How to prune ficus correctly to form a crown

What can I do to make the ficus sprout side shoots?

If the ficus grows only upward, without producing lateral shoots, then over time it can turn into a tall, sparsely deciduous tree. But this can be avoided by simply trimming and pinching the top periodically.

The most popular method among experienced gardeners is the Japanese pinching method. The procedure is quite simple. When forming the crown, you need to twist the branch to the bud from which new side shoots will subsequently appear.

The procedure is as follows:

• it is necessary to determine which branches will be superfluous when creating a beautiful tree crown;
• Each selected branch should be carefully bent into a loop and bandaged to the trunk.

Important! If juice appears at the bend, it must be washed off the plant.

After a few weeks, the buds remaining up to the bend will produce new shoots.

Creating unusual shapes

The standard ficus looks beautiful, but many novice gardeners do not know how to form its crown. Some ficus trees are grown as small trees. Most of the trunk trunk is freed from side branches. The apical part of the plant is given any geometric shape.

There are interesting options for forming an intertwined single trunk from root shoots. As it grows, several shoots intertwine.

Additional Information! Over time, the stems grow together. To create a single trunk, any braiding pattern is used.

To braid a ficus, you should wait until the shoots grow upward. Young, non-woody shoots can be formed. Depending on the amount of material, you can create weaving in the form of:

• spirals;
• hedge (wattle fence);
• gratings;
• braids.

Unusual trunk shapes

An important design rule. The more complex the shape of the trunk, the simpler and more natural the apical part should look. On a simple single stem, the crown looks harmonious, having the shape:

• spheres;
• cone;
• hemispheres.

How to prune a house ficus so that it is fluffy, the owner makes a decision after a thorough examination of the branches and the location of the buds. If the gardener plans to create a single plant from several shoots, they need to be shortened at the same height. Stems with side branches removed are suitable for weaving. Pinching the apex activates the lateral buds. If the manipulation is carried out regularly, the ficus will form a beautiful lush crown.

How to properly pinch at home?

In order for the procedure to be successful, the owner of the ficus needs to know the following:

1. It is important to choose the right time for pinching. Otherwise, the plant can easily die.
2. Ficus juice is poisonous and can cause burns or allergic reactions. Therefore, all manipulations with the plant must be carried out with gloves.
3. It is better not to combine pruning with another procedure, for example, replanting.

Ficus can be easily pinched at home if you follow the established rules.

Timing for the procedure

Experienced gardeners know that the ideal time to pinch out ficus is spring. It is during this period that the plant becomes active, forming new shoots and buds. Therefore, the procedure will not be too stressful for the flower, and all “wounds” will heal quickly.

Important! Pinching in autumn or winter can lead to the death of the ficus.

Pinching Instructions

Before you start forming the crown, you need to decide on the choice of knife. It should be sharp enough to cut thick branches straight away. The knife must be disinfected with alcohol or peroxide. If the plant is young, then unnecessary shoots can simply be cut off.

But if the ficus is already several years old, then you need:

• determine the point that will become the top;
• the cut should be made at a distance of 6–8 cm from the sheet;
• branches should be cut obliquely;

When pinching, it is necessary to rinse all cut areas with water. Since the sap of the plant will slow down the growth of new shoots. To form an ideal crown, pinching and pruning should be done annually.

Important Rules

The procedure for forming a crown largely depends on what the gardener wants to achieve. For example, to obtain the shape of a standard tree you need:

1. Choose a young, unformed ficus without lignification.
2. Then gradually remove the side shoots until 5 top branches remain.
3. When the ficus reaches the required height, the top shoot should be pinched and the side shoots removed.
4. For young stems without bark, you need to build a support. It will be needed until the ficus finally grows.

Such a standard can be multi-tiered. To do this, the crown is divided into 4–5 parts. The odd ones will be the crown tiers, and the rest will be the spaces between them. To form the latter, shoots are cut 5–7 cm shorter than in tiers.

In addition to the standard, there are several other ways to design a beautiful crown. This is a bush and an arc. To form the first type, it is important to ensure that the ficus does not grow upward, but produces lateral shoots. This is controlled by pinching the flower annually.

The arch is created very simply - the upper part of the plant is bent and fixed at the required height. The upper buds begin to produce new shoots, making the plant more voluminous. As soon as the side shoots reach the desired length, the fixation is removed. The branches of the ficus will remain in the same position, forming an interesting arc.

