Schefflera

[Sherri]

What would you do with this tree?

 

[jk_lewis]

See my post in your "outside" thread.

 

[linlaoboo]

give it a new hair cut to fix the legginess. I'd prune off the upper half to get a shorter canopy. You'd find some posts in the tropical forume with people defoliating thir trees but I think this is best done with trees kept outdoors so they bud back quicker under the sun. I'm not sure summer is the right time to do this but I did a partial defoliation in the spring. Stick what you prunned off in water and you'd get new trees in no time.

 

[Bob O]

Linlaoboo is right. The only way to cure the legginess is to cut back hard and fertilize heavily. This one has developed a nicely branched tree form which is about the best you can do with these in your climate, I know, I used to live in Portsmouth N.H.

If it was mine I would remove about two thirds of the plant next year after frost threat is gone, put it outside in full sun, and fertilize like crazy, to get a nice compact foliage mass.
Today I am in the process of defoliating all of mine which I do every summer.

Hope this helps,

Bob O

 

[edprocoat]

Sherri you could cut that trtee right down to the main trunk if you wanted to and in any kind of sun or good lighting it will sprout back out in less than two weeks. They are prolific growing trees and back bud everywhere when chopped like that.

ed

 

[Sherri]

Well, I did chop it back quite bit -- well John from NE Bonsai did. It was one of three trees that I brought down to see what he would do. I learn a lot by watching. I'm also experimenting with using cotton string to see if I can get air roots to form. We'll see what happens. It's outside in a protected spot for a week or two to get it used to the sun and heat. I'll bring it back in before it gets too cold. It will be interesting to see what happens now. Here it is now...

 

[edprocoat]

Sherri, actually it was not chopped at all from what I can see from the picture. It looks like it had a minor defoliation, chopping would entail removing trunk or branches not just some leaves. You originally asked what would you do with this tree, and I did not post it as a few others here already offered much the same advice. I would seriously cut that tree down, I would remove everything about 2 inches above the main trunk on the branches everything that is green, fertilize it and then stick it in the sun. Full sun will make the leaves grow in smaller, it would take maybe two weeks and you would have tons of new growth and smaller leaves which makes the tree appear much larger. You would end up with a shorter fuller tree with a mass of smaller leaves. I defoliate mine each spring and then again in the winter as I take mine to Florida with me. I have never heard of the string method of promoting aerial roots? The best method is contain it in a very humid environment, I put mine in a clear plastic box after watering it and defoliating with the lid on and put it in the sun, its like a rainforest, the moisture heats up collects on the lid and rains back down on the plant and in a week you have many aerial roots forming. I have seen others use a clear plastic bag in the same way, and others covering up the trunk just beneath the foliage. Once they hit the soil they are set and will grow, but if you let them dry out before hitting the soil the aerial roots die off. I have used a clear soda straw when I want it out of the box but still want to keep the aerial roots forming. I take the straw and stuff a piece of paper towel into the bottom end to hold water and then slide it over the root that has yet to reach the soil and water it to fill the straw with water, it will grow down through the water to the bottom of the straw, I leave the straw out at an angle so when it reaches the bottom I can pull the straw off move teh root towards the tree base and mound a little soil over the root and then its good as gold. Linlaoboo gave you good advice about keeping the branches you cut off too, they start easy and can be planted right beside your tree once rooted and they will join in the tree where it touches, these things also graft very easy, just cut a notch in both pices you want to join and either wire or wrap them together with string and in a few weeks its part of the tree.

ed

 

[Sherri]

Maybe it's my poor photography but the tree is about half the size it was. I can go further and will do the plastic bag. I'm afraid to put it in full sun right away because it has been inside for 6 years. Is that okay to do if you completely defoliate it?

 

[Joedes3]

What does the cotton string do? How do you use it?
Thanks
Joe

 

[Sherri]

If you keep the cotton string wet it is supposed to encourage the growth of aerial roots.. I tied it near nubs that stick out the trunk but never went any further. But the string will dry out pretty quickly so the combination of the string and the plastic bag will be interesting.

 

[Jessf]

you could cut it back to 2" inches above the soil like and still be ok. It grows like a weed. nothing I've done to mine has caused it grief. I even left it in the laundry bin while a load of soapy water emptied in to it. Came back and the tree was floating in Tide. Washed it off, fine.

All depends on what you want it to look like in the end. Looks like you're off to a good start.

 

[linlaoboo]

Hey Ed,

What happens if you stick it in the clear plastic box with foliage? I have alot of small leave now and will be concerned if they'll bake under the sun. With record breaking temperatures this summer I've had some problems with a couple of my conifers. Also do you open up the box to let the air in every so often? I have a few Scheffs about 6 inches tall and 1 inch base, would love to get some aerial roots to develop a banyan style. Thanks in advance.

Btw will the box method work with Ficus Microcarpas to induce aerial roots?

Peter

The best method is contain it in a very humid environment, I put mine in a clear plastic box after watering it and defoliating with the lid on and put it in the sun, its like a rainforest, the moisture heats up collects on the lid and rains back down on the plant and in a week you have many aerial roots forming. I have seen others use a clear plastic bag in the same way, and others covering up the trunk just beneath the foliage.
ed

 

[Sherri]

I actually have a couple of unused aquariums at the moment (my other hobby) and could put it in one of them but also wondered about direct sun and heat.

 

[Sherri]

Jessf -- that's funny -- floating in tide. Scheffs are pretty resilient. I don't think I will chop it back so far -- I know you were just saying I could. I am, however, thinking about cutting to about an inch above where all ofd the branches are just didn't have time last night.

