Variegated Umbrella Tree HELP!

[Bittenfox]

ok, so if anyone knows about variegated umbrella plants...could you point me in a direction where I can find info for pruning it so that it stops growing OUT and goes a bit UP? It looks like it is only branches down the center, and foliage is at the latter portion of each branch. Can these things be trained? (and how). Also, I live in the north, so my tree is indoors and drops lots of leaves when the days start to shorten. I purchased a grow-lamp today and am wondering if anyone has experience with what settings would work best for it? I can set brightness and time. (it's broad spectrum). I will include the latest photos of my beast....but even in my profile photo, you can see what I mean by growing OUTward? I'm not overly obsessed with this tree, but so far, it's the only bonsai that I have, and I've had it for over 4 years now, so I'm a bit committed, ya know?

 

[HorseloverFat]

Always, indoors.. i try to set my time to between 18/6 and 19/5

Brightness?.. all of it!! ALL THE BRIGHTNESS!

I do not know umbrella plant that well.. but my gut says you’d have to prune further back to get the results you are searching for... But someone with more specific species advice should be along shortly.

 

[Bittenfox]

Always, indoors.. i try to set my time to between 18/6 and 19/5

Brightness?.. all of it!! ALL THE BRIGHTNESS!

I do not know umbrella plant that well.. but my gut says you’d have to prune further back to get the results you are searching for... But someone with more specific species advice should be along shortly.

Thank you!

 

[Eckhoffw]

I have a Handful of umbrella trees and would say that that’s not a horrible problem to have.
I Usually experience the opposite. lots of upward growth with lateral branches only developing after a while and after significant trimming of leaders. I keep my trees outside in direct sun except for when climate prevents it.
stronger overhead light set up will probably be your fix.

 

[Bittenfox]

I have a Handful of umbrella trees and would say that that’s not a horrible problem to have.
I Usually experience the opposite. lots of upward growth with lateral branches only developing after a while and after significant trimming of leaders. I keep my trees outside in direct sun except for when climate prevents it.
stronger overhead light set up will probably be your fix.

That makes total sense, as most of my plant's light comes in from that glass door in the photo. I turn it every so often so that all sides of the plant can get some routine light, but it never gets light from directly above. The branches tend to grow toward the light like a sunflower...so yeah, your thoughts are totally spurring some ideas for me. Thank you!

 

[Michael P]

Your dwarf schefflera is showing typical growth habit for the species when kept indoors in a low-light environment. Over the winter give it as much light as you can. Next summer, put it outside as soon as the weather permits, and move it into sun as quickly as it can acclimate. When it is growing strongly in warm weather, cut it back HARD. It will back-bud and from there you can train to a shape you like better.

The spreading shape is normal and most schefflera bonsai are trained in the "banyan" style with multiple trunks and aerial roots. They are difficult to wire, but respond well to grow and clip. Personally I like the species, and have learned that a healthy specimen can take drastic pruning and be much better for it.

 

[Forsoothe!]

I've had a few Arboricola. They grow well enough and make nice houseplants but are not trainable in a bonsai form other than a jumble of trunks & branches with a united canopy. Not bad to look at, but not bonsai, either. That form is done better by several Fig varieties which can be trained into a series of clouds. You can't make discrete clouds because of the long petioles, and worse, what passes for a cluster of foliage, doesn't grow out as a cluster of several leaves at the same time.(One leaf is one long petiole with 5, 6, or 7 leaflets radiating out from the end like an unbrella.) The leaves grow out from a terminal node in a progression with every leaf leaf slightly bigger than the previous and angled a little different, too, so it's not really a discrete cluster of leaves. They are handsome, just not a bonsai shape. They are wire-able, but have a lot of spring-back, and soft "bark", if that's what you want to call it, so easily marked if you leave the wire on too long. You can shape the branches into very bonsai like forms, like from here...

...to here...

...And when the foliage grows out it will look like this...

...A jumble of foliage with no particular form, not even a united canopy.

 

[Balbs]

I have a few of these. Directional pruning works most of the time. If you cut back to a leaf scar (I think that’s the right term) the new bud should extend in that direction. It will probably continue to try and grow toward the light from that window, but I would think repeated pruning should at least help you get to the shape you’re after.

 

[sorce]

I'm with prune it hard.

Sorce

 

[Eckhoffw]

I've had a few Arboricola. They grow well enough and make nice houseplants but are not trainable in a bonsai form other than a jumble of trunks & branches with a united canopy. Not bad to look at, but not bonsai, either. That form is done better by several Fig varieties which can be trained into a series of clouds. You can't make discrete clouds because of the long petioles, and worse, what passes for a cluster of foliage, doesn't grow out as a cluster of several leaves at the same time.(One leaf is one long petiole with 5, 6, or 7 leaflets radiating out from the end like an unbrella.) The leaves grow out from a terminal node in a progression with every leaf leaf slightly bigger than the previous and angled a little different, too, so it's not really a discrete cluster of leaves. They are handsome, just not a bonsai shape. They are wire-able, but have a lot of spring-back, and soft "bark", if that's what you want to call it, so easily marked if you leave the wire on too long. You can shape the branches into very bonsai like forms, like from here...
View attachment 395379
...to here...
View attachment 395382
...And when the foliage grows out it will look like this...
View attachment 395381
...A jumble of foliage with no particular form, not even a united canopy.

Most tree like one I have.

 

[smc]

Visit the website of Fuku bonsai. They specialize in dwarf schefflera. It will show you what can be achieved and has lots of helpful info on pruning.