How to Grow Schefflera Arboricola From Seed

Heat a kettle of water to 140 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place the seeds in a heatproof bowl. Pour into the bowl 4 parts hot water to 1 part seeds. Let the seeds soak for 12 hours.

Fill a planter with seed-starter mix. Irrigate the soil until excess water flows out of the drainage holes and the surface becomes uniformly moist.

Place the seeds in holes twice their width. Fill the holes with seed-starter mix. Sow several seeds in case some fail to germinate. Later, give the plants you decide not to keep as presents.

Irrigate the seeds with a spray bottle or a gentle flow of water to prevent dislodging them. Hydrate the soil as often as it takes to keep it from drying out.

Cover the planter with a piece of clear plastic film. Secure it around the rim with a rubber band or tied string. Place the pot in indirect light. Maintain the soil temperature between 75 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. If necessary, set the container on an electric seed-propagation mat with a thermostat. Germination takes 39 days. Remove the plastic cover as soon as the first seedling appears.

Move the Schefflera arboricola seedlings to bright indirect light.

Fill 2.5-inch individual containers with potting mix. Transplant the young plants after they develop two to three sets of leaves.

Irrigate dwarf Schefflera whenever the soil dries to a depth of 1/2 inch. Pour off the excess water caught in the saucer immediately after you irrigate the plant.

Control the room temperature to maintain it at 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit during the day. Do not let it drop below 60 degrees Fahrenheit at night.

Feed the dwarf Schefflera a houseplant fertilizer once every two months if the plant is under bright light all day. Reduce fertilization to once every three months for plants receiving some shade. Apply the fertilizer to moist soil according to the application rates on the product label.