Most types of ficuses are very hardy and unpretentious plants. But in order for them to develop harmoniously and delight the owners with a beautiful crown, experts recommend including regular pruning in the care of ficus. Let's look at how to form a beautiful ficus and how to prune correctly.
Novice lovers are often interested in whether it is possible to cut off an overgrown ficus and whether removing part of the branches will harm it. In fact, in order for the ficus to grow lush and healthy at home, periodic pruning is not only possible, but necessary.
Firstly, this is necessary for sanitary reasons: if broken or dry branches are not cut, they can cause the whole houseplant. Secondly, proper pruning helps to rejuvenate the ficus at home. Finally, the formation of the crown will make it more expressive. Moreover, you can not do without pruning if you want to grow.
Trimming time and tools
The time for pruning branches is selected depending on the purpose. If the task is the formation of a ficus and the desire to make it fluffy, you need to choose a period of active development of the plant in spring and summer. For indoor ficuses, this is most often March-July. Crown formation during the dormant period can make the plant skewed, as the shoots in the fall grow only where you pruned. In addition, branches that grow in autumn draw juices from the plant “stored” for the winter and can weaken it.
You can not cut off healthy sprouts to form a crown if you have recently had a transplant. But sanitary pruning of damaged branches should be done immediately, without waiting for a special time, and it should become an obligatory part of the care.
To cut a green pet, you will need large and small garden shears and a pruner or a knife (for different thicknesses of homemade ficus branches). Do not forget about disinfectants, since it is impossible to properly cut the ficus without them: before cutting the branches, the tools must be treated with alcohol, and garden pitch is suitable for processing the cut points.
When cutting a plant, you need to use sharply sharpened tools: if the cut is uneven and “soaked”, bacteria can penetrate through it.
Sanitary pruning
To ensure the flower is correct at home, you need to periodically inspect it - this way you will immediately find damaged or starting to dry branches. True, some deciduous ficus varieties expose branches only by autumn, only at this time allowing you to notice diseased areas. In any case, according to the conditions of proper pruning, you need to get rid of them immediately, otherwise they can spread the disease to the entire plant.
In addition, I cut off old and weakened branches, as they become “easy prey” for pests and infections. It is necessary to shorten such a branch, completely capturing the damaged area. If a diseased shoot grows from the ground, it must be cut at soil level.
Sooner or later, all ficuses begin to need such care.
Anti-aging pruning
Let's consider how to cut a ficus for a rejuvenating purpose. It is necessary to resort to such circumcision more often if the flower or top of the ficus has suffered due to the cold in the house or has begun to dry out for other reasons.
You can make the ficus again begin to give a lot of new growth by cutting off all the branches and leaving only a bare stump. Such pruning of the ficus will give impetus to the emergence of new shoots coming from the roots. Dwarf domestic ficuses respond well to it.
For ficus with long shoots, on which the foliage begins to dry out due to too dry air or heat, we cut off the branches almost completely, leaving no more (but no less) 2 buds on each. After that, many cuttings grow, allowing both to grow a new “pet”, if you use a cut branch, and to form a magnificent beautiful crown of the old one.
Finally, we will learn how to form a beautiful ficus crown.
Crown formation is a creative activity. Before you form a plant, you need to think about the shape of the top and how tall the plant should be. Correct shaping on ficuses is not done too often, so you need to take into account all the details so as not to make a mistake. Let's take a look at the rules.
To make the shape of the plant beautiful, the cut is made strictly above the place where the future apical bud is located: a new shoot on the ficus grows from it, and if you leave the “bare” part of the cutting, this will give the plant an unpleasantly plucked appearance.
When pruning, you need to take into account the rule that on thick old branches the cut should be beveled at an angle of 45 degrees, and on thin ones - straight.
If there are too many internal ficus shoots, they can be thinned out so that it is lush. To do this, when cutting, pay attention to the location of the upper kidney: it should be directed outward. Horizontally or vertically - depends on whether you want to achieve crown growth in width or its height.
To make the plant especially beautiful, choose one of the classic forms - tiered, in the form of a geometric figure, etc. Forming the top of a beautiful ficus, you can "peep" the techniques and forms of bonsai and copy them without even making the plant small, since these " pets” are very malleable. A tree with an originally formed trunk will ideally fit into a room or office interior.
