Schefflera

Q. Yesterday I came home with an umbrella plant a large-leaved variety of Schefflera. The generic care label didn't give me much to go on. Can you give me some help as to light and moisture needs?

Yes this plant is called Schefflera [actinophylla is the most common] featuring finger-like glossy leave radiating out like umbrella spokes. It can grow indoors to 6-8' tall. The number of leaves per stalk increases with age up to about 12. There are also a couple smaller versions out there available.

Indoor temperature should be between 55§F and 70§F please no higher! Though it loves bright light keep it away from intense direct sunlight. Misting the leaves frequently to raise the humidity helps its growth as it comes from a tropical background.

Repot it every two years into an organic well-drained soil mix with some perlite added. Provide drainage and a bottom saucer. Feed once every month with a general foliage house plant food 20-20-20 one tablespoon per gallon water. In lower light conditions as winter decrease the watering frequency.

Q. I am inquiring about how to cut back my umbrella plant without damaging it.  It has gotten quite large and it makes it hard to find a place to keep it.  This plant is 15 years old and I love it very much so I want to be careful not to hurt it.

A. Schefflera grow and grow and seemingly live for as long as you care for them. But that means they keep getting taller and taller and less bushy and dense. You certainly can cut back the plant provided that there will be healthy green leaves left on these stems and then the axil buds can sprout new growth to replace what you trimmed off or topped.

Do not cut back to bare stems. You may be lucky and get new growth but you run the risk of the stem merely dying and the plant will be gone.

Prune 1/4" above a node where there is a leaf at a slant at the desired height. Shape the plant as you prune keeping it rounded. Prune side stems slightly lower than the center to allow more sunlight to reach into the center. The fall and winter are not good times to prune as the plant goes into a semi-dormancy and does not produce new growth readily. The best time is spring to early summer.

Regular pruning also will keep the plant bushy and full. On the other hand a mature Schefflera that has outgrown its living space cannot be cut back or topped. Nothing so simple. It certainly can be shortened but not by cutting back or topping. Instead a process called 'air layering' is used.

Air layering requires these items: a sharp knife a toothpick peat moss or sphagnum moss plastic wrap and tape or twist ties. Determine the desired height of the soon-to-be-shortened plant. New roots will form right below where you cut.

At the spot where new roots are desired make an upward cut or slit approximately one-third through the trunk with a sharp clean knife. A toothpick is inserted to keep the cut open. The cut area is wrapped with moistened peat or sphagnum moss which in turn is thoroughly covered with the plastic wrap to hold it and keep moist. The wrap is secured with tape or twist ties.

In several weeks to a few months roots will form in the cut area. Once these roots have formed the trunk is cut through below the formation area wrap and tape discarded and the new plant is potted. The plant should be maintained as before. Repot using fresh potting mix in a clean pot. Remember that plant size can be controlled with pot or container size. A rootball will expand to fill whatever size container it is in. Thus a large container means a large rootball and a bigger plant top.