Ming Aralias

[myming]

i have 2 polyscias fruticosa's, 3 trunks (2" tall),4-6 branches (tallest branch 6" tall) with multiple dense leaves. i've had them about 3-4 months. they are facing west and only get direct sun for about 1/2 hour in winter, alot longer in summer. i have not trimmed them. now they are bending from where the branch meets the trunk, from weight i think. how do i trim them? they were standing up just a week ago!
HELP, please!!!
they live in costa mesa, california, about 5 miles from the pacific ocean. <_<

[OSunshine]

To be honest, I don't know how to tell you how to prune this plant. I always just kind of thinned the leaves on mine. I'm sure that someone will give you better advice. In the meantime maybe support the branch in question and see if that helps.

[MrSeedy]

Seems to me they can be trimmed quite severely , though I think in general you get a better appearance if you do lots of light pruning all through their life. I guess they really don't have the strongest wood , so they can tend to droop or lean a bit, but I'd suspect perhaps more bright light would make them a bit sturdier, and a south window might work better, though in California you'd have to watch for sunburn even in winter with a southerly exposure. Here our southern exposures are weak enough in midwinter, that even plants that can easily burn aren't in danger in our brightest southern exposures. By late February here, however it pays to watch for signs of sunburn on more sun sensitive plants , so they can be moved farther back from the windows. Not to sound "funny" it seems to me that my old Aralia fruticosa always reminded me of a huge parsley plant with the very crinkly and fern like leaves, but I did love the look.