Why are my Schefflera’s leaves turning brown?

Schefflera plants (also known as Umbrella plants due to their unique leaves) are becoming more and more popular in the houseplant world as they are fairly easy to take care of.

However, if you find that your Schefflera’s leaves are turning brown/yellow, this is usually a sign of unhappiness in either their environment or care routine. The most common reasons why your Schefflera is turning brown or yellow are: overwatering, underwatering, extreme temperatures or chemical sensitivity.

Overwatering could be causing brown leaves

Schefflera are pretty hardy plants and won’t die on you suddenly if overwatered every once in a while. However, consistent overwatering will mean their roots will start to rot and their leaves will start to turn brown, mushy and fall off. Schefflera need to be watered no more than twice a week in the hottest months of the year, and less frequently in autumn and winter.

Consistent overwatering will lead the main root system to rot which is very harmful to your Schefflera. It will cause the plant to become unstable, the individual leaves will droop, turn brown and eventually fall off completely as your Schefflera will not be able to get nutrients from the soil to maintain healthy leaves or new growth.

If you think that you may have overwatered your Schefflera it is best to replace the soil straight away rather than just sit and wait for it to dry up over time. Make sure to replace it with something fresh and nutrient rich, like this one from Miracle Gro. Be careful when removing the soil from the roots as you don’t want to cause any further damage.

Before watering your Schefflera, make sure to always check the moisture in the soil. There are two really easy ways to make sure that it definitely needs water. First check the moisture in the top 2cm of the soil, if it is still damp then wait a few days before watering again. You can also lift up your Schefflera to check the weight of the plant before and after watering. You will then start to be able to gauge how heavy the soil is when it is in need of water.

Handle your Schefflera gently when picking it up to prevent any leaves from breaking away from the main stem.

If you want to take all of the guess work out you could use a moisture meter to keep an eye on the moisture level, these affordable little gauges are a great way to make sure you’re not overwatering and damaging your plants. You could even invest in self-watering pots, like these ones from Amazon, that make sure your plants are always getting just what they need.

Drainage issues could be the problem

Sometimes it may not be your watering schedule that is causing your Schefflera’s leaves to turn brown but the poor water drainage of the soil and pot. You can very easily increase the amount of drainage in the pot by mixing in a small amount of perlite, this will make it far easier for water to flow through and out of the drainage holes of your pots (you should also check to make sure your pots have drainage holes). Another easy step is to add a few small stones or pebbles to the bottom of your pots, this helps in making sure that the drainage holes don’t get blocked by soil or any loose debris.

Although clay or terracotta pots can be a little bit more expensive and breakable than plastic ones, their upsides are much more than just the aesthetic. The clay they’re made of is permeable which means that some of the water in your soil can evaporate through the sides of the pot. This isn’t the case for the plastic pots that our plants often come in, which instead hold in all of that moisture. So sometimes it is worth investing a little more to make sure that the roots of your Schefflera are not sitting in too much moisture.