Do you love growing the Umbrella plant and want to increase the number of your favorite plants in your home garden?
Then I’ll help you in doing that! Trust me, I am just obsessed with umbrella plants, and it’s never enough for me to buy more and more of these plants even if I have very little space at home (I wish I had a mansion with a large garden).
In this article, I’ll be discussing the different methods of propagating the Umbrella plants and things you need to know before you propagate them. But, before that let us know some more about the Umbrella plant.
The umbrella plant or Schefflera plants are nice-looking plants that spread peace around them. They are famous plants that every plant lover has in their garden. Two things made the plant so popular, one is its beautiful look and the other is its low growth habits. These plants can be maintained easily and thus become the best choice for beginners to start their gardening. It might have some toxic effects so keep them out of reach of your pests.
Propagating these plants is very simple and can be done with less effort. You need to be attentive to it and patient to get a newly propagated plant during the propagation. Propagating this plant is also very interesting and money-saving. So, let us dive into the propagation guide of the Umbrella plant!
Propagation of the Umbrella plant!
Propagating the umbrella plant is as easy as growing them. There are different methods to do that. The main thing you need for propagating a plant is patience. Your care for it will increase the success rate of propagation. Let us now know why it is important to propagate an umbrella plant, when is the best time to propagate and how you can propagate this plant at home on your own.
Why is it so important to propagate an umbrella plant?
The umbrella plant is a beautiful plant that can be maintained with low care. So, many gardeners like to increase their Dwarf Scheffleras in their homes. Propagation is the best and cheapest way to increase their number. Also, you can give them to your loved ones on special occasions. Reusing the pruned stems for propagation is also a good idea.
When is the best time to propagate an umbrella plant?
The growing season which is from early spring to late summer is the best season for propagating the Umbrella plant. As this warmer period boosts the root growth and thus increases the chances of successful propagation.
Although you can propagate your plant anytime in the year, it is not a good idea to propagate it in its dormant period. As it can’t produce roots quickly and the moist soil can root it easily. So, the propagation might be unsuccessful. In addition to that, the wound of the mother plant will take a lot of time to dry, and meanwhile, the fungus may grow over there.
How can you propagate an umbrella plant?
You can propagate the umbrella plant through three methods. They are easy and interesting too. Let us see them in detail!
The umbrella plant can be propagated through seeds, stem cuttings, and the air layering process.
1. Propagation of Umbrella plant through seeds
Propagating an umbrella plant through seeds is an easy process but time taking one. Many plant enthusiasts use this method as this is carefree. But you need to find quality seeds for successful propagation. It is okay if you get them from a strong mother plant. If you didn’t get good quality seeds then you can buy them in local or online plant stores.
Now, let me tell you the processes involved!
- Firstly, before germination, soak the seeds in hot water which is at 140 degrees Fahrenheit for about 12 hours. This boosts the germination process.
- Take a shallow pot or a tray filled with well-draining soil mix to germinate the seeds.
- At this stage, you can find good seeds by their size after soaking. Collect the better-sized seeds and sow them in the soil at a depth twice the size of the seed.
- Water it lightly and place the pot in a spot that gets bright but indirect sunlight.
- Maintain the moisture of the soil, but don’t make it waterlogged to avoid fungal growth in it.
- You can observe seedlings in 2 to 3 months. Plant them in different pots, if they reach 2 to 3 inches in height.
2. Propagation of Umbrella plant through stem cuttings
I feel this is the best process of propagating as it is a faster process and also doesn’t get much attention. But it is slightly difficult to propagate the umbrella plant from the stem cuttings. Your care for it will make the process easier and more successful.
While talking about the leaf-cuttings, theoretically we can say that the Umbrella plant can be propagated through the leaf cuts, but in practice, we are not sure that the leaf cuts can convert into a successful plant. So, I’m not mentioning the process here.
Let us dive into the process of propagation through stem cuttings!
- Take a healthy and thick stem cutting of at least 4 to 6 inches in height from a mature mother plant using a sterilized sharp knife to avoid crushing the stem. Make sure that it contains the growth node.
- Deadhead the bottom 2 inches of the stem cutting and leave some leaves on the top.
- Do not let the wound of the stem cut dry. Wrap it with a wet paper towel to maintain the moisture, if you are not planting it immediately.
- Get the best quality potting mix from the nursery to boost the rooting. You can also prepare it by adding a part of vermiculture to a part of normal soil.
- Now, completely dampen the soil mix. Make it like a soil paste with your hand and make sure that no single dry (soil) ball is present in it.
- Take a shallow pot or tray to fill the above soil mix.
- Apply the rooting hormone (it encourages root growth) at the end of the cutting, if it is available. Otherwise, you can skip this step.
- Now, place the stem cutting in the dampened soil. Make sure it is standing well in the soil.
- You can also encourage root growth by wrapping the wound of the cutting in a wet paper towel after applying rooting hormone to make it root. All you need to do is to dampen the paper towel.
