Scheffler mix. Sheflera in the house: a kind vampire and a wise soothsayer. Scheffler home care
Scheffler (or sheffler, from lat. Schefflera) - very beautiful plant. Thanks to his decorative look and carelessness in care, it has become a very popular home flower.
Shefflera looks like a small bush or tree, whose leaves resemble a palm with fingers apart. The sheet is divided into 4-12 parts. To many, such a leaf resembles an umbrella, which is why a chefler is often called an umbrella tree.
Chefler's home almost never blooms, however, its tentacle-like flower is still not as spectacular as the leaves. In addition, such a disadvantage as the lack of flowering and an uninteresting flower, sheflera is fully compensated by shefflera's ability to ozonate and humidify the air, as well as neutralize the effects of nicotine and tar tobacco smoke and at the same time - simple care.
The plant got its name from the name of the German botanist Scheffler, who lived in the 18th century and was a friend of the famous C. Linnaeus. It belongs to the Araliaceae family, and this family is distinguished by the variety of both names and appearance. About 200 species of sheffler are found in nature, they grow in the tropical part of the Earth, are presented in the form of shrubs, trees and even lianas. Their photos are striking in size, coloring of leaves and their interesting shape.
At home, about a dozen species are grown.
- radiant,
- palmate,
- treelike,
- eight-leaf.
All of them look quite attractive and at the same time neat, so they are often found both at home and in offices. If you want to decorate the room with a plant and at the same time maintain style, a shefflera will do an excellent job with this role. Photos of how to decorate an apartment or office with this plant will help not only choose suitable look, but also "fit" this flower into the design of the room in the best way.
Radiant, or star-leaved, sheffler differs in the number of leaflets in adult leaves - there are 16 of them, at first they are ovoid, then they become oblong, blunt at the end, reach a length of 15 cm and a width of 5 cm. This species grows very fast and can reach a height of even 3 meters!
The palmate sheflera has 8 leaflets per leaf, they have an elliptical shape, pointed at the end. The leaves are decorated with bright veins. This cheflera is more compact than the radiant one.
The tree-like cheflera has complex leaves, consisting of 7–16 leaflets on long petioles. The leaves are 9–15 cm long and 5–8 cm wide, dense, leathery, shiny, pointed at the end. This species may be variegated. Grows up to 1.2 m.
Eight-leaf is not very common, although it is also quite decorative. She has 8-12 elongated leaflets pointed at the top of the leaves up to 30 cm long and up to 10 wide with light veins.
Often, novice flower growers can get confused in the types of this plant and find it difficult to choose, but a photo sheffler will help you choose the most interesting look.
In addition, the shefflers many specially bred varieties, which are often found at home and at the same time are equally unassuming to care for.
Popular varieties
- Hayata has light green oval-elongated leaves, narrowed at the ends.
- Geisha Girl has dark green leaves that are rounded at the end.
- Janine is attractive with spectacular rounded dark colors. green leaves, bifurcated at the ends and covered with cream spots and stripes.
- Variegata has dark green leaves with yellow spots.
Sheffler care
Schefflera is a fairly easy plant to care for. She is unpretentious and subject to simple rules delight with lush bright foliage. For the home, such a flower is a real find! If you want to have a beautiful plant in the house and at the same time not spend a lot of time caring for it, then the best choice- Sheffler, Home care, photos and videos about which can be found on the net, will not burden almost anyone.
Lighting
Particular attention in care should be paid to lighting. Shefler loves diffused light, but feels good in partial shade. She can also endure direct Sun rays, but it is still better to shade it from them in order to avoid burns on the leaves. It is best to grow a chefler on the western and eastern windows, with green leaves - on the northern ones. In winter, it is worth putting the plant in a well-lit place at home and lighting it up, especially if the room is warmer than 17 ᵒС. In the summer, you can take the chefler out of the house to fresh air, protecting it from direct sun.
Temperature
The preferred temperature for keeping cheflers at home is 20 ᵒС. If the temperature exceeds 20 ᵒС, the sheflera can shed its leaves. Therefore, if it becomes cooler at night, then it will not harm the flower. It also sheds leaves if there are drafts or temperature changes.
in winter optimum temperature 14–17 ᵒС. In no case do not put the plant near heaters and room radiators!
Homemade cheflera needs to be watered regularly, it does not tolerate overdried land. Usually water the flower about once every two days, when the soil surface dries. But it’s not worth pouring, the bay harms her no less, since leads to acidification of the earthen coma. In winter, water less often than in spring and summer. The water must be soft (it must first be defended) and always warm so that the soil temperature remains not lower than the ambient temperature.
