Most types of ficus 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 it correctly.
Beginners are often interested in whether it is possible to trim 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 also necessary.
Firstly, this is necessary for sanitary reasons: if broken or dry branches are not trimmed, they can damage the entire houseplant. Secondly, proper pruning helps rejuvenate the ficus at home. Finally, shaping the crown will make it more expressive. Moreover, you can’t do without pruning if you want to grow.
Trimming time and tools
The time for cutting branches is selected depending on the purpose. If the task is to form a ficus and want 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. Forming the crown during the dormant period can make the plant skewed, since shoots in the fall grow only in the place where you pruned. In addition, the branches that grow in the fall draw from the plant juices “stored” for the winter and can weaken it.
You cannot cut off healthy shoots to form a crown if there has been a recent transplant. And here sanitary pruning damaged branches should be dealt with immediately, without waiting for a special time, and it should become an obligatory part of the care.
To trim your green pet, you will need large and small garden scissors and pruning shears or a knife (for different thicknesses branches of house ficus). Don't forget about disinfectants, since it is impossible to properly trim a ficus without them: before trimming the branches, the tools must be treated with alcohol, and to treat the cut points suitable for garden var.
When pruning a plant, you need to use sharply sharpened tools: if the cut site is uneven and “soaked,” bacteria can penetrate through it.
Sanitary pruning
To ensure that the flower grows correctly at home, you need to periodically inspect it - this way you will immediately detect damaged branches or branches that are beginning to dry out. True, some deciduous varieties of ficus trees expose branches only in the fall, only at this time allowing diseased areas to be noticed. 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. You need to shorten such a branch, completely covering the damaged area. If a diseased shoot grows from the ground, it must be pruned at soil level.
Sooner or later, all ficus trees begin to need such care.
Anti-aging pruning
Let's look at how to trim a ficus for rejuvenating purposes. It is necessary to resort to such pruning more often if the flower or the top of the ficus has been damaged due to the cold in the house or for other reasons has begun to dry out.
You can make the ficus start producing a lot of new growth again by cutting off all the branches and leaving only a bare stump. Such pruning of the ficus will give impetus to the appearance of new shoots coming from the roots. Dwarf house ficus plants 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 this, many cuttings grow, allowing both to grow a new “pet”, if you use a cut branch, and to form a lush beautiful crown old
Finally, we will learn how to form a beautiful crown of a ficus.
Crown formation is a creative activity. Before forming a plant, you need to think about the shape of the top and how tall the plant should be. Correct shaping on ficus trees is not done very often, so you need to take into account all the details so as not to make a mistake. Let's understand the rules.
To ensure a beautiful plant shape, 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 branches it should be straight.
If there are too many internal shoots of the ficus, they can be thinned out so that it is lush. To do this, when pruning, pay attention to the location of the upper bud: it should be directed outward. Horizontally or vertically - depends on whether you want to achieve crown growth in width or height.
To make the plant especially beautiful, choose one of the classic forms - tiered, in the form geometric figure etc. By 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 “indoor pets” are very pliable. A tree with an originally shaped trunk will fit perfectly into a room or office interior.
To get beautiful young plants, you can use the formation of a trunk. How to form a standard correctly? This is done by cutting off all shoots except the five at the top. Figure out in advance what the height should be. When the ficus grew to the right size, the top bud from the crown, and then you need to cut and shorten the side shoots - this way we form a neat circle. There can be not only one upper tier; specialists can form up to three “floors”. This way you can only work with young ficus trees.
If you decide in advance to transplant and grow several plants together, you can trim them so that the crown appears uniform. This is especially important in cases where a composition with beautifully intertwined trunks is formed. When growing on a houseplant, all side shoots are also removed.
To make the crown especially lush, in the shape of a bush, you can trim the top of an adult plant and then use pinching, which involves periodically cutting off the shoots from above, which activates the lateral buds. Proper pinching is carried out subject to deadlines, that is, in the spring or during the summer.
For a pruned plant you need special care, often additional watering and. Immediately after you cut the branches, the plant cannot be replanted; it must recover from “stress”.
When a home bonsai is grown and the cutting is transplanted into a small container, the roots of the plant are also subject to formation: when the right approach those that are too long should be removed, as should most of the tops.
