How to form a rubbery ficus with a bare trunk. How to prune rubber ficus

Most types of ficuses are very hardy and unpretentious plants. But in order for them to develop harmoniously and delight the owners with a beautiful crown, experts recommend including regular pruning in the care of ficus. Let's look at how to form a beautiful ficus and how to prune correctly.

Novice lovers are often interested in whether it is possible to cut off an overgrown ficus and whether removing part of the branches will harm it. In fact, in order for the ficus to grow lush and healthy at home, periodic pruning is not only possible, but necessary.

Firstly, this is necessary for sanitary reasons: if broken or dry branches are not cut, they can cause the whole houseplant. Secondly, proper pruning helps to rejuvenate the ficus at home. Finally, the formation of the crown will make it more expressive. Moreover, you can not do without pruning if you want to grow.

Trimming time and tools

The time for pruning branches is selected depending on the purpose. If the task is the formation of a ficus and the desire to make it fluffy, you need to choose a period of active development of the plant in spring and summer. For indoor ficuses, this is most often March-July. Crown formation during the dormant period can make the plant skewed, as the shoots in the fall grow only where you pruned. In addition, branches that grow in autumn draw juices from the plant “stored” for the winter and can weaken it.

You can not cut off healthy sprouts to form a crown if you have recently had a transplant. But sanitary pruning of damaged branches should be done immediately, without waiting for a special time, and it should become an obligatory part of the care.

To cut a green pet, you will need large and small garden shears and a pruner or knife (for different thickness branches of homemade ficus). Don't forget about disinfectants, since it is impossible to cut the ficus correctly without them: before cutting the branches, the tools must be treated with alcohol, and garden pitch is suitable for processing the cut points.

When cutting a plant, you need to use sharply sharpened tools: if the cut is uneven and “soaked”, bacteria can penetrate through it.

Sanitary pruning

To ensure the flower is correct at home, you need to periodically inspect it - this way you will immediately find damaged or starting to dry branches. True, some deciduous ficus varieties expose branches only by autumn, only at this time allowing you to notice diseased areas. In any case, according to the conditions of proper pruning, you need to get rid of them immediately, otherwise they can spread the disease to the entire plant.

In addition, I cut off old and weakened branches, as they become “easy prey” for pests and infections. It is necessary to shorten such a branch, completely capturing the damaged area. If a diseased shoot grows from the ground, it must be cut at soil level.

Sooner or later, all ficuses begin to need such care.

Anti-aging pruning

Let's consider how to cut a ficus for a rejuvenating purpose. It is necessary to resort to such circumcision more often if the flower or top of the ficus has suffered due to the cold in the house or has begun to dry out for other reasons.

You can make the ficus again begin to give a lot of new growth by cutting off all the branches and leaving only a bare stump. Such pruning of the ficus will give impetus to the emergence of new shoots coming from the roots. Dwarf domestic ficuses respond well to it.

For ficus with long shoots, on which the foliage begins to dry out due to too dry air or heat, we cut off the branches almost completely, leaving no more (but no less) 2 buds on each. After that, many cuttings grow, allowing both to grow a new “pet”, if you use a cut branch, and to form a magnificent beautiful crown of the old one.

Finally, we will learn how to form a beautiful ficus crown.

Crown formation is a creative activity. Before you form a plant, you need to think about the shape of the top and how tall the plant should be. Correct shaping on ficuses is not done too often, so you need to take into account all the details so as not to make a mistake. Let's take a look at the rules.

To make the shape of the plant beautiful, the cut is made strictly above the place where the future apical bud is located: a new shoot on the ficus grows from it, and if you leave the “bare” part of the cutting, this will give the plant an unpleasantly plucked appearance.

When pruning, you need to take into account the rule that on thick old branches the cut should be beveled at an angle of 45 degrees, and on thin ones - straight.

If there are too many internal ficus shoots, they can be thinned out so that it is lush. To do this, when cutting, pay attention to the location of the upper kidney: it should be directed outward. Horizontally or vertically - depends on whether you want to achieve crown growth in width or its height.

To make the plant especially beautiful, choose one of the classical forms- tiered, in the form geometric figure etc. Forming the top beautiful ficus, you can "peep" the techniques and forms of bonsai and copy them without even making the plant small, since these "pets" are very malleable. A tree with an originally formed trunk will ideally fit into a room or office interior.
To get beautiful young plants, you can use stem shaping. How to form a stem correctly? This is done by cutting off all the shoots, except for the five at the top. Estimate in advance what the height should be. When the ficus grew to right size, upper kidney from the crown, and then you need to cut and shorten side shoots- so we form a neat circle. The tier can be not only one upper; specialists can form up to three "floors". So you can only work with young ficuses.

If you decide in advance to transplant and grow several plants together, you can cut them so that the crown seems to be one. This is especially important in cases where a composition is formed with beautifully intertwined trunks. When on a houseplant, all side shoots are also removed.

