Ficus rescue - do I repot after pruning?
antiguamarie
6 years ago
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tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
6 years agoantiguamarie
6 years agoRelated Discussions
Pruning ficus b. after July 9 Repotting. Pic Heavy!
Comments (7)Randy I have very similar tree, even lopsided like yours. The tree was getting too tall to keep inside, but luckily was not infested. I was looking for info how to prune it & that is how I found this forum. I have followed Al's recommendations to a letter (and I have never even read about root pruning/proper repotting): 1. 'inspection' of roots/flushing thoroughly/proper watering & fertilizing - all few months ahead of proper repotting; 2. then at proper time (July), root pruning (the root ball was a mess)-repotting into brand new soil mix (5-1-1); 3. continue proper watering/fertilizing as recommended 4. pruning branches approx. month later I am very satisfied with results, the tree looks much better and has lots of new leaves growing. An it is few inches shorter (more pruning next year). It took some effort, but if you really want your plant to grow well, it is worth it. I am following similar routine with all my potted plants - it will take some time since I have 'few', but by same time next year all of them will be in new soil mix, root pruned/repotted/branches pruned and I am sure growing much healtier. The info you'll find on this forum is very helpful. Al has many extremely informative threads, and I have save them for reference. Much easier for me to get infor-he does all the hard work of writing it all... Many other members have very good posts and photos too - sorry I can't think of all the names right now. Good luck with your tree. Rina...See MoreFicus lyrata repotting & pruning
Comments (7)Is it okay to repot and prune/encourage branching shortly thereafter, or should I wait until the next growing season to attempt to create new branches? New branches will come if you optimize cultural conditions or force back-budding via pruning. For this plant, I would concentrate on bare-rooting, removing only problem roots, and getting the plant into a soil that allows you to water correctly w/o the plant having to pay a toll in terms of diminished root health/function from a soil that remains saturated too long. Prune after the plant starts pushing new growth subsequent to the repot. -My ficus has two trunks. Is this indicative that they are two separate trees potted together, or are they just two trunks of one plant? Could be either case. You'll know when you repot. Make sure you're prepared for either eventuality. I am wondering if it is possible to separate them before I get them out of the pot. That sounds like wanting to extract a dollar bill from your wallet w/o taking it out of your pocket/purse .... or a pill from a pill bottle w/o removing the cap. You really DO want to get a look at what's going on below the soil line before you decide on a course. -Ideally, I would like for my ficus take more of a tree shape, whereas it now more closely resembles a bush (see picture). Is this achieved through pruning of the lower leaves, or is there a different tactic used to achieve this? You can work on more than one aspect at the same time. Leaving the lower branches on for now strengthens/thickens the trunk ...... and they can be removed any time. Putting them back on because the trunk is too weak to support the top is much harder. Start thinking about developing the top when your tree is about 2/3 as tall as you ultimately want it to be. At that point you'll remove the apical meristem (growing tip of the main stem) to force back-budding near the top. From that point forward, you'll allow branches to grow 4 leaves and then prune the branch back to 2 leaves. . You'll get 2 branches (1 from each leaf axil [crotch]). When you repeat, you'll get 4 branches, then 8, then 16, 32, ....... That is how bonsai practitioners create fine ramification (lots of twiggy branches and leaves). Al...See MoreFicus lyrata drooping after repotting.
Comments (3)Have you absolutely soaked the new growing medium? Until it the roots start working again the plant essentially behaves like a cut flower and needs to be hydrated. Give it a flooding and then leave it be and watch carefully for signs that the medium is dry again....See MoreFicus trees dropping all their leaves after repot into gritty mix
Comments (18)Unless something really bad happened during the repot - like the roots dried out badly, I expect the plant to make a quick recovery, I have a F diversifolia I moved directly into full sun a couple of weeks ago. All it's leaves are going yellow and falling off. I'm not concerned a bit about it. Unless there's something seriously wrong with your medium or how you're watering, your tree should be fine. I'm not saying that to make you feel good - I'm saying that because that's what usually happens more than 9 of 10 times. Also, my diversifolia puts out figs non stop. If yours has figs, remove them. They are a strong energy sink and the tree will expend too much energy on maturing the fruit as opposed to growing new roots. Al...See Moreantiguamarie
6 years agotapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
6 years agoantiguamarie
6 years agotapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
6 years agoantiguamarie
6 years agoantiguamarie
6 years agoantiguamarie
6 years agotapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
6 years agolast modified: 6 years ago
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