that's how they do best.

OP you may have a pest infestation that is hard to see. They are very prone to them when struggling from light. With good light my plants did well with a little or a lot of water, in regards to water they seem easy going.

Another thing to consider is 2 of the same plants can be adapted to much different conditions. You may have bought a schefflera that was grown in full burning sun while another may have one that has spent years in the cool shade. If you flip those, you'll see them both struggle.
It’s Florida...everything has to be tolerant of full burning sun. :LOL: It did great outside in full sun.
 
Reading through this thread. My umbrella plan isn't really growing the way my other plants are in the enclosure. I have extra sansi lights that I bought for my venus fly traps. I'm going to add one directed directly at the umbrella plant to see if it helps.
 
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