Caring for a chefler requires moist air, so the chefler will feel comfortable in a pallet with wet expanded clay. You need to spray the flower once every two days. Humidity is especially important in winter, when the temperature in the room can be too high.
Shefler should be fed once a week spring-autumn once a month in winter. It is best to alternate complex mineral and organic fertilizers for the care of indoor ornamental plants.
Transfer
Shefler is planted with several plants in one container, then it takes on the spectacular appearance of a bush.
Every two years it needs to be transplanted into a pot much larger than the previous one. Sheflera prefers slightly acidic soil, consisting of two parts of sod and one part of leafy, humus soil and sand, as well as drainage.
Pests and diseases
Despite the unpretentiousness of shefflera, like other house plants, it is subject to some diseases.
First of all, she can suffer from the cold. Schefflers in nature - evergreen heat-loving perennials, they are on sale at any time of the year, which means that when buying in cold weather, the flower may freeze slightly.
As already mentioned, at high temperatures and some other factors, including overflow, excessive humidity and too low temperatures in winter, drafts and sudden changes in sheffler temperature can drop leaves. When the cause is eliminated, leaf fall will stop.
Also, with excessive soil moisture, the roots may begin to rot. You can save the plant by taking it out of the pot, removing all the affected roots and transplanting it into a new pot. If watering or humidity is insufficient, the edges of the leaves will turn brown.
The leaves become faded if the flower does not have enough light; if there is too much light, light spots appear on the leaves.
Most often, the sheffler is damaged:
- scab,
- spider mite.
When caring for a diseased flower, it is placed in quarantine so as not to infect others. For treatment, it is necessary to increase the humidity of the air and treat the chefler with a soapy solution or an insecticide.
reproduction
You can breed chefler cuttings, layering or seeds.
cuttings
For propagation, apical or semi-lignified stem cuttings are taken. A mixture of equal parts of peat, sand, leafy and humus soil is best suited for rooting. The cuttings are treated with a stimulant to form roots and provide bottom heating at 20-22 ° C. When the cuttings take root, the temperature should be reduced, and the cuttings should be transplanted into larger pots.
layering
For propagation by air layering at home, only large specimens are used. To do this, in early spring, a small incision is made on the trunk, then wrapped with sphagnum moss and a film. Moss must be kept moist.
After a few months, roots appear at the site of the incision. After another couple of months, the trunk must be cut below the roots and planted in a permanent place.
Schefflera is poisonous. To avoid unpleasant skin reactions, you should wash your hands after you have worked with it.
seeds
Pre-soaked seeds are sown in January - February in a wet disinfected mixture of equal parts of peat and sand. Seeds germinate at a temperature of 20–24 °C. When the first leaves appear, the seedlings are transplanted into pots. The first three months they require temperatures of 18-20 °C. When the roots are wrapped around an earthen ball, the plants are again transplanted into pots with a diameter of 7–9 cm and the temperature is reduced to 13–15 ° C. In autumn, the plants can be transplanted into even larger containers and then cared for like an ordinary plant.
Shefler flower
Schefflera (or sheffler, from lat. Schefflera) is a very beautiful plant. Due to its decorative appearance and non-capriciousness in care, it has become a very popular home flower. Shefflera looks like a small bush or tree, whose leaves resemble a palm with fingers apart. The sheet is divided into 4-12 parts. To many, such a leaf resembles an umbrella, which is why a chefler is often called an umbrella tree. At home, sheflera almost never blooms, however, its tentacle-like flower is still not as spectacular as the leaves. In addition, such a disadvantage as the lack of flowering and an uninteresting flower of the shefflera is fully compensated by the shefflera's ability to ozonate and humidify the air, as well as neutralize the effects of nicotine and tobacco smoke tar, and at the same time - simple care.
If a chefler appeared in your plant collection, how to form a crown is one of the most important issues. Due to its plasticity, the chefler can take on almost any shape, it is simply stupid not to use this opportunity. But if you want your ornamental tree to take on the look you want, take care to maintain optimal conditions.
Types and varieties of Scheffler flower
The Scheffler flower is a numerous plant that has up to 200 subspecies, but not all of them are suitable for indoor cultivation. Many wild species of this flower in nature reach up to 40 meters in height, but their size is significantly reduced when home cultivation. Among the main indoor views plants are as follows:
- Schefflera arborescens is a low-growing tree with a straight trunk, numerous shoots and compound leaves. The color of the green mass of the plant may differ depending on the variety, and a feature is high resistance to various diseases and pests.
