Another picture of the same Schefflera

Another picture of the same Schefflera

{{!gwi}}

It's a very juvenile plant and just wants to grow like crazzy. Why not let it grow for a while and get a little size to it before you start chopping away at it? I think you have come to like that 'chopping business' a little too much. ;-)

Al

Ok well understood :)

It's not really a plant that can be treated as a "hedge" plant or "topiary". The best you can do is keep it healthy and rotate it so it gets even light.

If you're eager to see something happen to it,placing it in a humidity trap of some sort will promote the growth of aerial roots,which can be trained down into the soil.

I've kept a scheffy in conditions like that for a few years now and this is what I have to show for it(actually this pic is an older one and I need to get around to shooting it as it is now so I can compare them)...

Finally back with updated pics...

...top view...

...root detail...

...and another angle...

The aerial root detailed here is a hoot...trailing down from the upper portion of the tree.

asleep, that's a very cool specimen! I've got a baby Sch. that is doing a whole lot of nothing. I might try for some aerial rooting!

that's a nice stubby scheff - you must keep it under lights? since i'd think in terrarium there's not enough light for it?
nice tight internodes. how old is it?
i have 2 cuttings that i rooted past spring of a shrubby small type 'trinette' - i already pinched it 3 times, but it refuses to branch - just 1 shoot develops, i just hate that... it is currently bagged again and is developing exactly 1 long aerial root from the top! hilarious, i didn't think they do this. i was totally surprised.
but it seems they need to age first before they'll be willing to branch?

Beatlesfan,whether you use a terrarium or even a bag,on of the best things about incorporation of a humidity trap is that watering becomes unnecessary for far longer periods than what we are usually used to. You can effectively forget all about the scheffy for weeks or even months,and when you do get around to looking in on it,the aerials may just surprise you with their emergence/progress.

By all means,give it a try...you may just love it. :)

Thanks for the compliment Petrushka! It's been in a number of lighting conditions over the maybe seven or eight years that I've had it. Terrariums that have been right up next to windows have been beneficial in the past,but for now my lighting options have sadly been minimized and I hope the artificial lighting I'm currently using will be enough. If not,and it starts going all leggy on me,suffice it to say that it will get a hard chop as an answer(later rather than sooner though).

The trinette cuttings sound interesting! I'd be curious to know if you are training the aerial back down to the mix or if for now you're just letting it do it's thing.

Your guess that they might need to grow a bit first before pinching may be spot on. More leaves = more food = more growth,so sometimes it pays to just let them be 'til later.

How big are they?
Last one I had croaked on me! lol

i wouldn't mind a few very low aerial roots, but high up is quite funny. i stuck it in a straw for now, it's just 2" off the ground. i'll let it be until next spring for now, no pinching. it's only about a foot tall. i find that pinching slows down the growth - which is what i want.

An important precaution to consider would be slicing the straw so it can be gently pealed away from the root should it move faster than anticipated...a lesson I learned the hard way.

You likely already know this though. :)

you mean i should've precut it vertically? hm-m..good idea!
well, there's no way to remove the straw, but cut it : manicure or small embroidery scissors need to be employed in surgical procedure. never done it before, but i'd go slowly removing an inch at a time with parallel cuts and then bending the section out :))).
it might not be necessary ;( - since i already bend the root high up , while stubbing the straw end into the soil! the straw was too long... never mind, i patched the root with clear tape: leaves/stems usually heal when i do this, we'll see if the root re-knits..next time will be more careful!
perhaps i'll wrap some LF sphag at the base to develop low aerial stanchion roots instead... i'd like that better, then a stilt from the top!
i like your boulder in the middle :). i have some largish coral chunks that i can use...
so far after my pinches the trunk developed a slight curve from new shoots, which i like better then just a straight stick.
actually i pinched out of necessity: thrips pock marked the new growth - it had to go. that's why it's bagged now - to grow out and harden clean.

This post was edited by petrushka on Tue, Sep 9, 14 at 13:25

Thanks!...I've been meaning to make the root over rock thing happen for years. Now I'm considering finding a better looking rock. Pretty sure the existing roots haven't knitted themselves to it completely as of yet so it might be possible to replace it with a better one. A hike may be in order. :)