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I need help with my Schefflera

by Donnetta Davis
(Chippewa Falls, WI)

The palmate leaves of Schefflera are unmistakable

The palmate leaves of Schefflera are unmistakable

I have a shefflerria plant that came from my dad's funeral nine years ago.

For this reason I would really like to keep it and have it do well. It is still alive, but I don't think it has really grown much at all in nine years.

It looks healthy, just doesn't grow. I have fertilized it and repotted it. I am at a loss here. It is planted in potting soil. Any suggestions?

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Legacy Plant
by: Jacki

I know that being emotionally invested in a plant can make it hard to release it.

The good news is that it's hung on this long. The bad news is that because of that, it may not have the reserves needed to perk up and grow.

The biggest problem with Schefflera is that they sometimes get spider mites. If it looks like it's got any webbing or if the leaves look kind of rasped, this would be it.

Don't fertilize it again. I am going to go out on a limb and suggest that it's either in the wrong soil entirely, or it's root bound.

See if you can gently remove it from the pot. What are the roots doing? If they aren't winding round in the bottom of the pot, which would be an indication of being root bound, what do they look like? Round and white or wrinkly and brown? The former is good, those are healthy. The latter, and there is major root rot going on.

That's a start.

There is a wide variance in 'potting soil'. What you get locally could be much different than what I find in the garden center.

Without a picture of the plant, and some idea of the soil, it's impossible to give you much more than that.

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