Legacy shefflera

JoeR

Masterpiece
Messages
3,948
Reaction score
3,451
Location
Sandhills of North Carolina
USDA Zone
8a
Curious if you have ever seen a good example of that:confused: Honest from what I see having one only since Spring I think at best you might be able to get an interesting upright or slant out of it at best.



Serious, I don't see that as an option - Grow it for a full year now and I am pretty certain you will agree ;)

Grimmy
A good example of what? A literati?
 

GrimLore

Bonsai Nut alumnus... we miss you
Messages
8,502
Reaction score
7,452
Location
South East PA
USDA Zone
6b
I'll be repotting in late spring

Based on what I see the one doing at my place I would fan the roots out into a large shallow grow box and trim off the excess. Let it grow the season and you will find the foliage to be more compact and the plant to be VERY full in one short season.
Mine got a serious root trim and cutback this past Spring when it was brought to me looking 1/2 dead and very leggy with large leafs. Eight months later, full, healthy, 10 inches of new growth, and MUCH smaller leafs. It will remain a house plant :p

IMG_0260.JPG

Not terrible being raised from the dead, just to much work at the rate it grows -

Grimmy
 

GrimLore

Bonsai Nut alumnus... we miss you
Messages
8,502
Reaction score
7,452
Location
South East PA
USDA Zone
6b
A good example of what? A literati?

A good example of a literati schefflera - I have seen attempts but weak ones at best. I don't think it is possible within reason with this type of plant. Could be just me and I mean no disrespect. It is just what I observe with my "rescue" plant.

Grimmy
 

JoeR

Masterpiece
Messages
3,948
Reaction score
3,451
Location
Sandhills of North Carolina
USDA Zone
8a
A good example of a literati schefflera - I have seen attempts but weak ones at best. I don't think it is possible within reason with this type of plant. Could be just me and I mean no disrespect. It is just what I observe with my "rescue" plant.

Grimmy
I honestly have never even seen a good shefflera bonsai, except maybe that one carp posted. They just arent really suited for bonsai.

And in my opinion I think shefs are limited to just banyans and literati. Their compound leaves are nicely suited for literati IMHO.
 

GrimLore

Bonsai Nut alumnus... we miss you
Messages
8,502
Reaction score
7,452
Location
South East PA
USDA Zone
6b
Their compound leaves are nicely suited for literati IMHO.

Could be but I suspect from what I see one would have to grow one from a whip and train for(no joke) 25 years or so while working constantly on shaping and training. Just my thought on it and I was thinking you had one because you suggested it. If I were 30 years younger I cannot deny I would try it ;)

Grimmy
 

Nwaite

Chumono
Messages
959
Reaction score
972
Location
Maine
USDA Zone
4
Are these the large leafed shefflera or the smaller ones?
 

aml1014

Masterpiece
Messages
3,667
Reaction score
5,807
Location
Albuquerque new mexico
USDA Zone
7b
Are these the large leafed shefflera or the smaller ones?
These are shefflera arboricola not the brasssia arboricola so they ate the small leaved ones, since I've acquired it and just caring for it the leaves have reduced by half, I have lots of shefflera and it's pretty easy to keep the leave size small.

Aaron
 

Nwaite

Chumono
Messages
959
Reaction score
972
Location
Maine
USDA Zone
4
If you don't mind me asking a small question in the mid of your post ( sorry if you do) but I have a larger sized one. Not sure how old... at the very lest 10 years.. but the taper is all rong on mine.. it there any thing i can do to change that?

Cut back and hope a new branch pops out of the bottom or slowly shave off parts of the thicker part of the trunk?
 

Attachments

  • 20160127_184932.jpg
    20160127_184932.jpg
    270.6 KB · Views: 13
  • 20160127_185003.jpg
    20160127_185003.jpg
    263.5 KB · Views: 14

aml1014

Masterpiece
Messages
3,667
Reaction score
5,807
Location
Albuquerque new mexico
USDA Zone
7b
If you don't mind me asking a small question in the mid of your post ( sorry if you do) but I have a larger sized one. Not sure how old... at the very lest 10 years.. but the taper is all rong on mine.. it there any thing i can do to change that?

