Sheflera is a tree-like plant with beautiful dense leaves resembling a palm with fingers wide apart or an umbrella, for which it has received another name - "umbrella tree" or "gnomes umbrella". Depending on the variety, sheflera leaves can have a bright green or variegated color. In the wild, the plant is found in tropical forests in the form of trees or lush bushes. Reproduction of sheflera is a simple process. Such a plant will easily fit into any interior and become its original decoration.
Plant propagation
Reproduction of sheflera, as well as indoor plants of other species, occurs most often with the help of cuttings. Sowing seeds is a fairly rare case.
Seed propagation
Seeds are sown to a shallow depth, after soaking them in a "vitamin cocktail" - a solution of special fertilizer. Then you need to cover the container with a glass jar to create a special microclimate in which seedlings appear faster. From time to time, the can can be removed for ventilation, as well as spraying the surface of the soil, and then the sprouts. When the first true leaves appear in young plants, they can be planted in separate containers.
Propagation by cuttings
Shefflera propagation by cuttings occurs as follows: ripened shoots are cut off from an adult plant, treated with a special composition that stimulates root formation, and buried in a substrate consisting of sand and peat in equal proportions. For reliability, the container is covered with a glass jar and the access of fresh air is limited before the rooting of the cuttings.
Propagation by air layering
Sometimes the reproduction of sheflera occurs with the help of aerial roots, but this method is suitable only for experienced gardeners. In this case, an incision is made on the trunk of an adult plant, covered with moss and a film. Moss is periodically wetted until aerial roots appear at the incision site. After that, the top of the shoot along with the roots is cut off and planted in a separate container.
It should be noted that the green leaf shefler is more unpretentious. Reproduction of indoor plants of this species with variegated coloring of leaves will require more effort and attention.
Care features: location, temperature, humidity, watering
Like all tropical plants, sheflera feels equally well in bright sunlight and in partial shade. However, it is better to protect it from direct sunlight, as burns can appear on the leaves from them. The optimal solution is ambient lighting. In the warmer months, the plant can be displayed outside a window or on an unglazed balcony to allow it to ventilate and breathe.
The temperature and dryness of air, which are characteristic of urban apartments in the winter months, negatively affect the health of shefflers. At this time, it is better for the shefler to place in a cool room, to limit watering. The plant is at rest in winter.
On hot days, it is necessary to regularly spray the shefler and saturate the surrounding air with moisture, for example, placing a tray with wet pebbles next to it.
Watering the plant prefers moderate, poorly tolerates both drought and waterlogging: the plant may begin to fall off the leaves.
In fact, caring for a sheflera is not much different from caring for other plants - people from the tropics, so with very little effort you can grow a beautiful plant that pleases the eye with its magnificent crown all year round.