Help-Frozen Schefflera

[mercy1grace2@gmail.com]

I have a small Schefflera (about 12-18 inches tall) which I sat outside temporarily because of an ant attack in the house. I forgot about it and it froze during the night.

Is there any way I can salvage it? The leaves look pitiful, but I wondered if I pruned those, how much should I prune? Is there any way to tell if the roots froze, or will time tell?

Thanks!
Jena

[Gnome]

Jena,

Schefflera can be pruned hard and will break new buds even on old wood. If the leaves are gone you can clip them off. Cut through the leaf stems but don't try to strip them off, they'll drop off on their own.

If the trunk is damaged can be cut down to healthy material. If the stem looks OK just leave it alone and wait. Make sure to water it as necessary knowing that water usage will be diminished. As you said 'time will tell' but you may be pleasantly surprised.

This should be of interest. Make sure to see the part concerning removing the terminal buds in conjunction with defoliation.
https://www.bonsaihunk.us/info/ScheffleraBonsai.html


Norm

[mercy1grace2@gmail.com]

Norm,
Thank you for your quick and informative response. I am encouraged and will get to work right now! Thanks also for the link--I have saved it and will consult it as I work with my Shef.
Jena

[Gnome]

Jena,

You're welcome. Make sure to stop back and let us know how it goes. We have a member, mostly in the bonsai forum, who is fond of Scheffs. You might want to have a look at the bonsai gallery for his pictures.

Norm