 

[edprocoat]

Hey Ed,

What happens if you stick it in the clear plastic box with foliage? I have alot of small leave now and will be concerned if they'll bake under the sun. With record breaking temperatures this summer I've had some problems with a couple of my conifers. Also do you open up the box to let the air in every so often? I have a few Scheffs about 6 inches tall and 1 inch base, would love to get some aerial roots to develop a banyan style. Thanks in advance.

Btw will the box method work with Ficus Microcarpas to induce aerial roots?

Peter

Linlaoboo, I use it on my Ficus too, I have a Taiwan and a microcarpa and and Tiger bark, and it works well on all them. OI have never had any problem with ghem baking, they love the heat and the box keeps them wet, I do open them up every coupel days or so and check on them as the box gets foggy and you can not see them clearly. I pluck some leaves that have grown out etc and then close it back up. I wrote this in another thread but its amazing how fresh the air is when you open the box, plants as you know cleanse the air anyway and they produce oxygen.

There was a also guy from Sweden? I think, that posted here a few months ago about his way of promoting aerial roots, he used high intesity lights and a closed box knicking the branch and applying rooting hormone, it seemed to work real well and if I remember right he posted a celsius temperature which worked out to about 110 degrees fahrenheit, but do not quote me on that! He posted several pictures with what looked like about 30 roots coming from a wound he cut in the branch that lloked about the size of a dime. His last post he wrote that he found he did not need the hormone powder either, I have not seen him a while though.

ed

 

[mat]

There was a also guy from Sweden? I think, that posted here a few months ago about his way of promoting aerial roots, he used high intesity lights and a closed box knicking the branch and applying rooting hormone, it seemed to work real well and if I remember right he posted a celsius temperature which worked out to about 110 degrees fahrenheit, but do not quote me on that! He posted several pictures with what looked like about 30 roots coming from a wound he cut in the branch that lloked about the size of a dime. His last post he wrote that he found he did not need the hormone powder either, I have not seen him a while though.

ed

I think you mean this post.

http://bonsainut.com/forums/showthr...aerial-roots-on-Ficus..&highlight=roots+ficus

It is interesting that he gets better results with it being hotter. There have been some other threads here lately putting an upper limit on the temperature at which roots can grow (I think it said 94F). That probably applies in some climates & with some trees, but not Ficus. Of course this thread is about Schefflera. Still waiting for significant data from the Dr on that one, but I can tell you that they will root above 94F and also like tons of humidity.

 

[linlaoboo]

Ficus Taiwan has so many kinds like Kinman (golden gate) or green isle so not sure what you have. I've read the post by the swed and recall he used wire to choke the brach to force roots, didn't recall he makes a cut too.

Linlaoboo, I use it on my Ficus too, I have a Taiwan and a microcarpa and and Tiger bark, and it works well on all them. OI have never had any problem with ghem baking, they love the heat and the box keeps them wet, I do open them up every coupel days or so and check on them as the box gets foggy and you can not see them clearly. I pluck some leaves that have grown out etc and then close it back up. I wrote this in another thread but its amazing how fresh the air is when you open the box, plants as you know cleanse the air anyway and they produce oxygen.

There was a also guy from Sweden? I think, that posted here a few months ago about his way of promoting aerial roots, he used high intesity lights and a closed box knicking the branch and applying rooting hormone, it seemed to work real well and if I remember right he posted a celsius temperature which worked out to about 110 degrees fahrenheit, but do not quote me on that! He posted several pictures with what looked like about 30 roots coming from a wound he cut in the branch that lloked about the size of a dime. His last post he wrote that he found he did not need the hormone powder either, I have not seen him a while though.

ed

 

[edprocoat]

Ficus Taiwan has so many kinds like Kinman (golden gate) or green isle so not sure what you have. I've read the post by the swed and recall he used wire to choke the brach to force roots, didn't recall he makes a cut too.

Linlaoboo, Mat posted a link to the thread above your last post. I had no idea how to find this and reading your words above I had to revisit it, he did not use wires to choke the plant, he only onve mentioned wires on a branch the wires had cut into as he left them on too long. He did cut the bark off and treat the wound with hormone then cover it in cut paste, he kept it at 52.8 degrees celsius which is actually 127 degrees Farhenheit ! It worked well for him too.

ed

 

[linlaoboo]

Thanks for clarifying. You ever measured the temperatuer in your plastic box to see if it's around 127 deg F as well?

Linlaoboo, Mat posted a link to the thread above your last post. I had no idea how to find this and reading your words above I had to revisit it, he did not use wires to choke the plant, he only onve mentioned wires on a branch the wires had cut into as he left them on too long. He did cut the bark off and treat the wound with hormone then cover it in cut paste, he kept it at 52.8 degrees celsius which is actually 127 degrees Farhenheit ! It worked well for him too.

ed

 

[Kevster]

I have a dozen or so ficus 4 of which I have in a 50 gallon aquarium outside under my bench. Its under my bench only because I had a problem with my puppy getting the plexiglas lid off it. Though it is under my bench it still gets about 6+ hours of direct sun. From noon till sundown. Last week the termometer outside my kitchen window (part of my bench runs under it) probably averaged 98. I could only guess in the aquarium was well over 100 and I have had fast and more growth on the 4 in the aquarium then the ficus on my bench. They LOVE heat and humidity! Oh and I have schefflera cuttings in the aquarium also and they put out a spread of roots the size of my hand in 2 weeks

Another thing, the ficus on my bench have been putting out more growth during our heat wave then before. Mixed with the east coasts high humidity it's sure proof they love it.