Hi please can you help me? I got this plant from my Nana's house (after she had died) She used to get sick plants from i don't now were and sort them out. These were one of her favorites. I need to do something with the main plant and I'd also like to take some cuttings if possible but i don't now how, can someone tell me what i need to do and how, i need specific information please help. Failing is not an option
Hello faf, I'm hardly an expert on these things but I can tell you what I would do. I think you have a Schefflera plant or a dwarf umbrella plant. To get starts from it I would think about propigation method called "air layering", Its where you choose a joint down on the trunk and with a sharp knife cut diagonally into the "trunk" but not all the way through, wet some spagnum peat moss around the trunk and cover it with a plastic bag. you can use twitie ties on the top and bottom of the bag. Wait untill you see some good root growth and then slice below it and pot in a good planting mix. I'm sure there are good pointers to air layering on DG. Just my thoughts and good luck.
Acts238
Hi thanks for the suggestion, i like that idea, i havent got any sphagnum peat moss do i need to go and buy some or would house plant compost do the job? i've also been told to do something with one of the stalks and that was to put one upside down in water, was he taking the mick or would that work as well. What do you think. FAF
You would have to buy some of the moss so you can wet it and wrap it around the cut good. Try googleing air layering and you may find a place that can show you pictures. I don't know about the other way you mentioned. I wish you luck though. I'm also sure there are some other people who know more that will likely answer your question to.
Acts
Does anyone think this could be a Plumeria? I can't trust my eyes anymore.
Hi thanks for the air layering idea can someone tell me were i should do it on the plant? and is it an idiot safe way of starting a new plant and what do i do with the bottom part of the plant that's left? Any suggestions will be helpful. cheers chris
Faf - while the air-layering idea is fine for your schefflera, it comes so easily from cuttings that it's a little bit of overkill. I grow, propagate and manipulate scheffleras extensively as bonsai specimens, and I can say that there are considerations that apply to ALL plants you want to propagate, including your scheff. I'm thinking specifically about the direct relationship between the vitality of the parent plant and the likelihood of the cutting taking root successfully. A scheff that's bursting with energy propagates easily, while a plant as obviously stressed (not being mean, just being direct about what I see) as yours is unlikely to root before the potential vascular connections can be made (before they rot).
I think you should correct the cultural conditions that are causing all the stress/strain, and get your plant healthy; and only then think about propagation. Fortunately, these plants are extremely durable & you should be able to be successfully propagating by mid-summer. I also replied to you on another thread today, so if you'd like to take a holistic look at how to best manage this plant, we can do that at either thread if you like.
Al
To talpa, wow your picky looks fantastic is there anyway of me getting any part of my plant looking like that.I now my Nana would approve she liked bonsai. There is no offence taken, she only had the plant a short time before she got ill so she didn't do anything to it, i still don't now were it came from but I've taken your advise and repoted it, there was normal soil in the pot so i got some indoor house plant compost. Its got to be better than what was in there. When it picks up is it possible to do what you did? Thanks Al i look forward to here from you Chris.
Hi all, do you remember this thread from APRIL. Back then when i first got the plant as you now it was pretty sick, so i changed the soil and pot, i watered it regularly, i even fed it. Now it looks better, if it's possable i'd like to do something like talpa's picture on april 17 at 08.21pm. Does anyone now if or how i can do this? And if Talpa see's this can you help me the plant looks alot better. It lost alot of it's leaves after my first picture then it started to pick up and now it looks like this. Can you help? chris..
This is another image to look at
and this
And finaly this.
That picture was taken many years ago. I still have the plant, and the roots now cover at least 3/4 of the rock, and the trunk is several times thicker than in the photo.
Yes, you CAN do something similar, but the way to go about it is to start a cutting above an appropriate rock, buried in a deep container just large enough to accommodate the rock, using a very porous soil, and fertilizing the dickens out of the planting (to speed things along) w/o over-fertilizing. You'll also need a fair amount of patience because it's going to take several years to get to the point where you'll have the roots arranged suitably over the rock and the rock exposed.
Another root over rock in development:
Al
That other plant sounds good is ther any chance of you takeing another picture of it to show me what it looks like now? Was it your idea to do that sort of thing ? I think it's fantastic. Anyway what do i do with my plant and please don't say bin it, like i once said it was my nans. But it looks silly with that gap between the groth of leaves. Shall i cut it of above the lower groth? and if i do that what can i do with the top? Will that root? I hope you have time to answer, chris...