To make the crown especially lush, in the form of a bush, you can cut off the top of an adult plant and then use tweezing, which consists in periodically cutting the shoots from above, which activates the lateral buds. Proper tweezing is carried out subject to the deadlines, that is, in the spring or during the summer.

Behind a cut plant is needed special care, often additional watering and. Immediately after you cut the branches, the plant cannot be transplanted, it must move away from the "stress".

When home bonsai is grown and the cutting is transplanted into a small container, the roots of the plant are also subject to formation: with the right approach, too long must be removed, like most of the tops.

If you have made the correct cut of the branches in compliance with all conditions, the crown of the plant will be lush and your pet will be admired by both home and guests.

Video "Correct pruning of ficus"

From this video you will learn how to properly cut a ficus at home.

The article focuses on a number of issues that are relevant today, each of which is directly related to ficuses and rarely where can be consecrated in such detail. It is recommended to read the article about.

How to make ficus lush, thick and fluffy at home

What to do to make the ficus take root faster, branch and give side shoots, be beautiful

In order for the plant to begin branching as quickly as possible and give side shoots, it is necessary to regularly prune, as well. New branches will begin to appear on the sides, the flower will become beautiful.

How to make ficus bonsai yourself a short master class

In order for the roots to form a crown according to the style of bonsai that you have chosen, you need to cut the shoot several times, so the growth in height will be stopped. Trimming is carried out until the desired volume of the trunk is obtained.

You can use a garter or use a wire. The top is attached to the base of the tree. And with the help of wire you can give desired shape branches. After a few weeks, you can remove it.

How to form a ficus in the form of a stem

To make a ficus trunk, you need to start removing side shoots almost immediately after planting, only 5 shoots remain. As soon as the desired growth is achieved, it is necessary to stimulate the growth of side branches, for this, those on top are pinched.

A ficus plant initially produces only one stem. But over time, the flower begins to awaken, grow, branch, and here your competent intervention will already be needed. Rubber ficus can be an exquisite decoration for your home or work office. The main thing is to know how to make the ficus give lateral shoots, how to pinch it so that the branched one you need is formed. lush crown. Explore this side of the issue indoor flower over time, it turned into an original interior detail that will attract the eyes of your guests.

Before figuring out how to pinch a ficus correctly, every grower wants to make sure that such a procedure is necessary and find out what results it gives. At first, homemade ficus grows only upwards and does not require crown formation. However, the older the plant gets, the more important it is for you to master basic principles its clippings.

If nothing is done in advance, your young green specimen will bush randomly. You can not pull with this anti-aging procedure. Otherwise, the ficus will grow incorrectly, branch in the wrong direction, or give not quite the density that you expected. It is quite possible to make a branched crown of a ficus, for this you just need to learn how to properly pinch a home plant.

Choosing the time for the procedure

How to make a ficus branch and how complicated is such a set of measures? The result will certainly satisfy you if you not only study the forced principles of the procedure, but also determine what time of the year is best to carry it out. You can get a branched crown from a ficus, but it’s better to start pruning in spring period. With the onset of spring, the plant wakes up, all vital processes are activated. If you start pinching the flower at this favorable time, the pruning procedure will not be too stressful for the plant: all the “wounds” will heal instantly. In addition, it is in the spring that young buds form on the stem of the plant and side shoots develop.

That is why there is no more suitable time for the formation of a ficus crown than the spring period, or rather the end of winter - the beginning of spring. Remember, it is unforgivable to delay this procedure. If you start pruning homemade ficus in the middle of spring, the result may not be of very high quality. The thing is that when sap flow is active, shortening the branches can wake up the flower and stimulate its growth as a whole, but the new side shoots will be too thin.

Pinching instructions

How to pinch a ficus and how to learn to do it right? To give side branches, start the grafting procedure when the flower grows a little. Preparatory moments also have great value. For example, be sure to disinfect the knife with which you are going to shorten the branches. If desired, use alcohol or hydrogen peroxide. The sharper the knife, the easier it is to cut branches, and indoor ficus they are usually thick. Whatever method of pruning you prefer, you first need to pay attention to the condition of the plant.

Let's say you like the height of a ficus, but its top shoot has grown too thin. In this case, take a knife and make a straight cut, simply removing the fragile shoot. But the first method is effective if we are dealing with a young houseplant. When a similar procedure needs to be carried out with a mature home flower, it is worth resorting to a slightly different technique. Follow all the necessary steps in stages, and the result will be more than satisfactory. What exactly does the process of crown formation in an adult ficus consist of:

• first, determine for yourself which point on the stem, in your opinion, should be the top. After that, make an incision at a distance of 8 cm from the sheet. It is desirable that it be oblique, and its upper point should be directly above the kidney;
• for proper pinching of a ficus plant, you need to take a small cloth, moisten it in water and gently wipe the trunk from milk, which spreads along the stems after pruning. In no case do not wring it out and do not use it again - the matter must certainly be thrown away. Some flower growers believe that it is recommended to lubricate the cut points with the compositions made, but ordinary water will actually be enough. With its help, you will stop the further secretion of vegetable juice, and the wounds of the ficus will soon heal;
• what to do to get the pinching of the ficus, and the side shoots acquired new form? It is very important at the end of the procedure to ensure proper care of the plant. If all the steps are done correctly by you, with the onset of next spring, pinching can be continued. This time, you will give a stimulus for the growth of side shoots.

