I’d chop it back below the leaves into the woody part and place it in the brightest window (better yet, outside). If it’s not dead, it’ll back bud.

Heres a thread I started a couple years back. You can see what some good back budding will look like if it hangs on.

https://forums2.gardenweb.com/discussions/4075631/dwarf-schefflera-cuttings-progress?n=3

Thanks for the advice. A few questions:

Should I make the cut on the brown/woody part of the trunk, or the green part right below the lowest leaves?

And then should I just leave it in the pot after doing that?

I can leave it outside, but it would be in direct sun for at least part of the day. And here in northern CA, our nighttime temps are often in the 50s even in the summer. Is that ok?

Ah the optimism of a plant lover. I have done many things just like this myself. I think you can revive it! Good luck and we'd love to see progress.

it looks to me barely alive - i wouldn't chop off so much at this point. you need to stabilize it and grow some roots not spend resources on back budding.

wait for it to grow a few new leaves - by that time it will have enough roots - that prolly will be next year. so you can then chop it for back budding in late spring, after it wakes up.

50s at night is def not ok - it's a dead of winter for tropicals. they survive by dropping leaves - which you don't have as is. and low night temps seriously slow down the growth. so i recommend keeping it indoors in some gentle part-sun until you get new growth. they are actually quite slow to start when not healthy. so it might take a few months to get it going.

I think any direct sun would be too much for tender new leaves and agree inside is best. Don't let it sit in that drain dish when you water. Let it sit on a stack of newspaper for an hour or more before replacing in the dish. I think it will survive.

I'm seeing conflicting advice on whether to cut back the stem now or wait...but if we were to cut it back, where exactly should we cut?

See the photo below. As you can see, if we cut just below the lowest leaf, we're already in the area where the stem transitions from green to woody. Is that ok, or should I cut higher?

The top is shriveled and is not going to come back nor is it doing anything for the plant.

id cut an inch below the last leaf petiole.

Dear Dave,

You seem to be the man to speak to on the internet with regards to Scheffies.

I purchased a Schefflera for our offices here in London. We've had one for around 3 months. I was told to re-pot into a large pot with plenty of drainage at the bottom.

I was initially very shocked when I pulled the plant from the pot to find it had no root system whatsoever. It was simply a stump, although the plant looked super healthy?

Over the period of a few months, the plant has deteriorated significantly. We water, let the soil dry, test soil for dryness, then water again. I can't help but think this big guy won't make it though. He is kept out of direct sunlight with diffused sunlight in the room.

Would you mind explaining soil makeup you use and the root rot symptoms?

I have moved the plant outside and into some shade (we have had air con here constantly and I am worried this may be shocking him.

When I have removed some of the seemingly dead branches, there is a kind of slimy undercoat to the bark? Almost like an old fruit.

Appreciate any time and thoughts you may have.

Best,

Chase

Jesse, I agree with Dave 100% I followed his advice a couple of years ago and my Schef is doing great !!!

Chase,

So did you repot into a bigger pot? How much larger than the original? If there’s not much of a root system, you want it in the smallest pot possible and you want to use a super fast draining soil.

Do you have a photo of it out of the soil when you repotted?

drainge, i.e. rocks or gravel at the bottom is a myth. It doesn’t help with drainage at all, because the soil above still drains at the same rate. It simply pushes the perched water table up higher which will makes the roots stay soggy longer.

Your plant appears to be rotting from over watering and a soil that holds too much water. The trunks you scraped with the razor are all dead.

Is there green behind the bark on any of the trunks?

Have you pulled it out to inspect the roots or as you say stump? I’ve never seen a plant with that much foliage have no root system. A healthy scheff should fill a pot with roots ASAP.

I and a lot of others here use a homemade soil mix called the 5.1.1 mix. You make it with 5 parts pine bark fines (bark size is important), 1 part peat, 1 part perlite and some dolomite lime.

Christine, great to hear!

Thanks Dave. Yes the pot was larger. Amateur hour unfortunately....

I’ve just pulled it out of the soil, I understand the soil is too heavy. See stump below. That lonely root is new though.

I have found one branch with green underneath.

Do you think it’s worth changing the soil or attempting to make a cutting of the good branch?

Thank you!

Well, I trimmed the stem below the lowest leaves as suggested and placed it in an indirectly sunny window. I'll keep it watered as needed and report back on any progress. Fingers crossed!

Keep updating! I’m having similar issues and I’m excited to see how this goes. Please post a photo of where you cut and after you see new growth. Thanks.