Dwarf umbrella
I got this from my grandmother's funeral about 3 months ago and of course would love to try to keep him alive. The soil has become compact so I started bottom watering and plan to repot from about an 8" to a 12". The roots also looks crazy to me. They are curled all around in a circle in the pot. 1-Is this normal looking for the roots? 2-When can I cut the band holding the shape, and what do I do from there?? Any other tips greatly appreciated #plantmoms #umbrellaclub #officeplants #plantsos
3
The roots are circling the pot like that, and sticking up out of the soil, because it's root bound. Sounds like it's been it that same pot for a while! When you repot it, you'll need to cut through the circling roots. If you don't and just stick it in the new pot as is, the plant will more quickly become root bound again. You have two options: cut through the roots all the way up on two sides and also cut an "X" a few inches deep into the bottom of the root ball, OR completely remove the lower 1/3 of the entire root ball. This will allow the tightly bound roots to spread out in their new more spacious home.
As for the new pot, typically the guideline is that the new pot shouldn't be more than 2-3 inches bigger than the previous pot. That means a plant in an 8" pot should go to a 10" pot, but considering the size of the plant and how root bound it is, you might be able to get away with a 12" pot as long as it's either terracotta or a thin plastic nursery pot. Proper drainage will be essential to preventing root rot, which is more likely when a pot is too large for a plant. Also make sure to let the soil fully dry out between waterings. A moisture meter or wooden chopstick inserted all the way will help check how damp/dry the soil is near the roots.
As for the ties, it's fine to remove them. They were originally placed around the trunks to hold the three separate trees together as they grew and keep them in that twisted pattern. You don't need to do anything after removing them 🤓
As for the new pot, typically the guideline is that the new pot shouldn't be more than 2-3 inches bigger than the previous pot. That means a plant in an 8" pot should go to a 10" pot, but considering the size of the plant and how root bound it is, you might be able to get away with a 12" pot as long as it's either terracotta or a thin plastic nursery pot. Proper drainage will be essential to preventing root rot, which is more likely when a pot is too large for a plant. Also make sure to let the soil fully dry out between waterings. A moisture meter or wooden chopstick inserted all the way will help check how damp/dry the soil is near the roots.
As for the ties, it's fine to remove them. They were originally placed around the trunks to hold the three separate trees together as they grew and keep them in that twisted pattern. You don't need to do anything after removing them 🤓
@YeveHoyabella33 I’m so very sorry for your loss. You can remove the plastic tie anytime. I think the nursery tied it to make it grow in sort of a bonsai shape. It looks like you have roots growing at the top as well so I would definitely repot. I can’t really tell the size of the container so I’m guessing it’s in a 1quart pot (6 inch), I’d go up to a 2 quart pot (8 inch). If that is a 2 quart pot go up to 3 quart(10 inch), etc. Umbrella plants like a loamy gritting soil. I use an ariod or cactus mix and I add perlite, pine bark, worm castings and ground. charcoal as my soil. Keep the plant in bright indirect light. Direct sunlight will burn the leaves. I have mine in a south facing window. Mine is variegated so I also have a grow light on it to keep the different leaf colors.
Thank you both!