- Schefflera palmate - a variety of sheflera, which is characterized by short stature, large juicy green leaves and big amount"fingers", the number of which reaches ten. This variety is more widely used for growing at home, as it is more pleasing to the eye of a person.
- Sheflera eight-leafed - differs from other species in the unusual arrangement of foliage, the surface of which is smooth and shiny, and the color is represented by several shades of green at once.
- Schefflera starfolia is the most famous flower variety, which differs from others in its brown strong trunk, the shape of the leaves, which are different: longitudinal, oval round, and also the color of the leaves, which is olive, yellow, juicy green or spotted.
Reproduction of cheflers
Chefler propagates in three main ways, however, many owners of this ornamental plant claim that this procedure is quite laborious:
- Seeds - the method is problematic, since the chefler rarely blooms, which makes it impossible to collect seed;
- Cuttings - only healthy shoots are used, soaked in stimulants such as Heterouaxin for 5-7 hours and planted under plastic bottle without forgetting to ventilate regularly;
- Air layering, which can be obtained by making a small incision on the stem of the sheflera and sealing it with sphagnum soaked in phytohormone, with regular moistening of the moss, young roots will appear at the site of the cut, and after 60 days, the branch with roots can be carefully cut and rooted in the soil.
Schefflera transplant
Each person involved in the cultivation of cheflera needs to familiarize himself with the basic rules for transplanting it, since this procedure must be carried out at regular intervals of every two years. This condition is due to the natural growth of the plant, due to which it becomes crowded in the current pot.
The main nuances that will need to be considered before transplantation are given below:
- The new pot in which the plant will be planted is selected in such a way that its diameter is 5 cm larger than that of the previous container.
- During transplant prerequisite is a replacement soil mixture new soil.
- Holes are necessarily made in the bottom surface of the new pot, which are necessary for natural air exchange and elimination of excess moisture. If their diameter turns out to be too large, then it will be possible to additionally lay a layer of mesh, which will not allow the soil to fall out.
- Most good period for transplantation - this is spring, especially March or early April. This is due to the release of the plant from sleepy state, all its life processes are activated and the flower adapts to new conditions much faster, in addition, a change of scenery can stimulate its growth and development.
- Only young plants need frequent transplants, quite mature and very large bushes move to new pots much less frequently.
Watering sheflers
Like any plant in the tropics, she loves moderate watering, as the topsoil dries out. In summer, the plant is watered every 2-4 days, depending on the temperature and humidity of the environment, in winter - once every 10-12 days. Sheflera needs periodic spraying with soft, slightly cool water. You can put a container with a plant in small pallet with water or damp moss. The plant will absorb the required amount of moisture drainage hole and leaflets.
top dressing cheflera
The plant needs a complex of vitamins and minerals, which will give it the opportunity to grow and develop. This will help top dressing with any complex mineral fertilizer for decorative leafy plants. Top dressing is carried out through watering or spraying the leaves. In summer 2 times a month, in winter - 1 time.
flowering sheflers
As mentioned above, sheflera in room color is rare. This is due to the necessary balance of air humidity and intense lighting, which is difficult to create in an apartment.
If flowering occurs, then the flowers are paniculate inflorescences yellow color from small flowers. Flowering comes in summer.
Due to what the process of forming sheflers takes place
The fact is that the stem of the plant does not stiffen immediately. Initially, it is green, flexible and plastic. Only after some time the bark will cover it and any impact can lead to damage. But the young sprout for the first few months in skillful hands can turn into anything. Our guest from the subtropical climate can branch absolutely independently and involuntarily. This does not always play into the hands of the owners, sometimes you have to cut off the "extra" shoots.
Shaflers crown formation
Prune the flower to form lush crown and reduce vertical dimensions fast growing varieties. The pruning tool must be sharp. Slices are best processed with crushed coal.
And now, when you have done everything for the full growth of healthy decorative leaves, you begin the actual formation of the crown. To do this, first decide whether you want to grow a chefler in the form of a bush, tree or bonsai. If in the form of a tree, then you need to wait for the desired height of the trunk and cut off the crown. This is where branching starts. Not always everything goes as it should, it happens that several times you have to make adjustments. If you want to get a bush, then cut off the top of the head earlier (on a small stem). And add such a technique as cutting the stem over a sleeping kidney - then you can persuade the chefler to branch along the entire trunk. Several shoots planted in one pot also look decorative. If this is a bush, then it turns out to be voluminous and dense. And if a tree, then often the trunks are intertwined in the form of a braid. In any case, the matter will not be limited to a one-time trimming of the trunk. It is necessary to constantly pinch the side branches, adjusting their length so that the crown does not become one-sided. It will also contribute to the constant branching of the shoots.
