Of the wide variety of exotic indoor plants existing on the planet , it is especially worth highlighting a small potted tree, which is called "sheflera" - in honor of the famous German botanist. There are more than 500 species of this plant, among which a little more than a dozen species can be called indoor, so a sheflera in the house is a rather rare phenomenon.
Brief description of the plant
The most famous potted varieties include the following:
- dusty shefler;
- eight-leaf shefler;
- wood;
- radiant.
Sheflera is a tree or shrub up to 2.5 meters high. The plant has beautiful large leaves, very similar to a palm with spread fingers. Thin and long shoots need support. Florists often plant several plants in one pot and form one intertwined of numerous stems.
Some notice that their hands are covered with an unpleasant rash when a shefler appears in the house. Signs are not at all connected with superstitions. The plant is really poisonous and can cause irritation of the mucous membranes and skin. Therefore, it should be handled with care.
Simple plant care
If a shefler appeared in the house, why talk about difficulties? Caring for this plant is very simple. The most important point in caring for a sheflera at home is the right choice of place and ensuring sufficient air humidity in hot periods.
The ideal temperature for keeping sheflers in the house is from 16 to 22 degrees Celsius. It should also be borne in mind that the variegated species of sheflera need not only humidity in the summer, but also good temperatures in the winter - at least 18 degrees Celsius. If we are talking about a shefler with green leaves, then she will winter well and at 14-16 degrees.
From April to September, during the period of active growth, the plant needs additional top dressing. Fertilize with complex fertilizers, sometimes replacing complex fertilizer with organic. It must be applied three times a month at regular intervals.
Southern plant loves moisture
Sheflera is very sensitive to a large amount of moisture, so it must be watered abundantly, and the earth should not be allowed to dry. Watering should be reduced only in winter, and if the temperature in winter is minimal for sheflers, then it is completely stopped or simply humidification is canceled.
In the summer, in addition to watering the plant, the care of it also includes rubbing the leaves from dust with a moistened sponge. Also in summer, the plant should be periodically ventilated in the fresh air. But the shefler should be placed so that the sun's rays do not fall on her. Let it be diffused light or partial shade. Very beautifully groomed sheflera in the house. A photo of such a flower will decorate any gardening magazine.
One flower is good, and two is better. Breeding rules
Shefler is transplanted once every two years. When transplanting, good drainage from expanded clay or ceramic fragments is required. The soil for the plant is best taken special, and the transplant should be done either in the fall or in the summer.
The plant propagates mainly by seeds and cuttings, but propagation by seeds is the exception rather than the rule. They should be planted in a pot either in February or in March, and until the first sprouts appear, it is necessary to maintain the optimum room temperature (22 degrees). After the first sprouts appear, you can slightly lower the temperature - up to 18 degrees.
But as mentioned above, a shefler is most often propagated by cuttings. What do I need to do? It is necessary to take the cuttings, carefully treat them with a hormonal mixture and plant them in a mixture of peat and sand (in a one to one ratio). After this, the cuttings should be covered with a glass jar and leave them like that at a temperature of 20 to 22 degrees. Until the cuttings are completely rooted and strengthened, they should not be given access to air.
Green decoration of the winter garden - shefler in the house. The signs associated with this plant have always surprised experienced gardeners. For example, there is an opinion that the appearance of roots on the trunk of a plant portends a large profit to the owner. However, skeptics argue that this is just another way of reproduction - using air layering. This method is suitable exclusively for those who already have extensive experience as a grower: on the trunk, plants make an incision, wrap the incision with moss and cover with a film. The film, like soil, must be periodically wetted. A little later, the roots begin to appear on the trunk. Then it is necessary to cut off the top along with the roots and plant them in the ground.
That the beauty did not ail
The exotic sheflera in the house pleases the eye. The signs associated with it are interpreted in different ways. Some amateur gardeners say that while the leaves are succulent and green, the owners will be all right, but if they suddenly darken, wait for financial disasters. However, the leaves of the flower turn brown due to insufficient moisture. In order to cure the plant, it is necessary to eliminate the cause, that is, give more moisture and protect from drafts.
Improper plant care can lead to other complications and illnesses. Rotting of the roots of sheflera can be observed. Very often this happens due to heavy watering. In order to save the roots and the plant itself from decay, it is necessary to transplant it into a new pot, while removing all affected areas.
Low temperatures can cause leaf falling. If this happens, urgently need to drag the flower pot to a warm place.
Sheflera can be attacked by various pests, such as scab, thrips or spider mites. If the plant has suffered from pests, it should be urgently isolated from all other plants, increase air humidity and treat with insecticides.
Is it possible to keep a shefler at home?
The plant itself is juicy and beautiful, easy to care for. For the subtlety, grace of the stems and the beauty of the palm leaves, it is called a ballerina among the flowers. Looks very picturesque on the window sill of a shefler in the house. The signs associated with this plant are quite controversial. The negative is primarily associated with falling or darkening of the leaves. If a sheflera sheds “clothes”, it means the owners are waiting for illness or a financial crisis. And if the plant begins to fold “hands” - wait for a quarrel with a friend or discontent of the boss.
And if a shefler suddenly stopped growing, then failures in business or theft are possible. Where do these superstitions come from? They came to us from ancient times, when people carefully listened to mother nature, when they tried to live in unity with the world and not violate the laws of the integrity of the universe. According to the beliefs of the ancients, each flower has its own magic, its energy is able to exert an effective influence on a person’s life, to warn him about future events. Therefore, to be careful, many misfortunes can be avoided.
Certain beliefs have developed about which flowers can be given, which can be grown in the garden, and which can be kept indoors. What does monstera, azalea or shefler mean in the house? Sign, probably, is not always a stupid superstition. She often has some subtext. For example, sheflera is a poisonous plant. You should work with her with gloves, otherwise unpleasant dermatitis cannot be avoided. Perhaps some negativity associated with the plant is just an attempt to protect people from unnecessary troubles.
What kind of plant is this?
Some necessarily want a shefler to grow in the house. The energy of this plant is very positive. He is even jokingly called a "good vampire." Because the green beauty is able to calm and stabilize the emotional background in the house. It is best to put a shefler in the bedroom so that she takes away all the negativity and contributes to a pleasant, sound sleep. Vampirism complements the excellent ability of the plant to moisten the air, thereby creating a pleasant microclimate.
Sheflera instill the ability to increase family wealth and attract customers if the plant is in the office building. It contributes to the performance of children in school and has a positive effect on the activities, attentiveness and concentration of the child.
If we talk about serious mysticism, then, according to some information, this plant is a "forecaster." This means that it is able to predict certain events. For example, if a plant grows particularly quickly, wait for the addition of the family.
Instead of an epilogue
Looks very beautiful sheflera in the house. Signs should not be a decisive moment for the florist when deciding whether to grow this delicate plant at home or not. The main decisive factor should be the desire to provide the flower with proper care, so that the plant affably draws to all its wonderful palm leaves.