What to Do When a Polyscias (Ming Aralia) Drops Its Leaves? Cause Analysis and Remedies

  Potted Polyscias is relatively easy to grow; just follow the general care and management methods for potted flowering plants, and it will basically not run into major problems. It is just that many indoor foliage plants are quite afraid of direct sunlight, but Polyscias is different: it can grow normally both indoors and outdoors in full sun. This is because the plant likes both semi-shady environments and conditions with plenty of light. If you are growing it indoors, it is recommended to place it on a windowsill where it can receive light regularly, so it will grow more vigorously.

  However, no one is perfect, and even the wise can make a mistake after careful thought; oversights or inadequate management are unavoidable when caring for potted Polyscias. Since problems arise in care and management, problems are bound to appear in the plant's growth as well, such as Polyscias dropping its leaves. So, what should you do when a potted Polyscias drops its leaves?

  Polyscias is extremely sensitive to changes in its growing environment. If you have just moved house, the Polyscias has arrived in a new growing environment. Because this plant cannot adapt to the new growing environment in a short time, it will naturally drop leaves like crazy. Moreover, the leaves usually do not drop all at once; instead, many small yellow patches appear on the leaves one after another, and only when the whole leaf is nearly yellow does it fall. Also, you may notice that once a Polyscias leaf turns yellow, it cannot return to a lush green state.

  So, what should you do if a Polyscias drops its leaves because of a recent move? First, we need to remove the yellowed leaves and make sure the supply of water and nutrients is fully in place. But do not water too much every day, because the roots of Polyscias are afraid of being soaked in water; once the roots are in a waterlogged environment, they rot easily, bringing the plant an even more severe and devastating disaster. Better to let it dry out than to let it drown; drying out generally only causes leaf drop, while drowning causes root rot.

  Therefore, besides being unsuited to a new environment, leaf drop in potted Polyscias can also easily occur if the soil in the pot is too dry and the plant is often in a state of water shortage. Of course, if overwatering causes water to accumulate in the pot and root rot occurs, the plant will also drop leaves because it cannot get water and nutrient replenishment. Therefore, when watering Polyscias, you must get the amount right: not too much, and not too little. How much to water should be decided according to the dry or wet state of the potting soil; generally, just keep the potting soil moist.

  Unsuitability to a new environment and improper watering are the main causes of leaf drop in potted Polyscias, but other causes cannot be ruled out either, such as improper light or fertilizing, or attack by pests and diseases. So in our daily care and management, we should observe more and judge where the problem lies based on the plant's growth state. Only by finding the root of the problem can we treat it accordingly, and only in this way can we care for our potted Polyscias so that it grows lush and green with thriving branches and leaves. (Author: Xiaoshu 19:32)