| Houseplant
Cultural information: All Polyscias or Aralia type
plants prefer a warm sunny location. Warmth is critical to all
members of this family of unusual houseplants. Temperatures below
70 degrees can cause lower leaf drop... although my Aralia
has acclimated to 65 degrees just fine.
Castor Aralia's will be at their best if they receive a half day
of direct sunshine near either an east, south, or west window.
Naturally lighted atriums, heated sunrooms, and greenhouses are
also excellent locations for Castor Aralia's.
One of the biggest tricks to being successful with Castor
Aralia is knowing when to water and how much to water. Generally
a Castor Aralia does not have a massive amount of roots in its
container, which equates to not giving the plant massive amounts
of water.
Most larger specimens of Aralias have virtually no roots in the
top two or three inches of soil. When the soil has dried down two
or three inches from the surface on larger specimen plants water
sparingly with tepid water all the way around the plant. The trick
is to water only enough to get some water to the bottom of the pot
where the roots are with little or no water seeping from the drain
holes. Never allow a Castor Aralia to sit in water.
On smaller Castor Aralias allow the soils surface to dry down
an inch or so between waterings.
Feed Castor Aralia with Peter's Plant Food every other
month during the spring and summer. During the winter if your
Aralia is not growing you don't need to feed it.
Propagation is very difficult in our dry climate.
Common houseplant pests include: Aphids, Spider mites, Foliar
Mealy Bugs, and on rare occasion scale.
Polyscias are available from small starter plants to large
specimen plants. This family of high end plants are generally
priced higher than most house plants due to the length of time it
takes to produce the plant, and its special production needs. So
be prepaid to shell out some serious dough for a fine Castor Aralia
specimen.
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