To get beautiful young plants, you can use stem shaping. How to form a stem correctly? This is done by cutting off all the shoots, except for the five at the top. Estimate in advance what the height should be. When the ficus has grown to the desired size, the upper bud is from the top, and then you need to cut and shorten the side shoots - this is how we form a neat circle. The tier can be not only one upper; specialists can form up to three "floors". So you can only work with young ficuses.
If you decide in advance to transplant and grow several plants together, you can cut them so that the crown seems to be one. This is especially important in cases where a composition is formed with beautifully intertwined trunks. When on a houseplant, all side shoots are also removed.
To make the crown especially lush, in the form of a bush, you can cut off the top of an adult plant and then use tweezing, which consists in periodically cutting the shoots from above, which activates the lateral buds. Proper tweezing is carried out subject to the deadlines, that is, in the spring or during the summer.
A pruned plant needs special care, often additional watering and. Immediately after you cut the branches, the plant cannot be transplanted, it must move away from the "stress".
When home bonsai is grown and the cutting is transplanted into a small container, the roots of the plant are also subject to formation: with the right approach, too long must be removed, like most of the tops.
If you have made the correct cut of the branches in compliance with all conditions, the crown of the plant will be lush and your pet will be admired by both home and guests.
Video "Correct pruning of ficus"
From this video you will learn how to properly cut a ficus at home.
Rubber ficus occupies a prominent place in an apartment, office or public institution. Rubber-bearing or elastic, and also rubber, it is called because its juice flowing from the wounds freezes and resembles a substance such as rubber or latex in this form.
In India, the homeland of this tree, it grows to a huge size, covering up to 250-300 square meters with the shadow of its crown. On the basis of this tree, breeders bred a small and convenient tree for placement. And to make it look compact and exotic, a system for trimming its crown has been developed.
Having become better acquainted with this representatives of the mulberry family, every fan of indoor plants will take up the cultivation of ficus.
Similar to this tree are:
- Fig or fig, fig tree;
- Mulberry or mulberry, mulberry;
- Breadfruit;
- Cow tree, reminiscent of the taste of milk;
- Paper tree, from which paper of the highest quality is produced;
- Anchar or upas - a poisonous representative of the mulberry family, the hero of a poem by A.S. Pushkin.
Few home growers call ficus rubber-bearing - just ficus. Indoors, the height of the plant is regulated by pruning, and depending on the tastes of the owners, it can be from 1 to 2 meters, although in its homeland the tree reaches the height of a 10-story building. A young tree in the jungle grows very quickly and forms aerial roots.
In India, and in our country, ficus is considered a tree of well-being and prosperity. Ficus, according to home flower growers, perfectly cleans the air in the room from germs and bacteria.
The leaves of a young plant are pinkish in color, acquire a dense green color with age, petiolate, arranged alternately on the stem. Their size is up to 35 cm in length and up to 25 in width. Ficus does not bloom indoors.
pruning ficus
When grown indoors, the plant requires crown-forming pruning. If you cut only the top of the tree, there will be no effect. The ficus does not branch, and the cut off upper bud will grow in one direction. The plant will be one-sided and will not decorate the room.
Trimming time
The rubber-bearing ficus is cut off in early March to form a beautiful crown, at which time the rapid vegetation of the tree begins.
A properly performed pruning operation in early spring will awaken the axillary buds, which in turn will give rise to lateral branches.
If, for some reason, it was not possible to cut the plant at the beginning of spring, this event is carried out only if it is urgently necessary, if the ficus quickly began to gain growth.
During winter or late autumn pruning, one single upper bud will awaken, which will give the ficus a one-sided shape, and the decorative effect of the plant will suffer significantly from this.
Crown care rules
- For competent spring pruning, the tool must be sharply sharpened and disinfected;
- From the top of the plant are separated from 3 to 5 leaves, approximately 20 cm;
- The thin stem should be cut parallel to the soil in the pot, above the top bud. If the stem is thick, the cut is made at an angle of 40-45 degrees;
- When cutting side shoots, they must be cut without hemp, as rot and mold may appear on it;
- The juice on the cut is removed with a clean napkin, and the cut itself is treated with antiseptic and antifungal drugs, for example, trichodermin;
- When the lateral buds begin to grow, it is better to transplant the rubbery ficus into another, more voluminous dish. Transplantation is performed one month after circumcision.
