ficus tree pruning

Trimming to diminish size is a common reason for pruning any woody plant. By thinning out overgrown areas, cutting back diseased or damaged branches, and encouraging fuller growth, pruning or trimming can improve the health and appearance of your plant. "Thank you for good tips on pruning! It is very leggy and top heavy, not able to support itself. We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. They are native to tropical and subtropical regions and are considered part of this type of exterior landscaping in warm zones. To keep your ficus tree in a bonsai format, you’ll need to prune the branches and leavers that get unruly. In the meantime, give the tree lots of TLC and cross your fingers. Can I use an acrylic sealer for a cut branch on a ficus tree? However, if you live in an area with a sufficiently mild climate or without very cold winters, you can also prune your ficus in autumn, as the cold will not be such a worrying factor. Wear gloves and use a sharp pair of pruning scissors to prune the plant. Details, and especially photos, helped me know, "This was very helpful. Wear gloves and use a sharp pair of pruning scissors. Use a clean sharp pair of bypass pruners and don a pair of gloves. Step 2 The photos were, "I didn't have a clue how to cut my ficus but this made it so easy and I felt confident doing it. Thank you for your help. How can I keep my 25 foot (outdoor) ficus tree from getting any taller? The last thing a Ficus tree owner was to think about is pruning. Dying or dead branches usually lose their bark and have grey or decaying wood. Prune your ficus in the spring, summer, or fall. Yes, the ficus is poisonous to both humans and animals. Pruning a Ficus Tree. First, look at the tree overall and decide what areas need to be minimized. Check out on Amazon. What does it mean if my ficus tree is dropping seeds? Hire a landscaper or nursery professional to replant large ficus trees. Sap seeps out from the cut and this can cause stress to the plant. The ficus benjamina bonsai features shiny leaves, ideal height, and sturdy trunks. You can forego the pruning for a year or longer to achieve a thicker trunk. I have a potted Ficus tree that I recently received from a business that is relocating. Thinning out your ficus's foliage helps light penetrate the tree, which can make the plant look fuller and give it better air flow. You can buy cut paste online or at most plant nurseries. This is especially true for smaller ficus trees like rubber trees and fiddle leaf figs. They're usually lighter in color than the surrounding branch. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. "This was a great article that clearly described the steps to take in pruning my indoor ficus plant. After repotting my indoor Ficus tree, it is losing good leaves at a rate of 5 or 6 a day. Cut just before a growth node so that new growth will sprout there and cover the stump. It is quite finicky, so be prepared for some specific care requirements. Ficus trees are usually round and widest at the bottom. Sign up for our newsletter. Ficus trees are like grumpy old men -- they don't like to be moved. If you prune back larger branches or make several cuts, put cut paste over the clipped area to help it heal and protect it from disease and pests. A correctly pruned Ficus tree plant won’t miss a beat. The slim profile of a tall Rubber Plant tree is a great look for rooms with tall ceilings. There are some cutting rules for ficus tree pruning in order to create a better appearance and keep cuts from looking obvious. Make sure the new pot has a drainage hole. The famous Bodhi tree under which Buddha achieved enlightenment was a Ficus religiosa.In their native habitats, the ficus is often seen as a landscape tree with hanging and buttressed roots and a magnificent crown. Do not use household scissors or knives to prune your ficus tree, as these can damage the plant's tissues. It needs more water. ", "I always wanted to learn how and where to cut to promote the right growth! Ficus trees grow both indoors and outdoors. 3 years ago. In case your Ficus tree is very damaged and has a lot of dead growth, it is best to prune away no more than one third of the material. Some species that are known to cope well with this technique are the Ficus, Oak and Elm. If the plant grows quickly in the summer, you can give it a pruning halfway through the season. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. The sissoo tree (Dalbergia sissoo) is similar in appearance to the ficus tree, but they do have greater tolerance to frost.. Like ficus trees, sissoo trees do grow quite large but I no longer recommend them for average size residential landscapes. Older and larger trees can have all the dead wood cleaned off and trimmed back. This article received 13 testimonials and 93% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Never prune more than 30% of a ficus at a time, as too much pruning can weaken the plant. Regular pruning will help maintain its size and can actually improve its branch formation, yielding a more beautifully grown plant. Trim outdoor ficuses anytime in late summer, fall, or spring. Reach for your hand pruner and follow our advice: You can prune once a year in any particular season. ", Unlock expert answers by supporting