Cutting back Ficus binnendijkii 'Alii'

14 years ago

Last year I bought a standard (single stem) Ficus binnendijkii because that is all I could find and I was super excited about it. But, I don't like the shape. I wanted a multi-trunk. Can I cut it back and expect it will resprout with multiple sprouts - or is it not worth the risk at this stage and I should wait until I have a greenhouse for this sort of thing (years hence)?

For a little history, when I bought it I repotted it into a much larger pot (with very freely (instantly) draining media, no worries there.. this was mainly to keep it from blowing over in the wind and not worry about repotting for some time). It was outside last summer, dropped a few leaves from the repotting, then came inside for winter. It's a bit sparser than when new, but still quite alive. I intend to put it out again for summer.

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Comments (6)

User
14 years ago
Hi,

I wouldn't cut it yet, I belive you can, but if I recall it's too early yet, June is the preferred time for this w/ Ficus.

Pls. wait to see a response from our friend Al (Tapla) who is the resident Ficus maven here (Ficus, soils, containers, Bonsai, tee-he, Al) who will likely post a reply & who's been tremendously helpful to many folks here, especially w/ their Ficus. It'll be worth the day or 2 you may need to wait 'til he sees this.
tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
14 years ago
Thank you, Karen. That was very kind of you. ;o)

In the tropics, you could chop this plant off an inch above the ground and a raft of new shoots (suckers) would appear from the trunk, but the Mason Dixon Line isn't the Equator. ;o) You can approach this a couple of ways. I could set you up with a good way to take cuttings, so you could establish your own 'grove' or 'clump' style planting (bonsai terms) apart from the plant you're referring to, and you can go for broke and chop the trunk back hard in late June or early July ..... or, you can prune it back very hard and hope that multiple shoots break low on the trunk that will eventually form your multi-trunk planting. In either case, I would suggest you get the plant outdoors and acclimated to full sun as soon as night temps are reliably above 55* - sooner if you're willing to remain vigilant and move the plant in and out as temps dictate. This serves the purpose of building energy reserves to the max. A tree laden with energy won't know what to with itself when you cut it back and will usually come bustin' out all over with new growth from the stump or low on the trunk.

Before I go any further, maybe I should wait for you to assess and share your risk tolerance. ;o) What seems to most like a horrible mutilation is second nature to me because I know what beauty can be had by purposefully manipulating plants to achieve a specific end. Your thoughts?