Important! The juice of the rubbery ficus is poisonous, pruning and other work with the plant is carried out using protective equipment (rubber gloves, glasses).
Features of growing ficus
There is no doubt that the plant is grown indoors because of its decorative effect, that is, a beautiful crown. And in order for this part of the ficus to really please the eye, you must not forget about such things:
- Indoors, plant heights of more than 2 meters are not allowed, and ficus is not happy with side shoots. A flower can develop quickly if it is provided with a growth of 30-40 centimeters per year;
- The exterior of the plant is mainly in its glossy large leaves, which can have an even dark green color or a variegated white-green pattern;
- Ficus is unlikely to bloom indoors, it needs pollination by exotic insects.
Lighting
Since the birthplace of the plant is India, the country is warm and humid, the ficus loves diffused light and high humidity. It is advisable to place pots with plants near their eastern western windows. If the flower is placed in partial shade, its growth will be rather slow, and at the same time, leaves will fall off at the bottom of the stem.
Attention! When placing a ficus indoors, you do not need to place it in a draft.
Temperature
The optimal indicators of the temperature regime are:
- During active vegetation - 20-25 0 С;
- In winter, ficus is quite enough 15 0 C, but not lower.
The soil
Rubber ficus loves well-loosened soil with proper drainage. The soil is prepared from peat, turf, sand, leafy soil.
But you can also buy a substrate in a flower shop, called "soil for palm trees."
Watering and fertilizing
Ficus should be watered as the soil in the pot dries. The frequency of the procedure is determined by the air temperature and its humidity in the room. Excess moisture in the soil causes shedding of leaves. And with insufficient air humidity, systematic spraying or wiping the leaves with a damp cloth is necessary.
For water procedures with ficus, it is better to use rain or snow water. Feed the plant with a complex fertilizer with a high nitrogen content.
How a dense ficus crown is formed.
When the owners of the plant want to achieve an extensive, dense crown, do the following:
- The main stem of the ficus is bent down and pinched until the upper bud sprouts;
- The main stem is pierced with a needle to a third of its diameter, piercing lower each time.
Diseases and pests of ficus
The plant is resistant to the visit of harmful insects, but the spider mite and scale insect can covet large beautiful leaves.
You can kill them with insecticides or a solution of laundry soap.
Pathogenic diseases ficus practically do not touch.
reproduction
Growing a young ficus is easy. The cuttings obtained during pruning are germinated and planted in prepared containers. This procedure is well known to every home gardener.
If the plant began to grow weakly, the leaves turn yellow and fall, the owner is to blame, in this case the ficus is not enough:
- lighting;
- Fertilizers (top dressing);
- Space in the pot for root development.
The crown of most varieties of ficus without pruning will grow in a chaotic manner, reaching sizes that are not suitable for the room. Timely removal of lateral and apical shoots allows you to give the plant a decorative effect, reduce its length and width, and make it more compact.
Pruning and formation of rubber ficus is carried out depending on the age of the plant annually or once every 3 years. In addition to forming pruning, you can use the feature of the plant's shoots to create unique compositions - flexible stems and air layering are tied with a pigtail, tourniquet, intertwined and direct growth in the opposite direction.
Is it possible to cut rubber ficus
Pruning rubber ficus is needed not only to give the tree a decorative effect, but also to improve the plant. It is necessary to remove excess shoots regularly so that it is healthy, lush, leaves and stems have enough room to grow, all above-ground parts of the bush receive enough light and humidity from the air.
Removal of branches is also carried out for sanitary purposes - sick, rotten, dry, broken branches draw out nutrients, taking them from healthy parts, and can also reduce immunity and cause diseases.
With the help of formative pruning, ficus can be forced to branch or grow compactly. The florist himself determines which crown diameter is suitable for growing in rooms of different sizes.
