How to trim and shape a ficus
By pruning and shaping the ficus, a compact, beautifully shaped evergreen can be grown. But this does not mean that you can trim at any time, there are deadlines for the procedure.
Pruning ficus is needed not only to give the plant a beautiful shape, but also for sanitary purposes. All diseased, twisted or dry shoots are cut out. Sanitary cleaning is done throughout the season.
Having learned how to cut a ficus tree, you can give it the desired shape.
It is best to form the crown of an evergreen plant at the very beginning of the growing season, that is, in early spring. The procedure stimulates the growth of new shoots from dormant buds. Shoots grow back strong, get sick less and stretch out.
It is not recommended to combine pruning and transplanting a plant, as this greatly weakens the ficus. It is better to first transplant the perennial into a new pot, and when it takes root, prune it.
It is necessary to start the formation of a tree as early as possible, otherwise the shoots will become lignified, which will complicate the procedure. Sleeping buds on old shoots do not wake up well.
How to prune ficus correctly
Before you start forming a bush, decide what kind of plant you want to grow: bush, standard or longline. Trimming them is somewhat different:
- in bush ficus, the main shoot is cut at a height of 15-20 cm, and the side ones are shortened to 10 cm;
- for a standard perennial, the central shoot is cut at a level of 40 cm if the tree is grown on a table. When the ficus stands on the floor, the height of the trunk reaches 80-100 cm. Side branches are regularly cut, leaving a few at the very top;
- longline ficus is formed from an adult plant. The crown is divided into three parts, a ball is formed from the first and the third. The second part is completely freed from side shoots. The result is a two-tiered plant.
Whatever shape is given to a perennial, there are general rules for pruning. The lateral branches are cut over the bud, which extends outward, not inward, to prevent thickening of the crown. All sections are treated with crushed coal, after which the cuttings are planted.
There are times when the ficus needs radical pruning, for example, if it is frozen or dried out. In such cases, all branches are cut at soil level, leaving small stumps. Over time, root shoots will grow, the most powerful shoots are chosen from it and a bush or plant on a trunk is formed. Such pruning will help rejuvenate the tree, but there is no need to bring it to this state.
Pruning and forming an evergreen plant is troublesome, but quite feasible. The main thing is to take into account all the subtleties and nuances.