The Schefflera is a houseplant with a graceful and hip appearance that originally occurs in Australia and New Zealand. The nickname of this trendy houseplant is 'The Finger Tree', this name he owes to his leaves. The leaves grow in small groups and form a kind of 'hands'. The groups of leaves give the houseplant a full and green appearance.
The Schefflera belongs to the ivy family (the Araliacea family) and comes in various forms, such as: Lianas, trees and shrubs. Today, the Schefflera is actually spread all over the world and there are dozens of different species to be found. The Schefflera is not a difficult houseplant to care for and it also has an air-purifying effect!
Water requirements of the Schefflera
As mentioned, the Schefflera does not need much care, this houseplant does not consume liters of water. In the summer months, the Schefflera prefers to be continuously in a slightly humid surface. Make sure that there is no layer of water in the pot because this houseplant does not like wet feet! In the winter months, the soil may well dry slightly between waterings. When in doubt whether you should water the Schefflera again, we recommend skipping once. It is better to wait once than to give too much water. We recommend watering once a week in the summer months and once every ten days in the winter months. If you notice that the soil has already dried after three days, you can give a little more water next time.
The amount of water depends on several factors, such as: the ambient temperature, the size of the plant and the size of the pot. So check (especially in the beginning) with the amount and frequency what is best for your Schefflera.
In addition to watering the plant, we also recommend that you spray the Schefflera regularly. By spraying, the dust will be removed from the leaves and this allows more sunlight to reach the plant. Spraying also works preventively against pests.
The right location for a Schefflera
This houseplant likes to stand in a light spot without too much direct sunlight, three to five hours of direct sunlight a day is sufficient. However, there is a difference in the correct location per species. There are also lighter types of Scheffleras, these can (of course) be recognized by their lighter leaves. These lighter species prefer a location with more light compared to their dark green relatives. These houseplants do like heat, the minimum temperature during the day is 14 degrees and at night it is 8 degrees. In addition, make sure that the Schefflera is not in danger, so it will be more contagious for louse.
The leaves of the Schefflera discolour
Although the Schefflera is easy to care for, something can always go wrong, in this case the houseplant will show this through its leaves.
With a lack of sunlight, the leaves will turn brown or yellow in color and will fall out. The solution to this is simple; move the plant to a more sunny spot and the Schefflera will recover on its own. Don't go wrong thinking that falling leaves are a sign of water shortage. When the Schefflera has a water shortage, the leaves will curl up. Do not give extra water for browning leaves because too much water can lead to root rot.
It is also possible that the Schefflera is too light, the leaves will then get a yellow glow and the color will no longer be so bright. This is also easy to solve by moving the plant to a location with less sunlight.
Repotting the Schefflera
The Schefflera is not a fast-growing houseplant, which is why repotting is in most cases only necessary after 3 years. Of course, it is also possible that you want to put your houseplant in a different pot in terms of appearance. We recommend that you always repot the Schefflera in the spring, so that any damaged roots can recover well. If you want to repot your Schefflera after three years, we recommend that you buy a pot that is at least 20% wider than its predecessor. This gives the Schefflera the opportunity to continue to develop well.
Giving the Schefflera extra nutrition
Six to eight weeks after purchase, this houseplant has used up the nutrients from the potting soil. We recommend that you give the Schefflera some extra nutrition in the growing season (which is in spring and summer). To do this, use the liquid food for indoor plants, never give more than indicated on the package. Too much extra nutrition can be harmful to the plant.
Is the Schefflera a poisonous houseplant?
This houseplant is not toxic when touched, but the juice of the Schefflera is slightly poisonous. This juice contains calcium oxalate and irritates the skin when touched. When this juice is consumed, it can lead to irritation of the mouth and vomiting. We therefore recommend that you take the pitch into account when you have pets or small children.
Common diseases in the Schefflera
This houseplant is sensitive to mealybugs, which is why the Schefflera should be in a draught-free place. If you notice that your Schefflera suffers from pests, we advise you to first combat this with a water jet. If this is not effective, you can treat the houseplant with a biological or chemical pesticide.
De Schefflera bijsnoeien
Although the Schefflera is not a fast grower, we still recommend that you prune this houseplant every autumn. This way the sunlight can reach the core better in the winter months, and the Schefflera will sprout and branch out more in the spring. When the Schefflera branches you get an increasingly full houseplant and this is what you want! The suckers are best pruned back to the crown of the plant, so the Schefflera retains its beautiful shape.
Multiplying the Schefflera
The Schefflera can be propagated by cuttings, but success is not guaranteed. If you still want to try it, you need to cut off a cutting of about 10 centimeters. The lower leaf can be removed as long as only two leaves remain. Then you can put the cutting in the water where the temperature should be around 24 degrees. We recommend that you put a plastic bag around the cutting to get the temperature and humidity up. Then wait for roots to get to the plant and carefully move it in a pot.
The flowering of the Schefflera
The Scheffleras can get beautiful flowers, unfortunately this does not happen often when they are used as a houseplant. This is because the indoor conditions are not good enough for this. The Schefflera also needs a certain size and age to be able to make flowers. Of course, there are always outliers so who knows, you might be the lucky one!
Different types of Scheffleras at Green Bubble
At Green-Bubble we sell several copies of Schefflera's, read on and learn more about these pearls.
Schleffera Amate XL - 160cm This Schefflera is the big brother of the couple, it can grow to a height of 180cm! It is covered from the ground to the top with beautiful 'fingers' giving it an imposing appearance.
Vingersboom Schefflera - 100cm This variant stands on a braided trunk which gives it a distinct appearance. Furthermore, the Finger Tree Schefflera is a lighter variant, because its leaves have light stripes. Please take this into account at the pitch.
The Schefflera Amate, unlike its relatives, does not have a thick trunk, and the density of leaves is less high in this variant. The Schefflera Amate could be a good addition to your Urban Jungle
Schefflera gold capella braided trunk - 100 cm The full brother of the Vingersboom Schefflera, he stands on just such a beautiful braided trunk which gives a special look. What makes the Schefflera gold capella different are the deep dark leaves.
Buy a Schefflera at Green Bubble
Are you looking for a beautiful and full Schefflera as a houseplant? Then you've come to the right place at Green Bubble! The moment you buy one of our Scheffleras you naturally want a beautiful and fresh plant. At Green Bubble we work directly with growers so that we can guarantee the freshness of our houseplants. We strive to deliver healthy and high-quality plants to our customers every day. This way you will get your houseplant delivered as fresh and as well as possible!
Do you want to buy a Schefflera but don't feel like going to the local garden store? We understand that, that's why we send your Schefflera directly to you and that for free! You can easily buy a Schefflera in our webshop where you can buy different types of Schefflera's of the highest quality!
Ease of ordering and cool houseplants, that's what Green Bubble stands for. Do you want to buy a crazy Schefflera? Join the Green Bubble!
