Sheflera is an elegant and unpretentious home plant with beautiful carved leaves. It is used for gardening apartments, offices, restaurants and cafes.
It is easy to care for a flower; a properly placed plant quickly grows. Another plus cheflera - ease of reproduction.
You can increase the number of plants very quickly, for this you need seeds, cuttings or individual leaves, taken from the maternal specimen.
Brief information for an amateur grower
Dekorativnolistvennaya Sheflera - long-lived plant with graceful dark green shiny leaves, gathered in umbrellas-rosettes. Flower slightly resembles a compact palm and brings to the apartment an exotic atmosphere.
Sheflera come from subtropics, she prefers abundant watering in spring and summerWith the onset of cold weather, the amount of moisture in the soil should be reduced. For the successful development and beautiful appearance of the flower need fertilizer complex liquid fertilizer. You need to feed the plant in the warm season, 1 time in 2 weeks.
At home, the plant does not bloombut its leaves retain their beauty all year round, without turning yellow or falling off. For a good state of health and active growth, a chefler needs a room that is not too hot without drafts, a diffused bright light, and frequent spraying of leaves.
NOTE on three more bushy plants: Skimmia, Leptospermum and Rakitnik. They can also be a decoration for your home or garden.
How to reproduce the chef at home?
Methods of reproduction Schefflera: seeds, leaves and cuttings, like most houseplants. At home, the seeds can not be obtained, planting material will have to buy in greenhouses.
But cuttings, cuttings and leaves can be taken from the mother plant without any problems, and these are the methods that should be used by novice growers.
It is better to start dividing the bush in spring or in the first half of summer. Planted at this time of year, young specimens take root better and are actively growing.
Pruning does not harm the mother plant, stimulating the best tillering and the formation of new shoots.
Planting cuttings
The most convenient way - reproduction cheflerov cuttings. Rooting requires strong, healthy shoots without visible damage. The ideal cutting has a soft, half-cracked stalk, on which there should be 6-7 leaves. The selected process is cut obliquely with a sharp knife, the lower leaves are removed.
While the plant is preparing for planting, you need to find a suitable container. It should not be too big, after 2 years the plant will have to be transplanted. Suitable plastic pot with drainage holes, which is installed on a shallow tray.
It is better to use a new capacity, The pot that has been used will have to be thoroughly rinsed and sterilized.. Cuttings can be planted in the home greenhouse, which is placed on the window.
For young cheflera need a light groundconsisting of equal parts of peat and washed river sand. Fit and ready mix for indoor plants. At the bottom of the pot fit layer of expanded clay, pebbles or broken bricks.
After that, the container is filled with soil so that 2-3 cm from the edges remain free. The soil should be slightly tamped and moistened with a spray gun. Soft water is suitable for irrigation (for example, rainwater, settled or boiled).
The cuttings treated with stimulants are planted in the prepared soil. Each sprout should be covered with a plastic cap, cut off the bottom of a plastic bottle or a glass jar. Plants are placed in well-lit place without drafts.
A stable temperature regime (20-23 degrees) and the absence of direct sunlight are recommended. Lighting should be bright, slightly diffused. For the fastest rooting of the cuttings can be further highlighted.
Important. Once a day, young plants are satisfied with airing, removing the caps or cans for a few minutes. Gradually, the time for airing increases, tempering sprouts.
It is important to monitor soil moisture. Overdrying is unacceptablebut intensive watering is also not recommended. In order not to overmoisten the soil, it is recommended to spray the plant and the ground around it with warm boiled water.
Rooting cuttings in water
Some growers prefer to root the stalk in the water and only after the roots appear, plant it in the soil.
A sturdy shoot, cut off with a sharp knife, is placed in a growth stimulator solution, and after 7 hours it is transferred to a container with clean, soft water at room temperature.
Usually roots appear after 2-3 weeks. After that, the young plant can be planted in the selected pot and placed on a bright diffused light. Hardening is not required. Important keep it away from burning sun and drafts.
The transplanted chefler needs to be sprayed 1 time in 2-3 days. Water the plant can be slightly warm soft water through the pan. It is important to ensure that the earthen room does not dry out, and the leaves are not covered with dust.
Breeding leaves
For planting, you can use individual leaves. This method is less reliable.It is believed that a separate sheet takes root worse. In order to increase the chances of success, the sheet is not cut out of the socket, but is torn off so that a sufficiently wide base remains. Maternal plant it does not hurt.
A torn sheet is planted in a small pot with a pre-prepared substrate.
Important do not dig it down so as not to cause rot.
The container with the plant is covered with a plastic cup or cut off the bottom of the bottle and placed in a well-lit place. It is impossible to pour a freshly planted leaf, the soil should be wet, but not excessively damp. It is very important to monitor the temperature. If the room is cold, the plant will not take root..
Seeds
Some growers prefer the sowing of seeds purchased in the greenhouse. This method takes more time., but when you buy quality material germination is good.
For work need a greenhouse room. It can be replaced with a shallow container and plastic wrap. Sowing begins in late winter or early spring.
Before sowing seeds worth soak in a growth stimulator for 10-12 hours. Then they are planted in the prepared substrate and sprinkled with earth.
Excessive deepening of the seeds is not necessary. The soil is sprayed with lukewarm water, the container is tightened with plastic wrap or covered with glass. When using a mini-hothouse, simply close the lid.
For better germination, the greenhouse is placed in a well-lit place, ideal temperature - 22-24 degrees. Seeds will sprout in 2 months or later.
NOTE! During the period of germination, it is important to maintain a stable temperature and regularly moisten the soil, preventing flooding. From time to time you need to open the lid of the greenhouse, providing fresh air.
After the appearance of the first leaves, young seedlings are transplanted into mini-pots with a fresh substrate. The temperature slightly decreases (up to 18-20 degrees). Then the sprout will develop well, you can transplant it again. After that, the plant requires regular care with regular watering, spraying and regular dressing.
Sheflera ideal for developing skills florist. Having learned to propagate this unpretentious plant, you can do other, more capricious species. Experiment with growth promoters, irrigation options and fertilizers. The reward for the work will be strong, beautiful and healthy plants that adorn an apartment or office.
