i have an umbrella plant that is medium size, but one of the stems is leaning very far to one side. i want to repot it, and straighten out the stem so that it is more upright. any help on what i can use to stake into the pot before i plant, something sturdy that wont bend or sway with the weight of the plant? also, once i get it uprighted, how long will it need to be tied off until it will stand upright on its own. its more or a growth towards light that caused this to bend over time.
You can replant it into a larger pot and buy a large piece of Bamboo, Large dowel,or an old broom handle to temporarily supportthe stem. This may take a while for it to stand up by it self and it may never stand up on its own. I would suggest some large pieces of bammboo, they look nice if you need to leave them in the pot for a long time.
To stop the "phototropism" (growing towards light) from affecting the plant shape, you could turn the pot every few weeks or months.
Another method you could do is cut the worst part of the bend, or lean right off, right above where a branch is located further down towards the soil. New growth will emerge from near where you made the cut, then keep turning the plant for even growth. You can then, re-root the cut section (s) for another plant.