- They maintain the wetness in the pot. But remember it should not be too damp or too dry.
- Place the pot on a horticulture heat mat, this helps in boosting the root growth and lets it get bright indirect sunlight. Moderate to low light reduces the transpiration thus encouraging the root growth.
- Maintain it at room temperature and high humidity levels during the process of propagation.
- Many gardeners cover the pot with a plastic container upside down to maintain moisture. They open it for a while every day to allow the passage of air and to remove the dead leaves (if any).
- Roots are formed within a month. Then you can transplant the newly propagated plant into a suitable pot.
3. Propagation of umbrella plant through stem cutting in water medium
- It is also the same as the above process but here you have to place the stem cutting after applying rooting hormone(optional) in a jar of water.
- It is better if the jar is transparent, as the root growth is visible.
- In this case, change the water once every 2 to 3 days.
- You can observe the root growth in 1 to 2 months.
- Then you have to put it in the soil.
4. Propagation of Umbrella plant through Air layering
It is another method of propagation of the Umbrella plant if you are not comfortable with the above two. That is Air layering. You might need to be more attentive if you choose this method, but this is interesting.
Let me tell you about this process in detail!
- Select a strong stem that is in contact with the main stem. Prefer the bottom stems as they produce roots faster.
- Leaving some leaves above and below, make a wound to the stem using a sharp and sterilized knife that is at least 2cm in length and half cm in width.
- Cover the wound with a hand full of wet sphagnum moss and wrap it with a plastic wrapper. Use floral pins to secure the covering. Sphagnum moss holds the humidity and allows the roots to grow.
- Roots start to grow in 1 to 2 months. Then carefully cut the stem and pot it in a plant with a suitable potting mix.
The common problems faced by an umbrella plant during a successful propagation!
Most of the new gardeners might face some problems during the propagation. I’ve picked some of them!
- Dampened soil allows fungal growth. So, make sure that the soil is not too soggy or too dry. Slight wetness in the soil well promotes root growth.
- Pruning with scissors can make the stem mushy. So avoid using scissors. I use a knife for collecting cuttings. This prevents fungal growth in the wounded places.
- Collect the cutting only in the growing season to heal the mother plant quickly. Trimming the stem of it in its dormant season makes it painful for a long time.
- Using large pots for propagating might not be a good choice as the moist soil which takes a long time to get drained may cause rotting.
- Covering with a plastic container too causes root rots. So, let the air pass into it at least once a day.
- Many propagators complain about their unsuccessful propagations. You need to be patient in the beginning until the plant starts to grow. The second thing is care. Your care plays a crucial role in propagating plants. Be attentive to it.
How can you care for the newly propagated umbrella plant?
You need to care for the newly propagated umbrella plant after a successful propagation. If you don’t take proper care of this plant after propagating, the plant can face the common problems which I have already mentioned above. So, let us know the care guide for this new plant given below!
- Soon after observing a healthy root growth, transfer it to a pot that has 2 inches larger diameter than the root system of the plant.
- Use only a well-draining and fertile soil mix to plant the newly propagated plant.
- Place it in bright indirect sunlight and let it absorb enough light.
- Room temperatures or slightly more than that are enough for the newly propagated plant, but maintain it in high humidity level.
- Let the plant get enough air to avoid fungal growth.
- Empty the container that collects drained water from the pot every day.
- Observe the plant and help it in being pest and disease free.
- Be attentive to it until it starts to grow healthy.
- Follow the care guide of this plant strictly at least it starts growing well.
Frequently asked questions about the Umbrella plant!
Q1. How many cuttings shall I take for a successful propagation?
Ans. At least 4 to 5 stems should be propagated at a time so that if one or two are failed the remaining will be successfully propagated.
Q2. How should the mother plant be, to take the cuttings for propagation?
Ans. The mother should be a healthy, mature, and strong one to collect the cutting from it or to proceed with air layering. Also, a healthy plant produces healthy seeds. So, wait until your Umbrella plant becomes strong enough for propagation.
Q3. Is the newly propagated plant similar to the mother plant?
Ans. Yes, the newly propagated plant and the mother plant are similar in their look and their care habits.
Q4. How long will the propagation of the Umbrella plant be?
Ans. The process of propagation through seeds might take 2 to 3 months while the process of propagation through stem cutting and Air layering takes just 1 to 2 months.
Conclusion
The Umbrella plants are attractive plants with beautiful flowering and foliage. They enhance the interior look of your home and become an attractive plant in your garden. So, many of the owners of the Umbrella plants propagate them to beautify their surroundings.
Propagating these plants by yourself helps in saving money and also gives a nice experience. It is better to propagate them in their growing season to observe the root growth quickly. You can select any of the three methods to propagate your Umbrella plant according to your availability. All you need is a healthy mother plant.
I have also discussed many other important things that will make your propagation easy. I hope this article is informative and helpful. Read it completely before you start propagating the plant. Also, if you have any doubts, feel free to comment down below, and don’t forget to share this article with your friends and family!
Have a nice day!
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