Of course, you shouldn't overdo it. Each subsequent pinching should be done only when the chefler comes to his senses from the previous one and continues active growth. That is why in winter, if the plant suffers from high indoor temperatures and dry air, it is better not to touch it, but to postpone crown formation until spring.
Features of care at rest cheflers
In the cold season, the growth rate of cheflers slows down, so watering should also be reduced, especially if the air temperature in the room has dropped significantly. Watering restrictions are necessary to avoid root rot. In winter, the plant does not need to be fed.
Schefflera in the interior
Shefler, with competent and proper care, can become a decoration of any interior. It will help create coziness in the room and will delight the eye with pleasant greenery. Since the chefler is very large plant, it can be advantageously used for decoration winter garden, living room or other large space.
Did you know? At home, the plant rarely blooms, but if you still want to see its color, then pick up a tighter pot for sheflera.
Latin name: Schefflera
Family: araliaceae
Homeland: subtropics and tropics of America
Schefflera unique umbrella for office and home
Schefflera is the most numerous genus of plants in the tropics, more than two hundred species of which adorn the Araliaceae family with their decorative effect.
By the name of her sheffler, she is grateful to Carl Linnaeus, who glorified the name of his friend, the famous German phytologist of the eighteenth century Scheffler Jacob Christian.
Native places can be considered tropical forest areas of Asia, its South-Eastern part, the Australian continent, the islands of New Guinea, Java, Taiwan, Hawaii. Here, the southern miracle of nature is represented by evergreen trees, shrubs, sometimes even lianas, reaching six meters in height. They are covered with inconspicuous, small, white flowers, collected in complex paniculate inflorescences resembling an umbrella.
No less charming is the sheffler flower in room conditions. This exotic, evergreen, spreading bush with flexible branches and unusual shape leaves can betray any interior, especially spacious and bright rooms, uniqueness and comfort. Of the many types of sheffler create beautiful bonsai.
Amazing and unique building shefflera leaves, resembling a palm with fingers spread wide apart, attracts the attention of flower lovers. Each leaf consists of 6-12 ovate bright green, flexible, dissected leaflets that emerge from one central point, imitating an open umbrella. Thanks to this analogy, the sheffler got its middle name - the umbrella tree.
Scheffler types
Schefflera tree (Schefflera arboricola)
A flowering evergreen shrub that came to our area from the islands of Hainan and Taiwan. In its homeland, a plant with an upright, branching trunk reaches a height of four meters. The leaves are compound, palmate, having up to nine leaf blades with dimensions up to 20 cm long and up to 10 cm wide. Young shoots of tree-like shefflera are light green, and become light brown with age.
Based on this species, new varieties have been developed: Amate - has very beautiful shiny waxy leaves, is less damaged by pests and is less demanding on lighting; the Gold Capella variety has an incredible resemblance to a palm tree, in which green leaves are painted with small yellow spots.
Schefflera radiant or star-leaved (Schefflera actinophylla)
It is also called the "green star". One of the most common types. IN natural conditions This single-stem or double-stem plant reaches a height of fifteen meters. This is growing great decorative tree in gardens and greenhouses subject to a warm mild climate.
At home, it can reach a height of 2.5 m. On a gray-brown upright trunk, red-brown long petioles majestically bearing bright green, shiny, large leaves are located. They consist of 8 - 15 independent leaf blades. The length of elegant jagged leaves reaches 60 cm. Small bright red flowers form inflorescences, the result is clusters of purple fruits.
Schefflera octophylla (Schefflera octophylla)
Tropicanka from wet mixed Indian, Japanese and Chinese forests. Here trees or shrubs of the eight-leaved sheffler reach a height of 15 m.
Original light green rosettes of 8-11 glossy, leathery, oval leaf plates are located on drooping creamy thirty-centimeter petioles. back side matte green leaves. In late autumn, the plant is decorated with inflorescences of white flowers, and by December, fruits appear.
Matches made from softwood plants are in demand. ethnoscience heals colds, bruises, injuries with the help of infusion of leaves and bark of the roots of shefflera eight-leafed.
Schefflera Janine (Schefflera Janine)
The variegated beauty has gained popularity due to its unpretentiousness when grown. It grows well in the shade, retaining bright green leaves and dark, chaotically arranged contrast stains and blotches.
