How do you care for the unusual foliage plant Schefflera arboricola?

Schefflera arboricola is also commonly called dwarf umbrella tree. Usually the potted plants we choose to place in our homes are small to medium-sized, because this better suits our sense of aesthetics and space. Schefflera arboricola, by comparison, tends more toward being a large potted plant, so if your living room has a fairly large space, you might want to try growing a Schefflera arboricola. Its grand and simple air gives you a distinctive feeling.

I. Cultivation of Schefflera arboricola

Generally speaking, Schefflera arboricola can be propagated by sowing seeds or by cuttings. Since the survival rate of seedlings from cuttings is somewhat higher, here is how to grow Schefflera arboricola using the cutting method. To grow Schefflera arboricola by cuttings, first select a robust or well-growing Schefflera arboricola and cut off a section of branch as your material, usually 12-15 cm in length is suitable, and remove the leaves from the lower half of the branch while keeping only the leaves on the upper half.

When taking cuttings, choose the branches to insert into the soil according to the size of the container, and keep a certain spacing so they have enough room to sprout and grow. At the same time, the portion of the branch inserted into the soil should be about two-thirds of the branch length. After the cuttings are done, just water with an appropriate amount of water to keep the potting soil moist.

Then you wait for the branches to slowly take root, which takes about 40-50 days. After the cuttings have rooted, they still need to be grown on for another half a month to a month, during which you only need to keep enough moisture. Finally, the rooted branches are transplanted. After transplanting, the potted plant should be grown under shady conditions for 7-10 days, and after that it can be placed in a suitable environment to grow.

II. Daily care of Schefflera arboricola

1. Choice of soil

The best potting soil after transplanting is a mix of fertile yet loose garden soil, leaf mold and sandy soil, with a ratio of about 3:2:5 being most suitable. If you worry that the soil is not loose enough, you can also sprinkle in an appropriate amount of river sand, or if the soil is not fertile enough, just place a small piece of decomposed manure or cake fertilizer at the bottom of the container.

2. Light conditions

Schefflera arboricola is relatively suited to growing in a semi-shady environment, so the potted plant needs to be placed where it receives diffused light. Avoid the strong light of summer shining on Schefflera arboricola, otherwise its leaves will suffer considerable damage and its good growth will also be affected. In addition, the placement of the potted plant in winter also requires some care. Since Schefflera arboricola is not cold-tolerant, the surrounding ambient temperature must be above 12°C to prevent the plant from being damaged by frost. Friends in the north in particular must move the potted plant indoors for care.

3. Sufficient moisture

Schefflera arboricola grows better in a relatively humid environment, so in daily care you need to pay close attention to controlling the moisture in the soil, but you must not let water accumulate in the potting soil. And in winter, when the temperature is relatively low, since Schefflera arboricola enters a dormant state, watering can be reduced. Conversely, in summer it needs more watering and increased air humidity.

4. Other matters

Schefflera arboricola grows relatively fast in a suitable environment, so this also easily leads to the plant's branches often becoming leggy, which is why regular pruning of Schefflera arboricola is very necessary. On one hand, it can improve the ornamental value of the potted plant; on the other hand, it also allows the plant to grow better.