Szeflera tree-shapedis a very tolerant, easy-to-grow houseplant with a bushy habit and decorative umbrella leaves. I recommend the chefler as it tolerates smoke, low light and drafts. See what the correctcare for potted cheflerylooks like, what are home ways tobreeding chefleraand what diseases and pests can attack the tree-shaped cheflera. Here are all thesecrets of growing chefleryat home!
Schefflera arboricola
Fig. Chrizz, photo under license CC BY-SA 3.0, source: Wikimedia Commons
Schefflera arboricola is a plant native to Australia and New Zealand. It belongs to the araliaceae family (Araliaceae), just like the common ivy (Hedera helix) growing here. In its homeland, the sycamore tree is a short tree that grows up to 3 m in height. In apartments, it reaches a height of about 1.5 m. Its characteristic feature is the deposit leaves made of 9 individual finger-shaped leaves with a uniformly dark green or variegated color.It is worth knowing that the chefs are recommended as potted flowers for the bedroom due to their ability to absorb chemical pollutants from the air. Due to its interesting foliage, the tree-like plant is often used as a bonsai tree. The most important elements of
in potted careare balanced watering and the right air temperature.
Headlera tree - care
1. Headlery cultivation station
Headlera tree-liketolerates both light and semi-shaded positions. Too much light makes petioles shorter and leaves smaller. Full sun should be avoided, especially in summer in the midday hours. Strong sun causes the leaves to turn yellow. Too deep shadein the place where the chefleryis grown may cause the leaves to fall.The varieties of cheflery with variegated leavesrequire a sunny position and tolerate the lack of light very badly.
The optimal temperature for the cheflerais 18-25 ° C. In winter, we should provide the chefs with a rest period, for which a temperature of 12-18 ° C is required. Lower temperature causes the leaves to fall. Too high temperature during the growing season causes excessive elongation of shoots, larger gaps between leaves and loss of a bushy habit. In this case, we move the plant to a cooler room.
2. Headlery watering
The soil should be constantly slightly moist. Water the chefs 2-3 times a weekIn winter, limit watering to once a week. Headlera does not tolerate both stagnant water and overdrying. Irregular watering, especially strongoverdrying of the headlera causes blistering of the leavesOn the underside of the leaves, then 1-2 mm of watery, slightly swollen spots appear. The leaves turn yellow and fall off very quickly.Watering the headlery too abundantlyleads to rotting of the roots and the base of the stem. Symptoms are the loss of natural color and tarnishing of leaves within just a few days.
In summer and in rooms heated in winter, 2-3 times a weeksprinkle the boss with water
3. Fertilization of tree headlery
When watering the plant in the spring and summer period, every 14 days, we also useheadleryfertilization with multi-component liquid fertilizer (we give half of the recommended dose of fertilizer). Insufficient nutrients in the substrate lead to fading or yellowing of the leaves.Then fertilization should be increased and a comprehensive fertilizer enriched with microelements should be applied.
4. Headlery leaf care
Propercare of the potted chefrequires special care for its leaves. Headlery leaves require systematic cleaning of dust, which limits the access of light. Wipe each leaf individually with a soft cloth moistened with water. As the leaves are delicate, we support them from underneath with our hand so as not to break them. Once every 2 months, we use a rinse aid, thanks to which we will limit the deposition of dust and dirt on the leaves, while giving them an elegant look.
5. Transplanting tree bosslery
The Scheffler tree requires replantingnot more frequently than every 2 years in the spring. We do this when we notice that the roots start to escape through the holes in the pot and the leaves turn pale despite regular fertilization. When the plant is approx.60 cm, we do not exaggerate it anymore. Then, every year we only replace the top layer of the substrate in the pot. To do this, we collect a 2.5 cm layer of soil, which we replace with a fresh one. Knead the soil gently around the trunk, making sure that all the roots are under the surface.
6. Bosslery supportsSzeflera has a thin trunk, so it is recommended to support it with a stake. Bamboo poles fulfill this role best. As the head of the head is characterized by a rapid growth (even 30 cm per year) and reaches a height of 120-150 cm, you should choose the stakes in such sizes so that you do not have to replace them often. Drive a bamboo pole into the ground, about 3 cm from the stem. Attach the head of the head of the head to the pole in several places with a rope of hemp or raffia.
7. Trimming tree headlery
In order for the head of the head to be more branched and thus gain a more lush appearance, the tops of its main shoots should be trimmed once a year (preferably in spring or summer).For best results, it is best to starttrimming the head of the headleryas young as possible.
Headlera tree-like 'Carolien'
Fig. © Sylwia Hennek
Headlera tree-reproduction
There are two ways to reproduce tree bosslery .
1. Propagation of the head cuttings from the top cuttings
The first method of reproduction chefs is rooting apical cuttings. In spring (March-April), take cuttings from the plant, cutting off the top parts of young shoots. We place them in a moist substrate, which can be ordinary flower soil. We wrap the planted seedlings with the pot in foil. After about 4-6 weeks, the seedlings develop roots. Then the foil can be removed.
2. Headlery reproduction by air dumps
The second method of breeding chefs is air dumps.It is a simple method that does not require special equipment, but it takes much longer to obtain seedlings than for shoot seedlings. We choose a young side shoot from which we remove a piece of bark (about 10-15 cm). Cover this place with damp moss or moist peat soil, and then wrap it with aluminum foil. We tie the foil on both sides with string so that it does not slip. Roots will form at the site of the wound within a few months. In autumn, the shoot from which we want to obtain a seedling is cut off from the mother plant and planted in a separate pot.
Scheffler tree - diseases and pests
Very commonbacterial diseases of the headlery , manifested by spots on the leaves. Pseudomonas cichorii and Xanthomonas campestris pv are the main bacteria attacking the tree headlower. hederae. A symptom of Pseudomonas cichorii infection isbrown, initially small and watery spots on the leaves of the headlery , which quickly grow larger and merge together to turn black.An infested plant sheds leaves massively. In the case of Xanthomonas campestris pv. hederaebrown spots surrounded by a yellow borderThey appear on the entire surface of the leaves, but are especially massively located between the veins. The edges of the spots are raised, which gives the impression of three-dimensional. When we observesymptoms of bacterial headlery diseases , water the plant with Miedzian 50 WP (2 g / 1 l of water).
There are alsoheadleryfungal diseases, especially alternaria, caused by the Alternaria panax fungus. In case of alternaria , water-soaked circular dark brown spotsappear on the leaves and stems of the headwith a yellow border around them. The stains spread over the entire plant within a few days. Toprevent the development of this tree head diseaseavoid soaking the lower leaves during watering. When symptoms appear, water the plant twice, 7 days apart, with Rovral Aquaflo 500 SC (2 ml / 1 l of water) or Dithane NeoTec 75 WG (2 ml / 1 l of water).
Apart from diseases, the chefs can also be attacked by pests of houseplants. Growing Headlera in conditions of dry air and high temperature favors the appearance of spider mites - small, red mites that feed on the underside of the leaves. Of these, the spider mite appears to be the most troublesome species that attacks various houseplants. As a result of feeding spider mitesthe leaves of the headlery turn yellow and are entwined with a delicate spider webTo remove the spider mites, wash the underside of the leaves with a cotton pad soaked in soapy water or dishwashing liquid. We increase air humidity by regularly sprinkling the headlery with water. In the case of a large number of infestations, we use preparations for pests - Agrocover Spray or Envidor 240 SC (0.75 ml / 1 l of water).
MSc Eng. Agnieszka Lach
