how do you reduce ficus benjamina

[peterb]

Hi all
I have a ficus benjamina which I have grown root over rock style, but now the branches are all to long and out of shape as i haven't been able to spend much time with my bonsais over the last few years . So the question is how safe is it for me to cut back all the branches ? Also what are my chances of losing branches to dieback. I live in adelaide so not a very tropical region, but i do grow it in the bathroom which has quite a lot of light. Any tips would be most welcome
regards
peterb

[Bougy Fan]

Hi Peter
It's a tree so it should be outside. It will survive inside but if it is very leggy that could be the reason why. A lack of fertiliser may also be a cause. Cut it back to the first or second shoot along the branch and it should be fine. You should be doing this to get some movement in the branches anyway - it should then shoot out at an angle and if you keep you doing it there will be lots of movement and it keeps it compact as well.


Tony

[peterb]

H i Tony
thanks for the tips, i brought it inside because it was struggling with the adelaide cold and was dying back, do you suggest that i bring it in for winter and then out for spring - autumn. My bathroom has 3 walls of glass. If i cut it back to the first shoot will it shoot out behind as well as at the shoot or only at the shoot, the other issue i have is that when i wired it in the past it didn't seem to work even when i left it on till it started cutting in. Should i have taken the wire off and straight away rewired it, appreciate your input

regards
peterb

[Bretts]

Hi Peter
I don't think it is a great idea to cut the fig back without first considering it's health. If the tree is in poor health cutting it back could cause some die back.
I and others have found when growing figs in a cold temperate climate that bringing them inside for the Winter is not a bad idea. But they do love the sun and will benefit from even full sun during the warmer seasons.

I would plan to get your tree outside for the growing season. Start by finding a nice sheltered area with morning sun and gradually increase from there.
Also post a picture if possible so we can get a good idea of the health of the tree. It may benefit from better care before any cutting is done.

[peterb]

Hi Bretts
I think it's in reasonably good health, but i've attached some fotos so that you's can see and hopefully give some feedback. appreciate the feedback given already and have moved it out today, bit sad cause i had gotten used to it in the bathroom and used to study it while in the bath
regards
peter
sorry mate tried to attach fotos but couldn't get it right

[Bretts]

Dam
Maybe this will help?

viewtopic.php?f=97&t=54

[peterb]

Hi guys
right going to try again to attach those fotos
peterb

[Bretts]

Yay
That looks healthy enough to me yes.
It is a fiarly interesting tree, yet it is not an easy one to see which direction to take from here.
Do you have an idea where you want to go?

I would love to see other angles now you have worked out how to upload pics.

[peterb]

Hi
I would like to reduce the whole tree to make the rock and tree more balanced, and i would like to try and wire the branches more downwards to give it a better image especially the branches on the right, i think i have another image from a different angle, so lets try again. haven't yet figured out how to attach more than one at a time

[peterb]

Hi All

I was meaning the branches on the right on the first foto not the second
regards
peterb

[Bretts]

I think the tree is interesting but I think it has a couple of challenges on where to go from here.
The branch pointed to in blue fights with the rock and should probably go. The problem is complicated by most of the other branches being not quite right to come up with a balanced composition.

Maybe some one better than me will come up with a plan with what you have here but if it where Mine. I would chop back where I have marked in red then see what can be done with the new branches that would most definitely pop out all over the trunk.
I think we should be aiming for a canopy something like shown in green so this should explain why so much needs to be removed.
oops forgot to add the pic

untitled.png

[maryo]

Have you considered that maybe the rock is too small? It would be a very good tree without the rock. I also live in a cold climate and perserve with my figs, I really do not do much work with them until maybe the end of this month and only if the sap is rising.

[peterb]

Hi Maryo / Bretts
there is still alot of rock to come out of the ground, tree is still very much in training hence the most beautifull original japanese pot, glad to hear that others out there have similar problems, where i lived in south africa figs were so easy to grow we used to dig out ficus natalensis out of the walls at the paper mill i worked at, thanks for the input appreciate all help, i shall proceed with what you suggested bretts ( much to my wifes disgust she cannot graspwhat we try and do she always says it's growing so nicely whenever i cut back harshly ). will let yous know how it goes
regards
peterb

[peterb]

hi all
feeling a bit deflated today, decided to repot and work on the roots arranging them etc. and also cut the tree back as discussed and the rock split in two places. the rock appears to have been very crystalline in nature so have cut the roots and tree back drastically and will just grow out as normal .5 years work gone
regards
peterb

[Bretts]

Dam Peter,
Can't get too upset over these things as it can take all the fun out of it. Look for the possibilities of where you can go from here instead of looking back.
There was a great Post on and old forum from Hans van Meer. He had a big tree fall smack bang on top of his collection over night in a storm. Glanced at the damage in the morning on his way to the kitchen sat down with coffee and toast reading the paper before eventually heading out to survey the damage. When he finally made his way out he found some excitement of the new styling challenges his trees might now present.
Not sure we could all roll with the punches that way but it is a good example that we should always be looking forward.

Walter Pall has a great video working on a Hornbeam. He states something like if after you have cut the tree back and the Wife states the tree looked better before you chopped it all back then you have done a good job.

My wife has almost given up saying what the hell did you do to that. In fact I remember one day she said, " What the hell, well I guess you know what you are doing" After seeing the aftermath of one of my trims.