How do you separate one houseplant into two houseplants?

Question

There is a large plant in my office that is too large for the largest pot that I can find and my boss wants it separated into two plants rather than just planting it outside. Its a (forgive me for ruining the spelling) shaflaira.

Answer 1

The schefflera plant usually called the Umbrella tree is usually only divided by cuttings or the actual seed. If at looking at the base of the plant you can see several plants instead of one trunk, then you have a chance to carefully separate the two or make a cutting at the root ball. Otherwise the plant has outgrown not only the pot but the location as well.

In any case, if the plant is healthy, its best to repot in a pot 4-6" wider than the previous using most of the origional soil and add a well draining potting soil to make up the difference. water thouroughly and fertilize once a week for the first month to give them their best chance.

Answer 2

You can air-layer a schefflera, will will give you a larger second plant than a cutting, and will also help reduce the size of the original plant somewhat. Choose a large branch of the plant that you would like to separate and have become a new plant. Then locate a node (a bump where there is a dormant bud) on the stem of that branch. Just below the node, remove a ring of the outer material of the stem. Pack a handful or two of moist sphagnum moss tightly around the newly exposed inner stem area, and secure with plastic wrap and twist ties. Roots will form inside the moss and, when they do, you can cut away and replant the rooted branch as a new plant. (This works because by removing the ring, you are removing the bark and phloem layers of the plant which allow hormones and manufactured food to flow down the plant, so that food and hormones concentrate in the area of the node, but you are not removing the zylem layer which allows water and nutrients to flow into the foliage from the already existing plant roots. So the selected branch stays healthy while the roots form.)

Answer 3

Hi Edie, call your local Lowes Store and ask for outside lawn and garden. Ask for the Plant Specialist. Ash him or her any question you want about plants. Good luck.

Answer 4

just split the root ball into 2 pieces and plant

Answer 5

cut the bugger down the middle and stick in two pots if they die buy somemore