Sheffler Nora
Elegant foliage and not fastidious care of Nora's shefflers are more and more popular with flower growers. A lush crown of long, narrow, light olive leaves with yellow spots can create coziness and a positive atmosphere in the house.
Scheffler Luzean
A very graceful shefflera Louisiana is absolutely not demanding in care. Fulfilling only general rules cultivation, you can tirelessly admire its decorative openwork leaves. When the plant is located in a sunny room, its leathery, shiny leaves will become even more variegated with yellow or white patches.
Sheffler Gerd
This variety does not require special care. In diffused lighting, it will feel great and is able to reach up to 2.5 m in height. Variegated Tropicanka, from white-green to yellow-green colors, will be grateful for moderate soil moisture and normal room temperature in the range of 16-20 ° C.
Sheffler Charlotte
More recently, breeders have bred the Sheffler Charlotte variety. Landscape designers plant trees and shrubs with this beauty in office and residential premises.
The light leaves of the Charlotte shefflers on the outside have a dark green edge. On the other hand, the leaf has a darker and more saturated color.
Schefflera digitata (Schefflera digitata)
Sheffler is native to the tropical forests of New Zealand, where it can reach a height of eight meters. The leaves of the plant, divided into 7-10 palmate, soft and thin plates with pointed tips, are very similar to palm ones. Large flowers form a paniculate inflorescence, resulting in the formation edible fruits purple- a favorite delicacy of birds and insects.
Local with the help of flower juice treat skin ulcers and ringworm. In ancient times, shefflers used wood of this type for making fire. Now the indigenous people are massively selling souvenirs and crafts from the plant to numerous travelers, so the sheffler is on the verge of extinction.
Scheffler home care
Schefflera - a plant of the rainforest zone. This beautiful, unpretentious, thermophilic, picturesque, abundantly branching plant needs to be patronized no more than the rest of the green inhabitants of the windowsill. This beauty will decorate any interior. Young shefflers will feel good next to other indoor plants, and adults look especially majestic in splendid isolation.
Scheffler, caring for her is not at all difficult, but in order to contemplate this beauty, you need to work a little and fulfill the following growing conditions.
Location selection
Shefflera's permanent place of residence should be well lit, direct rays of the bright sun, drafts and sudden changes in temperature should be excluded.
The normal limit of temperature fluctuations is 16 -25 ˚С, in winter it is not lower than 12˚С, and the ideal temperature will be 18˚С.
The territories on the western and eastern sides are most suitable, the main thing is away from the batteries central heating. Variegated forms require bright light, while greens are suitable for a northern room.
In summer, the plant will be more pleasant on fresh air in the garden or on the balcony.
Schefflera loves high humidity, wants regular spraying with warm, soft water.
Watering
In summer, when shefflera grows intensively, the soil should be kept moist, but without stagnant water, in order to prevent root rot. Sufficient watering 2-3 times a week, the topsoil should be slightly dried. In winter, watering is significantly reduced to once a week. If the room is cold, water the plant even less frequently. Soft, warm water should be used.
The soil
will grow in any fertile soil, but you need to choose a slightly acidic, light, which passes air and water well.
You can buy ready-made soil. Suitable mixture for palm trees, decorative flowers.
Grows well in a mixture of: sod land, coarse sand, peat, humus, leafy soil - all ingredients in equal quantities. Drainage required.
top dressing
Intensive plant growth requires the introduction liquid fertilizer, half diluted, every two weeks. You can set the order of organic and mineral fertilizers. crushed eggshell will also only benefit the sheffler. During rest, top dressing is not needed.
Scheffler transplant
Repot every three years. The main indicator for transplanting will be the filling of the pot with roots and their appearance in the pot hole. For transplantation, a flowerpot of a larger diameter by five or six centimeters of the previous one is needed.
Sheffler breeding
Shefflers can be propagated by cuttings, air layering and seeds. The easiest way to propagate the plant is by cuttings. It is necessary to cut off a fifteen-centimeter apical stalk, treat it with root formation stimulants root or heteroauxin. Can be rooted in a damp mixture of perlite and peat or sand. Rooting is also possible in water.
Reproduction by seeds is a more laborious process. Seeds need to be sown in a mini-greenhouse and kept in dark place. The seeds will germinate in about a month. They need to provide diffused light and a temperature of at least 18 ° C. Next, we plant them in separate flowerpots for a permanent place of growth.
