Your Guide To Caring For An Umbrella Plant, Which Is So Popular Because It’s Easy To Have In Your Home
Known as umbrella plants, schefflera are popular tropical houseplants due to their ease of care and gorgeous foliage. There are actually two different species of umbrella plant as well.
The larger variety, Schefflera actinophylla, has long, glossy green leaves that droop from a central stem and create an umbrella-like appearance. Meanwhile, Schefflera arboricola, or dwarf schefflera, has smaller, shiny leaves that sometimes feature creamy variegation.
Both of these varieties are low maintenance and considered easy to grow. Plus, they can live for 25 years or more! It’s just important to note that all parts of the umbrella plant can be highly toxic to dogs and cats.
If you’re interested in making your living space feel like a slice of paradise, here’s how to care for the umbrella plant.
How To Care For An Umbrella Plant
If you plan to keep your umbrella plant indoors, it should be grown in loose, rich, and well-draining potting soil. It will also need to be placed by a bright window that gets plenty of indirect sunlight.
This plant enjoys indirect light, and you should be wary of full sun, which has the potential to burn its leaves. Then, in the summertime, it can be moved outside to a covered porch or patio to receive more indirect bright sunlight.
When it comes to temperature and humidity, the umbrella plant’s tropical background has to be kept in mind. It prefers relatively high temperatures and humidity levels, not tolerating temperatures below 60° Fahrenheit.
If you have any dry heating vents or drafts in your home, be sure to keep your umbrella plant away from them. Or, if you live in a colder climate, you may need to use bottom heat for the base of the plant’s pot or tray.
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As for your watering routine, the umbrella plant will need to be frequently watered and sprayed during the growing season. You can wait for the soil in its pot to dry out before giving it a deep soak.
In the winter, it’s best to reduce your watering frequency, and if you notice any dropped or yellow leaves, it might be a sign that your umbrella plant is over-watered.
It’s important to fertilize twice each week in the growing season, too, since umbrella plants are voracious feeders. You can either use a liquid fertilizer meant for houseplants or two applications of slow-release pellets.
Now, if your umbrella plant isn’t getting enough light, it may become floppy or leggy. You can prune your plant at this point, cutting off whatever’s overgrown.
The best part about this process is that umbrella plants bounce back fast from pruning, and you’ll soon notice your plant looking much fuller.
Finally, there are some common pests and diseases that may impact umbrella plants. Schefflera can be affected by bacterial leaf spots and Alternaria leaf spots, both of which can often be resolved by refraining from watering in the evening and avoiding overhead watering. And if these new watering habits don’t work, you can apply a copper fungicide.
When kept indoors, umbrella plants are also prone to aphids, which produce a sticky honeydew that can result in sooty mold. These pests can be treated using an insecticidal soap spray.
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