If you have made the correct cut of the branches in compliance with all the conditions, the crown of the plant will be lush and your pet will be admired by both family and guests.
Video “Proper pruning of ficus”
From this video you will learn how to properly prune ficus at home.
How to form a beautiful tree from a ficus seedling? There are many options for pinching and trimming to achieve best result. Simple rules for working with various types ficus will be of interest to all gardeners. In another article, read about what you need for this.
How to properly pinch ficus benjamina and rubber plant
For home design Ficus Benjamin is especially interesting. It forms branches extending from the main trunk, which can be pruned annually, giving the plant its most unusual shape. In addition, Ficus Benjamin has a flexible trunk, which can easily be bent in different directions during growth.
Pruning and pinching branches is best done during active growth plants - in spring or early summer.
Most species grow upward with one shoot and do not form lateral branches without pinching. Therefore, if you want to get side shoots from the main trunk, it is important to properly pinch the growing points.
How to form a ficus at home in the form of a ball, into a tree, in the form of a braid from several trunks
From several seedlings planted nearby, you can weave braids and spirals, which look very unusual and beautiful. A ball-shaped crown can be obtained from a standard tree.
For two or three years, everyone was lower. There should be five upper branches left from which you can begin to form a ball. Every month during the warm season, the tops of the branches are pinched, stimulating the growth of side shoots.
To braid a flexible trunk in the form of a braid, several ficus seedlings of the same size are planted in one pot.
When the ficuses grow to 30 centimeters in height, cut off the side shoots at the bottom of the trunks with a clean blade or pruning shears and intertwine the seedlings with each other. Tie trunks soft wool thread. As it grows, the weaving is constantly updated until the tree grows required height. Do not forget to remove the threads, otherwise they will grow inside the trunks.
How to form a ficus in a spiral
To form a ficus in a spiral, plant it in flower pot There are two seedlings nearby. When their trunks are at least 30 centimeters in height, they begin weaving in the form of a spiral, cutting off the interfering side shoots. The intertwined trunks are fastened with twine or woolen thread.
If the stems are difficult to bend, you can open them in the bathroom hot water, let off steam, and bring the plant into the bathroom for half an hour (do not put it under hot water).
For ficus weaving, it is important to choose days suitable for Lunar calendar to work with the plant when the Moon is in fertile signs of the Zodiac.
Ficus is a plant that by its nature grows exclusively upward. However, this is not entirely convenient for growing at home. This is why you need to prune the plant to form the flower shape you want.
Features of the plant
Ficus rubber (how to form a crown will be described in this article) is a plant that belongs to the genus Ficus of the Mulberry family. The homeland of this representative is considered to be India, namely its northeastern part, as well as southern Indonesia and western Africa. As ornamental plant it is grown outside tropical areas. Besides decorative function can also perform industrial work, since it is large trees that produce rubber.
When growing in its natural conditions, ficus can reach a size of 40 m in height, while forming so-called support roots. The main feature of the latter is that they descend to the ground and take root in it. If grown at home, the maximum growth, as a rule, does not exceed 10 m, if pruning is not carried out.
Beneficial features
In addition to the fact that rubber is extracted from this plant, ficus is also considered the most useful flower, which can significantly improve the health of the air. This happens because air passes through the leaves like through a pipe. During this passage, it is significantly enriched with oxygen.
Another important advantage is the ficus’s ease of care.
In conditions home grown it practically does not bloom, is not capricious and can adapt to absolutely any conditions. The only thing is that the plant needs to be kept away from direct sun rays, water and bathe on time and in the right amount.
Physiology of ficus growth
Ficus rubber (how to form a crown will be described later) can take on all sorts of shapes using the pruning process. This will allow the plant to become a truly unique decoration for any home. You can do this yourself, the main thing is to be patient and follow the basic rules.
How does rubber ficus grow? New shoots, as a rule, develop from formed buds. There are two types:
- apical (located at the top of the plant);
- lateral, or axillary (located in the axils of the leaves, in those places where the petioles of the leaves are attached directly to the trunk).
The apical bud develops at an accelerated pace, while the lateral buds slow down their development or are completely blocked. If the top bud is removed, this will activate the lateral buds, and the shoots will begin to grow to the sides. This is how the rubber ficus is formed.
