I have a couple of Chinese umbrella house plants that are starting to get mottled yellow leaves. The plants are in a southwest facing sunroom with day temps at 65-70* and night temps at 60*. I added some bloodmeal to see if they would green up but it didn't help. I have a moisture probe and I haven't overwatered and I see no signs of insects. Any answers or suggestions to my problem? I live in zone 3 and it's the middle of winter. I also have a humidifier going in the room only during the day (sz. of room 12x24).
I don't know by that common name which plant it really is. Can you give us another name, a picture, or a good description?
Are you familiar with mites and their effects? Fertilize only when there is a clear basis for doing so, it is possible to overdo it.
It is also known as Schefflera (Arbacolo) also as Australian Umbrella. I am familiar with spider mites and on close inspection with magnifying glass, I do not see any present.
My first guess would be some cultural problem, like over watering. You can't always trust moisture meters, the salts in the soil can cause it to misread. If you don't think that is it, you could try giving it some more nutrients, this article explains them. http://www.agr.state.nc.us/cyber/kidswrld/plant/nutrient.htm You can go to a good nursery and they can tell you what to buy. The problem is that you might already have a fertilizer build up in your soil and this might be the finial straw that kills your plant. The only way to tell your sure is to have your soil teated, or try to make an educated guess from what you know of the plant's history. It might be a disease even though that is fairly uncommon. Here is a link to diseases they get. http://www.ppath.cas.psu.edu/EXTENSION/PLANT_DISEASE/scheffle.html
Thanks Dee M. After checking with my water meter you are correct. It took several tries to get an accurate reading and I'd have to agree with you, it's overwatered. I am going to pull it from its pot and clean out the damaged roots (if any) and repot into some new potting soil. Have to save my babies. Thanks again!