Diseases and pests
Schefflera can be affected by: scutellum, spider mite, thrips, mealybug, aphids. Uninvited guests can be immediately seen on the trunk and leaf plates of the flower. We immediately take measures to eliminate insects. First of all, we apply soap solution wiping the plant with a cloth. If this procedure is not enough, we move on to more stringent measures. Actellic solution will help.
Possible difficulties in growing shefflers
- Scheffler sheds leaves, and harmful insects not detected. Why do sheflers fall leaves? Certainly not comfortable growing conditions for the plant. In the winter months, there is a lower temperature and, for sure, the soil is waterlogged. In the summer months - intense heat, drafts.
- The edges of the leaves turned black - the plant is in a draft, insufficient watering.
- Leaves are covered with white or yellow spots- an excess of sunlight.
- Pale dull color of leaves, elongated stems - insufficient lighting and nutrients.
- The edges of the leaves dry up, the color is dull - increased temperature and low humidity, increase watering and spraying frequency.
- Rotting roots - excessive watering, low temperature content.
Schefflera is an air purifier - it absorbs benzene, saturates the air with oxygen and increases its humidity. It is necessary to reduce contact with shefflera of children and animals in the same way as a plant poisonously . is toxic philodendron .
Carefully care for your shefflera, which will devour negative energy, will help to cope with anxieties and neuroses, instill a state of cheerfulness and peace.
Shefler(or sheffler), the plant is unpretentious, and therefore popular. For novice flower growers (and not only beginners, but also experienced ones), a combination of beauty and unpretentiousness is always preferable. So the shefflera settled in city apartments and various offices, where there is simply no time to pay enough attention to them. And nothing lives ... But in order to grow a really beautiful plant, you just need to know the rules for caring for a sheflera and follow them.
Caring for a sheflera (schefflera) at home
Lighting and temperature
It is better to place the chefler in a well-lit place without scorching direct sunlight and drafts. As long as the plant is small and easily placed on the windowsill, the windowsills of the western and eastern windows are the most suitable place for it. At the same time, one should take into account the important point. If you have a sheffler with plain, green leaves, then she needs less light than variegated species. If there is not enough light, then the leaves of such a plant will easily lose their variegation. The opposite also happens. More than once I had to see a shefler standing in a sun-drenched place, with discolored leaves, and it was only with great difficulty to determine what they were originally.
Sheffler breeding (shefflers)
At home, this indoor flower propagates mainly by cuttings; seed propagation of the plant is used much less frequently.
For propagation by cuttings, first of all, you need to pick up suitable material. These should be developed, strong, semi-lignified cuttings. Before planting, the cutting must be prepared. The best preparation it will be kept in a solution of heteroauxin or root for 6-8 hours.
You can not soak the cutting, but simply dip its cut in root powder before planting. For planting a cutting, a mixture of peat and sand (perlite) is best suited. But it may not be enough to choose the right, prepare the stalk and make the right earth mixture, the stalk will not be accepted. It's all about the temperature required for the rooting of the cutting. More precisely - in the temperature of the soil, which should be maintained within + 20-22 degrees. Undoubtedly, best option- the use of mini-greenhouses with bottom heating, but not every grower has it on the farm. A shelf fitted above a heating radiator can serve as a way out. Here you can put a pot with a handle on it, covering it with a transparent cap. Of course, this option is only possible in heating season. But it is in the spring, when the heating has not yet been turned off, that it is desirable for the sheffler to breed. Throughout the entire time of rooting, the stalk must be periodically ventilated and sprayed, remove condensate from the cap. bright lighting during rooting is not required, on the contrary, it should be very moderate. After the cutting gives roots, there is no need to rush to transplant it into a permanent pot, let the roots braid the entire earthen lump. After rooting, the pot with the young plant is already placed in a well-lit place.
Reproduction of shefflers by seeds at home is a longer process and largely depends on the quality of the seeds themselves. That's why it's less popular. The very same technology of this method is quite simple, and is similar to growing from seeds of other indoor plants or regular.
You can sow seeds in a mixture of peat (or leafy soil) and sand, or a regular peat-based all-purpose mixture. Before planting, the seeds must be prepared for germination, this will significantly increase the chances of more active germination. To do this, they can be soaked in a solution of any stimulant (in epin, for example). Good result gives soaking in . After processing, shefler seeds are planted in moist soil to a depth approximately equal to two sizes of the seed itself. After planting, cover the container with seeds with a film or cap. Lower heating, as in propagation by cuttings, is highly desirable. When the seed germinates, and 2-3 true leaves appear on the seedlings, they can also dive. Young cheflers grow quickly, and quite soon (in 3-4 months) they will require more spacious dishes.
