Just picked this up in Lowes.

[Kevster]

I just got this Schefflera arboricola from Home Depot (DAMN THAT PLACE) for $4.00. Very hard for me to turn down since it's winter and I am really wanting to work on my tropicals but have nothing to do.
This is my first Schefflera so any info would be great. I have spent a lot of time on Fuku Bonsai's site but I am no where near Hawaii so I was hoping for some more local support with less perfect growing conditions.
These will be inside and eventually in my enclosed tank till the weather gets nice outside. But I don't want to take it from dry low light conditioned Home Depot to a well lit very humid and hot condition without letting it adjust somewhat.

From what I can see there are 5 plants which I will divide and pot separately as long as the roots aren't fused. I will also be cutting them back but I am a little afraid to cut back as hard as Fuku does and suggest since they say only the strong will survive.

Any suggestions are welcome.

Thanks in advance!
Kevin

 

[Kevster]

Why do my pictures come out sideways? I don't see how to rotate once uploaded to the site and they do not look like that before I upload them from my computer.

 

[edprocoat]

Why do my pictures come out sideways? I don't see how to rotate once uploaded to the site and they do not look like that before I upload them from my computer.

Kevster, I would guess you took the pics with the camera oriented that way and whatever software you view them on auto rotates them for you, But, the picture does not upload that way, it uploads as taken. Of course I was wrong once, or maybe I was just mistaken.

ed

 

[alonsou]

Here you go...

 

[Kevster]

Alonsou thank you! Did you download them to your computer rotate them then upload them again?

 

[mat]

I'm in Florida, so obviously I can't give you much advice on taking care of these inside. I will tell you that just about the only way to kill schefflera here is to overwater them in poor soil. So, I'd put getting yours into some better soil near the top of the to-do list. If they're healthy and thriving, you can cut them back very hard - top & bottom. Cuttings root easily. Have fun!

 

[alonsou]

Alonsou thank you! Did you download them to your computer rotate them then upload them again?

yes, but I used a third party hosting site, that's why they show "full" size right on the post. Just grab the code after uploading them to the other site and paste it here.

 

[edprocoat]

yes, but I used a third party hosting site, that's why they show "full" size right on the post. Just grab the code after uploading them to the other site and paste it here.

I use FLICKR, a third party photo hosting site, but they show up as thumbnails here? What site do you use?

ed

 

[reg-i]

I'm in Florida, so obviously I can't give you much advice on taking care of these inside. I will tell you that just about the only way to kill schefflera here is to overwater them in poor soil. So, I'd put getting yours into some better soil near the top of the to-do list. If they're healthy and thriving, you can cut them back very hard - top & bottom. Cuttings root easily. Have fun!

I'm in this boat, I would cut one back as a tester and see how well it comes back first , then find a bigger maybe rectangular semi shallow container, get some good soil , then clump them together better and cut them back, next wire and bend some to the left and right to try to create a banyan style in the future and root your cuttings to add to the clump later also google some pics for ideas

 

[linlaoboo]

Any updates to your progress? I just picked up similar material from Home Depot with 7 stems but mine aren't as woody as yours at the soil line. I'm waiting at least 2 weeks for them to acclimatize but I'm debading weather to let them grow unrestricted as a house plant until they fatten up or chop them right away to make a banyan style bonsai. I've read 2 that trunk chops will make each of them become woody and branch into more of a bonsai look but the down side is the trunks will be done for the year and it won't grow thicker.

 

[Joedes3]

My experience with schefflera is that you can chop and chop with no problem. I grow my plants indoors under a shop light during the winter and then outside in May. I chopped my plant pretty hard and rooted the cuttings. I now have a 12 inch terra cotta drip tray that has about 10 plants in it. I'm trying to get a banyan style plant. The FUKU bonsai site is fantastic.

 

[linlaoboo]

My experience with schefflera is that you can chop and chop with no problem. I grow my plants indoors under a shop light during the winter and then outside in May. I chopped my plant pretty hard and rooted the cuttings. I now have a 12 inch terra cotta drip tray that has about 10 plants in it. I'm trying to get a banyan style plant. The FUKU bonsai site is fantastic.

do you know if the dwarf Scheffs fuku carries is really smaller than those carried by big box stores? Starting a larger pre-bonsai will save alot of time but I suspect the challenge of miniturizing the leafs is still ahead.

 

[Joedes3]

I really don't know, but you can defoliate a schefflera and the leaves do come in smaller. In fact, I just did this last week. I defoliated and cut the ends of each branch to make it backbud and grow other branches. The FUKU plants are expensive and I've never bought one but I am trying all of the teaching tools they give. Have fun and experiment. I am working on a root over rock and also growing in a deep pot to make the roots grow long and down. I will slowly remove the soil on top for an exposed root look. Play and enjoy the ride.

 

[Kevster]

Fuku site is amazing!! Those guys are in Hawaii with optimal conditions for these plants so their outcome is great. They even say they chop theirs down to almost ground level to speed up the trunk thickening. If the plant dies it wasn't a strong plant so they trash it and start another.

Now I don't have any update pictures but I will take some in a few days and put them up. I did chop mine down pretty far. The plants overall were about 3 feet tall. I cut them as low as I could with keeping at least something green on it which was only 1 leaf for the most part. I did however cut one down low enough to where there was no green on the plant and it actually is coming back better then the others.

A couple things to keep in mind when I did this.
It was not done at the optimal time of the year for the plant
It was done inside under artificial lighting
The plants got attacked by spider mites from another plant I brought in just as their new growth came in.

If I waited for optimal conditions I think the recovery and growth would have been much farther along then where it is now. But I see it as I got it all done before the optimal time so now they should really explode once I can move them outside.

They all have new growth in several places. I have even chopped a few down farther trashing the new growth in hopes that I could get growth lower and I now do. I have to admit these plants are very resiliant and have put up with some pretty serious abuse I've put them through.

 

[linlaoboo]

Did you repot those 5 in separate pots then chop or at the same time? Someone suggested potting them separately to thicken the trunks faster. I can see that depends if one just wans ultimately a banyan grove or a single trunk bonsai. If it's banyan then each trunk doesn't have to be that thick. . .thoughts?

 

[Kevster]

I have a single trunk potted a double trunk and then the 3 planted together. These were taken about a week or two ago. Since then I started moving them outside along with the rest of my tropicals on warm days only bringing them in if it gets below 50* at night. Since they have been outside the new growth is amazing for being only a short time.

With a Banyan grove eventually all the trees planted will be connected at some point. The aerial roots will add girth to the overall design.

 

[Nojnagrom]

I love schefflera there really hard to kill I only killed my first one by keeping it to wet they really like to dry out a bit between waterings all the cuttings I have taken over the years have lived also good luck with yours.

 

[linlaoboo]

nice pics. I'm goint to move mine outdoors today now do u leave them in full sun or should they be shaded a bit?

 

[Nojnagrom]

wish i could it is still in the 30s at night hear

 

[Kevster]

I keep mine in full sun. If this is what you are going to do you need to introduce them to the full sun over the next week or two. Put them in a partly shade spot and every couple days move them so to get more light.

I say this because this is what you are supposed to do. Plants that have been kept indoors EVEN BY A WINDOW then brought outside into direct sunlight all day can burn. Many years ago I didn't know this and I cooked my first Ficus.

That being said and my ass is covered when I moved mine out this year I put them behind a few bigger plants on my outside table for a week where they probably got direct sun for 5 hours of the day. I now have them in full unfiltered direct sun.