I am not sure what I am doing wrong? when I brought it home it was beautiful, I left it in its original container that I purchased it in, until I could find the perfect pottery pot. well during its two or three day wait I noticed the tips of the leaves were turning brown and falling off? So I thought I better hurry and get this plant trans planted soon! I checked to see if maybe I had bought an infested unbrella plant but I don't seem to see any indiaction of bugs? well I found a pot and I trans planted it in Black Magic moisture potting soil and trimed the tips to the other leaves, well now it has been three weeks since the transplant and leaves are still turning brown and becoming very soft and the brown is appearing on the sides as well and very soft to the touch? I have the plant in the front window with bright light and difuse sun until the afternoons, where it does get some sun. I water all my plants every Sunday including my unbrella, I really need some advice here maybe I am over watering? maybe every two weeks? any suggestions would help me! thanks so much..
It isn't the hawaian unbrella the leaves are about 6 in
I really don't know what to say, but here's what Sunset's Western Garden Book says about Queensland Umbrella Tree (Schefflera actinophylla):
"All [schefflera] need rich, moisture-retentive, well-drained soil. Love humidity but are quite tolerant of drier air."
This specific variety is not recommended for Sunset Climate Zone 3A, where Ogden (and Salt Lake City) are; it's recommended for Zones 21 through 24, H1 and H2, and is "precariously hardy in Zones 16-20 with protection of overhang." OTOH, you purchased it during the summer, and this summer has been warm in Utah, so (thus far) the plant should have been happy.
???
Do you check the dampness of the soil a couple of days after watering? Is the soil dry by then? Or does the soil feel water-logged? That is, does the potting soil retain the water that you're feeding the plant?
If all these guidelines are in the affirmative, I would call the nursery from which you purchased the plant and, if it's a reasonable size, take it in to them for diagnosis and treatment plan.
These can be very striking plants, and I hope yours can recover soon from whatever is ailing it.
Good luck.
Cynthia H.
USDA Zone 9, Sunset Zone 17
"All [schefflera] need rich, moisture-retentive, well-drained soil. Love humidity but are quite tolerant of drier air."
This specific variety is not recommended for Sunset Climate Zone 3A, where Ogden (and Salt Lake City) are; it's recommended for Zones 21 through 24, H1 and H2, and is "precariously hardy in Zones 16-20 with protection of overhang." OTOH, you purchased it during the summer, and this summer has been warm in Utah, so (thus far) the plant should have been happy.
???
Do you check the dampness of the soil a couple of days after watering? Is the soil dry by then? Or does the soil feel water-logged? That is, does the potting soil retain the water that you're feeding the plant?
If all these guidelines are in the affirmative, I would call the nursery from which you purchased the plant and, if it's a reasonable size, take it in to them for diagnosis and treatment plan.
These can be very striking plants, and I hope yours can recover soon from whatever is ailing it.
Good luck.
Cynthia H.
USDA Zone 9, Sunset Zone 17
There was a post some time ago in the bonsai forum on a spider mite infested Sessara. The thing with spider mites is, you may never notice them until it is too late. This problem may also be caused by fungi. At any rate, what I would do is 1, spray it with neem oil, and 2, when you water, water untill it comes out the drainige holes (your pot does have drainage holes, right?) and don't water agin until the soil is almost (but not quite) dry. Also, you may want to keep it inside from here on out, as the wether is getting cooler.
Thanks! well I decided to cut all the bad leaves off even the early leaves that were just starting to get brown.. I cut it all back...And I made a mixture of alcohol and dish soap! I am trying to treat it has it would have an infestion of spider mites like bonsaiboy suggested, I think that may be the problem I can see slight dusty webby looking things on the leaves like it hasn't been dusted in weeks! So I rubbed the mixture with a sponge and washed each leave over & under and made more solution put into a spray bottle and sprayed all the stems and all my other plants.. I'm afraid that since it was the newest palnt that I brought home that was having problems, I better spray them as well, not a whole lot. and I wanted to just say thank you so much! to you all that are professional gardeners that would take your time for me and my little house plant! as you can tell I love plants but I do need to educated myself to identfy problems such as this! I will keep you updated if my cleansing had worked or I just had to let it go...