Updated at: 28-06-2022 - By: Sienna Lewis

Umbrella plant Schefflera can survive cold temperatures in USDA plant hardiness zone 11. A schefflera is a houseplant in climate zones 11 and lower. Glossy, dark green leaves spread forth from the plant’s crown. Schefflera can grow to a height of more than 2 feet and a width of the same amount. Take cuttings of your schefflera and root them to increase your plant population.

Step 1

A 4-inch pot should be filled with potting soil that drains effectively. You should have about a third of an inch of dirt showing above the rim of the container.

Step 2

Find a strong schefflera stem by inspecting the plant carefully.

Step 3

Remove a 6-inch section of the stem using a razor or sharp knife. Make a 45-degree angle with your cut.

Step 4

Take off all but the top four or five leaves on the stem.

How to Propagate Schefflera - Plants Craze

Step 5

Please moisten the first 1.5 inches of the stem by dipping the cut end into a glass of water. Cuts should be shaken to get rid of any extra moisture.

Step 6

Rooting hormone should be applied on the wet end. To get rid of any remaining rooting hormone, tap the stem.

Step 7

Rooting hormone is inserted into a hole you make in the potting soil with a pencil.

Step 8

For the sake of maintaining humidity, cover the pot with a plastic bag.

Step 9

Apply a uniform coating of water to the soil in the container. Water should drain via the pores in the bottom.

Step 10

Keep the pot out of direct sunlight but in a well-lit area. The plastic bag traps the sun’s heat, making the environment uncomfortable to be in.

Step 11

Make sure the soil is consistently moist by checking it once a day. The soil should be kept at a consistent moisture level, neither too dry nor too wet. After a month, examine the cutting to see if it has taken root. Roots should be allowed to grow before the plastic bag is removed.

How Can I Root Schefflera Cuttings?

Can you tell me the best way to get schefflera cuttings to root? Schefflera cuttings are relatively simple to root. Before handling your plants, wipe your knife down with an alcohol pad to kill any microorganisms.

Take a little piece of the stem from the plant’s base and cover it in a damp paper towel. To slow the plant’s dehydration while it roots, divide each leaf in half lengthwise. Put new potting soil into a pot that is 6 inches (15 cm) in diameter. Dig a hole in the ground about 5 centimeters (2 inches) deep using a pencil. Rooting hormone powder can be sprinkled on the cut end of the cutting, then the cutting is placed in the hole and the earth is patted lightly around the stem to hold it in place.

Keep the soil moist and put the container somewhere that receives indirect light. In a matter of weeks, the stem will start to develop its own set of roots. Cutting off the plant’s growing tip when it sends up new green shoots is a good way to promote further growth and branching.

Meet the Schefflera

As a result of its attractive leaf patterns and unique growth habit, Schefflera arboricola is a popular houseplant. In a spoke-like arrangement at the summit of a tall stem, glossy, forest-green leaflets spread out. The full-grown plants’ leaflets measure up to 12 inches in length. However, they should be kept away from any pets in the house as they can be harmful.

The rapid growth of the plant is not limited to its leaves. When you bring them home from the garden center, these plants might be 2 or 3 feet tall, but in little time at all, they will tower over you. They can grow to be beyond 2 meters tall. Small red blooms form compound panicles on the shrub if it receives enough sunlight. During the fall, these transform into drupes.

Propagate the Schefflera

An umbrella plant can be easily propagated from a stem cutting since it roots rapidly. Umbrella tree trimmings are most successful in the spring. The tools you’ll need are clean, sharp pruners; small pots filled with moist potting soil; and rooting hormone.

Take a cutting or two from a strong plant and put them in a new pot. Cut at a 45-degree angle, the cuts should be about 6 inches in length. When taking a cutting, remove all of the bottom leaves and immerse the end in rooting hormone. A hole can be made in the potting soil using the eraser end of a pencil, and the plant can then be set in the pot. For the second slicing, just do it again.

Put the containers in bright, indirect light and cover them with clear plastic bags to keep the moisture in. The plants need to be misted every day. There should be root development within three weeks. Afterwards, you may take the bag off and let the seedlings flourish.

Premium Photo | Cutting with root of schefflera arboricola or dwarf umbrella tree named in bottle of water and pot with soil for planting on the wooden background

Care for the Schefflera

Umbrella plants thrive in bright light, but they don’t like having their leaves directly exposed to the sun. So long as you provide them with a warm location that gets plenty of sunlight and plenty of water, they require very little maintenance.

The schefflera has several problems with water. It needs about an inch of water every week during the growing season, but the soil should be allowed to dry out between waterings. Use less water in the winter. Important information, given that they require less water in the winter and are susceptible to death from overwatering.

How Long Does It Take Schefflera To Root In Water?

It’s a waiting game till the roots develop after you put the cutting in water. Plants that develop new roots and shoots at the top usually benefit from being transplanted to a larger, more suitable pot. The first signs of roots should appear around six weeks after you begin propagating. When the roots begin to show, the new leaves will emerge shortly thereafter. There should be a new plant that is flourishing under your care after two or three months.

