Shefler can not be called a moody plant, it is quite unpretentious. The leaves of this plant are very decorative, like a palm with spread fingers, which turns towards the sun. “Umbrella tree” - this is what the British called the sheffler for the similarity of leaflets coming from one point with the spokes of an umbrella. Varietal variety of this plant includes specimens with different structure, size and color of leaves.
As a rule, a shefler at home feels great in a bright place, but does not like direct sunlight. At the same time, it grows well in partial shade, but it needs fresh, moist air. Caring for a shefler at home is simple, if you follow some rules. In summer, the plant can be placed in the garden, choosing a place protected from the sun and wind. When the temperature rises (from 20 degrees), spray the leaves with a little warm water (the tender young leaves do not favor cold water - they can blacken and dry). In no case do not allow waterlogging of the soil, and if the shefler needs to be watered moderately during the period of active growth, then in winter watering should be minimized. The moisture stagnates and the roots rot, the plant sheds its leaves. It is necessary to take it out of the pot, cut off the damaged roots with a sharp clean knife, sprinkle the cuts with ash and plant in fresh ground, in a well-drained pot. Watch the condition of the earth - wet, but not wet, drain excess water from the pan. If you have doubts whether to water or not, just loosen the ground, spray the leaves, and set the watering aside for tomorrow. For green leaf shefler, winter temperatures of 12-18 degrees are comfortable, for variegated leaves - not lower than 18.
From March to the end of summer, a shefler at home needs fertilizer twice a month, and it is possible to start fertilizing a plant that has undergone transplantation only with the appearance of an active young shoot - this is a sign that the roots have recovered.
Shefler can be successfully propagated by seed. In winter (January-February) they are sown in a ready-made substrate, but you can use a mixture prepared on your own: take sod-humus soil, humus and sand (2: 1: 1). At the bottom of the pot, put expanded clay, shards or crumbled polystyrene - provide drainage, for the seedlings, dehydration of the soil is destructive. Crops must be watered, covered with glass or film. Put the pot with crops in a warm place (with an air temperature of at least 22 degrees). From time to time you need to ventilate the ground and wipe the condensate from the glass. At the time of the appearance of seedlings, change the location of the pot - the plant needs light and coolness, 15 degrees will be enough for its development. Do not forget about moderate watering and humidification.
Sheflera at home propagated by cuttings. Apical cuttings are obtained by pruning a plant. This procedure is performed so that the shefler does not grow and takes on a beautiful bush shape. Cuttings root in the soil, with this there are no big problems even for beginners.
Every spring, young sheflers are transplanted, for this you need to take a substrate in which turf, leafy soil, humus and sand are mixed in proportion (2: 1: 1: 1). Transplantation of old plants is carried out as necessary.
It should not be forgotten that a shefler at home, with improper care, can be attacked by pests (worms, ticks, scale insects). To avoid this, just correctly identify the plant for wintering and prevent dry air.
Thus, keeping a shefler at home, although it requires certain rules to be followed, is actually quite easy, and even a novice grower can grow this “umbrella tree,” whose hands are always turned toward the sun!