Help! Schefflera leaves turning brown and falling off :(

Texas City, TX(Zone 9a)

Help! The leaves on my schefflera are turning brown from the tips and falling off and I'm not exactly sure why. It was doing the same thing when I had first transplanted it and was watering it a bit more than it needed, but I reduced the watering and it started doing better. Unfortunately, in the last two weeks it has started doing this again. Not sure what I can do to really help this plant thrive. Any help with this problem, or tips would be very much appreciated. :(

Background conditions: I've had this schefflera (not sure what particular kind) for three months. It was given as a gift plant to my company last year in June. Over the last year, it was somewhat neglected, as it was moved a ways away from sunlight and occasionally overwatered/underwatered. However, it did endure and I decided to take it home in March, as it's wicker basket was sitting in a pail with sitting water in it and it seemed to be on a fast decline. So I decided to try to revive it, and trasplanted it to a larger pot with drain holes and quartz rocks at the bottom for better drainage. It did go into shock a bit, but it rebounded and seemed to improve, until here recently. Now the leaves are drooping and tuning brown again. Since I've had it, it hasn't had any new leaf growth either. It's grown a bit taller, just no new leaves.

Thumbnail by iamleafing Thumbnail by iamleafing Thumbnail by iamleafing Thumbnail by iamleafing Thumbnail by iamleafing
Milton, MA(Zone 6a)

Beginner houseplants http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/f/b_houseplants/all/

Container gardening http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/f/containers/all/

You should post this there. This is for woody plants planted outside. :)

I used to have a schefflera and I hated it. It wouldn't die no matter how I mistreated it! It died a long time ago though, and I have no useful advice.

Texas City, TX(Zone 9a)

Aw, thank you so much much! I'm new and I wasn't sure if this would go here or elsewhere. This tree does seem moody though. :/

Milton, MA(Zone 6a)

You're welcome, and welcome to Dave's Garden! Most of the folks here are nice and helpful to a fault.

I thought you said your plant was WOODY (insisting that it DID belong here), but no, you said it was MOODY. Hahahaha.

Anne Arundel,, MD(Zone 7b)

I've also found Schefflera to be almost bulletproof. Maybe root rot from sitting in water is the one true killer. I have had them tolerate very low light and dry soil for a long time. If you want to really understand potted plant care, spend some time and read the sticky posts by 'tapla' in those other forums that Carrie linked.

The quick and dirty version: Always use good quality potting mix that can drain and let air in to the roots. Rock in the bottom of a pot does not correct problems from bad dense soil. If the new soil you used is OK then I think it will eventually settle out and grow again. As long as it is not staying too wet.

Milton, MA(Zone 6a)

Oh Sally, reading tapla's posts might make me decide not to try! I think he makes it sound harder than it has to be, Most of us don't care so much about maximizing a plant's potential, we just want it not to die. At least that's what I'm interested in.

But I agree that iamleafing's plant will rebound once it stops dying.

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