wikiHow, http://articles.latimes.com/1994-02-26/home/hm-27488_1_pruning-landscape-trees, https://www.houseplantsexpert.com/weeping-fig.html, http://aces.nmsu.edu/ces/yard/2004/030604.html, http://www.nature-and-garden.com/gardening/ficus-benjamina.html, https://www.plantopedia.com/ficus-benjamina/, http://aces.nmsu.edu/ces/yard/2002/083102.html, https://hortnews.extension.iastate.edu/2009/3-11/transplanting.html, https://www.nytimes.com/1996/02/25/nyregion/gardening-some-tips-for-maintaining-trees-indoors.html, consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. My ficus looks great before going inside for the winter. Remember that pruning the top will shorten the potential height of the tree and that the more leaves you cut off, the less surface it has to photosynthesize. By: Bonnie L. Grant, Certified Urban Agriculturist. Ficus trees are renowned for “bleeding” when you prune them. Feeling trapped by your life and career? To avoid losing too much sap, it is highly advisable to prune it in late winter, just before it resumes growth, or in autumn if we live in an area with a mild climate and / or without frost. There are 14 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This way, you can make sure that you don’t remove any new material. Once you have decided which vegetation needs to go, the first step is to remove any dead or broken branches. Regular pruning will promote bushiness and keep your tree in good shape—both in its physical form, and its overall health. Dropping leaves signals the onset of dormancy. This allows you to take off even a third of the growth found on the outer canopy of the plant. Most of the popular practices link the Ficus tree back to one of its native lands, Asia. If your plant loses leaves after extensive pruning or transplanting, don't worry. Mistletoe Fig. Sign up to get all the latest gardening tips! The photo of the tree above was taken four years after it was planted from a 15-gallon container and it rapidly grew even larger. This helps prevent the spread of disease. Helping A Ficus Tree That Is Dropping Leaves, Ficus Tree Care: Tips For Growing Ficus Indoors, Cherry Tree Pruning: How And When To Trim A Cherry Tree, Winter Pruning Guide – Learn About Cutting Back Plants In Winter, Winter Patio Plants - Growing Outdoor Winter Containers, Pohutukawa Info – Growing New Zealand Christmas Trees, Apricot Not Blooming: Why There Are No Flowers On Apricot Trees, Learn About Aprium Trees: Information On Aprium Tree Care, Crocus Winter Flowering: Learn About Crocus In Snow And Cold, Flower Bulbs Not Growing: Why There Are No Daffodils After Planting, Fresh-Cut Pine Tree Smell: Perfect Christmas Tree Memories, Norfolk Island Pine - The Perfect Christmas Tree, Winter Survival Guide: Creative Ways To Garden In Winter, Evergreen Favorite: Container Grown Olive Trees. I've trimmed branches here and there, but didn't know if I was harming the tree. Prune back to 2 leaves after 6-8 leaves have grown. With the right pruning techniques, your ficus tree's foliage will look fuller and more appealing. For indoor trees, this usually occurs during the spring. Prune unruly branches back to the main trunk or main stem. Outdoor ficuses are fairly adaptable and can be trimmed during most seasons. … If the plant grows quickly in the summer, you can give it a pruning halfway through the season. Most plants are vegetatively active in spring and summer, with growth dying down in fall. In fact, they are so easy to grow indoors that occasionally the plants outgrow their site. This article was co-authored by Maggie Moran. This article was co-authored by Maggie Moran. Cut off only those limbs that are dead or criss-crossing. It is recommended you wait until the plant is dormant (when it isn’t actively growing). You can prune out dead material at any time during the year. Through the techniques of topping to halt upward growth and trimming to encourage branching from a lower node, the plant can be shaped into a tree-like form or compact bush. Once broken down, it's just carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, etc. For beginners defoliating only a third of the tree at one time can be a good way to start. Prune the ficus in the wintertime before it enters the dormancy period. It is always possible to prune more later, once the plant recovers. If you are cutting a limb to limit the spread of the plant, cut the limb back to a "Y" where another limb is growing … ", trimming, but was not being careful about the nodes. I'm now 51, and the, "Information and pictures were most helpful relative to trimming our indoor Ficus tree. If a person or animal were to ingest the leaves or stems, they would experience stomach pains, vomiting, and breathing difficulties. For an environmentally-friendly alternative, ask local recycling centers if they can make use of your ficus clippings. Pruning is a necessity and part of what makes a bonsai a bonsai and not just a plant. Find more gardening information on Gardening Know How: Keep up to date with all that's happening in and around the garden. I have a 16 year old Ficus growing at a severe angle, and it needs pruning. Avoid transplanting trees with a trunk diameter wider than 2 inches (5.1 cm). Since most ficus trees excrete a toxic milky sap that can irritate your skin, wear thick gloves when pruning. 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