Further care

After the stress suffered due to the procedure, the ficus needs additional feeding. It is added immediately or wait 1-2 weeks until the plant adapts. If necessary, you can transplant the ficus into a new pot. This is true for plants that no longer fit in the old container.

Types of crowns and ease of formation

Ficus rubber can be given any shape. To do this, you just need to trim it correctly. As a result of this operation, you can get a unique decoration for your home from a seemingly inconspicuous plant. Moreover, even a novice gardener can master this task, but first he will have to familiarize himself with the pruning rules and adhere to them.

The change in the shape of Ficus Benjamin occurs due to new shoots, which usually appear from the buds. Ficus has only two of them:

• apical (located at the very top of the bush);
• lateral, or axillary (located in the axils of the leaves, where the petioles of the leaves are closely adjacent to the trunk).

The apical bud demonstrates the fastest growth, ahead of the lateral buds, which develop very slowly or show no signs of development at all. It is enough to remove the top bud so that the side buds can begin to develop well. Usually the shoots begin to grow in different directions. As a result of such manipulations, the plant begins to change its crown.

There are several types of crowns that can be created by pruning Ficus Benjamin:

• Bush;
• Standard;
• Tiered standard;
• Sculpture.

Also, most varieties can be used for growing miniature bonsai trees.

Although Ficus benjamina is a tall tree, it is very easy to grow a bush from it. To do this, the central shoot of a young plant is pinched. As a result, side branches begin to actively grow. In just a year you can get a lush and beautiful plant.

Standard forms are distinguished by a clearly defined trunk and crown. There is a single and tiered trunk with a crown divided into several tiers, between which there is a trunk without shoots. Growing such a tree is a long process that can take 3-4 years.

The sculpture is created from small-leaved varieties. The tree is given a pre-conceived shape. Pruning is carried out annually and very carefully; the shape of the tree must be regularly adjusted.

How to pinch so that it bushes and is lush?

For plants that are too tall, the procedure for forming new side shoots remains relevant. The owner of a ficus can use several methods:

1. Japanese method. Suitable for small flowers that do not fit on the windowsill.
2. Trimming. If you remove the top of the plant, the ficus will produce new shoots. This will make the flower more magnificent. But it should be borne in mind that if the procedure is performed incorrectly, the ficus will continue to grow upward.

Important! When using the Japanese pinching method, branches can be tied not only to the trunk, but also to pegs specially driven into the ground.

What to do if it stretches very upward?

When a flower stretches upward, it sheds its lower leaves in the process. Most buds form at the top of the plant. Therefore, you should not allow it to grow too high.

If the ficus needs to be made larger and smaller, then they resort to pruning the plant. But it is important to remember that the cut should only go obliquely and be located above the kidney. In addition, gardeners use the following methods:

1. They lower the excess branches down and tie them to the trunk or pegs. This allows the buds on top to produce strong shoots. The procedure is carried out several times in order for a sufficient number of side shoots to grow.
2. Sometimes kerbovka allows you to achieve the appearance of new shoots. To do this, a small incision is made above the dormant kidney to about a third of its depth. The bark in this place needs to be removed to weaken root nutrition.
3. In special cases, gardeners use special stimulation of the flower with plant hormones - cytokinins. With their help, the lateral axillary buds begin to dominate, rather than the apical ones.

Important! Any cuts are made with a disinfected knife, otherwise you can provoke the appearance of fungus or infection.

Any ficus owner knows that the plant requires careful care. Otherwise, you may end up with the top of the flower hitting the ceiling. Therefore, annual pinching in the spring is a necessity. And you should start forming a crown of the required height and volume as early as possible, while the ficus is still young.

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Features of care after pruning

Caring for a ficus after pruning depends on its type. After complete radical pruning, the tree should rest for several weeks in a slightly darkened place. At the same time, it should be watered in a timely manner as the top layer of soil dries. If the plant is grown in one stem, then after its formation the number of waterings should be reduced so as not to activate the regrowth of side shoots. After restoration, you can carry out a planned replanting of the plant.

After anti-aging pruning, in addition to regular watering, it is necessary to provide the plant with weekly feeding. To do this, you can use water-soluble microfertilizers for indoor flowers. Another step in caring for ficus is regular loosening of the soil, an alternative to which can be mulching the soil with moss. And decorative pebbles will be the finishing touch to the design of the entire composition.

Did you know? Ficus fruits - dates - were used as food by representatives of many ancient civilizations. Thus, the Israeli king Solomon mentioned them in his songs, and the ancient Greeks and Romans believed that these fruits were sent to Earth by heaven.