How to form a rubber ficus crown
You need to cut the ficus in accordance with the following rules:
- The formation of the crown is carried out in the phase of active development from the beginning of spring to the end of summer. If you remove the shoots in winter, the next season the plant will be deformed.
- If the ficus has recently been transplanted, it is impossible to touch healthy sprouts when creating a crown. Sanitary pruning can be done at any time.
- It will be bad if you cut off the apical shoot far from the second kidney from the top. In this case, the bare remaining part of the trunk dies off. If you take away the apical shoot along with the buds late, the ficus will not bloom. It is optimal to remove the apical shoot from the second kidney from the top, leaving no “empty” parts of the trunk.
- Be sure to use sharp tools. If the cut is uneven, pathogenic bacteria can enter the tissue. You can take a pruner, garden shears or a sharp knife. Before trimming, it is advisable to treat all blades with alcohol or other disinfectants.
- The cut points on the handle also need processing, a garden pitch is suitable for this.
You can create a crown in the following way:
- Think about what shape you want to give the whole plant, and indicate the approximate height and width. Young plants can be pruned annually, and if the ficus has already reached 3-4 years, carry out the procedure no more than once every 3 years.
- Make a cut exactly above the place where the apical kidney will be. A fresh shoot grows from it, and if part of the cutting is exposed, then the crown will not have a rounded appearance, since the exposed trunk gradually dies off.
- Make the cut beveled at an angle of at least 45 degrees on old thick branches, on thin shoots - at an angle of 90 degrees.
- The crown can not only be cut, but also thinned out. During the procedure, pay attention to the localization of the upper kidney. Make sure it points outward. If you leave the bud horizontal, the branches will grow in width, vertically in height.
- The classic form for trimming the crown is longline. The ficus will have the shape of a ball or oval. To do this, the top and bottom of the crown are cut equally, leave the central branches longer. The lowest branches and the apical shoot are cut off at the root.
- Ficuses also grow in the form of a trunk. To form such a crown, cut off all the shoots, except for the five located at the top of the trunk. When the plant reaches the desired height, pinch the top bud from the top, then shorten the side trunks as they grow, forming a ball.
When growing a bonsai tree, it is necessary to form not only the crown, but also the root system. Too long roots are removed during the annual transplant, the tops and side shoots are cut off so that the height of the plant does not exceed 50-70 cm.
How to pinch a ficus
In order to pinch the plant, you will need a pruner or knife, a disinfectant solution (peroxide, alcohol), a soft cloth and a container of water.
Then follow the instructions:
- It is best to perform the procedure in the middle of spring. It is during this period that many new shoots are formed, and the wounds on the trunk that appear during pruning heal quickly.
- As soon as the plant has reached the height you need, you can pinch. Disinfect a knife or other tool or bake it over a fire.
- If the upper shoot of the tree is thin, you can cut it below the bud by making a straight cut.
- If the length is longer than you need, determine the required height, then find the sheet below that point. Cut the shoot 5 cm above such a leaf, making an oblique cut. The lower level of the cut will be at the level of the kidney on the opposite side. Upper - directly above the kidney.
- Then moisten a soft cloth and remove the milky juice that appeared along the cut.
- Fertilize the plant after a month. Before this period, fertilizing is not recommended, since the plant's immunity drops out after transplantation, it may experience stress.
Pinching will allow the plant to produce new side shoots and stop growth at the height you want. Without this, the tree will hit the ceiling in 4-5 years.
Creating unusual shapes
The formation of the crown of the rubber-bearing ficus can be performed not only in the form of an oval or a ball. There are other pruning methods that can result in trees with unique shapes for interior design.
stem tree
Formation of rubber ficus at home in the form of a bole:
- A standard form can only be created from an unformed ficus without lignification on the trunks.
- Lateral shoots need to be removed regularly until the top 5 branches remain.
- When the tree reaches the desired height, pinch the apical shoot, remembering to remove the lateral processes.
- While the stems remain flexible and without bark, it is necessary to organize a backup. Keep the trunk upright throughout the growth period.
