I found this site looking to find illness information on schefflera's (Umbrella trees). I found alot of posts but nothing which explained enough about "the root of my problem". My tree was planted in a large pot which had housed a tropical vine of some sort which became infested and eventually died (I was not the care giver of the vine at that time). Indeed, I should have bleached out the old pot better before planting a new specimen into the old pot but the pot had been empty for a bout 9 months and I had cleaned it out first with a disinfectant spray- then water before adding soil to plant. Anyway- So now the schefflera is quite upset...some drooping leaves, although lots of new growth, few yellow leaves, some dropping leaves, few browning leaves and it is growing in an off out of shape habit which I realize has to do with the light source but it seems to be growing better on the side away from the window which faces North? If that wasn't all peculiar enough, my tree is also oozing white puss from the center of its leaves or on areas of stems which connect or support the leaves? I do not see any bugs other than some knats down by the soil which I have treated many times but the buggers seem to keep coming back none the less? UGH! So here is the challenge: I live in Manhattan AND upstate New York. In Manhattan the tree sits in my apartment North facing window. My apartment only has North or West facing natural light. I am considering taking the tree out of its pot, balling it, moving it it our car while well wrapped up in plastic and plankets to our upstate home where I have more room to get this tree back to health. The problem is that our upstate home is much colder; too big to properly heat in the Winter really. The apartment is too small for the job I'm affraid and we have lots of other plants in the apartment which now are showing signs of the knats around their soil bases as well although no other signs of stress or illness. ANY SUGGESTIONS? Sarah
You likely have Schefflera arboricola, which is a small to medium shrub. Outdoors in southern Florida, it likes irrigation and full sun. I'm not familiar with the problems you're having and of course it's not the time of year when you can put it outdoors for the summer. So let's see if someone with indoor-plant smarts comes along.
Thank you for getting back with me Dave. Unfortunately, I think I need to go ahead with the "transplant procedure" on my own before getting better advisement. She is dropping way too many leaves now and the soil at the surface looks bad with more affids. I was a perrenial horticulturist-propagator-nursery owner-greenhouse manager from 1994 until 1999. However, tropicals is a very different scene, and indoor care verse outdoor hardies, well- I do wish I had some better advisement. After I sold my nursery I went into hydraponics and did leave a little on how to heal, sustrain, and maintain herbaceous life within water. I am considering tending to my ill tree in this way. Removing as much soil as I can, then running the remaining root ball under soft room temperature water to finally end up in a slightly warmer medicated bath where I can better examine what percise illness she has. Her leaves have taken a hit as well, so best that I give her a full light shower, steam, and proper spray to fight any pests or infection in her foliage. IF ANYONE OUT THERE BELIEVES THAT I AM DOING WRONG> PLEASE WRITE BACK ASAP. I will be scrubbing up in a few hours, tnx!
