do fatsia's sucker

[flounder]

Air layering could work. I don't use that technique any more as I find it too long winded, but thats just me

[simon]

Both my plain green Fatias japonicas are multi stemmed and have more stems than they did when I planted them. I assumed that they where suckers. The only other option coujld be that they sprouted from seeds that where alrady in the pot because I don't think my seed has ever ripened before the frost kills them.

In relation to the cutting question, I bought a small variegated one from from CGF which looked very much like it was grown from a cutting because the lowest leaf was much larger and had its axil below soil level, so I guess Bob Brown can manage it.

[Nathan]

If you do cut any stems back to increase suckers then pot up the bits you have cut off too as these will root

Have you actually done this Nathan ? I tried for 4 years using different methods and not one stem rooted, The consensus was that Aralia family are easy from root cuttings, but do not strike from stem cuttings.

Yes. I cut a stem back earlier in the year & I simply plonked the 'branch' ends into a pot & within a couple of weeks roots had started to form. The stems carried on growing new leaves too (though I removed most of the leaves they already had)...