Ask-a-Dave's-Gardener: umbrella tree (schefflera), 1 by tapla

tapla wrote:
It's better to cut your plant back earlier in the growth cycle (for you - early June), rather than so late. The more foliage you remove, the more your tree's ability to make food is reduced (a plant's FOOD is the sugar it makes during photosynthesis), which means your plant will rely more heavily on energy reserves over the winter and will start the next growth cycle with low energy reserves. Having a plan is always a good thing. I would remove the least amount of foliage as possible before bringing it in, and plan a much more severe reduction in Jun. If your plant hasn't been repotted recently, it's growth rate and level of vitality is probably being severely limited by root congestion, so I'd make a full repot with root-pruning and a complete change of soil (that means bare-rooting) to a medium you can water to beyond saturation, at will, w/o concern that an extended period of soggy soil will cause roots to rot/die or significantly impair root function.

Generally speaking, it's better to get into a rhythm that works with the natural rhythms of the plant instead of against them. For most houseplants, that's pretty easy. Repot (different and more involved than simply potting up) or do your serious pruning work in the month prior to the plants most robust growth. There are some exceptions to that rule (citrus, azalea, datura, brugs, hibiscus) get repotted a bit earlier in the spring, just prior to when the plant starts to get serious about growing or as it shows signs of coming out of a consequential dormant period.

Al