Aralia ‘Fabian’ 8″ pot

It is best to let an Aralia go through short dry periods rather than keeping them constantly wet. Watch for older foliage to turn yellow when too dry.

These plants can be fed in the spring with slow-release pellets. You can feed the plant weekly during the growing season with a liquid 20-20-20 fertilizer at half-strength. Do not fertilize during the winter.

Aralia thrives in temperatures above 62 degrees Fahrenheit and prefers a high humidity environment. Avoid putting the plant near a cold draft like a window. These are tropical plants, so if you’re experiencing leaf drop, try raising both the temperature and humidity.

Aralia plants grow best in high humidity. To increase the humidity, place the plant on a tray filled with pebbles and water. Be sure the plant is sitting on the pebbles and not in the water. You can also increase the humidity by placing a small humidifier near the plant or grouping plants together. Do not mist the plant; misting encourages plant diseases.

• Spider mites are the number one interior problem to watch for.
• Mealybugs may be a minor problem indoors
• Aphids may be a minor problem outdoors
• Echinothrips americanus may be a minor problem indoors depending on your location.
• Older leaves turning yellow is a sign of water stress

Mites should be primarily controlled with predator mites.  Neoseiulus californicus,(Spical, Spical Plus, Californiline) and Phytoseiulus persimilis,(Spidex, Bio Persimilis, Phytoline) are two excellent choices for spider mite control.  If a mite infestation is exceptionally bad, prior to the release of predator mites, spray the plant with water or horticultural oil.  Both will provide some knockdown control of spider mites and will not leave a toxic residue that may effect predator mites.  Miticides registered for interior use and compatible with predator mites include Sultan, Shuttle O and Floramite SC.

Mealybugs can be removed with a systemic insecticide drench and hand cleaning.  If pesticides are not an option, try horticultural oil directly sprayed onto the insects.  A second and third treatment, if using oils,  will be necessary.  Space out the sprays at 3 week intervals to break up the mealybug life cycle.

Aphids and Echinothrips can be controlled with the same treatment as mealybugs.

Edema is a condition where a plant is taking up water faster than it can transpire causing leaf cells to rupture.  Fabian Aralias can have a problem with edema.  Corky spots on the leaf are signs that the plant suffered this condition in the past.  Edema can be controlled by varying the amount of water the plant has available.  Basically, don’t provide excess water.  In the nursery, edema problems can be difficult to prevent during the rainy season.  Don’t  worry, it does not spread, and it won’t hurt the plant in any way.

To recuperate an Aralia that has lost too many leaves, trim each small stem about 2 inches from the woody cane, fertilize and place in a higher light environment.

Aralia needs a rich, well-drained high-quality potting mix with a pH of 6-6.5.

Aralia does well in pots, especially if you don’t live in a tropical climate: You can just bring them indoors for the winter. When it’s time to move the plant outdoors during warmer months, make sure the outdoor soil drains well and any threat of frost has passed.

The plant doesn’t need to be repotted unless it’s growing too large for its pot, which might be every few years. When repotting, Choose a tall pot of any material with adequate drainage holes for the aralia to accommodate two to three years of root growth.