Just got it from Home Depot and I'm waiting a week or 2 before I mess with it. My question is I've seen a video from Dallas Bonsai that they can be cut down and defoliated to make it branch.
Is it safe for me in zone 6a/6b and where do I leave the defoliated plant afterwards? Indoor/outdoor? To start new plants with cuttings in water or directly in soil? Thanks a bunch!
Yes, it will help it branch, but this may not be what you want to do just yet. A scheff trunk needs to be pretty thick to balance against the leaves. And, IME, once you defoliate, the tree's done for that year. Pruning new growth after a defoliation isn't always well tolerated. Essentially, this means that your trunk will be a year behind. It will not fatten up well while it's throwing new branches. As far as Scheffs "barking", the only solution I've found that it is exactly the opposite, time and unrestrained growth.
I should mention in that video he also chops all the stems down with the defoliation. Here is the plant with about 7 stems. The tallest stem is about 2.5 ft tall from the soil.
[img]https://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd340/malagabee/IMG01017-20120423-1923.jpg[/img]
Most trunks are not woody as expected. They're about 1/2 inch half way up from the soil.
[img]https://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd340/malagabee/IMG01018-20120423-1924.jpg[/img]
The semi-woody part at the soil line is about 2/3 inch thick.
[img]https://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd340/malagabee/IMG01019-20120423-1925.jpg[/img]
Being that I'm thinking of making this into a multi trunked bayan style bonsai. I wouldn't mind it if each of the trunks isn't thinck by themselfs but they've got to go woody to help with training process.
[img]https://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd340/malagabee/IMG01017-20120423-1923.jpg[/img]
Most trunks are not woody as expected. They're about 1/2 inch half way up from the soil.
[img]https://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd340/malagabee/IMG01018-20120423-1924.jpg[/img]
The semi-woody part at the soil line is about 2/3 inch thick.
[img]https://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd340/malagabee/IMG01019-20120423-1925.jpg[/img]
Being that I'm thinking of making this into a multi trunked bayan style bonsai. I wouldn't mind it if each of the trunks isn't thinck by themselfs but they've got to go woody to help with training process.
I have a scheff cutting that's been growing happily for close to a year, and not long ago, I cut off all the leaves. Right away 3 leaves came back within a week, then it didn't grow for a week and in the last 2 weeks it sprouted 7 new leaves.
I bought a plant similar to ur's at a box store, and did some serious chopping to it, including defoliation. With good light, and proper watering it started to form branches (leaf clusters) quickly, but then I left it outside, and it got a bit too cold for it, so now it's struggling. but I have LOTS of rooting cuttings from it, that I will be planting when it warms up more.
I bought a plant similar to ur's at a box store, and did some serious chopping to it, including defoliation. With good light, and proper watering it started to form branches (leaf clusters) quickly, but then I left it outside, and it got a bit too cold for it, so now it's struggling. but I have LOTS of rooting cuttings from it, that I will be planting when it warms up more.
Thanks so much for all your inputs 
I've seen some pictures on the internet of projects on the Schefflera and they're inspiring.
I'm still wondering if the "dwarf Schefflera" that fukubonsai carries is any smaller than the ones carried by the big box stores because it'll affect how well the leaf sizes can be minimized in the future . . .
I've seen some pictures on the internet of projects on the Schefflera and they're inspiring.
I'm still wondering if the "dwarf Schefflera" that fukubonsai carries is any smaller than the ones carried by the big box stores because it'll affect how well the leaf sizes can be minimized in the future . . .
