MINIATURE GARDEN

THEME: JAPANESE

PLANTS USED:

1. SCHEFFLERA

Common Name: Umbrella Tree

Scientific Name: Schefflera antinophylla

Origin: Australia

Growing ConditionsTemperature: Grows well in average room temperatures between 60 - 75 °F (15 - 24°C) but no lower than 55F (13C) or higher than 75°F (24°C). Avoid sudden temperature drops and cold drafts.

Light: Basic light condition of bright without direct sunlight is best suited, although lower lighting conditions only really affects it's growth rate rather than causing any harm.

Water: The best advice is to water once the top soil becomes dry. Over-watering is more of a problem than lack of water.

Soil: A peat moss based potting mix with 2 parts peat moss and 1 part perlite is suggested.

Fertilizer: I would not go over the top with feeding this plant and just use a diluted fertilizer once a month from spring - fall.

Air Humidity: Average humidity levels indoors are usually fine. If the air is dry in the room, improve humidity levels.

Re-potting: You will need to re-pot the plant once every 2 years and provide new potting mix, during spring. To be on the safe side - hold of feeding for one month because enough nutrients should be present in the new potting mix. A good solid and heavy container is needed to prevent tall and mature trees from toppling over.

Propagation: These are quite tricky to propagate, which is done by taking 4 - 6 inch stem cuttings, during spring. Do the usual stem cutting process and remove all leaves apart from one set and make sure a node is available which new growth will sprout from. You'll need to use rooting hormone on the cut to be placed in the soil and pot the cutting in a container that can have a plastic sheet placed over the top (usually with elastic bands holding the plastic on) or use a propagator. These need to be kept at temperatures between 65 - 75 °F (18 - 24°C and be provided with bottom heat to improve your chances of success. Make sure you do not over-water the soil, which can begin rotting the cutting and wait until you see plenty of new growth before beginning to provide basic care conditions.

Pests and Problems

When grown in proper conditions, schefflera rarely develops pest or disease problems. Spider mites and scale can occasionally become an issue for indoor schefflera plants, but insecticides are available for these pests. Outdoor plants tend to be fairly pest-free, although excessive water can cause root rot and make schefflera more susceptible to infestations. The Schefflera does have one enemy that can be pretty common: Spider Mites.

Considerations

Schefflera is toxic if ingested, and its leaves and plant sap can cause minor skin irritation on contact. Toxicity is generally low and skin irritation rarely lasts longer than a few minutes, but Schefflera may be a plant to avoid if you have children.

2. SYNGONIUM

Common Name: Arrowhead plant or White Butterfly

Scientific Name: Syngonium podophyllum

Origin: South America

General Consideration

Light and Temperature: medium to high light. Regular indoor temperatures between 55-80 degrees work well.

Water: Syngonium must be allowed to dry out. If you keep watering them before the soil has a chance to thoroughly dry out, root rot will occur.

Fertilizer: use a good all-purpose fertilizer like miracle gro every other week in the spring and summer and every six weeks in the fall and winter. Over fertilizing when the plants are not in a growing phase will burn the roots.

Pests: scale, mearly bugs, and spider mites attack syngoniums, with spider mites causing the worst damage. If the leaves start to loose their colour and the plant is not in too much sun, check the underside of the leaves for webbing. You can also use a professional insecticidal soap like Safer.

Propagation: Take 3-4 in (7.5-10cm) step cuttings early in summer. For best results, dip the cut end in rooting hormone powder then stand the cutting in a pot of perlite or a half-half mix of vermiculite and pest moss.

3. HAWORTHIA

Common Name: Zebra plant

Scientific Name: Hawaorthia

Origin: Southern Africa

General Consideration

Light: Bright light, but not direct sunlight. These grow in similar conditions to other

succulents. White or yellow leaves usually signify too much sun.

Water: Water evenly and generously in the summer, letting the soil media dry out between

watering. In the winter, reduce watering to every other month. Never allow water to collect in

the rosette.

Temperature: Warmer summers but cool in the winter (down to 50˚F).

Soil: Use a cactus mix or very fast-draining potting soil mixed with sand.

Fertilizer: Fertilize during the summer growing season with a cactus fertilizer. Don't feed

during the winter.

Propagation: Haworthia can be propagated at repotting time using offsets from the mother

plant. When taking offsets, use a sharp knife or snippers and cut as close to the mother stem

as possible to including as many roots as possible, then allow the offset to dry briefly before

repotting it (similar to cuttings from other succulents). Pot the offsets in a small pot, using the

same soil as the mother plant, put it a warm, bright spot, and make sure to adequately water.

Repotting: Haworthia is small (usually remaining between 3" and 5" in height) and relatively

slow-growing. They are often grown in small clusters in wide, shallow dishes. Over time,

clusters will naturally enlarge as the mother plant sends off small plantlets. When the cluster

has outgrown its dish, repot in the spring or early summer into a new wide and shallow dish

with fresh potting soil. This is also the time to take offsets for propagation.

Pests and diseases.  Haworthias are generally free of most pests. The one exception is mealy

bugs, which can be a common problem but easily resolved by physical removal or with

standard houseplant insecticides. The most significant disease problems are root rots caused

by poor soil or too much moisture. Occasionally such root rots can move into the plant stem

resulting in the death of the plant.