Possible difficulties
- If the sheflera leaves turn black and begin to fall off, then this is a very alarming sign. Most likely, the plant was flooded and the roots began to rot. In this case, an emergency transplant is required.
- If only the tips of the leaves of the flower turn black, then this indicates dry air in the house. Any accessible way increase the air humidity for the plant.
This plant with touchingly splayed leaves, resembling a human palm, has recently been cultivated, but has already managed to win the hearts of flower growers with its decorative effect and unpretentiousness. Caring for a sheflera flower at home is simple, it is feasible even for beginner flower growers.
The genus of shefler, to which the flower belongs, is numerous and has up to 200 species. Far from all are suitable for indoor culture, some can grow up to 40 m in natural conditions. At home, the height of the plant is much less, but some varieties reach the ceiling of the room. The flower easily tolerates pruning and shaping, here the grower's fantasy can run wild. Most often in room culture you can find the following species.
Sheflera eight-leafed.
On creamy drooping petioles, there are from 8 to 12 large (up to 40 cm in length) glossy green leaves. The leaf veins have more light color. There are variegated forms. At home, in Asian countries, it grows in the form of a bush or tree and reaches a height of 2 to 16 m.
Schefflera treelike.
Despite the name, it has a small height, although it grows in the form of a branched tree. The leaves reach a length of up to 20 cm. For the Amate variety, less light is needed than for other species, moreover, it is very resistant to pests. Its leaves are bright green and shiny. The Gold Capella variety also has green leaves, but with small yellow spots. The plant itself looks like a small palm tree. In Taiwan, where it grows wild, it is a four-meter evergreen shrub. In room culture there are many miniature varieties with monochromatic and variegated foliage: Melanie - does not grow above 50 cm, Charlotte has beautiful white spots on leathery leaves, and the Caster variety is intended for lovers of small forms, 30 cm is the limit of its height. Tree sheflera is successfully grown as a bonsai.
Sheflera radiant.
Sometimes it is called star-leaved. It is found in culture most often. It grows as a tree with a gray-brown straight trunk. On brown-red long petioles, 7 ovate green shiny leaves with lighter veins and a wavy edge. Variety Nova is distinguished by its oaky leaf shape. At home, in Australia, it is an epiphyte that grows on trees in tropical forests and feeds on aerial roots. In the room it quickly grows up to 80 cm, then grows slowly.
Schefflera is the most elegant.
Even at home, in Australia and New Zealand, it reaches a height of only 2 m. It does not grow above 50 cm in a room. It has unusual elongated leaves with jagged edges, sometimes decorated with a beige edging.
Shefler Veitch.
Young leaves of this species have a reddish tint. They turn green with age. The leaves themselves are wavy, the edge with rounded teeth.
Sheflera business.
In the forests of Western China, it grows up to 3 m, in a room - only up to 50 cm. The leaf is unusual for a chefler, it resembles oak in shape, but is much larger in size. This species is less sensitive to light than others.
Shefler flower - growing features
Sheflera is a plant of the tropics. It is difficult to create such conditions in the room, but the flower does not pretend to them. It is enough just to observe the light and temperature regime, protect it from drafts, properly water and feed. For variegated forms, it is especially important good illumination, otherwise the plant may lose the brightness of the color of the leaves.
Home care
The plant is unpretentious, but if you do not create it necessary conditions, may simply shed its leaves and lose all its decorative effect. As soon as the care is adjusted, the cheflera quickly builds up leaf mass.
When working with a flower, you need to remember that the plant sap contains irritating mucous and skin substances, so all manipulations associated with pruning should be carried out with gloves.
Lighting, temperature control
This native of the tropics loves the light, but only tolerates direct sunlight at home. In a room, the midday sun can cause burns on the leaves. Therefore, the most best windows proportion of sheflers - oriented to the southeast or southwest. Some species are able to feel good on the northern window, but not variegated forms. They need more light - then the color of the leaves will be especially contrasting. IN winter period the flower needs to be provided with maximum illumination, so it is better to rearrange it to the south window.
Rotate the pot periodically to keep the plant growing evenly.
