Help this newbie with an attack plan for Schefflera

[Redsonic]

Hi all, Newbie to bonsai here and this is my first post asking for advice. I recently bought this Dwarf Umbrella and am planning to repot it in a couple of weeks.
Here it is (I had a good play with photo editing to improve the background):



Firstly, can anyone tell me why the leaves are folded up like this? It was like it when I bought it and nothing has changed in the last few weeks. It is root bound (roots coming out of bottom of pot). Any other ideas?

I am a bit uncertain of where to go with this. I would love to have it end up a Banyan style like Steven's:



Taken from this thread: viewtopic.php?f=104&t=6366&hilit=schefflera

This is what I am thinking to do at repotting time. I would move the very upright root on the left and encourage small branches and aerial roots on the right to grow (A) with the idea of (maybe) eventually tidying up the look by separating at B once the roots have grown down and hardened up.



What do you think?

Another option is to grow it literati style and play with the roots a little and get something interesting happening there:



Constructive advice welcome.

[Jimbomelville]

Hi Redsonic.
I like the schefflera and have been playing around with one myself. To me it looks like yours has been crammed into a small space with a lot of other plants and the leaves are reaching for the light. I have no other ideas on why the leaves are like that.
With mine I've placed it in a 30cm orchid pot and have been concentrating on aerial root production. I have used plastic straws split down the sides to guide the new aerials to where I want them to go. After a few months, and I'm sure the root has reached the soil I remove the straw.
Mine is kept in a moist spot to encourage the aerials and kept chopped back at the top to encourage thickening of the base.
You can't kill them with a stick.
Hope this helps..

[Redsonic]

Thanks for the tips, Jimbo. I like the schefflera too and am planning to dig up a yamadori on my parents' acreage as soon as it is warm enough There is also a very vigorous one growing on a tree stump on a trail nearby. Normally it is the actinophylla that you see everywhere.
Your idea re the leaves makes sense. I think the plant was kept under cover to encourage the root growth. I am glad I was right not to panic about it. "Can't kill them with a stick" sounds like my kind of plant! I have heard of the straw technique, but wasn't going to start that until I repot it. I have heard the roots are fragile. Do I need to take special care with them when repotting? Should I bare root or leave some soil around the roots? I think the soil is fairly compacted.

[Jimbomelville]

Those Yamadori sound interesting. Have fun with that.
When repotting the Schefflera take some care with the aerials as they can be fragile. That would be a good time then to start working on additional aerials. Here is a pic of mine just after removal of the straws.
m
Sorry about the quality it's all I have at the moment.
One of my ideas is to wait for the aerials to thicken and then remove the trunk.
Has anyone had any success with this?

[Bougy Fan]

If you want it to bulk up get it into a nursery pot and feed feed feed it with chook poo. Put in on a saucer of gravel to give it more humidity.

[Redsonic]

If you want it to bulk up get it into a nursery pot and feed feed feed it with chook poo. Put in on a saucer of gravel to give it more humidity.

OK, you've given me something to think about now. I was really keen to start "meddling" as all my other "bonsai" need growing time of their own. I think this schefflera has potential and I don't want to waste that 'cause of my own impatience to get it in a bonsai pot and start training it.

[Redsonic]

A last post for this thread, as I have decided to sell the Schefflera because it is too big for me to manage (bad back).

Here it is when I started this thread (original photos lost to photobucket):

BoughtArboricola7July2015Resized.jpeg

And here it is today:

ScheffleraAboricolaDec2020_1.JPG

[melbrackstone]

You've certainly got a good result Sonya, well done!!! Hope your back is on the improve!