Applying root hormone to the cutting’s tip before immersing it in water might hasten or enhance roots. Intense root branching and the production of tiny root hairs are both prompted by the rooting hormone. After applying the chemical to the tips of your cuttings, you can use it again on the roots themselves when it’s time to transplant.

Can Schefflera Live In Water?

Schefflera is able to adapt to a watery environment and can survive in up to 15 centimeters of water (6 inches). Schefflera thrives in wet conditions and can be securely planted in the ground with the help of some rocks. If you have a pond, you can put these plants in there and barely do anything for them. You should be aware that these plants can spread rapidly and have extensive root systems.

There are drawbacks to keeping Schefflera in a contained environment with only water. Due to a lack of minerals, these plants’ growth can be stunted or slowed if they are kept in only water. Although some plants can survive in water, it’s not always the best environment for them. Once rooting has begun in water, you can transplant the cuttings to soil in individual containers.

Common Issues When Propagating Schefflera

As long as the mother plant is doing well, you can continue to propagate it through cuttings. When your original plant requires pruning, you have the opportunity to propagate it. Have your efforts to spread this proven fruitless so far? Some of these plants share a common vulnerability.

Fungal infections caused by persistent dampness are a common complaint. Before you take cuttings, make sure the mother plant is free of any fungus or other infections. High humidity can help prevent a cutting from succumbing to rot or fungus.

There is no way to guarantee a hundred percent success rate when propagating, even in the absence of any obstacles. The health of your other cuttings is on on your prompt removal of any that are diseased or dead.

Does Schefflera Need Sunlight?

Schefflera is a hardy plant that can endure a wide range of environmental conditions; nevertheless, it does need bright indirect light. When you first begin the roots process, your cutting should be placed in a cool, dark place. Cuttings with roots do need light after being transplanted, but not direct sunlight.

Indirect light is ideal for schefflera. The leaves of this plant will really burn under strong sunlight. Inadequate lighting, on the other hand, causes stems to droop or elongate. Schefflera thrives in bright, indirect sunshine, which can be found outdoors in the summer. Putting them under a patio cover is a fantastic idea.

How Often Should You Water Schefflera?

Schefflera are susceptible to death from overwatering. An accurate method of watering is essential to the continued health and happiness of your plant. Your plant’s watering needs and schedule will change depending on factors such as the size of the pot, the relative humidity and temperature of the room, the kind of soil, and the availability of drainage.

Schefflera should be watered so that the soil completely dries up before being watered again. To avoid drowning this plant, it is best to under- rather than over-water it.

Schefflera requires regular spraying of water on its leaves in addition to soil irrigation while it is actively growing. These plants have a much reduced watering need during the winter. Yellowing leaves and leaf drop are symptoms of overwatering.

How Long Do Schefflera Plants Live?

Scheffleras can only be grown well in USDA zone 10. Unless you live in a very mild climate, you’ll need to bring these plants inside for the winter. Using cuttings to propagate new plants is a win-win situation, and you get to keep the original plant around for a very long time.

Cutting of Schefflera Arboricola or Dwarf Umbrella Tree Named in Bottle of Water for Rooting on the Wooden Background Stock Photo - Image of indoors, ground: 170838392

In ideal conditions, Schefflera can reach the ripe old age of 25. In bright, indirect light and with regular watering, your houseplant will live for decades.

Keep an eye out for illnesses and pests to protect the health and quality of your plant. Fungus gnats, scale infestation, leaf spot disease, and spider mites are all things to keep an eye out for. Leaves may turn yellow or brown, branches may droop, and other symptoms of plant decline may be present if a plant is infected.

Additional Schefflera Plant Propagation

It is possible to propagate schefflera plants in ways outside simply rooting cuttings. When only a couple of plants are needed, some growers find that layering is the best method.

By layering, new roots can be grown along the stem of an established plant. To make a flexible stem, cut off the bark in a circle around its base, just below where it branches out. You can drive the stem down into the soil of another nearby planter by bending it down. Make sure to bury the severed portion but to keep the leafy end above ground. Use a bent wire to secure the stem. If you water the soil surrounding the cut in the bark, roots will grow back.

When new growth appears, cut it back to the base of the tree. You can wrap the region with a clump of damp sphagnum moss if the stems aren’t long enough to bend into another pot after you’ve done the same thing to the bark. Wrap the baseball-sized mass with plastic wrap and tape it closed. In the moss, roots can flourish.

When you can see the new shoots through the plastic, it’s time to cut them off, uncover the plant, and repot it.

Concluding Thoughts

Schefflera can be easily propagated from cuttings in water, and the process is repeatable. Roots develop rapidly when cuttings are kept in water and moved to a shady spot, where a growth hormone is also applied. After six weeks, you should see roots, and in another three to four months, you should have a fully developed, healthy plant.

These plants, once established, can provide for your needs for up to 25 years. Fungal problems are a constant challenge for Schefflera. To maintain your plant alive and well, you must provide it with the proper amount of sunlight and water. In case you’re interested in starting new Schefflera plants, we hope you’ll find the information here useful. Let the planting begin!