Cut back and hope a new branch pops out of the bottom or slowly shave off parts of the thicker part of the trunk?
You can cut back once it's growing vigorously and start a new trunk leader, these back budd very reliably. And I don't mind at all, that's why we're all here, to ask questions and learn.

Aaron
 

aml1014

Masterpiece
Messages
3,667
Reaction score
5,807
Location
Albuquerque new mexico
USDA Zone
7b
Nice mild 75°f today and this guy has budds everywhere on it so I went ahead and did a repot. Once I had it out of the pot and the roots combed oit and washed, they were around 6 feet long! So this thing got a really hard root pruning but I'm confident it'll recover just fine.

Aaron

20160302_131411.jpg
 

aml1014

Masterpiece
Messages
3,667
Reaction score
5,807
Location
Albuquerque new mexico
USDA Zone
7b
Left to grow as it pleased all summer, finally decided to give it another haircut.20160906_191656.jpg 20160906_192025.jpg
Close up of the canopy20160906_192041.jpg
Maybe it'll get a nicer pot next summer.

Aaron
 

KingJades

Shohin
Messages
266
Reaction score
252
Location
San Antonio, TX USA. Zone 8b/9A.
I honestly have never even seen a good shefflera bonsai, except maybe that one carp posted. They just arent really suited for bonsai.

And in my opinion I think shefs are limited to just banyans and literati. Their compound leaves are nicely suited for literati IMHO.

Joe, you don't like the Fukubonsai pieces? I think they look pretty good, actually.
 

Waltron

Chumono
Messages
955
Reaction score
1,190
Location
Southern Michigan
USDA Zone
6a
I have an old one of these growing in my kitchen that gets neglected to hell but stays healthy and green with very little water and sunlight.. hasn't been re potted in probably 10 years. one time I put it outside and every leaf got fried on it, put it back on top of the kitchen cabinets and it grew back like crazy. thats my story. yours is nice. seems like everyone hates on this species for bonsai.
 

JoeR

Masterpiece
Messages
3,948
Reaction score
3,451
Location
Sandhills of North Carolina
USDA Zone
8a
Joe, you don't like the Fukubonsai pieces? I think they look pretty good, actually.
Wrote that a while back... but I completely agree, they look really good for the price. That is, if the pictures are an accurate representation of the product.

EDIT:Whoops, thought you were talking about the ones they sell...
 

KingJades

Shohin
Messages
266
Reaction score
252
Location
San Antonio, TX USA. Zone 8b/9A.
Wrote that a while back... but I completely agree, they look really good for the price. That is, if the pictures are an accurate representation of the product.

EDIT:Whoops, thought you were talking about the ones they sell...

I guess I can include those, but I mostly meant their specimen pieces.
 

aml1014

Masterpiece
Messages
3,667
Reaction score
5,807
Location
Albuquerque new mexico
USDA Zone
7b
Got another repot today as it was totally root bound and I had a little nicer pot around.

20161023_104353.jpg

Aaron
 

markyscott

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
6,112
Reaction score
21,382
Location
Delaplane VA
USDA Zone
6B
I have an old one of these growing in my kitchen that gets neglected to hell but stays healthy and green with very little water and sunlight.. hasn't been re potted in probably 10 years. one time I put it outside and every leaf got fried on it, put it back on top of the kitchen cabinets and it grew back like crazy. thats my story. yours is nice. seems like everyone hates on this species for bonsai.

I like them best as banyans and I've seen several great ones.

https://m.facebook.com/photo.php?fb...07788535928706.4191.100000926805867&source=48

I keep mine in the full sun here in Houston. Although they can tolerate low light, they grow great with more sun.

They drop aerial roots like crazy here in Houston. The secret is humidity, lots of growth and a coarse, well drained medium. As the water demand grows from the extending foliage, they respond by dropping aerial toots.

Scott
 
Top Bottom