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29-Dec-2005
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#1 |
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bonsaiTALK Journeyman
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Wilting Schefflera
Hello,
My Schefflera is wilting and weak. leaves are falling out to the touch. I have had it in a window since the beginning of Summer and it has done great until about last week. Since it is winter here, and we are getting less light... I have been watering it much less than in summer. Today, I bought an gro-light and set it up on a 12 hour timer hoping that will help. Is there anything else I can do to help my little friend? I have read through countless threads here that say once a juniper turns slightly brown it is already long dead... is it the same case with my scheff? Could it be already dead and should I just give up on it? Thanks, Mario |
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Wilting Schefflera |
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29-Dec-2005
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#2 |
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bonsaiTALK Master
 
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need a little more info. Ususally scheffs can handle indoor and less light pretty well during winter, at least one of mine does. Also lost one last winter, after about 10 years. Can you give us more info and some pictures?
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David Yedwab |
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29-Dec-2005
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#3 |
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veteran
 Join Date: Apr-2004
Location: Volcano
Country: Hawaii
Posts: 442
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Cold radiates through a window and in CT I imagine this is serious cold. It's the only thing I can think of that will do a schef in.
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29-Dec-2005
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#4 |
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bonsaiTALK ArchMaster
 
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Hi,
I bet you are over watering the roots.When this happens the roots become sick and stop supplying the foliage with moisture casuing a wilting effect and sudden foliage droppings.I almost re-learned this lesson with a 300 dollar scheff trunk this fall,I cut back on the waterings and presto...I can sleep at night again.I had been watering the plant often for summer heat,when I brought it back indoors it's needs changed. The browning thing for junipers..they are a conifer and will hold color for months after death..the same as your xmas trees...not one single root on the poor things but will look pretty for a month or 2.Scheffs on the otherhand throw out warning signs such as yours.
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http://gongshi.freeforums.org/index.php |
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29-Dec-2005
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#5 |
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bonsaiTALK Journeyman
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Pictures and more info
Hello,
Here are some pictures... Also, the tree is from BonsaiBoy.com, so it's not a cheap mallsai (I hope). Supposedly it is about 8 years old. It's about 8-9" tall, banyan style. It has been in my kitchen window since about july. Obviously, since it's cold here now, the window is closed always. I don't think it gets too bad of a cold draft or anything. I water about once a week now as the soil has been staying moist longer than in the summer when it was hot. I mist about once a day also. What more information do you want? Thanks for your help! |
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29-Dec-2005
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#6 |
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bonsaiTALK Journeyman
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OK... so here's another question, assuming it is a watering problem. Right now, the soil feels dry... should I water it? Would it be worse to water it and risk over-watering or let it dry out more?
AAAAHHHH I'm so confused!!!  ha ha ha, thanks for all your help! Mario |
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29-Dec-2005
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#7 |
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bonsaiTALK ArchMaster
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Hi,
Scheffs do like a dry stage.Whats going on is your caught in the trap of bad soil,before you water scratch down a bit and make sure not just the top layer is dry.Stop misting so often and add some fert to the soil,the light will pay off big aswell.At some point replacing the soil will solve this issue for sure.
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29-Dec-2005
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#8 |
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Attila Soos
 Join Date: Jan-2002
Location: Los Angeles, California
Country: USA
Posts: 1,982
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It looks to me that the plant is wilting due to lack of water.
When overwatering, the leaves turn a sickly color (yellow, brown, ect). If the plant is slightly rootbound, you can just lift the plant out of the pot and see if indeed the center of the rootball is dry. Nothing bad can happen when lifting a rootbound Schefflera out of the pot. You can put it right back afterwards without much disturbance. If the rootball seems dry, that means the water runs off at the edges without ever reaching the center. The solution is to submerge the pot in a large bowl all the way up to the rim and leave it there for a few minutes untill you are sure that the roots are thoroughly soaked. The tree should start recovering shortly after. But you need to examine the roots before you do anything. |
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2-Jan-2006
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#9 |
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bonsaiTALK Journeyman
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followup
OK, I checked the root ball and it was slightly dry. I submerged the pot as you said and added some fertilizer to the soil. It has been 3 days and the new grow light is on for at least 12-16 hrs a day. The plant does not seem to be showing much sign of improvement... at least I do not know what to look for. Some of the larger branches feel dry (almost a hollow feeling).
The tree has lost nearly all its leaves now and the ones that are still on are wilted... there is only one branch on the tree where the leaves are not dead and wilting. Could there any hope for the tree? How do you know when it is a goner and to give up? Thanks, Mario |
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2-Jan-2006
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#10 |
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Enthusiast
Join Date: Feb-2005
Location: Carlsbad, California..coastal desert
Country: United States
USDA Zone: 11
Posts: 5,433
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Mario, let's run through things again. Just in case we missed something.
Are there any signs of bugs? Do you see any little fuzzy white bugs or webs of any sort? Put a piece of paper under a branch and tap the branch... do any little red pepper like things fall off and crawl? Is the tree near any heat source? Kitchen window would seem okay, but better to ask. When you water, does the water flow out of the bottom holes fairly quickly? Does it look like it is getting to the rootball now? When you pulled it out of the pot, did you see little white root tips in there? Was the pot full of roots, or was there more loose soil than roots? If it's only been a few days, plants need more time than that to respond. They aren't like us, they don't heal very fast. Keep the grow light on it, water it thoroughly and then let it sit until it is dry on top again (use the chopstick method if it helps... insert a plain wooden chopstick all the way into the pot, about halfway between the pot rim and the trunk. Pull this out after half an hour or so, to check and see how damp the soil is at all levels of the pot, then replace. This helps you to know what is going on farther down in the pot) Don't give too much fertilizer, if the roots are bad they won't be able to absorb it and may burn further. What temp is it generally, where the tree is? Is it really cold at night near the window? Hope we can help you more! Joanie |
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