pruning Benji ficus
lmalaska
3 years ago
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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
3 years agolmalaska
3 years agoRelated Discussions
Ficus benghalensis "Audrey" - Pruning Question
Comments (12)You have 2 options. You can cut the top back to a leaf that is growing back toward an imaginary line straight up from the center of the pot, or you can cut back harder so you take the crook out of the picture and make the top straight. The grower cut the trunk back and that's how the branch that became the new leader grew. What the grower should have done and you can still do is this: Imagine this as your tree and the leaves are branches. ^^^ When the grower cut the top back ^^^, he cut it back to about where the knot is, and the branch that turned into the new leader (that would be the one just below the knot) grew at the same angle as the leaf stem. What he SHOULD have done is, cut the top back only part way so there was a stub left, then tie the new branch to the stub so it grows straight: **************************************************************************************************** Your idea to prune back to the leaf growing back toward the center is what I described above. It's ok to do that if the distance from the soil line to the first crook in the trunk is longer than the distance from the crook in the trunk to the branch growing back toward the middle. IOW, as your tree zig-zags, the distance between the direction changes has to grow increasingly smaller as your eye moves from bottom to top. This is because (in nature), branches get much closer together near the top of trees, and that's what your eye expects to see. If you DON'T see the sections between turns getting shorter toward the top, it will look odd, even if you can't put your finger on the precise reason why. If the distances are transposed, I'd cut the crook out and do what I illustrated above. Al...See MoreAdvice for how to continue to prune and shape ficus lyrata/fiddle leaf
Comments (0)The last time I pruned was 5/2018 and I unfortunately skipped last season and now branches A and B are growing a lot faster than the others bc they are closer to the sunlight which is a skylight. Branch D is moderate grower, E and F are in the back toward the wall and not growing much - I think A and B may be shading them. Branch C has no leaves anymore. It used to have a couple but they fell off. That branch is totally shaded. My questions are: 1) How many branches should I prune? All of them or only A and B, the big growers? 2) Do I prune all the way down to two leaves again? 3) When I prune, is there a direction or exact placement of the cut I should do to encourage branching in one direction vs another? I'm trying to figure out how to prevent shading of other branches...but maybe that’s due to the sunlight direction? And 4) should I just cut off Branch C since there are no leaves, and if so, where do I make the cut? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! usual location, back against wall (branches E and F)...See MorePruning Ficus Audrey
Comments (16)The leaves to be removed will be found directly below the point where the branch is attached to the next lower order branch. In this case, they will be found attached to the central leader immediately below where the two branches are attached to the central leader. Should I wait for that bud to do more before removing the leaf next to it? The little leaf remains. The leaf to remove is at the other end of the short branch. You can remove the growing tip of the short branch now, or wait until 1-2 more leaves have been added to the branch. Normally, the formula for pinching is to wait until the 3rd leaf on any given branch is starting to open, then pinch the branch back to 2 leaves. As a branch grows/ extends, it will produce a series of leaves. Those first leaves can never be replaced and new leaves can never be grown in the same position. When a leaf falls off, it's gone for good and can never be coaxed to grow another in its place. Only new branches will grow from the leaf axil or from immediately above the scar leaf when a leaf was shed. You can see that by examining your tree. Only 2 branches have grown from a node where a leaf was/ is still attached. Al...See MorePractical tips for pruning ficus trees
Comments (16)A first order branch grows off of the trunk. A second order branch grows off of a first order branch, etc. First, I would look at the tree and remove all the branches that are crossing or competing with better (looking) branches for the same space or light. Then I would look for areas of the tree that have several branches all originating from the same spot or very close to the same spot and thin out the branch(es) least appealing to the eye. Then, if you think the thickest trunk can serve as the leader, I would shorten it by examining the tree for two higher order branches growing in a favorable direction and prune back immediately distal to the top branch (of the two). That's how you shorten a trunk so it isn't too noticeable. Look for opportunities to prune the subordinate trunks back to a branch growing outward from the central axis. All the trunks should be pruned so they turn outward at different hts. Maybe I should prune my ficus without thinking too much: in an Italian forum the users told me that I can cut as I want as demonstrated by the hedges and the geometric figures obtained with weeping figs. Yes, you can do that and end up with a topiary if you like. It's much easier than making it look like a smaller but natural version of a tree you might see in the wild. 1. Is it possible to prune in two different rounds, one a few days apart from the other? Or can this have negative consequences? Yes - no problem, and no negative consequences. For best results, do your hard pruning now. Then allow your tree to back-bud. When the third leaf on EVERY new branch is starting to open, pinch the branch back to 2 leaves. This ficus cutting is rooted and pinched, as you can see by the stub I intentionally left. There is a new branch growing in both leaf axils (crotches). When the 3rd leaf is opening, I will pinch them back to 2 leaves. Then, I will get 4 more branches. Pinching them will give me 8 branches, then 16, 32, 64, ..... . Soon your tree will be very full and you'll be selecting branches to remove to allow light into the middle of the tree. So your pruning strategy is to prune all the leggy winter growth off in June. Pinch as explained until fall, then allow the tree to grow all winter w/o pruning. The following spring, you prune hard in June and continue to follow the cycle. This is important because you will end up with ALL short internodes because you'll only be keeping growth that occurred under the highest light levels, and, when you have to rely on back0budding to shorten branches, you'll appreciate the short internodes on branches inside the perimeter of the canopy. 2. Is it correct to cut immediately after a side branch that goes upwards (yellow lines in the last photo)? Yes - that's called 'directional pruning' and it's a valuable tool. In the image above, I can have a leader that grows to the left by removing the top leaf and new branch, or allow it to grow to the right by doing nothing. 3. Is it correct to cut the lateral branches that go downwards (red line in the last photo)? Yes, straight down and in some cases straight up if they are not growing close to the trunk and up into the crown. Do remember though, that ficus branches are very flexible and can be manipulated to change their orientation. Ficus microcarpa: Al...See Moretsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
3 years agotapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoAnna K K
3 years agotapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoAbby B
3 years agoAbby B
3 years ago
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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5