The temperature regime for cheflers depends on the time of year. In winter, in a state of relative rest, she needs from 14 to 18 degrees Celsius. For variegated forms, the temperature should be higher than for plants with completely green leaves. Suitable for summer room temperature but not higher than 30 degrees. Unlike many domestic plants, sheflera is not afraid of temperature fluctuations, on the contrary, they benefit her by increasing vitality flower. Therefore, feel free to take it out into the garden with the onset of heat, just pick up a place with a lace shadow at noon.
Soil Requirements
The soil the plant loves is light and nutritious, well absorbing air and moisture. The soil reaction should be neutral or slightly acidic.
You can get by with purchased soil intended for palm trees or make a soil mixture of the following composition:
- sod land - 2 parts;
- peat, sand, humus, leaf earth - 1 part each.
Watering and humidity
Watering for this plant should be moderate. Overflow is fraught with rotting of the root system, it should not be allowed. Water the flower when the topsoil dries out a little, in summer - 2 or 3 times a week, in winter - 1 time. Complete drying of the earthen coma should not be allowed.
Sheflera loves high humidity. Raise it in the following ways:
- spraying the plant several times a day with soft and warm water;
- wiping the leaves with a wet cloth;
- by placing the pot in a tray with moist expanded clay or moss, but so that the moisture does not touch the drainage hole.
For any water treatment only soft water with a minimum salt content is suitable. Its temperature should be slightly higher than that of the surrounding air.
Top dressing and fertilizer
As soon as the first new leaf appears in the spring, they begin to feed the chefler. Do it every 2 weeks complex fertilizer For ornamental plants, slightly reducing the dosage against the norm. Once a month it is useful to spray the leaves with a solution of immunostimulants.
How to cut a chefler?
Trim the flower in order to form a lush crown and reduce the vertical dimensions of fast-growing varieties. The first pruning is carried out in a grown plant, shortening the apical shoot by 4 internodes. The pruning tool must be sharp. Slices are best processed with crushed coal. After the appearance and growth of lateral shoots, you can begin to form a spherical crown, cutting off their tops. All cuttings can be used for propagation. Pruning weakens the plant, so do it in stages.
Transfer
Young sheflera requires an annual transplant, which is carried out in the spring. For an adult plant, this procedure is carried out every few years, choosing a pot larger than the previous one. Upper layer the substrate in adult plants is changed annually. The shefler flower needs good drainage - the volume of the drainage layer of expanded clay, fragments of an old pot or brick should occupy a quarter of the entire pot.
Feeding transplanted plants begin when they release a new leaf.
rest period
It is very important for the plant. In low light conditions, he needs to slow down his metabolism.
To do this, do the following:
- reduce feeding, it is enough to feed the shefler 2 times during the winter;
- reduce watering;
- reduce the temperature;
- lighting during this period should be the maximum possible, this is especially important for variegated forms.
Chefler flower reproduction
Reproduction of sheflera can be carried out with almost lignified cuttings, seeds and air layering.
- They cut the shefler in the spring, making an oblique cut and leaving no more than three leaves on the handle, which are shortened by half. The cut must be dipped in a root formation stimulator and planted in a wet mixture of peat and sand under plastic bag. In order for the cutting to take root, the soil temperature must be about 25 degrees. The bag is removed 1-2 times a day for ventilation, and the soil is moistened so that it does not dry out. When the roots grow, young plants are seated in pots with a diameter of 9-10 cm.
Cuttings of variegated forms take root more difficult than green-leaved ones.
- Sheflera seeds can be bought at a flower shop. Before sowing, they are soaked in an immunostimulant, for example, in Epin, and then sown in a mixture of peat and sand to a depth of about 2 cm and covered with a plastic bag. Germination is possible at a temperature of about 25 degrees. You can seat cheflers in separate cups when the second sheet appears. At first, young cheflers need warmth.
- Air layering is obtained by making a notch on the stem and wrapping this place with moss moistened in a solution of a root formation stimulator. Moss must be kept constantly moist. It is best to wrap it in plastic. As soon as the roots appear, and it happens after 2 months, the cuttings are cut off and planted in a permanent place. If you continue to look after mother plant, wrapping the cut with wet moss, it will begin to branch.
- The plant responds by dropping leaves on too high temperature in summer or too low in winter. Another reason is over watering. The plant loses leaves and if it does not have enough light.
- Yellow leaves can be a signal that pests have appeared on the flower. If they are not, then the flower is simply too hot.
- Sheflera leaves turn black if the root rots, which happens with excessive watering. The plant is taken out of the pot, the damaged roots are cut off and sprinkled with crushed coal, dried and planted again. dark spots, starting from the tips, appear on the chefler with low air humidity and a lack of moisture in the pot.
