Keep the natural shape of your plant in mind when trimming. Fighting the natural growth pattern of your plant will be more difficult than simply shaping and trimming it as it grows. This is especially important to look at when you are buying a new plant. If you want a full, bushy plant, be sure to pick a schefflera that has multiple stems so it will fill in and expand outward and upward. If you want a plant that will grow taller and stay relatively slim, pick a schefflera with only one stem (and trim any other stems that might pop out of the soil).
On a schefflera the growth nodes, the place on a stem where new growth can develop, are located at the point on the stems where the leaves sprout. Because the schefflera usually has abundant growth and many nodes at which to trim, thinking about how it will grow in the future when assessing where that plant needs trimming will help you to promote growth in specific directions. [2] X Trustworthy Source Virginia Cooperation Extension Publications and Educational resources from Virginia Tech and Virginia State University Go to source Make this decision before cutting any leaves! Have a plan before you start so that you avoid mistakes and trim too many leaves.
You should also check to make sure the leaves are healthy. If the leaves are looking discolored or getting brown spots you may need to address some problems, either with over watering or a lack of nutrients in the soil. Schefflera should not be kept in super moist soil. Allow the soil to dry out between waterings. If this does not improve the condition of the plant, you may want to replace the soil it is potted in.
Consider calling a professional pruning service if the tree is too large to handle safely with a pole pruner.
Use bypass type pruning shears, the kind of pruning shears that cut with two blades, just like scissors. Other types of shears have a tendency to crush stems, as opposed to cutting cleanly through them. [3] X Research source Sometimes unwanted height in a schefflera is caused by a lack of light. The plant is basically growing up to try to find more light. Keep this in mind when finding a suitable place for it to live.
Once again, use bypass type pruning shears so that you do not crush the stem.
When trimming your plant back, make sure to leave 2 to 3 nodes on each stem. This will give the plant ample spots at which to form new growth. The large pieces you have cut off your plant would make great cuttings for propagating new plants. Place a cutting with at least two layers of leaves into moist soil for a few weeks. This will give the cutting enough growth nodes to keep growing. Roots should sprout from the bottom of the cutting and the plant can then be repotted.
