AusBonsai

My 22 year old ficus is struggling to reshoot after it was straggly and I cut it back! I know this type of ficus can be very temperamental with back budding.

It gets little green shoots and they don’t grow much then they disappear.

Any thoughts?

I’m
In Adelaide and it’s been a few summers and I’m very concerned.





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F. benjimina don't bud back anywhere near as reliably as the other popular Ficus bonsai species like PJF, Moreton Bay and obliqua.

They are quite temperamental and will readily give up on a section of branch if there isn't an existing bud. Because they are difficult in back budding they are even a pain to chase growth back on leggy branches.

I find you have to keep a benji growing strong (so no regular trimming to shape) then the tree will start putting out buds and then you can cut back to the closest buds along the branch to the tree. Then you have to wait a while for it to send out a bunch of new growth before you can repeat the process.

If you want a more personalised answer can you tell us:

- When was it last repotted
- How would you describe the drainage of the soil it's in? Does water drain through or pool? Does the soil stay damp?
- What sort of access to sunlight does this tree have? Does direct sunlight hit the new buds?
- Did you feed the tree at all in the last growing season?

Yes, I know this about benjamina but have previous success with them back budding fine and I’ve had others say the same.


It’s been in full sun and also morning fun, afternoon shade- nil difference

I’ve misted regularly - no difference

I’ve fertilised and will get A flush of little sprouts but they never grow and eventually disappear

Potted in regular bagged potting mix. Last repotted last year

Someone said maybe the buds are being eaten - doesn’t seem likely?

I was wondering if I should place it in a greenhouse with high humidity?


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Oh and yes regularly liquid fertilised and seasol

Water drains through quickly. Sometimes a little on the damp side


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Perhaps it's about temperature? I don't personally know what the symptoms of cold damage are, I think I read somewhere the leaves become black and the wood softens. Another possibility I only read about is that in colder climates new buds emerge but won't shoot until spring. Some of the variegated figs are slow to shoot buds here in subtropical Brisbane. Maybe we will only learn the truth at the autopsy. By the way, I like those tangled roots. I reckon (if the patient recovers) you try and stretch those outward, to create a very broad base.

I think you’re right! I’ll try a greenhouse otherwise I’ll return him to Townsville


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I have no issues Growing healthy Ficus Benji in Western Sydney, Adelaide a bit drier than here, but so long as you dont get below a few Deg C they shdou be fine there

Ken

If you have another benji it might be worth trying to graft some new branches on it. (Whilst keeping it in a nice warm humid situation.)

I had an old green island fig (Ficus microcarpa) that I cut very short. After two years of no new growth I grafted two new branches, and it's doing well.

I was wondering if it’s worth doing this.

It is actually a ficus microcarpa not a benji

It’s trying again to sprout but I think the roots are too wet and there are lots of millipedes.

I think I need to put into another soil? Perlite? What do people recommend?


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It sounds like it is staying too wet; but I would not repot until it warms up unless you have a way to keep it warm.

Can you try weighing it before watering you it and then again straight after watering?
Then wait a few days (or until you think it needs more water) – weigh it again?
Check if it is lighter before you water it.

How often are you watering it? If it is staying too wet, you could probably extend the number of days between watering. If it is a Microcarpa, you could probably extend to 3 to 4 to 7days between watering at first to allow it to fully dry, then once it starts using some water, bring the waterings back to more regular.

How much sun is it getting?
Do you have a photo of the pot with something for size reference and where it is kept? is it inside? or outside or in a greenhouse?
You could try a heat mat, but i have no experience with them.


From my experience, ficus actually like to have their roots on the dry side, but be watered regularly in a very free drainage mix. Having the mix stay wet will tend to make the roots rot as they dont need to extend and chase water, Whereas allowing to dry between waterings will force the roots to grow. A deeper pot will have a taller water column, allowing the top to stay dryer (but not to dry) and the water to sink to the bottom.

If you are still keen to repot now, you could sit it on top of another pot of free draining aggregate; or you could try slip potting (without disturbing current roots) into a larger deep pot until you feel it is warmer, then do the repot then.

Re potting mix, I am using perlite (70% of 3-7mm) for my ficus and nearly everything else I have in development as it is cheap and available as an aggregate. If holding water is a problem, try adding some type of aggregate size 3-7mm such as: pumice, perlite, scoria, sand or gravel or somehting similar.