Pruning rules
The time of crown formation is important. Before pruning rubber ficus at home, you should choose the right period for this: autumn or spring.
If you form the crown in the spring, this will allow you to get a more lush plant, since it is during this period that the plant is able to recharge itself with energy. As a result of this, you will receive a flower that will be sufficiently stimulated, and in different directions to the same extent.
But if you decide to carry out the procedure in the fall or winter, this threatens a one-sided development. There is a big risk that you will end up with a lopsided plant. In addition, it is during this period that the rubber-bearing ficus (you will learn further how to form a crown with the help of some devices) uses all the accumulated summer season And if you cut off some of its shoots, you will simply deprive the plant of these very reserves.
The process of crown formation itself consists not only of pruning shoots and shortening them, but also indicating the direction of their further growth. As a rule, various tension devices are used for this.
Crown formation without pruning
Before pruning the rubber ficus, think about whether it is necessary to do so. The crown can be formed solely by directing and fixing certain shoots. Using this method minimizes injury to the plant. Through certain time these fixing devices can be safely removed.
It is also worth considering the age of the ficus. A younger plant tolerates this procedure more easily. But adult plants no longer have sufficient shoot flexibility, and they are very easily injured.
Ficus rubber: how to form the crown correctly?
These rules apply to single plants that grow in one trunk.
- You need to wait until the plant grows about 70 cm. After this, you need to cut off the top cutting of the rubber ficus. This will allow the plant to develop its side shoots. The cut cuttings can be rooted next to the main plant, thereby forming an unusual bush shape.
- If you want to work on the shape of a small plant, simply pinch the top of the plant. However, it is worth understanding that there is a high probability that only one sprout will grow from this point.
- You can stimulate the growth of side shoots simply by bending the crown, after which it is securely fixed. When the bud, which turned out to be the top one, begins to actively grow, the trunk can be returned to its original position.
- The following procedure will help stimulate the growth of additional branches: use a thick needle to pierce the main trunk by a third of its thickness. If you make several punctures, only the bottom one will be active. That is why it is better to start this procedure from the top.
- A thin branch of the plant should be cut straight. If you need to trim a thick shoot, the cut should be at an angle.
- For the procedure, use only sterile instruments, which are also perfectly sharp. Fire or medical alcohol is suitable for sterilization.
- The secreted juice must be removed. Use a wet cloth for these purposes. Additional processing not required.
- A month after the procedure, the plant needs feeding. It is also recommended to transplant the ficus into a larger pot.
How to prune ficus rubber at home? Easy enough. Just follow the basic rules. For example, when pruning rubber ficus, do not forget that it secretes milky sap, which is quite poisonous. All actions should be carried out wearing protective gloves.
Formation of an unusual crown
How to form a ficus rubber plant unusual looking? Everything is very simple. This procedure should be done not with a single plant, but by planting several ficus plants in one pot at once. Flowers should be young, equally developed and average height should not exceed 15 cm.
All side shoots need to be mandatory remove, and give the trunk, as the plant grows, the required form. The main rule: weaving should be done freely, since over time the trunks will thicken. To form a spiral, you will need two plants in one pot, for a “pigtail” - at least three.
You need to start weaving when all the plants in the pot have reached a certain height (usually 13-15 cm). Each subsequent turn must be done as the plant develops. To prevent the braid from unraveling, the trunks need to be tied up. The threads should be soft, ideal if you take woolen ones. They need to be bandaged every two months. If necessary, you can install a support.
Such trunks look really impressive and unusual.
Instead of a conclusion
If your ficus bush has grown too much, then some of the shoots, mainly those directed into the crown, are removed. This will allow each leaf of the plant to receive required quantity sunlight.
Having gained some experience, you can quite easily form entire sculptures from ficus.
The ficus plant initially produces only one stem. But over time, the flower begins to awaken, grow, branch, and here your competent intervention will be needed. Ficus rubber can become an exquisite decoration for your home or work office. The main thing is to know how to force the ficus to produce side shoots, how to pinch it so that the branched lush crown you need is formed. Study this side of the issue so that indoor flower Over time, it has turned into an original interior detail that will attract the eyes of your guests.
