Ficus Benjamina - cutting taken 2018
Posted: March 31st, 2024, 5:38 pm
Took the cutting from the office where I used to work, back in 2018.
Had some ideas looking at the trunk(s), sharpened my secateurs, and gave it a big trim back.
I've heard that these really don't like to backbud so I'm trying to be careful. Already had let the main branches get pretty thick and straight. Decided to act while some lower shaded-out branches are still around.
I'm tempted to deal with those roots this year too and replace the soil, if it seems vigorous enough. It's still the start of the year here.
I did see a video of a guy literally saw off his ficus at the base of the trunk the whole tree survived as a cutting.
I've started ready about air layering and I'm thinking that'd be a much safer route to start afresh. Since Ficus tend to throw out aerial roots pretty easily, would it be possible to just lay down some plastic, top up with about 1.5cm of substrate, and expect roots to grow out from the trunk base? Any other suggestions?
Here are the pics, each picture showing from two sides.
Before the trim.
After initial trim. Seeing the photos I decided I didn't like having all three long straight trunks, but hesitant about where to go.
Later in the day I cut back the lowest trunk/branch up to it's third sub-branch.
But this to me leaves it feeling unbalanced. Tempted to cut the other trunk back as follows:
Here then I would wire that remaining twig of a branch upward.
Edit: Given the size of the trunk, considering that it might be best to either cut off that middle trunk completely, or even treat that lowest branch as the new trunk and the rest as a sacrifice - ie cut off everything except the lowest branch and start again from there. For now I'll just see how it reacts. If those small branches take off, that could be an option for later.
Had some ideas looking at the trunk(s), sharpened my secateurs, and gave it a big trim back.
I've heard that these really don't like to backbud so I'm trying to be careful. Already had let the main branches get pretty thick and straight. Decided to act while some lower shaded-out branches are still around.
I'm tempted to deal with those roots this year too and replace the soil, if it seems vigorous enough. It's still the start of the year here.
I did see a video of a guy literally saw off his ficus at the base of the trunk the whole tree survived as a cutting.
I've started ready about air layering and I'm thinking that'd be a much safer route to start afresh. Since Ficus tend to throw out aerial roots pretty easily, would it be possible to just lay down some plastic, top up with about 1.5cm of substrate, and expect roots to grow out from the trunk base? Any other suggestions?
Here are the pics, each picture showing from two sides.
Before the trim.
After initial trim. Seeing the photos I decided I didn't like having all three long straight trunks, but hesitant about where to go.
Later in the day I cut back the lowest trunk/branch up to it's third sub-branch.
But this to me leaves it feeling unbalanced. Tempted to cut the other trunk back as follows:
Here then I would wire that remaining twig of a branch upward.
Edit: Given the size of the trunk, considering that it might be best to either cut off that middle trunk completely, or even treat that lowest branch as the new trunk and the rest as a sacrifice - ie cut off everything except the lowest branch and start again from there. For now I'll just see how it reacts. If those small branches take off, that could be an option for later.