Scheffler - growing and care at home, photo

Schefflera (Schefflera) - a spectacular decorative and deciduous tree with beautiful, like small umbrellas leaves is increasingly found on the windowsills of our apartments and houses. Scheffler attracts the attention of flower growers not only with a luxurious appearance, but also with unpretentiousness.

Schefflera is an evergreen perennial shrub or tree representing the Aralian family, a distant relative of ginseng. In the natural habitat - Australia, the islands of the Pacific Ocean, Southeast Asia - there are more than 200 species of this plant. Indoor grow about 10 of them.

In a sheffler’s apartment, it can grow up to 2 meters, for the season it adds 30-40 cm. The leaves have a palm-dissected shape with 4-12 lobes, resemble a palm with spread fingers. For such a leaf structure, a sheffler is sometimes called an umbrella tree.

The color of the leaf plate is plain green or with white, cream, yellow spots and stains. White, yellow or raspberry flowers are collected in racemose or paniculate inflorescences, similar to tentacles. Indoor blooms very rarely.

Useful properties of shefflers

Scheffler improves the environmental conditions of the room in which he grows: increases the humidity of the air and saturates it with air ions and ozone, removes benzene.

An umbrella tree contains toxic substances that irritate the skin and mucous membranes. Therefore, it is better to keep it away from small children and pets, and after contact with the plant - wash your hands thoroughly.

Care for the shefflera at home. Briefly

Care for the shefflera at home. In detail

Scheffler care at home requires not too thorough. Grow it even by a beginner grower. She perfectly takes root in modern apartments, if you give the plant a little time and attention.

Planting shefflers

Time for sowing seeds: mid-January - end of February. To improve germination, it is recommended to soak them in a growth stimulator, for example, Zircon or Epine. The soil consists of equal parts of turf, sheet land and sand. Another option is sand and peat in a ratio of 1: 1. Seeds are sown to a depth of 5-6 cm, at a distance of 3-5 cm from each other.

It is recommended to cover the container with a plastic bag and put in a warm (20-25 degrees) place. A greenhouse should be regularly ventilated and watered so that the earth does not dry out.

When 3-4 seedlings appear in the seedlings, they are transplanted in individual pots with a diameter of 10-12 cm. For 3 months after transplanting, it is recommended to keep plants at a temperature of 19 degrees.

Bloom

Scheffler blooms inconspicuous white, cream, greenish or red flowers, collected in paniculate, racemose or umbrella inflorescences. Outwardly, they resemble tentacles. They have no decorative value.

At home, an umbrella tree blooms extremely rarely. Special care during this period does not require.

Temperature mode

A home sheffler feels great at normal temperatures in the apartment. She does not need to create special conditions. In summer, the optimum thermometer for her is 20-25 degrees, in winter - 18-20 degrees. Varieties with green foliage normally tolerate a temperature drop of up to 12 degrees, variegated - not lower than 16 degrees.

In winter, it is better to put the plant away from heating appliances, since hot dry air provokes leaf fall. An umbrella tree is also afraid of drafts and sudden changes in temperature.

Spraying

Scheffler prefers high humidity. Regular spraying with the help of a fine-grained spray gun will help to create such conditions. In summer, the procedure is recommended to be carried out 2-3 times a week, in winter, with heating turned on - every other day. Soft filtered water is used.

To increase the air humidity, the pot with the plant can be placed in a tray with wet pebbles or expanded clay. Another way is to place a container of water near the flower.

Shefflera leaves should be wiped clean with a damp cloth once every 3-4 weeks.

Lighting

Schefflera - photophilous plant. In autumn and winter, the southern window sill will be the best place for it, in spring and summer - eastern or western. When the sun is especially active, direct sunlight can cause burns on the leaves. In this case, the plant should be shaded with a translucent curtain or put on a bedside table near the window.

With a lack of lighting, variegated varieties lose the brightness of leaf color. In this case, it is recommended that they be illuminated with phyto- or fluorescent lamps.

In summer, the sheffler can be taken out to the balcony or to the garden, having previously prepared for her a place protected from the wind and direct sunlight.

Watering shefflers

Scheffler at home needs regular, but moderate watering. In summer, it is more frequent - 2-3 times a week, in winter (with cool contents) meager - 1 time in 7-10 days. The need for the next watering will be indicated by the dried up topsoil.

If we talk about extremes, then overdrying an earthen coma a plant tolerates better than its overmoistening. The latter is fraught with decay of the root system and blackening of foliage.

For irrigation, rain or settled water of room temperature is used.

Schefflera pot

The size of the pot depends on the size of the flower. Seedlings can be dived into plastic cups for the first time, and when the root system fills the entire space, transplanted into pots 2-3 cm large in diameter and height.

An adult plant is transplanted into a pot, the diameter of which is 3-5 cm larger than the previous one. The pot should always have openings for draining excess water.