Before figuring out how to properly pinch a ficus, every gardener wants to make sure that such a procedure is necessary and find out what results it gives. At first house ficus It grows only upward and does not require crown formation. However, the older the plant becomes, the more important it is for you to master basic principles its trimmings.
If nothing is done in advance, your young green specimen will bush randomly. You cannot delay this rejuvenating procedure. Otherwise, the ficus will grow incorrectly, branch in the wrong direction, or will not give quite the density that you expected. Making a branched crown of a ficus is quite possible; to do this, you just need to learn how to properly pinch your houseplant.
Timing for the procedure
How to make a ficus branch and how complex is such a set of measures? The result will certainly satisfy you if you not only study the necessary principles of the procedure, but also determine what time of year it is best to carry it out. It is possible to get a branched crown from a ficus, but it is better to start pruning at spring period. With the onset of spring, the plant wakes up and all vital processes are activated. If you start pinching the flower at this favorable time, the pruning procedure will not be too stressful for the plant: all the “wounds” will heal instantly. In addition, it is in the spring that young buds form on the plant stem and side shoots develop.
That is why there is no more suitable time for the formation of a ficus crown than the spring period, or rather the end of winter - the beginning of spring. Remember, it is unforgivable to delay with this procedure. If you start pruning your home ficus in mid-spring, the result may not be of very good quality. The thing is that when sap flow is active, shortening the branches can awaken the flower and stimulate its growth as a whole, but the new side shoots will be too thin.
Pinching Instructions
How to pinch a ficus and how to learn to do it correctly? To produce lateral branches, begin the grafting procedure when the flower grows a little. Preparatory moments also have great value. For example, be sure to disinfect the knife you are going to use to trim branches. If desired, use alcohol or hydrogen peroxide. The sharper the knife, the easier it is to cut the branches, and indoor ficus branches tend to be thick. Whatever pruning method you prefer, you first need to pay attention to the condition of the plant.
Let's say you like the height of your ficus, but its top shoot has grown too thin. In this case, take a knife and make a straight cut, simply removing the fragile shoot. But the first method is effective if we are dealing with a young indoor plant. When a similar procedure needs to be carried out with a mature home flower, it is worth resorting to a slightly different technique. Follow all the necessary steps step by step, and the result will be more than satisfactory. What exactly does the process of crown formation in an adult ficus consist of:
- First, determine for yourself which point on the stem, in your opinion, should be the top. After this, make a cut at a distance of 8 cm from the sheet. It is desirable that it be oblique, and its upper point is located directly above the kidney;
- For correct pinching ficus plant, you need to take a small cloth, moisten it in water and gently wipe the trunk from the milk that spreads along the stems after pruning. Under no circumstances should you wring it out or use it again - the material should definitely be thrown away. Some gardeners believe that it is recommended to lubricate the cut areas with prepared compounds, but ordinary water will actually be sufficient. With its help, you will stop the further secretion of plant juice, and the wounds of the ficus will soon heal;
- what to do so that the ficus can be pinched and the side shoots become new uniform? It is very important to ensure proper care of the plant after the procedure is completed. If you complete all the steps correctly, you can continue pinching with the onset of next spring. This time you will encourage the side shoots to grow.
Every gardener can force a ficus to branch. Pinching will give the plant an incentive to actively grow and form new shoots. Over time, the flower will begin to bush if everything is done correctly and at the right time.
Further care
Beginner flower growers ask how to make the ficus bush actively.
After pinching the crown, it is very important to provide proper care for the plant.
First of all, it will be needed about a month after removing the branches. It also doesn’t hurt – this is another effective way to get side shoots to develop. For those whose home ficus has already acquired an impressive size, this need can be a real problem.
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Ficus rubber has long been successfully grown by amateurs in room conditions, but many questions usually arise regarding the formation of the crown of an indoor tree. The formation of ficus has its own subtleties and nuances, which should be remembered when starting pruning. This article is all about how to prune a ficus correctly.
A chaotically overgrown plant must be pruned.
