Schefflera Browning/Dropping Leaves

mswallac

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I got this Schefflera in mid December, I’ve had it indoors with some indirect sun and some grow lights to supplement that since I know they like lots of light. I am rather new to keeping bonsai and can’t figure out exactly what may have caused the leaves to start looking like this. Previously the plant had been a bit overwatered I think, and dropped some leaves looking yellowish, while that is no longer the case, it is now dropping leaves which are turning brown starting at the stem of the leaf, which seems worse to me. It will not only easily drop the browned leaves, seemingly unaffected leaves are also not strongly hanging onto the tree.

Any advice is appreciated.

Best,
Mike7D0974E7-0147-4841-B4E1-007C33A20B08.jpeg8A2AC656-CE5A-4E96-972D-306C0FB363BC.jpeg
 

Forsoothe!

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Hi, welcome to winter. Everything depends upon what conditions it was in before you brought it home. And, Jan. 21st is the lowest ebb of sunlight, so that doesn't help, either. Try to hang on for another 30-45 days and it will turn around.
 

mswallac

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Okay, good to know. I’ll do that, thanks!
 

BrianBay9

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Schefflera are normally pretty bullet-proof, even indoors. Watch out for over watering. Your soil may not be ideal. Let it dry somewhat at the surface before you water again. If you are consistently over watering you'll probably get little gnat like bugs flying around it. When your low temps are consistently in the mid 40's or above you can probably move it outside to help it recover. When you do that you can repot into free draining soil (you can use a commercial cactus mix for instance) and cut it back hard. Seriously, it will likely lose most of it's leaves anyway when you move to higher light intensity. It can do fine defoliated when you make the move. It will grow new foliage that is adapted to the increased light.
 

mswallac

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Schefflera are normally pretty bullet-proof, even indoors. Watch out for over watering. Your soil may not be ideal. Let it dry somewhat at the surface before you water again. If you are consistently over watering you'll probably get little gnat like bugs flying around it. When your low temps are consistently in the mid 40's or above you can probably move it outside to help it recover. When you do that you can repot into free draining soil (you can use a commercial cactus mix for instance) and cut it back hard. Seriously, it will likely lose most of it's leaves anyway when you move to higher light intensity. It can do fine defoliated when you make the move. It will grow new foliage that is adapted to the increased light.
Thanks for all the info! I was planning on repotting with a free draining bonsai soil mix in the early spring, so it seems like I can just hold on and do that as planned.
 

sorce

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Welcome to Crazy!

The text makes it sound underwatered now.

It probly wasn't overwatered before, it was probly acclimating.

I feel like it was underwatered before, due to compacted soil, and is watered less now, because it is watered less now.

Ever weigh the pot before and after watering?

I'm guessing you're not having any hold in the pot.

It may need to be dunk watered.

I had to dunk soak some trees last year for pests, so I took a really good note of how much heavier a dunk watered pot is over a regularly watered pot.

Regularly watered feels like 50% weight gain.
Dunk soaked feel like 110% weight gain.

And regular watering for me is an hour of sprinkle.

That is a big difference in water penetration and amount held for future use.

More wet th20ughts.

Sorce
 
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