The stem can be multi-tiered. For such a crown formation, divide it into 4-5 parts. From the odd ones, make the tiers of the crown, and from the even ones - the gaps between the tiers, for which the shoots are cut 5-7 cm shorter than the rest.
small fence
A rubber-bearing ficus hedge can be made as follows:
- pick up at least 5-7 seedlings and a long low capacity for planting;
- place all seedlings in a pallet in one row or in a circle, the distance between the shoots should be at least 10 cm;
- the fence is formed from the crown - cut at the same height.
It is important to properly trim the ficus for the growth of the "fence". During the procedure, remove the shoots in the same parts of the trunk so that the ficus crowns are equally thick and there are no gaps in the “fence”.
Spiral
To form a bonsai in the form of a spiral, it is not the crown that is cut, but the root aerial part and trunks:
- after planting the cutting, install a support - a wooden stick - in the center of the pot next to the stem;
- as you grow, braid the flexible stem around the support;
- cut side branches;
- when a good stiffness of the trunk appears, carefully remove the support.
You can create a spiral from one or more shoots. If you plant 2-4 seedlings at once, during the braiding of the support, they must be placed parallel to each other so that there is no pinching of the trunks of one of the trees.
Spit
You can give the ficus the shape of a pigtail as follows:
- pick seedlings up to 10 cm long (same height);
- the thickness of one should not exceed one and a half centimeters;
- plant sprouts in a pot nearby so that in the future you can braid the stems into a braid;
- all small branches on the sides are removed, apical cuttings remain;
- before you start weaving, moisten the soil so that the stems become flexible;
- periodically braid a braid from the stems, tie the end of it with wire so that the stems do not start growing in the other direction;
- it is necessary to regulate the strength of weaving - weakly twisted stems will create gaps in the pigtail, and too tight weaving can damage the entire plant;
- so that the holes in the pigtails are the same, you can place pencils or sticks of equal diameter between them.
So that the shoots grow together into one large trunk and the pigtail does not have gaps, you can remove the bark in small parts at the joints of the stems. After about 6-8 months, the composition of the post will grow together into one thick trunk.
Plant care after pruning
After pruning, the ficus can be transplanted, but the procedure can be performed no earlier than after 2 weeks. An adult plant does not need to be transplanted at all, it will be enough to change the top layer of soil to a new nutrient substrate. If the flower transferred the procedure successfully, after 2 weeks you can start feeding.
Pruning can be done no earlier than from the beginning of March until the end of summer. At rest, the plant is not pruned. Watch the growth of new branches, as well as the height of the ficus, by timely pinching so that it always has a lush, uniform crown.
Ficus is a rather unique flower, because unlike other indoor plants, it only grows upwards. Not every grower will be happy with this fact. Indeed, in this case, you will have to regularly trim to give the ficus the necessary shape. However, not everyone can do this task, because only a few know how to cut a ficus.
Plant features
One of the well-known representatives of the mulberry family is the rubber-bearing ficus, which is usually attributed to the ficus genus. The habitual habitats of this plant are India, as well as southern part of Indonesia and western part of Africa. In countries with a more severe climate, this flower is widely used as an ornamental plant. However, it is valued not only because of its attractiveness, because large varieties of this ficus serve as a raw material for the manufacture of rubber.
Instances that grow in natural conditions have impressive dimensions, which can be 40 m in height. Moreover, they often form supporting roots. The latter are distinguished by the fact that they penetrate deep into the ground, where they take root. More compact is the home-grown rubber ficus, since most often it reaches a height of up to 10 m. After planned pruning, this variety begins to look even more miniature.
Beneficial features
Ficus rubbery is interesting for many not only because of its decorative properties, because when it is grown indoors, you can maintain a healthy environment. The cleansing effect is provided by the leaves, which filter the air, like a pipe. As a result of such filtration, oxygen-enriched air is obtained at the outlet.
Many growers are attracted to rubber ficus and the fact that it does not create problems in care. Instances grown at home do not form flowers, and at the same time they are demanding on growing conditions. The main thing is to make sure that the plant is protected from direct sunlight, as well as to conduct regular watering and periodically arrange a warm shower for it.
Ficus Growth Physiology
Ficus rubber can be given any shape. To do this, you just need to properly trim it. As a result of this operation, from a nondescript plant, you can get unique home decoration. Moreover, even a novice florist can master this task, but first you will have to familiarize yourself with the rules of pruning and adhere to them.
