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I've had my Ming Aralia for about 2.5 years now and it would occasionally drop leaves and branches. As of this spring (approx 1.5 months ago) the leaf and branch dropping accelerated to the point that even new growth is quickly yellowing and dying.

I previously posted about the same plant here: What kind of tree is this?1

I've had fungus gnat issues in the past, but I rarely see them near the plant now.

I water it occasionally, but not excessively. It gets moderate sun throughout the day, and the weather has been humid but not too warm or cool.

Any suggestions as to what I should do? Really old growth is still present, but as you can see in the pic below, nearly half the branches on one side have fallen off.

Dropped branches

New growth still happening

Leaves and branch turn yellow and drop

Left side has almost completely dropped

ToAsT
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1 Answers1

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The usual cause of yellow leaves is overwatering. I don't see a drainage tray on the pot but even so as the typical soil less mix ages it compacts as the organic matter is used up.
I recommend removing it from the pot and examine the roots. White or brown are good to go, black or soft and mushy is root rot.

Put a few inches of fresh soil less mix in the bottom of the pot. Trim the root ball at the bottom and replace in the pot.

If possible move to higher levels that are still diffuse. An east or sunny north window should do.

kevinskio
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    @pnuts. I just went by spell check. – kevinskio Jun 03 '17 at 00:55
  • I found a larger, clay pot and transferred the plant into that. The soil around the roots was compacted but not overly root-bound. The roots also had white tips, so I didn't see any signs of root rot or other problems below the surface. I've given it some moderate watering, replaced the majority of the soil, and placed it outside on my balcony for a bit more light. It's been two weeks since the re-potting. Two smaller branches fell off since then but I'm hoping that becomes less frequent. I'm keeping the watering moderate, and hoping for the best! – ToAsT Jun 19 '17 at 04:49