Pruning of an indoor tree is performed when the trunk and crown are accidentally damaged (for example, when a plant falls) or when forming the height and shape of the crown. Is it worth it to trim a tree indoors? Of course, because in nature, rubber-bearing ficuses can reach a height of up to 40 meters and above. In indoor conditions, a fast-growing ficus specimen may rest against the ceiling, which will prevent further formation of the crown. In the first years, a large tree grows only upward, so pruning can stimulate the development of lateral branches. But pruning is not always necessary to form a ficus crown.
Shaping the crown without trimming
The upper shoots are cut off until the crown takes on a rounded shape.
Unusual shape: interesting
Young ficus trees can be formed into an extraordinary plant. To do this, several cuttings of the same age are planted in one container, which can be easily braided. Of course, cuttings from old branches are not suitable for this purpose, because the branches must have a certain flexibility so as not to break during weaving.
They remove from the trunks below large leaves– the trunks, which can easily grow together, will give the plant a special charm. When weaving, you can give it a braid a certain form- spectacular holes between the trunks, for which pieces of foam plastic, corks, stones or other materials are temporarily inserted into the braid. Once the shape of the holes is set, you can remove these inserts.
Ficuses braided into a braid spend a lot of effort creating the shape of the trunk, so they give very small increases in height. If you limit the growth of roots by planting the plant in a low bowl, you can maintain the intended shape of the ficus for a long time.
Crown formation by pruning
Using sharp scissors, you can cut off the top of the main trunk.
If you select classic version shaping the crown rubber ficus– pruning, it is important to correctly perform all the techniques for forming an indoor tree.
Trimming times vary:
- Formative pruning can only be performed during the period of active tree growth, i.e. This operation is not performed in autumn and winter.
- Sanitary pruning is carried out as necessary when damage to the trunk or branches occurs on the plant.
To perform high-quality pruning, you need to prepare the following tools:
- Garden secateurs.
- Garden shears (large).
- Small scissors with sharp blades.
- Alcohol solution for processing instruments.
- Garden varnish for treating cut areas.
How to trim a ficus yourself, what should you pay close attention to?
- You should not start work without protecting your hands from the milky sap of ficus, which is very poisonous.
- It is not recommended to radically trim the plant at one time, removing more than 30% of the crown.
The florist, at his own discretion, chooses the shape of the crown, guided by common sense, based on individual characteristics plants.
New shoots of ficus develop from apical or axillary buds, while the upper bud develops, the lateral ones are dormant. To stimulate the branching of the ficus crown, it is necessary to give impetus to the development of axillary buds, which is achieved by pinching the main trunk. The dominant bud can be removed in the spring, when the ficus enters a period of intensive growth.
Thin green branches can be pruned leaving a straight area, old branches covered with mature bark are cut at an angle of 45 degrees.
Pruning the top shoot is carried out above the bud, from which new shoots will subsequently develop.
Caring for the plant during the formation of the crown comes down to watering with warm, settled water; a month after the operation, it is worth carrying out the first feeding of the plant.
Photos of a correctly trimmed ficus are very pleasing - the plant begins to grow a dense crown and an extensive network of skeletal branches. In nature, rubber ficus trees begin to branch naturally at a height of 4 meters.
After pruning, the plant is constantly turned towards the light source so that the crown can form evenly.
Shape indoor ficus can be done without pruning; to do this, you need to correctly direct the growth of young shoots, fixing individual branches if necessary. This operation will avoid injury to young plant, and will also reduce the risk of infected areas in the area where the cut is made.
Young trees whose branches have not yet become completely lignified best tolerate the application of fixing devices. This method is usually used for young people indoor trees growing into one trunk.
It is worth starting to form the crown when the growth young tree will reach 0.7 m. After this, the apical part of the shoot is pinched or cut off. Very often, pinching does not give the desired effect - a replacement shoot begins to develop from the side bud, as a result of which the plant grows into one trunk (see photo).
The method of bending the apical shoot, which is securely fixed, is often used. A replacement shoot develops from the lateral bud; as soon as it grows to 5 cm, the trunk is returned to its original state. The next operation is performed to stimulate the growth of lateral branches, for which a puncture is made with a darning needle to a depth of 1/3 of the trunk diameter. It is best to start at the top, gradually moving down the trunk, after the shoot grows at the site of the first puncture. The protruding juice is carefully removed with wet cotton wool or a rag. Ficus pruning work should be done in rubber gloves– the sap of the plant is extremely poisonous.