How To Prune a Schefflera

Bodanger

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Didn't want to start a new thread but on topic. Would I be fine chopping off all 5 of these branches most of the way down and using them as cuttings to later rejoin the original in a clump/banyan formation? I bought it in Maui 12 years ago and it was neglected until last fall when I re-potted and fertilized. Currently in a smart pot and wired because I wanted the trunk to thicken and the branches were crowding. The slope formation is natural. It had 1 and 1/2 leaves and I didn't know it was a schefflera until the other day.

As you can see the branches are long and hardened off with 3-5 leaves each. The 5th branch is small with 3 malformed leaves and didn't know if it should be left while the other 4 are propagated or if I can remove it as trash. The plant is over rock so don't know if cuttings should do the same or keep that for the mother plant alone. Temperature and humidity is beginning to rise here and just bought root hormones so ready to go. Thoughts? Tips?

View attachment 243907View attachment 243908
If you are going for a banyan style I would:
-pick 1 branch that you want to use as the main trunk and cut the rest and root the cuttings.
-Leave the main branch for a while but cut it back once you see new growth and know that it's recovered. Cut it where back so that the last remaining leave scar is pointed in the direction you want new growth.
-You probably want to try to encourage branching and you are going to need to do some pruning to get that to happen.

-Root the cuttings. You can use a very minimal amount of rooting hormone but I have noticed no difference from just rooting them in water. If you root the cuttings in water you should transition them into boggy soil (I use peat) and gradually let the soil become more dry before you plant them with the mother plant. You don't have to do this but rooted cuttings, even ones with tons of roots sometimes just can't deal with going from water to soil for some reason.

-That rock might make it hard to get the cuttings into the right position to make it look like 1 tree instead of just a tangle of skinny branches. I would cover it in at least a 1/2 inch of soil for now to give the cuttings something to grow into and then later let the soil wash away to reveal the roots.

I would also keep a spray bottle around and give it a shot when ever you remember, especially in the winter if you have a furnace. They like humidity in general but if you are going for a banyan look, humidity will encourage it to drop aerial roots.

If you can, put it outside if it ever gets to the point where we are not going into the 50s at night here in Chicago. Full sun is going to do wonders for growth.
 

rank78

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If you are going for a banyan style I would:
-pick 1 branch that you want to use as the main trunk and cut the rest and root the cuttings.
-Leave the main branch for a while but cut it back once you see new growth and know that it's recovered. Cut it where back so that the last remaining leave scar is pointed in the direction you want new growth.
-You probably want to try to encourage branching and you are going to need to do some pruning to get that to happen.

-Root the cuttings. You can use a very minimal amount of rooting hormone but I have noticed no difference from just rooting them in water. If you root the cuttings in water you should transition them into boggy soil (I use peat) and gradually let the soil become more dry before you plant them with the mother plant. You don't have to do this but rooted cuttings, even ones with tons of roots sometimes just can't deal with going from water to soil for some reason.

-That rock might make it hard to get the cuttings into the right position to make it look like 1 tree instead of just a tangle of skinny branches. I would cover it in at least a 1/2 inch of soil for now to give the cuttings something to grow into and then later let the soil wash away to reveal the roots.

I would also keep a spray bottle around and give it a shot when ever you remember, especially in the winter if you have a furnace. They like humidity in general but if you are going for a banyan look, humidity will encourage it to drop aerial roots.

If you can, put it outside if it ever gets to the point where we are not going into the 50s at night here in Chicago. Full sun is going to do wonders for growth.

Thanks for the reply, it looks like I'm on the right path so I'm happy your advice confirms it as I'm being cautious. My only concern is the plant doesn't have an obvious main branch, it is like a short truck that spreads out into 5 branches like an upward open hand. I was thinking I can leave the runt branch with its runt leaves to nurse the plant while the other 4 cut branches heal, eventually losing the runt branch after recovery. I'm hoping those couple runt leaves will be enough.
 
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