Soil for shefflers

The soil for shefflers should be nutritious and light, well-permeable to moisture and air. From store substrates, soil for ficus or palm trees is best suited. If it is possible to prepare the mixture yourself, you can choose one of the options:

• Sod land, coarse sand, peat, humus and leaf land in equal parts;
• Sod land, leaf land, river sand and humus in a ratio of 2: 1: 1: 1;
• Sod land, humus, sand (2: 1: 1).

Fertilizer and fertilizer

To fertilize shefflers, it is recommended to use liquid complex fertilizers for decorative and deciduous plants. The frequency of top dressing in spring and summer is once every 2 weeks, in autumn and winter - once every 2 months. Concentration should be made 2 times weaker than indicated on the package.

Fertilizers are applied only after watering, so as not to burn the roots of the plant.

Transplant shefflers

The frequency of transplantation of shefflers depends on her age. Seedlings are transplanted once every six months, as the pot space is filled with the root system. Young plants - once every 2 years, and adults - once every 3-5 years. Replace the topsoil (about 5 cm) of soil annually.

When transplanting, a drainage layer is necessarily laid on the bottom of the pot. The safest and easiest way to transplant is transshipment with an earthen lump.

Pruning

Sheffler flower at home in pruning, as a rule, does not need. An exception are cases when the plant is too long and has lost decorativeness. Then long branches are shortened to facilitate the emergence of young shoots. The optimal time for such pruning is spring.

To give the Scheffler a bushy shape, you need to pinch the tops of the shoots. The treelike form often requires support.

Rest period

Sheffler does not have a pronounced resting period. However, like most plants, in winter it slows down or completely stops in growth.

During this period, it is necessary to reduce the frequency of watering and transfer the pot to a bright, cool place (16-18 degrees). Such a "rest" will increase the immunity of the umbrella tree and will contribute to active growth and development in the spring.

Breeding shefflers

Scheffler propagates in two main ways: by cuttings and layering.

Shefflers propagation by cuttings

Semi-lignified cuttings from the top of the shefflera are suitable for propagation. They are cut at an angle with a sharp knife. The lower leaves are removed. 3-4 leaves should remain on the handle.

After treatment with a root stimulant (Epin or Zircon), the cuttings are planted in a mixture of peat and sand (1: 1). The container is covered with polyethylene and placed in a warm (22 degrees) place. The soil must be regularly moistened so that it does not dry out, spray the cuttings every other day, and ventilate the greenhouse daily.

Transplanting rooted young specimens into separate pots is possible after 3 months.

Propagation by layering

To get layering, a large healthy plant is suitable. In early spring, two annular cuts are made on the semi-lignified trunk, the distance between which will be 3 cm.

The bark between the incisions is removed. This place is wrapped with moss moistened in a solution of a growth stimulator (Zircon or Epin), and wrapped with a plastic film. From time to time you should moisten the moss with water so that it always remains wet.

After 3-5 months, roots should appear. After they grow and get stronger (another 1.5-2 months), the film and moss are removed, and the trunk of the plant is carefully cut below the level of root growth. A young specimen is planted in a new pot.

The remainder of the “mother” plant is cut to the root, and continues to be watered. After some time, she will give young shoots.

Diseases and Pests

Difficulties with a shefflera arise most often due to a violation of the conditions of its detention. Here are some of the problems and their causes:

• Rotting roots - excess watering.
• Elongated and elongated shoots - lack of light or temperature too high.
• Shefflers leaves turn yellow and fall - insufficient lighting.
• Blackened Leaves - excessive watering, the soil is poorly breathable, lack of drainage.
• Shefflera leaves faded - lack of lighting.
• Scheffler curls - lack of sunlight.
• Brown leaf tips - low humidity in the room.
• Green leaves shufflers fall - temperature too high or too low.
• Brown spots on the leaves - excess moisture in the soil.
• Light spots on the leaves of shefflers - excess light.

Of the pests, a spider mite, a scale insect, a mealybug, and aphids are dangerous to shefflers.

Types of home shefflers with photos and names

Schefflera radiant (Schefflera actinophylla)

It has a powerful branching stem and elongated leaves on elongated petioles, with 14-16 lobes, 10-15 cm long. The color of the leaf plate is olive green, golden yellow or yellow green.

Scheffler's eight-leaved (Schefflera octophylla)

In young plants of this species, elongated leaves with a light vein have 6-8 lobes, in adults - up to 16 lobes. The color of the young leaf blades is light green, the old is dark green.

Schefflera tree (Schefflera arboricol)

A tree-like liana with unpaired cirrus leaves with rounded ends having 7-15 lobes. The plant practically does not branch, but gives shoots from the roots. There are varieties with green and variegated leaves.

Schefflera graceful (Schefflera elegantissima)

It grows up to 2 meters in height. Dark green leaves are planted on a thin gray-brown trunk, cut into 8-12 thin lanceolate lobes, the length of which reaches 15 cm. The view practically does not branch.

Schefflera palmate (Schefflera digitata)

Has palm-shaped leaves dissected into 7-10 lobes, 15-35 cm long. Oval-shaped lobes, pointed at the ends, 4-6 cm wide, 6-8 cm long.

A little knowledge, time and attention, and a little sheffler will turn into a luxurious tree with a lush, dense crown!