Q.Schefflera Plant Mess!
Hi! I have a thick one-stem Schefflera plant that I bought about 3 months ago now and when I bought it the top of the plant was full and green but the bottom was a bit droopy and darker in color. Now about 2 months later I’m noticing a lot of dropping leaves. First, the leaves will get these whitish spots on them that can be rubbed off with water but then they seem to quickly turn brown at the tip and eventually turn fully brown and crispy and fall off or come off easily when I slightly pull them. This has started from the bottom and is now progressing its way to the beautiful top! About a week ago I replanted it and washed the pot and put it in new soil thinking it had root rot but I thoroughly checked the roots and they were healthy, good colored, and strong. Before, I had it in my room where it got low to medium light and I overwatered it (about once every 5 days – it was my first indoor plant and got too excited). Now after I repotted it I placed it in a perfect place with bright/indirect sunlight and will water it about every 10 days. BUT today I just noticed that more leaves are falling off! So I cut off the stems at the bottom that were on their way to dying. They all had beige scratch-looking marks at the root of the stem. There is hope though as there are twin baby leaves growing at the very bottom of the plant stem near the soil. They’re yellow and green and feel healthy but I’m also confused as to why they’re growing so low. If you could please help me figure out what is going wrong and decide how I can revive it I would be so grateful! Thank you! I’ve attached some pictures.
Certified GKH Gardening Expert
It sounds like you either have powdery mildew or some other commonly occurring problem with this plant. Try treating it with neem oil several times and see if you can get the plant healthy. The new leaves will grow where they can. Here's an article with tips on how to grow these:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/houseplants/schefflera/schefflera-plant-care.htm
