benjamin ficus (weeping fig)

lartomar2002

15 years ago

i purchased a benjamine ficus about 4 mo. ago. i have pruned the longer outer branches back 1/3. what i would like is to thicken the inner foliage and shape the plant into a ball.. the plant is health but sparse.

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Comments (3)

tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
15 years ago
If the plant is sparse, it's probably not healthy. It's not the plant's nature to be robust and display sparse foliage at the same time.

Maximize branch ramification by pruning all branches with 4 or more leaves back to 2 leaves. Get the plant into full sun. Make sure your soil drains freely so you can water profusely every time you water and feed weekly at 1/2 strength through Sep. I would suggest any fertilizer with a 3:1:2 ratio, like 24-8-16, 12-4-8, or 9-3-6. I can tell you now though, that unless you keep branch length under control and the canopy open so light can penetrate, you'll have lots of trouble maintaining much in the way of interior growth.

Al
lartomar2002
Original Author
15 years ago
maybe by me saying sparse was miss leading. it is not sparse and is healthy, just not as fully as i would like. many yeas ago i had one that was very dense and would like to get the same effect now.
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Cuttings rely on stored food (carbohydrates), which is metabolized to provide the energy needed to create roots and their connection to the plant's vasculature, all of which must occur before the fungaluglies plug up the plumbing and end the viability of the cutting. Because your plant is in such a weak state, we can be sore its energy reserves are low and it will be slow to root if it roots at all. Slower rooting means greater possibility of a disease spoiling the fun. That said, there is nothing to keep you from trying, aside from the fact that the more foliage you cut off the parent plant the more restricted is its ability to make food. If it was my plant, I wouldn't bother trying cuttings, but I'm not you. I've rooted so many Ficus of different species that it's not a milestone when they root, and I'm used to waiting for optimal conditions before sticking cuttings of any of the plants I want to clone. If you wouldn't be bothered if the cuttings don't strike - go for it, unless you decide the leaves you'll take off in cuttings would better serve the plant if left attached. What you decide probably doesn't matter to anyone but you. I just try to help you with considerations that allow you to make the best decisions, based on your POV. Good luck. Al
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tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
15 years ago
You will get maximum branch density (ramification) if you follow the instructions directing you to cut all branches back to 2 leaves as soon as they get the 4th or 5th leaf. This removes the apical meristem from a woody branch, and it will grow 2 new branches from the remaining 2 leaf axils. This keeps growth very dense, and provides you with myriad pruning opportunities, allowing you to leave the branches that compliment the tree's form and remove those that detract from it. Benjaminas (all Ficus) will fill in very quickly when managed this way.

Al

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benjamin ficus (weeping fig)

Comments (3)

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

lartomar2002
Original Author

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benjamin ficus (weeping fig)

Comments (3)

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

lartomar2002Original Author

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

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lartomar2002
Original Author