Schefflera question

[Joedes3]

I have some schefflera that I want to try something with. I just bought an 8 inch saucer that is only 1 inch high (really cheap) at HD. I plan to drill a hole in thte bottum for drainage.

My thoughts are to put 3 small schefflera in the saucer and let them grow together. Would the low depth help with the surface root etc.? This is really my test for larger group planting of schefflera.

Any thoughts or advice?

 

[BrianDD]

I have had my schefflera group for 4 years now and the bases still have not fused yet. I don't know if they will.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

I am fortunate enough to live in a zone where I can grow schefflera in my yard In my opinion, the best way to get the trunks to fuse is to let them grow freely without pruning - paying special attention to letting the surface roots grow freely. I question whether you will get the trunks to fuse in a small tray or pot. It might be better to let your bonsai grow freely for several years in a larger grow-out tray before you start trimming roots and pruning branches.

 

[mat]

It's my experience that schefflera do not fuse the way that Ficus and other tropicals do. I've had some growing together for several years in the Florida heat with plenty of fertilizer, and there are no signs that they will ever fuse. They are very tough plants though and won't mind the shallow saucer. I can hack the top or bottom of mine back all summer long and they just keep going. I'd recommend drilling more than one hole though. The only one I've ever killed sat in water due to a drainage issue during a week of rain.

 

[Redwood Ryan]

I had actually asked Jerry Meislik about this same topic a few months back, and he said that in all his years of growing Scheffs, they've never fused for him.