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There are a peck of imposingly orotund plant life genus out there , but Schefflera ( shef - Lir - uh ) makes for some stiff contender for most impressive .
With a native ambit spanning Africa , Asia , and the Southwest Pacific , this genus has more than 600 specie , making them half of all the plant life in the Araliaceae kinsfolk .
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Of course , not every species is grown as a houseplant . The most well known are the umbrella plant and midget umbrella trees ( Schefflera actinophyllaandSchefflera arboricola(dwarf Schefflera ) , severally ) .
With individual species range in height from 13′ to 33 ’ feet , these plants have wonderful , often vary foliage and can be dissolute growerswhen implant outdoors .
One outcome growers have carry into , however , is with extension .
While not difficult to propagate overall , some methods may take more acquisition and solitaire than others .
How Do You Propagate Schefflera Plants?
There are basically four way topropagate any Schefflera : air layering , theme slip ( via dirt or water ) , and from seed .
While some method are easier than others , mastering a few simple steps will give you a much better chance of success in each alternative .
Preparation and Timing
No matter which method you use , a little preparation can make a big departure .
outflow into early summer is the good time for propagation , as you ’ll desire to give your schefflera time to establish before winter sets in .
Always be certain to sterilize and sharpen any tools prior to use .
rub alcohol or isopropyl intoxicant run great , and it ’s a right melodic theme to dip your tools between each cut to ensure you do n’t accidentally disperse the disease .
Speaking of disease , you ’ll want to try your Schefflera for signs of unwellness , including contagion or pest infestation of spider mites , aphids , mealybugs , and scale dirt ball .
These should be dealt with before harvesting seeds or clippings when potential , and any ramification or leaves you plan to use must be healthy , or the novel plant may not come through .
With all these method acting , you will desire to use elbow room - temperature make pure water or natural rain , as tap water may slenderize your luck of success .
For all method acting , you will want to ensure any potting stain used is rich , loamy , and well - draining , with a more or less acidic pH.
Adding constitutional compost , perlite , or lava stone to an orchidaceous plant intermixture can make for a gravid starter soil .
Make certain your plantlets or seedlings have a spot with bright , indirect sunshine , no order of payment or big temperature fracture , and where they wo n’t be upset .
Air Layering
This method can be a lot of play but require a steadfast hired hand . It works specially well on top - heavy plants .
Begin by finding a sizeable , elastic stem and take a mob of barque more or less 1 ” column inch wide .
You may either flex the branch so the cut area is buried or use plastic wrap .
In the latter pillowcase , fill the plastic with moist sphagnum moss and cautiously wrap it around the cut area to make it airtight .
Whether you use a pot or credit card , keep the medium moist .
After a few hebdomad , roots will form where the cutting was made .
Once the roots are approximately 1 ” inch long , you’re able to cut the branch below the fresh ascendant line and transplant it to a pot or outdoors .
Leaf Cuttings
This method is big for when you ’ve just done some light pruning , but not all plants will desire to reproduce this way .
See : How and When to Prune Schefflera works .
As this can depend on the specific species or the disposition of the particular plant , this should not be your go - to method acting .
You will want healthy leaves some 4 to 6 ” inch long , abridge at the base of the petiole .
Stick the base of the petiole around ½ ” inch deeply into a pocket-size pot or planting tray of soil .
Keep the soil slightly moist ( you may wish to use a unclouded plastic purse to make a humidness tent during this sentence ) while the plantlet takes root word , which will generally take about 3 months .
Stem Cuttings (Soil)
There are a few ways to harvest cuttings , but the follow method is one of the easy .
Due to its low risk of mutations or failure , stem cuttings tend to be the preferent method of propagate a Schefflera .
pick out a root word and bring down it with a sharp tongue or hand pruners at a 45 - level slant , check the cut is at least 6 ” inches long . When taking several cuttings , wrap the end in a damp paper towel .
Remove all but the top 4 to 5 leaves and dip the basis in rooting internal secretion pulverisation .
Next , plant the base into a pot of slightly moist dirt and cover it with a clear plastic bag to keep high-pitched humidness and hold filth wet .
damp the soil as necessitate and give the plantlet a aristocratical tug after 4 to 6 weeks have passed .
If the plantlet is rooted , it will resist , and you may move out the purse and treat it like a regular plant .
If the plant gives no resistance after 6 weeks , it is potential a dud and may be discarded .
Stem Cuttings (Water)
This cognitive process is almost indistinguishable to soil generation ; only you ’re using a gauze-like container and meet it with water to submerge the bottom ½ ” column inch or so of the base .
The plantlet may persist vertical by catch one’s breath its leave on the container rim , or you may apply chain or some other fabric to shore up it up .
As with the soil method , it will take about a month for the root to form , the big dispute being you wo n’t need to worry about humility and can watch the roots grow .
Be sure to top up the water system as require and change it whenever it looks turbid .
Once the roots are 1 ” column inch long , you’re able to transpose your new Schefflera to its permanent home .
Seed Propagation
Perhaps the least popular method is that seed can give rise mutations and are n’t always viable .
However , harvesting tonic seeds can greatly better your luck , and seeing what sprouts is a certain satisfaction .
The semen must overcharge in hot piss for at least 12 hr ( a paper towel sitting in a jolt lid with 140 ° Fahrenheit water can greatly speed up the germination physical process ) .
Sow the seed into a nursery tray with a sparse stratum of soil underneath and cover with an amount roughly equal to twice the size of the germ .
Keep the soil slightly damp while the seeded player develop , which usually takes 2 to 3 months .
The seedlings may be transplanted into pots once they are about 2 ” column inch tall .
