Things Needed
Tip
move umbrella trees may have substantial leaf loss , so obviate moving them once they are give in a suited internet site . Umbrella tree perform best when acquire with a south- or west - facing exposure ; however , they may require faint midday shade in hot areas to prevent scorching .
Warning
Umbrella trees bear calcium oxalate crystals in their leaves and stems , which may cause injury to deary and children if ingested or handled . Umbrella tree diagram are an invasive flora in warm , hoar - free climates , so utilize command measure if growing them out of doors .
esteem for their sheeny leafage and tiered growth habit , umbrella Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree ( genus Schefflera actinophylla ) add a lavish , tropic look to home interiors and outdoor landscaping within U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zona 9 to 11 . Both indoor and outside umbrella Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree call for little everyday care once ground in a appropriately bright , humid locating . However , indoor specimens may need additional attention to ensure their longterm health and survival of the fittest .
How to Care for an Umbrella Tree Indoors
Step 1
piddle umbrella trees deeply but infrequently . Pour water onto the soil until it is saturated and roughly 10 percent of the piss has trickled from the drainage maw . Let the grease dry out in the top 2 column inch before water again . abridge water by half during the winter to prevent root rot .
Step 2
Maintain temperatures above 75 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and 65 degrees Fahrenheit at nighttime . screen the umbrella tree from heat and cool outlet to forestall thermal tenseness . obscure the foliage day by day or invest the tummy on a tray of moist pebbles to nurture the humidness level around the plant .
Step 3
Feed umbrella trees using fluid plant food with an N - P - K bit of 20 - 20 - 20 . Dilute 1 teaspoon of fertilizer in 1 dry quart of piddle . supplant one watering per month with the fertilizer solution . slenderize feeding by one-half during the winter or if the umbrella Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree is growing under low light conditions .
Step 4
Prune umbrella trees only to control their size of it or murder dead root word . Remove no more than one - third the entire duration of the stem when cut back , and make the cut straight across rather than tilt . Sanitize the pruning shear before use by soaking them in a 50 - 50 resolution of rubbing alcohol and water for five minutes .
Step 5
Repot umbrella trees if they outgrow their heap , which fall out every two to three age in established flora . Move them into a pot with multiple drainage holes in spring , and apply standard potting soil curb peat and perlite to render the right drain and moisture retentive property .
Step 6
take in for signs of usual plague such wanderer touch , mealybugs and exfoliation . Treat pest problems with a non - toxic insecticidal Georgia home boy root . compound 2 teaspoonful of dish easy lay and 1 pint of H2O in a nebulizer bottle . Spritz the solution onto the leafage and stems , paying special attention to the bottom of the leaves . Reapply the solution weekly until the problem settle .
Step 7
watch out for signs of salt buildup in the soil such as a milky crust on the surface and a generally unwell appearance in the plant . best out the salty snowy layer of soil and replace it with fresh grease . To preclude salt buildup , leach the soil every few months by go fresh water through the pot .
How to Care for Umbrella Trees Outdoors
Water outside umbrella trees weekly during the summer to keep their roots healthy and hydrated . Run water at the base of the tree until the soil feel very dampish in the top 4 in . permit the soil dry out completely on the Earth’s surface between waterings . Withhold water during the winter , except if no rainwater has hang for longer than a hebdomad .
Mulch outdoor umbrella trees to conserve piss and facilitate keep their territory moist . Spread a 3 - inch - chummy layer of lightweight organic mulch beneath the umbrella tree , from the foot of the trunk to the edge of the drip - line . Replace the mulch each year in spring .
Prune outdoor umbrella trees only to hold their size or to make branch with different height . nip off off no more than one - third the height from the main branch , gain a excision just above a set of foliage . Sanitize the pruning tool before use by soaking them in a 50 - 50 answer of scratch alcohol and body of water for five minute .
Protect outdoor umbrella trees from cold temperatures in USDA plant hardiness geographical zone 9 . Cover the tree with breathable fabric such as burlap if temperature are expect to drop below 40 degrees Fahrenheit , and keep the soil surrounding it moist so it will hold more warmth . murder the covering once the inhuman temperatures transcend .
Feed outdoor umbrella trees only if signs of nutritious deficiencies occur , such as jaundiced leafage immix with unusual leafage loss . go for general aim , 20 - 20 - 20 proportion fertilizer to moist dirt beneath the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree ’s drip - note at a rate of 1 pound per 100 square - feet of area . fee only during the participating grow season , from leap until summer solstice . Do not feed after June 21 because the new growth will not have time to harden before coolheaded weather condition sets it .