Al
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Over the years, as I work on roots I work toward maintaining a fairly flat root mass, with the roots radiating from the trunk of the plant pretty much horizontally and all at the same ht level. For the ficus genus, I cut back the heaviest (chunkiest) roots the hardest because over time that helps to even out the amount of energy that goes to various areas of the plant, which helps to prevent weak areas that can die or be shed unexpectedly by the plant. I actually make a mound (cone) centered under where the trunk will exit the soil. I then sort of gently twist the plant into the mound, which helps to ensure there are no voids or air pockets under the trunk. Then. I thoroughly work the fresh soil into the roots with a tool like the white nylon one in the picture but a wood dowel sharpened in a pencil sharpener but with a slightly rounded tip also works well. I'm not being critical, only observing that a pot with no holes becomes progressively more limiting as the planting ages - true even if you were able to furnish water in volumes that would normally be perfect, which would be a task extremely difficult in a drainless container. Pots w/o drain holes are something I would encourage you to avoid if at all possible. You CAN grow healthy plants in a container w/o a drain if you play close attention to detail and everything else is perfect, but unless you're very aware of how to deal with the adversity, you put yourself at a considerable disadvantage. You can help to eliminate some of the perched water a planting CAN hold if you mix rocks or other nonabsorbent chunks into the soil that occupies the bottom of the pot, but the best results will be had when using soils that are airy enough that there is no advantage in employing that strategy. If the overturned pot in 'D' was bricks instead, the PWT would still be the same ht, but the bricks would significantly reduce the amount of soil in the portion of the pot that's CAPABLE of holding perched water, and in doing such could be helpful to plants in water-retentive soils. Understanding the concept explained explained in this thread will go a long way toward getting you over the hump when it comes to growing in containers. Roots aren't a plant's Achilles' heel, but they certainly CAN be the conduit by which soils that drain poorly and hold insufficient volumes of air limit plants from moderately to critically. You'd be very surprised at what kind of (root) treatment a healthy plant will tolerate and quickly rebound from. I took this plant from a root mass that occupied well over 1.5 gallons of soil to a volume of roots that would EASILY fit in well under a teacup with nothing in the way of any sort of adverse reaction. The key is to get your plant healthy so it will tolerate whatever work you might have in mind, do the work at a time most favorable for the plant, then let it recover fully before asking it again to rebound from necessary for its extended well-being but stressful in the immediate. Unfortunately, doing some things in the immediate that are stressful are requisite investments in the plant's future. You just can't allow nature to take its course when it comes to container culture if a healthy attractive plant for the long term is our intention. If you have the inclination, read the info at the link I offered, then ask any questions you might have, or ask for clarification of anything that might seem murky to you. Wishing the best for you ....... Al
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In summary, my suggestions would be: * If the plant is still appearing healthy, you can shorten it a little if you like. * Between now and next Jun, keep the plant as healthy as possible. If you can, and as soon as night temps are reliably above 13*, move the plant outdoors into shade, or open or dappled shade where it should gain a lot of strength. * It would be best to be thinking about what you can do to ensure the plant goes into a soil you can water to beyond saturation w/o having to worry about soggy soil impairing root function/health. This is a very important issue because it also impacts your ability to fertilize effectively. Your soil choice and light levels are the areas where limitations are potentially most pronounced. To my way of thinking, there is little sense in fighting with your soil choice for control of your plant's vitality, and if you can't water correctly, that will be the case. * Some time just prior to the summer solstice, you can repot the plant. Repotting is different than potting up, and includes bare-rooting and root pruning. I can help with that when the time comes. After repotting and after growth resumes, you can prune the plant back. You'll select one trunk to be the tallest, then prune the other trunks off just above a branch that is horizontal and faces outward. Each of the trunks will be pruned off at different heights, leaving only 1 leader. This tree has 3 trunks, 2 of which were pruned for ht and put to service as branches. This is several ficus whips fused together. All but one of the 7 trunks will end up playing the role of a branch. * After that work is done, the tree will backbud a LOT, and the new branches will offer you lots of pruning opportunities. The more pruning opportunities you have, the easier it is to build an eye-appealing planting. Let me know if you want more info. I can link you to threads about basic growing, growing ficus in containers, and a thread about soils, the information in which probably represents the largest step forward a container gardener can make at any one time. I'll also be around to help you through the individual steps if you decide that's the route you'd like to go. A little patience at this point can help you settle into a rhythm that works with the plant's strengths instead of against them. For me, that's a part of being closer to my plants. Bonsai practitioners spend a lot of time 'guiding' their plant material and doing things in an order that has the least negative impact possible. Fortunately, many of the things aren't specific to bonsai and can help all container growers learn to minimize limiting factors. Al
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Even though those pots hold on to some water at the bottom, they still have those holes above that small amount of water. So the air supply to the roots isn't cut off, as it would be with a pot that had zero drainage holes whatsoever. And it still allows water to drain freely, preventing any salt or mineral buildup in the soil. As long as those roots have access to fresh air, they won't suffer from "overwatering." As you can see, these plants were grown in those pots in the nursery. They are used to the tips being in that small amount of water and grew just fine. It's not like they were just transferred to those pots before being shipped out to the stores. I would say that roughly 90% of its root mass is above that reservoir, taking in more than enough fresh air to maintain proper root functions. There is no need for concern from using these types of pots. The first year that I had mine, it lost almost all of its leaves over the winter. But it grew many more news ones throughout spring, and fully recovered itself over the summer of the following year. Ficus alii is no stranger to shedding its leaves. Especially when being moved into a new environment. I still say that your plant is healthy, despite losing some of its leaves. I would, however, refrain from pruning any more bare branches. Having bare branches doesn't necessarily mean that those branches are dead. They will send out plenty of new leaves, given enough time. If any bare branches remain in the summertime, then feel free to prune those away as needed.
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northernellie
Original Author
14 years ago
I am not opposed to drastic reshaping at all, it's what I want. I'm more adventurous than timid typically. At least I didn't kill this one (well.. yet) like I did my birthday present Wollemia nobilis by root cleaning and repotting into a turface/granite mix upon arrival...

Thanks for the input, I sure appreciate it! I am patient enough to wait until it has energy reserves in late summer and I will cut it all the way back and see. I would appreciate some info on cuttings anyway if you got some handy. I wouldn't mind having several of these things around to trade and keep :) I tried a few last year in a granite-turface mix kept moist and no dice. That was just my best guess though, I don't think I researched it.

It's getting below 40 tonight, everybody came inside. Was nice earlier in the week for several days, in the 80's/60's. Ah well, soon enough.
grrr4200
14 years ago
i agree! CHOP IT! i had an alli that was a standard but the top didnt do what i wanted. so i took it out of its pot. took all the dirt off the roots. chopped the trunk about 3 inches from root line and then potted the plant bonsai style with roots exposed. i bagged it... misted it... and left it alone... it grew back crazy... which was strange since i expected to loose the whole plant. regardless go for it! if you're willing to chop it an inch above soil line you're willing to replace it if it dies so you're not loosing out. PLUS you can root cuttings from the top portion.
tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
14 years ago
Ok - come back in Jun and we'll get those cutting started. We'll be starting them in screened perlite - just so you know in advance. BTW, cuttings are always more successful when the parent plant is full of energy. See you then.

Al
northernellie
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks again all.

Al, I'll try to remember to put a reminder into my reminding program I just got for my computer (awful natural memory, and not on mine at the moment :) Perlite.. that's sounds right.

Grrr4200 - what month or season did you chop it? Just curiosity.

Cutting back Ficus binnendijkii 'Alii'

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tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)

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Cutting back Ficus binnendijkii 'Alii'

Comments (6)

User

tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)

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northernellieOriginal Author

grrr4200

tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)

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