Potting medium for scheflarra?

[Tetsuo]

Hey guys I think my scheflarra is getting root rot due to constant water being in the soil and I was wondering if I could use something for drainage such as sand or lava rocks and how I would do so?

 

[Seiryu]

For the bottom of my plant pots, I break up clay pots (usually just takes one small one) and put a layer or 2 in the bottom. Makes for great drainage!

Mixing some plain "Play Sand" can also help with drainage.

If the plant is getting too much water, could you move the mister so it doesn't hit the plant and just water it yourself when it needs it?

 

[Tetsuo]

I hand mist the cage so water just gets in it but I did move my dripper away from it. I just repotted it with sand and the roots look and feel fine but some of it looks like it is dying and the leaves a falling off and kinda mushy.

 

[mrfixit01]

I hand mist the cage so water just gets in it but I did move my dripper away from it. I just repotted it with sand and the roots look and feel fine but some of it looks like it is dying and the leaves a falling off and kinda mushy.

I've had the same problem. Once it starts then I can't seem to make it stop. Repotting, trimming, removing it to a sunny location and not watering it, nothing seems to help.

 

[NachoTacular519]

For the bottom of my plant pots, I break up clay pots (usually just takes one small one) and put a layer or 2 in the bottom. Makes for great drainage

An old horticulture tactic. Recycle broken pots and provide good drainage.The rotting and mushing of the foliage is from too much water causing the cells to rupture likely(turgor pressure). All of my plants get rotated in summer or spend 90% of the time outside to keep them growing good. Water from thunder storms does amazing things for plant growth too. Not sure if its the stardust or the ions and electrical charge in the water.

 

[ataraxia]

For the bottom of my plant pots, I break up clay pots (usually just takes one small one) and put a layer or 2 in the bottom. Makes for great drainage!

Mixing some plain "Play Sand" can also help with drainage.

If the plant is getting too much water, could you move the mister so it doesn't hit the plant and just water it yourself when it needs it?

I second this.
Im not a plant expert by any means but i do use play sand around all of my cage plants. They tell me they like it.

 

[coldbloodedAL]

I second this.
Im not a plant expert by any means but i do use play sand around all of my cage plants. They tell me they like it.

Lol. I have also had good success with using sand. It also does a pretty good job of keeping fungus gnats out of plants.

Seems like lately I cant keep a schefflera alive, no matter what I do. I replaced all of them in my brady cages a month ago and they've ALL dropped half of their leaves

 

[ataraxia]

Seems like lately I cant keep a schefflera alive, no matter what I do. I replaced all of them in my brady cages a month ago and they've ALL dropped half of their leaves

They like lots of water but not a swamp. I bet yours is getting to dry

Edit: With just a uvb light over one. It looks like it did when i brought it in the fall.

 

[coldbloodedAL]

They like lots of water but not a swamp. I bet yours is getting to dry

Edit: With just a uvb light over one. It looks like it did when i brought it in the fall.

I water all of them every other day t5HO 6500 lights over them all. I have one, that I've had with my male jackson for almost two years now that is planted the same way. Only difference is that one is not a variegated version.

The only thing I can think of, was they went into shock when I triple rinsed them outside in the cold.

 

[ataraxia]

The only thing I can think of, was they went into shock when I triple rinsed them outside in the cold.

Hahah Green TROPICAL plant + Michigan in january = not good.

 

[Seiryu]

Hahah Green TROPICAL plant + Michigan in january = not good.

Pretty much this. I was thinking about rinsing them outside too, but decided my shower in the basement was a better choice. It was pretty cold last week (negatives with wind chill especially). I hate winter's here.

 

[Tetsuo]

This scheflarra has been through a house fire and it lost most of it's bracts and stalks due to it. So now there are only three stalks and two of them are dying.

 

[Seiryu]

From what I read with them, once they lose most of the leaves, it's not easy to get them to come back, at least not like they were to begin with.

I bought one from Home depot and the next day (really not even a full day) 2/3 the leaves fell off. I returned that one and got a new one. This one looks 100 times better and I think only 3 leaves fell off so far.

Maybe you need to get a new one!

 

[Tetsuo]

I most likely will. The scheflarra is just sentimental to me which is why I never tossed it when it looked like it was about to die. I tossed five of my other plants because they were pretty far gone but I was able to save the scheflarra.

 

[NachoTacular519]

Anything variegated is usually a weaker form of the natural form BTW. That said your schleff shouldn't drop a million leaves just because of a lighting change like ficus do. Also plants do go into melt mode when they get frozen lol.