Question
QUESTION: I have two questions -
first, I have a corn plant which I have had for 25 years.  (which I have cut and replanted the crowns a time or two due to height restrictions.   Now however I have moved from home with vaulted (25 foot) ceilings to a standard ceiling home, forcing the cutting of two stalks.  The shorter stalk I know will resprout after cutting because the wood has not formed around the green, the other however is wood from the ground to where I was forced to make the cut (6 feet or so).  Will the wooded stalk re-branch?  Or if I cut it down to the soil will it re branch from the root?
Question two:  I have a really lovely copper pot, in which I was going to plant the major crown of my corn plant then I recalled that copper spikes kill trees...  can I use this copper pot for a corn plant?
OK...  one more question.  I also have a cheffilira (sorry not even spell checker gets this one)- this one I bought in 1978 for .99 cents.  It is now 6 plus feet tall with several branches.  I have never cut it back, which I am sure is why the branches are spinally - (I have them supported to a bamboo pole with a network of zip strips)  how would I go about cutting it back so that it thickens up or is it too late.
Thanks so much
Colleen
ANSWER: Hi Colleen,

Answer to Question 1: In general, if the roots are healthy you can cut back a stem at almost any point and it will produce new growth just below the point of the cut on the stem. However, the chances of success do diminish the older the stem is. So your concerns are legitimate, but there is no definitive answer that anyone can provide.

You might consider cutting off the top 1-2 feet and planting that top cutting at the base of the plant. Because that top cutting is relatively young (green), it has a good chance of rooting in the soil. In time it will grow and fill in the lower portion of your corn plant. You can then cut the original stem back to an even lower height. If it fails to produce new growth, it will not be so obvious because you have the top cutting growing up from the base. I hope this is clear. If not let me know.

Answer to Question 2: It is not a good idea to pot plants directly into metal containers. The mineral salts in the soil tend to interact with the metals and create toxic compounds that can damage plant roots and also corrode the metal containers. This is especially true with copper. However there is a simple solution - double potting. Keep your corn plant in a plastic pot that will fit inside of the copper planter. Place a plastic saucer between the two so that any water runoff will stay in the saucer and not be in contact with the copper pot. This will spare both the plant and the copper planter.

Answer to One More Question: Proactive pruning is always more effective than pruning that is done after the situation is desperate. If your Schefflera (correct spelling) is spindly, it is no doubt because it is not getting as much light as it prefers. Light is the key to thick stems and lush foliage growth. Pruning will eliminate some of the spindliness, but unless the light is increased the new growth that comes in will, also be spindly. I suggest that you prune it back as much as you want, but move it closer to a brighter window to get stronger new growth.

Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions. If you would like to e-mail me some photos, I may be able to provide some additional insights.

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Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

You can E-mail me directly at: [email protected]




---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Will,
Thank you !  The information is most helpful.
The Schefflera (spelling added to dictionary) does sit is a bright spot, have front, center, southern face window all its own, perhaps a larger pot is in order, however, in pruning, is the same true for the wooded portions of the plant?  I would want to prune into the wood if I wanted to encourage new branching???  
Thanks
Colleen

Answer
Hi Colleen,

A photo of your Schefflera would be very helpful to my ability to assess what is causing the spindly growth. I doubt that it is the pot size unless it is drying out every couple of days.

The same principle applies to your Schefflera. The older the stem, the less likely it is to produce new growth. But I suspect it probably will no matter how far back you prune it. Again, a photo would help.

Photos can be emailed to me at [email protected]

~Will