Hi, About a year ago, my schefflera was dying from the top down, so I cut off the dying part at the top so the rest of it would survive. It's been OK since then but it hasn't grown at all. The tip of the stem where I cut it off has turned yellow and hardened. How do I make it grow? Thanks!
Do you know why it was dying, and has that condition been corrected? The stem looks pretty solid, but older. Not ancient, but maybe still a little resistant to sprouting. I've sometimes had success in encouraging new shoots on tough canes or stems by moistening the nodes where I'd like it to sprout. You are close enough to the equator that I suspect seasonal dormancy is less of an issue, but I'd still wait until January or so to push for new growth. At that time, give it some fertilizer, some light, and water it more than you have been. Moisten the top nodes, above leaf scars to encourage sprouting. You might try a little glycerin or gelatin in water keep the node area hydrated. Wrapping it with damp paper towel or sphagnum moss won't work and would encourage root growth, so you don't want anything heavy and you want some light on that area. If you can increase humidity around the plant in general that would also be good. It's probably too big to tent in plastic, though.
If it were mine, I'd cut that hard nub sticking up in the middle back even more by cutting it "flush' to the plant. It will also look better too. In the spring and summer months, you should see something growing, give it time:)
Thanks for your replies, I'll try all that in some time and see. I did cut off the hard nub :) No, I don't know what was killing it, but it wasnt bugs so maybe light/watering issues.
