Tips for Schefflera plant propagation

The schefflera, or umbrella tree, can make a large and attractive accent in a living room, office, or other generous space. Propagating cuttings from Schefflera plants is an easy and inexpensive way to create an impressive plant collection for gifts or home decor. As with many other bushy plants, Schefflera cuttings will create a perfect clone of the parent plant, with no chance of mutations as you would encounter with seeds. Propagate your Schefflera with cuttings and you’ll have a healthy, growing collection of plants within a month or so.

How can I root Schefflera cuttings?

How can I root Schefflera cuttings? Rooting a Schefflera cut is pretty straightforward. Clean a sharp knife with an alcohol swab to prevent any possible spread of bacteria to your plants. Cut a stem near the base of the plant and wrap the cut end in a damp paper towel. Cut each leaf in half horizontally to reduce the amount of moisture it loses during the rooting process.

Fill a 6cm pot with fresh potting soil. Make a 6 ” hole in the ground with a pencil. Dip the cut end of the cut into the rooting hormone powder, place it in the hole, and gently pat the soil around the stem to secure it in place.

Water the soil and place the pot in a place that receives constant light but not direct sunlight. The stem will start growing roots within a few weeks. As the plant begins to grow new green shoots on top, nip off the top of the shoots to encourage branching.

Additional Schefflera plant propagation

Rooting a Schefflera cutting is not the only way to proceed with the propagation of the Schefflera plant. Some growers have better luck with layering when they want to produce a new plant or two.

Layering creates new roots along the stem while it is still on the mother plant. Remove the ring bark around a flexible stem, near the end, and under the leaves. Bend the stem down to force it into the ground in another nearby planter. Bury the cut part, but leave the leafy end above the ground. Hold the stem in place with a bent wire. Keep the soil moist and roots will form around where you damaged the bark. When new growth occurs, trim it back from the original tree.

If your stems aren’t long enough to fold into another pot, damage the bark in the same way, then wrap the area in a clump of damp sphagnum moss. Cover the baseball-sized piece with cling film, then tape it down. The roots will grow inside the moss. When you see them through the plastic, cut out the new plant under the plastic, remove the liner, and plant it in a new pot.