The change in the shape of ficus Benjamin occurs due to new shoots that usually appear from the kidneys. 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 leaf petioles are closely adjacent to the trunk).
The apical bud shows 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 upper kidney so that the lateral kidneys can begin to develop well. Usually shoots begin to grow in different directions. As a result of such manipulations, the plant begins to change its crown.
Before proceeding with the formation of the crown, it does not hurt to find out what time of the year is best to do this.
Many people think that The best time to do this is in the spring and they will be right. The crown formation planned for this time of the year makes it possible to give the plant more splendor, since it is in the spring that the best conditions for growth are created for the ficus. Using a similar approach, the grower can grow a Benjamin ficus that is well developed, with fully formed shoots in all directions.
It is undesirable to transfer pruning of Benjamin's ficus to a later time, for example, autumn or winter, since in this case the shoots will develop within a specific area. This will cause the ficus to look skewed. It should be borne in mind that at this time of the year the ficus begins use nutrients, which he accumulated in the shoots. As a result of pruning shoots in the fall, you will leave Benjamin's ficus without these supplies, endangering its survival.
During the formation of the crown, it is necessary not only to change the length of the shoots, but also to adjust the direction of their further growth. For this purpose, special tensioning devices are usually used.
Crown formation without pruning
Do not rush to pruning rubber ficus. First, it is worth considering whether there is an urgent need for this. There is also an easier way to form a crown, which involves changing direction and securing the necessary shoots. This approach to the formation of the crown allows you to minimize injuries to the plant, which can continue to grow, delighting the owner with a beautiful view. After waiting some time for the branches to take a new position, the fixing devices are removed.
During cutting, take into account the age of the plant. This operation brings the least harm to young bushes. You need to be more careful with older plants: since their shoots are not very flexible, shortening them and other similar actions can seriously injure the plant.
Ficus rubbery: how to form a crown correctly?
The rules below designed for single ficus bushes, forming in one trunk.
In general, pruning rubber ficus is a simple undertaking. The main thing is that you must strictly follow all the rules for its implementation. Yes, it must be very careful with milky juice, which is dangerous to humans due to its toxicity. To avoid undesirable consequences, this work must be carried out with protective gloves.
Formation of an unusual crown
If necessary, even a novice grower can give a rubbery ficus quite original form.
In the process of pruning ficus Benjamin or rubber, be sure to take care of so that the braid does not subsequently open. To do this, it is recommended to tie the trunks using soft threads. It is best if it is woolen. Usually dressing is carried out every two months.
In some cases, for the normal development of ficus, the installation of a support is required. In this case, you can easily see how effective and original the appearance of rubber ficus plants will be.
Conclusion
Ficus rubber, however, like other representatives of this family, are best known for their decorative effect. However, this does not mean that the grower will not have to take measures for this. If you know how to form a crown of ficus Benjamin, then you can easily handle the rubber-bearing look.
You should know that only those specimens in respect of which it is carried out look most striking. regular pruning. After all, the beauty of the ficus can be ensured by the formation of the crown. Novice flower growers can also beautifully cut Benjamin's ficus at home, because ficuses are very compact plants, so there are no particular difficulties with this operation.
How to properly form a ficus crown
Many flower growers are interested in how to cut a ficus to create a crown in the most unusual, curly shape. When cutting, you should follow certain rules and nuances, and then the flower will get an original, well-groomed and beautiful look. Ficus is great for those who prefer a creative approach to growing houseplants.
Gardeners are debating whether it is possible to cut the ficus at home yourself, and how to form it so that the plant has normal growth. Many flower lovers successfully trim at home if there is a desire to give it some form or if it is necessary for sanitary reasons.
For each type of pruning (a lush small bush, a branched crown) there is a certain rule. Before you start trimming, you need to decide what result is expected. Not every variety of ficus (with a single shoot pruned) will continue to grow well.
A rubbery ficus that has been pruned will be able to continue growing with 1 shoot. Plants with short inter-nodal distances can be pruned. It is necessary to make a horizontal cut above the bud with an oblique shoot that has a thin or still green appearance. Whatever type of ficus is pruned, you do not need to leave large stumps. They can be sources of plant infection with fungal diseases.
