Ficus styling

[Ficusboy101]

Hi i just bought this unknown nursery ficus and i need help styling it
You are free to use any programs to style it
Please need help it is going to be a present
I cant post photos yet

[xtolord]

Hi Ficusboy,

I hope that:
1. You realize that without any picture we won't be able to reply to your post.
2. We can propose a virtual, but in the end YOU will be the one that will need to style the tree, so a little background on your experience and skills would help. If you are a complete beginner, its not really worth suggesting advanced styling techniques.
3. You are saying this will be a gift for a friend, what's your time frame here? Most techniques interventions takes several months minimum.

[Ficusboy101]

IMG_0383.JPG

plz help

[Ficusboy101]

time frame next year june 24th
and yes i am a begginer

[Bougy Fan]

I think it's a hills fig - very hard to tell from the photo. Unless you are thinking of a shohin there is no way you can do anything with that in 6 months - and even then it would be marginal. If you want to try I would cut back the trunk to the second branch and cut the remaining two branches back to two leaves to try and encourage back budding. Feed it and see how it goes

[Ficusboy101]

what could i do if i could give it to him next christmas or july 24 2013

[Ficusboy101]

july 2014

[Bougy Fan]

Same thing just feed it heavily. The first banch is way too high and cutting it back will help induce taper. The trunk is way to long and skinny and has no movement. The problem with figs is they can be reluctant to bud back on the trunk and especially where you want them. If it is a hills fig the leaves don't reduce as easily as others.

[Ficusboy101]

draw a line on the photo of where i should trunk chop

[Bougy Fan]

I am not that tecnical to do a virt. You can do it above the second or third branch. You will need to cut back the branches as the foliage is too far from the trunk.

[Ficusboy101]

ive trunck chopped it and i am going to use those branches as sacraficial branches
thanks for the help im going to put this in progression series

[Bougy Fan]

IMO those branches are too high for sacrifices. Generally you want a branch down low to use as a sacrifice - the idea being to fatten the trunk below that area to increse taper. If possible the sacrifice would be at the back as well, as it will leave a wound scar when you remove it. Good luck

[Ficusboy101]

I trunk chopped it'd own to the first brack cutting it diagonally to the back so that you can't see the scar from the front hopefully it heals in time and I am going to keep this one for my self I have turned it into a semi cascade and also it is a ficus midnight
Now the first branch is the leader

Thanks for the help going to post a pic in the morning

[Ficusboy101]

What do you think a ficus benjimana it's 1 metre 40 while I wait for the midnight to get bushier

[The Ficus Guy]

IMO I wouldn't trunk chop this anywhere. It's still pretty small and chopping the trunk will only slow the growth and thickening of it. Let it grow out a while longer before chopping it