How to Prune Schefflera: Detailed Guide to the Correct Methods and Techniques
First, soak and disinfect the scissors used for pruning Schefflera in boiling water or a potassium permanganate solution; the pruning scissors must be sharp. Then prune along a 45-degree angle to the leaf buds. If your Schefflera is very strong, you can prune all its small branches and small leaves clean, leaving only 2-3 branches on each stem. Of course, Schefflera is best pruned in spring or summer.
Schefflera Care Methods:
1. Control Light
The most suitable growing environment for Schefflera in summer is semi-shade, so during the summer growing season it should be kept in a shaded place for care. For outdoor planting, a 70% shade net is needed to provide shade and prevent scorching sun exposure, so as to avoid leaf scorch and dull leaf color; in winter, no shading is needed, and more than 4 hours of direct sunlight per day will allow it to grow well. For variegated varieties, light that is too strong or too weak will both cause the leaf patches to become indistinct and lose their proper ornamental value.
2. Water Moderately
Summer temperatures are high, so a certain amount of watering must be ensured; you can water once a day to keep the soil moist, and water promptly before it dries out completely. When the weather is dry, you should also mist the plant to increase humidity, and you can also spray water on the leaves, and pay attention to increasing the environmental humidity. In spring and autumn, you can water twice a week, and in winter you can appropriately reduce watering. If the water supply and demand are imbalanced, the soil is too dry or too wet, or the plant is kept in a dark place for a long time, leaf drop is likely to occur.
3. Fertilize Regularly
From March to September is the peak growing season; apply some compound fertilizer or cake fertilizer water every 2-3 weeks. Variegated varieties should not be fertilized too much (especially nitrogen fertilizer), otherwise the leaves will turn green and lose the characteristics of the original variety. For variegated varieties, apply less nitrogen fertilizer to prevent the patch color from fading or disappearing.
Schefflera not only has an attractive plant shape, but its leaves also absorb nicotine and other harmful substances, so it is very suitable for households with smoking habits.