Sanitary pruning of ficus is carried out at any time. This must be done in order to prevent poorly developed, broken and dried shoots from infecting the entire ficus with an infection.
A rejuvenating type of pruning is usually performed when the flower has dried shoots that have appeared as a result of a long absence of watering and drying out of the soil (this is especially true for dwarf plant species). When the trunk freezes in the upper part, you need to cut it “under the stump”. Ficus root shoots will quickly be able to resume their growth. After a while, you will need to take the stem in order to grow the plant in a standard or artisanal form. The main thing is that he would have at least a few shoots. You can create a lush crown if the shoots are properly shortened or tweezed.
Sanitary pruning and rejuvenation of ficus
Pruning a flower for sanitary purposes is not carried out to give the plant an attractive shape. This is necessary to get rid of unhealthy and weakened branches. This procedure can be performed at any time of the year. Ficus should be constantly monitored and all dry branches that have been attacked by harmful insects should be eliminated. This is necessary in order not to spread the infection to strong and healthy branches.
Anti-aging pruning will help if, for some reason, the indoor ficus began to dry, or the upper part was frostbitten when the plant was kept in inappropriate conditions.
It is necessary to cut the branches, leaving only a stump. Ficus will recover thanks to the shoots from the roots. This method is suitable for dwarf plants such as brown ficus. An unpretentious plant needs no less care and care than a capricious one. Only then will it delight everyone with its beautiful appearance.
Having correctly formed the plant, you can make it grow in an arc, in the form of a bush or trunk. Flower growers who have a lot of experience behind them are able to perform very complex types of pruning. This may be a form of sculpture, it is permissible to arrange the top in the form of an unusual composition. The physiology of the plant should be taken into account so that the crown is properly formed, the flower continues to live and grow.
New shoots almost always arise from the buds - axillary and apical. The second type of shoots is located above the attachment point of the leaf petiole to the stem part of the plant. The apical bud develops more rapidly, but the lateral buds develop more slowly.
The ideal period for pruning is in the spring, when the plant begins to actively grow. Pruning in autumn or winter can cause the flower to continue its growth, twisting on its side. In this case, even the most perfect care will not help him.
When cutting the plant, the cut must be done above the kidney. At the same time, on thicker branches it should have a beveled appearance, on thin ones it should be straight. When cutting off the side shoots, one should take into account the direction of growth of the bud over which the cut was made.
The outward-facing bud is left to receive a shoot that will emerge from the crown. Places of cuts should be wiped with a wet cloth until the juice is completely absorbed, then sprinkled with a small amount of charcoal.
To trim ficuses at home, you need to prepare the following materials:
- some charcoal;
- medical alcohol;
- potassium permanganate.
Start pruning ficus at home should be in the last days of March. To prevent the plant from growing too tall, it is necessary to trim its top.
Before starting work, all tools should be disinfected so as not to infect the plant and not harm it. For good growth of axillary buds and shoots, it is necessary to cut the crown every year. This procedure will help them stay healthy.
The crown must be cut from the inside and from the outside, if the inside of the crown has shading, and the shoots growing inside are too overgrown. It is necessary to regularly get rid of flabby leaves and shoots that have thrown off all the leaves. The main shoot should be pruned once a year to a height of 15-25 cm. Removed shoots should remain with no more than 6 leaves.
Ficus growing at home is sometimes formed in longline form. But in order to implement this idea, only an adult flower is suitable, which has a well-formed central trunk.
You need to follow the following pruning sequence:
- 1 When the plant grows to the desired size, you can cut off the top.
- 2 If a trunk with 2 levels is planned, the ficus crown is divided into 3 parts: the 1st and 3rd parts are placed on top (levels with a spherical shape), the 2nd part is between the levels where all shoots are removed.
- 3 When forming the 3rd level, the crown is divided into 5 parts. The 1st, 3rd, 5th parts are the future upper levels (they are made spherical), the 2nd and 4th parts become the gaps between the levels at which all shoots are removed.
