Polyscias (Ming Aralia) Watering Frequency and Solutions for Yellowing Leaves
Polyscias is a plant with high ornamental value, mainly grown for its foliage, which is relatively large, evergreen year-round, and in some varieties has white spots on the leaf surface. Polyscias is now attracting many people to grow it, but during cultivation some leaf yellowing and other phenomena may occur due to technical reasons, so how should they be solved?
How to water Polyscias (how often to water)
1. Potted Polyscias likes relatively moist soil and air environment. During the growing period, keep the potting soil moist but not waterlogged, and frequently spray the plant with water close to room temperature to increase air humidity and keep the leaf color fresh.
2. During the growing period there must be a sufficient water supply; water after the surface of the potting soil has dried, and slightly dry soil is also fine, but do not water too much, to avoid waterlogging and root rot.
3. In midsummer when the temperature is relatively high, in addition to watering sufficiently, you also need to spray the leaf surface once a day, which can both keep the leaf surface clean and shiny and raise the air humidity around the plant.
4. In late autumn and early winter, when the temperature drops below 15°C, watering should be controlled.
5. In winter, the amount of water should be reduced, or spraying water should replace watering, keeping the potting soil slightly moist and a little dry, but when spraying the leaf surface, be careful to keep the water temperature basically the same as room temperature.
6. If water and nutrients are sufficient, it will grow very vigorously and quickly. But watering every day is too much; the roots of the Ming Aralia (Polyscias fruticosa) can adapt to dryness but are very afraid of soaking, and if watered too wet it easily rots.
What to do when Polyscias leaves turn yellow
1. Reduce and control the amount of watering, especially in cold weather in autumn and winter; do not water too much, to prevent root rot.
2. Place the Polyscias in a spot with sufficient light, and ventilation must be good; note to avoid direct strong light in summer.
3. You can rinse the plant with water to wash off the red spider mites, or use the pesticide Kelaman to spray the plant and get rid of the pests.
4. When this situation occurs, immediately stop fertilizing, or use water to dilute the concentrated fertilizer already applied; note that flushing several more times is enough.
Reasons for Polyscias leaves turning yellow
1. Overwatering: Polyscias likes moisture but hates waterlogging, so overwatering will not promote its growth, but instead cause some adverse symptoms, such as yellowing leaves. Because Polyscias is also drought-tolerant, its roots will grow normally in a dry state, but they are afraid of soaking; once there is too much water, it will cause root rot, thus affecting leaf growth and gradually turning yellow.
2. Lack of light: Polyscias is accustomed to liking a high-temperature environment, and growth requires sufficient light, so when you place Polyscias in a shaded spot to grow it, it cannot absorb the light needed for growth, and its leaves will wilt and then turn yellow.
3. Pests: The most common pest of Polyscias is the red spider mite, which damages the leaves; reddish-brown spots will appear on the leaves, and when the red spider mites suck the plant's sap, the leaves will gradually turn yellow.
4. High fertilizer concentration: Perhaps when you fertilize Polyscias, you fertilize too many times and the concentration is also high, which will burn the plant's roots and then cause the leaves to turn yellow.
Common pests and diseases of Polyscias and their control
1. Anthracnose of Polyscias. Control method: at the early stage of the disease, spray the leaf surface with 80% Anthracnose Fumei wettable powder or 50% carbendazim wettable powder, spraying once every 10 days, and spraying three or four times in succession is enough. In ordinary care, when fertilizing, pay attention to the balance of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, and be careful to place it in a spot with sufficient light and good ventilation.
2. Scale insect damage of Polyscias. Control method: during the larval hatching period, spray the plant with 25% buprofezin wettable powder 1500-fold solution or 40% Supracide 2000-fold solution or 40% omethoate emulsifiable concentrate 1000-fold solution to directly kill the scale insects. Or manually remove the insects by hand, then spray with pesticide to completely remove the pests and diseases.
When watering Polyscias, be sure to water once the potting soil is dry; this plant relatively likes water, but there must be no waterlogging, and it is not drought-tolerant either. Generally, when watered too much or the light is poor, leaf yellowing easily occurs, so before solving it, be sure to find the cause accurately, and then treat it.