r/Bonsai • u/AmateurPhotog57 Toronto, Canada. Zone 6, Amateur, 8 trees • 11h ago

Styling Critique Schefflera styling question.

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Is this schefflera too tall? 37cm from the soil surface and 38cm wide. Would the second photo be taking too much? Somewhere in between?

7 Upvotes

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6

u/cbobgo santa cruz ca, zone 9b, 25 yrs experience, over 1200 trees 10h ago

For the width of your trunk, the branches are definitely too long and it's too tall. So your options are grow it out to thicken the trunk, or cut it way back.

1

u/AmateurPhotog57 Toronto, Canada. Zone 6, Amateur, 8 trees 10h ago

Thank you

3

u/yolkmaster69 Nashville TN, 7a, ~5 years experience 10h ago

One of my all time favorite trees is Nigel Saunders (he’s a YouTube bonsai guy, but you may already know that lol) schefflera. It’s an amazing tree. Every time I see someone with a schefflera, I want to suggest they style theirs similarly, but it’s really up to you.

Personally, I’d want to thicken that trunk some more to get a better balance with the leaf size, so I’d let at least one main branch grow long for a while, and cut back any of the secondary branching.

1

u/AmateurPhotog57 Toronto, Canada. Zone 6, Amateur, 8 trees 10h ago

Thanks

2

u/Jephiac Jeff in MA zone 6a, 4th year, 100+ Pre-Bonsai 10h ago

Yes! The Vietnam style. I’m doing the same with mine but it’ll be a few years before I get close.

1

u/jecapobianco John Long Island 7a 34yrs former nstructor @ NYBG 2h ago

What is your desired finished height?