I live in Colorado which is very very dry but manage to keep my aralia moist and near a north facing window. I noticed when once the plant dried out and started to droop but immediately watered and fed it a watered down fertilizer. The leaves continue to turn yellowish and fall off. What now? Is it doomed? I love the lacy leaves of this plant and looked all over until I finally found one in a nursery. You just don't see many of these plants though I have noticed them in a local mall that barely gets any light. Can bright light be causing my plant's decline?
Yellowing leaves can be a sign of overwatering or underwatering, root rot, improper lighting, and chemical imbalance. I don't think your plant is getting too much light, maybe not enough. The moisture level can be tricky. It should be kept consistently moist but not wet. A fine line there. Be sure it never sits in standing water.
Here are articles that should help:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/environmental/plant-leaves-turn-yellow.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/houseplants/aralia-plants/polyscias-fruticosa-ming-aralia.htm
alls? Are the galls caused by the Mealybugs? I have a Ming Aralia which is 15 years old 7 ft tall.
They could be, but they are likely caused by fungal infection or other insects. There is, likely, more than one issue.
Here are some articles that will help you address these issues:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/insects/mealybugs-control.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/insects/what-are-eriophyid-mites.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/special/organic/what-are-organic-pesticides.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/houseplants/aralia-plants/polyscias-fruticosa-ming-aralia.htm
I have a Ming Aralia that I have had for 40 years. It has moved with me 5 times. It’s not doing so great. How long does this plant live?
It isn't clear how long they live. That is a very long life for an indoor plant, though!
It will, likely, live quite a bit longer with a repotting. Giving a new container with fresh soil can help to give the old shrub a good boost.
Here are some articles that will help:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/houseplants/aralia-plants/polyscias-fruticosa-ming-aralia.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/houseplants/hpgen/repotting-a-large-plant.htm
This is a beautiful twisted plant but some of the stems are not strong enough to support themselves. I have been using metal stakes. Any suggestions? Thank you.
Generally, it can help to do some pruning on occasion. Test this out on one branch, and when the new growth sprouts in response, you can cut another. continue until the plant has filled out more properly. It is important to do this, slowly, though. This will help avoid shock.
This article will help you with their care:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/houseplants/aralia-plants/polyscias-fruticosa-ming-aralia.htm
Our experts say to prune them occasionally to encourage some outward growth and reduce spindly stems. When you cut off some of the top length, you can propagate more plants with the cuttings.
As far as stakes go, you might try green colored stakes that wouldn't be so noticeable.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/houseplants/aralia-plants/polyscias-fruticosa-ming-aralia.htm
I ordered a Ming Aralia from a seller on Etsy. It was in transit for about 5 days. My questions are how soon should I repot it after receiving it? How long should I wait before Pruning it? and my last question is a little more unusual. The tree I got has kind of a boring trunk and I would like to start taking the steps to develop a more interesting trunk. Would repotting it at an angle force the branches and canopy to start growing upward (creating a more interesting profile)?
Doing much of anything while it is still recovering from transit will be an added stress that should be avoided. Outside of watering when the soil is starting to dry, I would wait to even feed it for a month, at the least.
I would not prune it until it gets too tall to handle, either.
Repotting will need to be done once it is rootbound. There is no need to do it any earlier, and this can cause more damage than benefit. You can see the state of the roots by carefully lifting it out of the pot. If the roots are intact and tightly swirling the container, then it will be time to repot into a slightly larger container. (About 1 or 2 inches larger on all sides.)
As far as making it interesting, you could try using plant wire to train the branches, as you would a Bonsai!
Here are some articles that will help:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/houseplants/aralia-plants/polyscias-fruticosa-ming-aralia.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/houseplants/bonsai/bonsai-basics-starting-your-own-bonsai.htm
I have at least a 12-year-old six and a half foot Ming Aralia with two relatively thin trunks in a planter. We feed it monthly but have not changed the pebble/soil in many years. There are many very small, black, hard oval objects on both trunks ranging in placement from scattered to dense. I do not see any sign of movement or bug-like features and when I wipe one with my finger it falls off. What are these? Should I be worried? Do I need to treat the plant? How often should a Ming be transplanted? Since the trunks are so leggy, can I cut them, root the existing trunks and not worry about killing the trees?
Here are two links from the University of California that should be helpful. It look like scale, a common pest.
http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7408.html
http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74160.html
You should be able to prune the tree and root the softwood cuttings.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/houseplants/aralia-plants/polyscias-fruticosa-ming-aralia.htm
Here's our article that will tell you how to deal with the problem: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/insects/control-plant-scale.htm
All the leaves fell off but branches still green can I bring it back. I think it had thrips past two years used Neem oil didn’t rid them of it, changing soil completely will that help bring it back?
It will, likely, sprout some new growth. You will need to keep a handle on the thrips, though. These articles will help:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/insects/controlling-thrips.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/houseplants/aralia-plants/polyscias-fruticosa-ming-aralia.htm