How fast your plant's trunk thickens is directly related to the amount of photosynthesizing (leaf) surface the plant has, which determines the number of files of cells laid down in the cambium, which in turn is what determines the rate at which branches and trunks thicken. From this, we can see that pruning is actually a counterproductive act when thickening is desired. If you only tip-prune (remove the stems apex), however, the impact on thickening is insignificant. Ideally, you would wait to terminate the main stem until the plant is about 2/3 the ht (measured from the top of the soil) at which you'd like to maintain the plant. This allows for a bare trunk that is 2/3 of the tree's ht and then 1/3 of the tree's ht in foliage. You'll get the most enthusiastic response from healthy trees grown outdoors for at least a month before you terminate the main stem, and later from terminated branches. Also, if branches occur on the lower part of the tree, allow them to grow for a year or two - they provide additional additive growth (thickening) the plant would otherwise not have put on, absent the additional source of food (photosynthate) they contribute. Al

I'd like to see a photo too. I also doubt that it's possible to root a whole branch because it will be hard to get enough water to support so much living tissue all the way up the branch without roots to take it up, even if you removed some leaves. That being said, it should be easy to root either the end of the branch or a segment of it by simply sticking it in soil and spritzing the soil to keep it moist (not wet) until you see some new growth to indicate that there are roots, at which point you can start to water normally . Just be sure to get at least three nodes under the soil and you'll get roots quickly. You shouldn't need rooting hormone; ficuses root pretty easily, especially this time of year. I don't know how long a piece of the branch you can root, but maybe someone else will be able to tell us.

Your fiddle is still small so you can prune just the tip growing shoot. If you want to propagate and get another whole new FLF though, wait to prune until your plant gets bigger and cut the trunk right under the top two full grown leaves. Then you can stick the top portion (trunk with two leaves) in soil with some rooting hormone and you’ll get a second FLF with luck! I’ve heard July is a good time so you’ll want to decide this July or next July! If you want a tree form, maybe waiting is better so you get a taller trunk before branches come out?

Hi Heather, don’t worry your fiddle leaf fig looks fine. Many people would prune their FLF in just this manner to encourage it to branch from the top. Sometimes it takes awhile for new branches to start to grow from the top and plenty of bright light will help it do so quicker. (More often then not you should probably get 2 new branches from the top). Pruning would usually be done in Spring/Summer while the plant is showing active growth. If you’re growing season is coming to an end you may not see new growth/branching from this area until next Spring. Sometimes fiddle leaf figs are stubborn....just like children. Lol Don’t worry too much as your FLF looks nice and healthy. I actually love the way yours looks right now. Happy growing :)