- 4 Levels can be drawn from top to bottom, but the top of the stem is not removed until the plant has reached the required size.
Ficus does not require much attention. It is only necessary to get rid of all regrown shoots on the bare area of the trunk, cut off the shoots that grow inside the crown and drown it out. You can make large ficus figures resembling an animal, a cube, a pyramid or a ball.
Ficus crown formation
Many people who have such a wonderful plant at home are interested in how to properly cut the ficus. Usually the crown is made of 2, 3, 5 standard tiers. You need to leave a lot of shoots (the distance between them should be about half a meter), and cut the rest shorter.
You can form any number of tiers. For outdoor ficus, it is permissible to make several tiers, it can grow up to 3 m and above. You can also cut it in a circle, a semicircle, or give it a different shape.
Small ficuses make excellent original sculptures. Creating simple forms requires only timely pruning of the bush. To implement a complex shape, you will need to use a wire frame. To do this, it is necessary to plant at least 3 plants in one container and weave their trunks together.
Usually ficuses, having the form of vines, are launched in an arc. It is suitable for mountain, arrow-shaped and dwarf plant species. It is necessary to put a fine mesh frame in the pot, forming an arc, and direct the shoots along it. Over time, the vines will braid the entire frame of the base.
How to form a ficus crown with a bole? A young plant with a pronounced main stem is ideal for this purpose.
The formation of a ficus in the form of a bole is carried out in this way:
- 1 On the main trunk of the plant, regular pruning of all side shoots is performed, leaving only a couple of pieces at the top of the trunk.
- 2 When the plant reaches the required size (25-35 cm in height if it is placed on the windowsill, and 55-90 cm if it is on the floor), pruning of the shoots on the sides stops.
- 3 Next is pinching the top of the plant.
- 4 When the branches on the sides are very elongated, you need to remove them above the kidney, looking outward.
Some are faced with a problem when the trunk is not very stable. To make it stronger, you need to tie it to a peg, which is then easily removed. All sections should be wiped with a damp cloth and sprinkled with crushed coal.
How to pinch a ficus?
You can form a ficus by pinching, which is a very important procedure in terms of plant care. You should know the rules so as not to harm the flower.
For pinching, you need to prepare:
- a basin of water;
- rag;
- any disinfectant;
- sharpened knife.
Spring will be the perfect time for pinching. It is at this time that shoots appear faster. Wounds that can be inflicted during this procedure will heal very easily in the spring, and the plant will be less likely to get sick.
You should wait until the ficus grows to the desired size. Before the procedure, you need to treat the instrument with alcohol or another disinfectant. For work, it is necessary to choose a well-sharpened knife, since the trunk of this plant is very difficult to cut. You can pinch a ficus in 2 ways. If the height of the plant suits you and the top shoot is not very thick, you need to cut it a little below the point where it grows.
If the plant is tall enough, it needs to be trimmed in a different way. Determine the required height, find a branch that is located below this point, and cut 6-9 cm above this branch. In this case, the cut will be oblique. Its bottom should be placed at the level of the kidney, on the other side of the trunk, and its top should be located just above the kidney.
Using a wet rag, you need to wipe off the juice that has dripped on the trunk. After that, the rag must be removed without squeezing it into a cut. Water itself will prevent the further release of juice. This completes the treatment of ficus wounds, then the plant itself will tighten them.
After 30 days, you should feed the plant. After that, it will resume rapid growth. Some transplant ficus into a pot that has a larger diameter, which is not necessary. It will be enough just to change the soil the first year.
After the end of the procedure, the formation of the crown of the plant continues. This is done next spring by pinching off the shoots that are located on the sides. When cut, ficus secretes juice, which is quite poisonous. When cutting and pinching, gloves should be worn. The main thing is that the juice of the plant in no case gets on the mucous membrane of the mouth and nose. After pinching and cutting, the ficus trunk will not grow.
When forming a crown, you should be aware that not every variety of ficus will be able to normally endure this procedure. Most often, wounds heal quickly, but side shoots do not always grow quickly. Therefore, you should observe the plant before pinching other shoots.
The crown can also be formed by another method, for example, by planting several cuttings in a container at once.
Happy pruning and gorgeous ficus!
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