Schefflera work?

[_thinkaboutit]

Just picked up this huge schefflera off craigslist for pretty cheap. Guy says he’s had it maybe 15 years. It’s not spectacular but I see that it has some interest as a multi trunk. Maybe clumped closer together? Maybe separated? I’m not really sure yet. I had pretty good success with my other schefflera doing work this spring and now have about 6 good size cuttings that have rooted and continue to grow. So I feel pretty comfortable working on them but I don’t know that now is a good time. Here in Florida the days are getting a little shorter and the nights have a slight hint of fall to them, but still plenty of sun, heat, rain, and humidity.

My question is can I work on it now and if so, how hard?

I’m trying to be patient but it’s so damn big I just want all the unusable stuff gone now!

Shovel for scale

 

[Hbhaska]

I don’t have specific ideas on when and how to style the tre but those are not all trunks. It looks like you have a tree with lots of aerial roots, which might be a great place to start. When I was in Hawaii, I visited this place called Fuku bonsai and they had scheffleras with some of the most amazing aerial roots I’ve ever seen. Here’s a link -

http://www.fukubonsai.com/1f9a17.html

 

[StarGazer]

You can totally work on it now. I don't think it'll get cold enough in Florida to affect its recovery.
@Hbhaska, good suggestion on using roots.

 

[Forsoothe!]

You can't see the architecture without defoliating.

 

[BrianBay9]

You can chop it as hard as you like. In Florida you still have months for it to grow and Schefflera will bud back from any insult. Work top and roots at the same time. Have at it!

 

[_thinkaboutit]

I don’t have specific ideas on when and how to style the tre but those are not all trunks. It looks like you have a tree with lots of aerial roots, which might be a great place to start. When I was in Hawaii, I visited this place called Fuku bonsai and they had scheffleras with some of the most amazing aerial roots I’ve ever seen. Here’s a link -

http://www.fukubonsai.com/1f9a17.html

Great link, thanks for that! There are definitely lots of aerial roots and some that have developed into secondary trunks. Some of the aerial roots look to be developing pretty high so they may not work once I began to scale the tree down but we'll have to see. I guess I will go ahead and chop the top off then defoliate what is left so I can see what I have to work with.

You can chop it as hard as you like. In Florida you still have months for it to grow and Schefflera will bud back from any insult. Work top and roots at the same time. Have at it!

OK, good to know to work both top and roots at the same time... I'm not sure how I'll handle this one with only my 2 hands but I'll figure it out!

 

[Bonsai Turtle]

Great link, thanks for that! There are definitely lots of aerial roots and some that have developed into secondary trunks. Some of the aerial roots look to be developing pretty high so they may not work once I began to scale the tree down but we'll have to see. I guess I will go ahead and chop the top off then defoliate what is left so I can see what I have to work with.



OK, good to know to work both top and roots at the same time... I'm not sure how I'll handle this one with only my 2 hands but I'll figure it out!

how did it work out? any updates?

 

[_thinkaboutit]

how did it work out? any updates?

I put it in a seed tray and cut it hard a couple months ago. It’s got new growth all over the place, only a couple trunks haven’t shot new growth. I’m a little disappointed because it’s not the dwarf variety and the leaves are HUGE. It’s been kept in a pretty shady spot so that may have something to do with it, I should probably move it to a brighter spot now. Hopefully over time I can get the leaf size down. Do you know if scheffleras will reduce in leaf size? I’ll post an updated pic here soon.

 

[Bonsai Turtle]

I put it in a seed tray and cut it hard a couple months ago. It’s got new growth all over the place, only a couple trunks haven’t shot new growth. I’m a little disappointed because it’s not the dwarf variety and the leaves are HUGE. It’s been kept in a pretty shady spot so that may have something to do with it, I should probably move it to a brighter spot now. Hopefully over time I can get the leaf size down. Do you know if scheffleras will reduce in leaf size? I’ll post an updated pic here soon.

I am no expert, but have been on two workshops for them and understand that they do reduce with defoliation and direct sun exposure.

 

[Michael P]

Defoliation with tip pruning will definitely reduce leaves.

 

[luvinthemountains]

Hopefully over time I can get the leaf size down. Do you know if scheffleras will reduce in leaf size? I’ll post an updated pic here soon.

There is not really such a thing as "dwarf schefflera." They are two different species - arboricola (the "dwarf" one) and actinophylla. Arboricola can develop rather large leaves (4"-5") but from the size of the leaves on yours I am guessing it is the larger-leafed actinophylla. Not sure if I have ever seen one made into bonsai.

 

[Forsoothe!]

Ditto on that. What we call Schefflera in bonsai is really Arboricola of which there is regular and dwarf. If this is going to be a bonsai at all, it's going to be a two-man yard monster. Yard monsters are just fine, you can have them in your front yard and they look great from a distance, like the street and nobody can steal them. Put a portable size there... and replace it once a week.

 

[Michael P]

The original poster's tree is a dwarf schefflera, S. arbicola. The larger species, S. actinophylla, has leaves that are MUCH larger and a different shape. There is also at least one "dwarf" dwarf schefflera, the cultivar 'Luseane'. I grow both S. arbicola and 'Luseane'. 'Luseane' is about half the size of the species, both in leaf and overall size.

 

[_thinkaboutit]

Here it is today. And a cutting I got off the upper growth.

 

[Michael P]

Both have great potential!