Dear Jessica: My wife has a green thumb without even trying. People always give her dying plants, and she brings them back. We have one (I don't know what it is) that we'd like to trim back as it's over 6 feet tall. Can it be trimmed? If so, where and when should we cut it?
_ Henry Ashby
Dear Henry: You have a Schefflera, often referred to as an umbrella plant, and by the looks of it, I'd say your assessment of your wife's green thumb is correct. The plants are native to the tropics, but here in Zone 7, they are often grown as houseplants. Indoor-grown umbrella plants should get plenty of indirect sunlight, such as by an east-, west- or south-facing window that's covered with a sheer curtain. Overwatering can prove fatal, so soil should be allowed to dry completely before slowly and completely soaking soil until water runs out the pot's drainage holes (saucers should be emptied afterward to avoid absorption of excess water).
Outdoors in their natural habitat, Schefflera trees can grow 40 feet tall; indoors they usually max out at about 8 feet and don't require pruning to thrive. However, if you'd like to control its shape or size, this can be safely and easily done. Using sharp pruners, start by removing any unhealthy or leggy stems, cutting them to approximately three inches from the soil line. Then, to control the plant's overall height and width, trim tall stalks to the desired length, cutting each about an inch above the next leaf.
Dear Jessica: I have a black thumb; every plant I touch dies. But I have a plant that I received from a friend at my mother's funeral in 2017, so it's very important to me. Through trial and error, and some research, I've been able to keep it alive. Now I want to put it in a nice pot. How do I do it without killing it? Please help.
_ Desiree Dinkins
Dear Desiree: Your plant, Aspidistra elatior, is commonly called a cast-iron plant. Its name derives from the amount of neglect and (sometimes abuse) it can withstand. It doesn't even like, much less need, sunlight. Varieties include those with waxy, glossy green, yellow-speckled or cream-striped leaves, but the green ones, such as yours, are the most vigorous. Water only when dry and fertilize with ordinary houseplant fertilizer twice a month in summer and fall, plus once over winter, and they will thrive.
Young plants, which tend to grow quickly, can be repotted, but no more than once a year. Larger, mature plants can be repotted every three years. Regardless, move them up only into the next-size container, typically one or two inches larger. Any bigger, and the extra soil will retain more water than the plant needs, placing it at risk of root rot, which is fatal.