Every grower can force a ficus to branch. Pinching will give the plant an incentive to actively grow and form new and new shoots. Over time, the flower will begin to bush, if everything is done correctly and at the right time.

Further care

How to make the ficus actively bush, beginner flower growers ask.

After pinching the crown, it is very important to provide proper care for the plant.

First of all, it will be needed about a month after the removal of the branches. It doesn’t hurt either - this is another effective way to get side shoots to develop. For those whose home ficus has already acquired an impressive size, such a need can be a real problem.

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How to form a beautiful tree from a ficus seedling? There are many options for pinching and trimming to achieve the best result. Simple rules for working with various types ficus will be of interest to all flower growers. In another article, read about that, and what is needed for this.

How to pinch Benjamin's ficus and rubbery

For home design Ficus Benjamin is especially interesting. It forms branches extending from the main trunk, which can be pruned annually, giving the plant the most unusual shape. In addition, Benjamin's ficus has a flexible trunk, which can be easily bent in various directions during growth.

Pruning and pinching is best done during the active growth of the plant - in spring or early summer.

Most species grow upwards as a single shoot and do not form lateral branches without pinching. Therefore, if you want to get side shoots from the main trunk, it is important to properly pinch the growing points.

How to form a ficus at home in the form of a ball, into a tree, in the form of a pigtail from several trunks

From several seedlings planted nearby, you can weave braids and spirals that look very unusual and beautiful. A crown in the form of a ball can be obtained from a standard tree.

For two or three years, all the lower ones. There should be from the top five branches from which you can begin to form a ball. Every month in warm time years, pinching the tops of the branches is carried out, stimulating the growth of lateral shoots.

To braid a flexible trunk in the form of a pigtail, several ficus seedlings of the same size are planted in one pot.

When the ficuses grow up to 30 centimeters in height, cut off the side shoots at the bottom of the trunks with a clean blade or secateurs and intertwine the seedlings with each other. The trunks are tied with a soft woolen thread. As the weaving grows, it is constantly updated until the tree grows to the required height. Do not forget to remove the threads, otherwise they will grow inside the trunks.

How to form a ficus in a spiral

To form a ficus in a spiral, plant in flower pot next to two seedlings. When their trunks are at least 30 centimeters in height, weaving begins in the form of a spiral, cutting off the interfering side shoots. The intertwined trunks are fastened with twine or woolen thread.

If the stems do not bend well, you can open them in the bathroom hot water, letting in steam, and bring the plant into the bathroom for half an hour (do not put it under hot water).

For ficus weaving, it is important to choose days that are suitable for Lunar calendar to work with the plant when the Moon is in the fertile signs of the Zodiac.

My ficus has grown - already 1.80 cm high.

I want to pin him so that he shoots to the sides. How to do it right?

Larisa, Ukraine, Makeevka

Judging by the photo, you ficus rubbery(Ficus elastica) Robusta. A really very tall ficus variety, it will grow as long as the ceilings of the room allow or either until you start pinching and cutting the shoots. In nature (in the tropics), this ficus grows into huge tall trees up to 50 meters in height.

Before pinching or pruning, it is important to know that ficuses secrete poisonous milky juice, so you need to take care of your safety - “milk” should not get on the skin, and even more so on the mucous membranes.

Now the ficus is not the time to pinch, you need to do this in the spring. In the spring, the ficus is actively growing, and it will be able to heal wounds faster. In addition, it is in the spring that dormant buds wake up, new shoots form, and you can quickly get the result of formative pruning. And if you cut the ficus in the spring, then it can and will branch, but the new shoots will be thin and ugly, they will grow slowly.

Pruning can begin as early as late February or early March.

If you are tired of the height of the plant, then you only need to pinch the top of the central shoot - the growth point. If you want to cut your ficus shorter, then you need to cut the plant 5-7 centimeters above the desired leaf (branch). But be careful - after pruning and pinching the central shoot, the trunk itself will never grow again, so think in advance about its optimal height.

On thin branches, the cut can be made in a straight line, if you cut the trunk, then the cut must be made oblique (the top of the cut is above the bud, the bottom is on the opposite side at the level of the bud).

All manipulations must be carried out with a disinfected sharp knife or secateurs. Scissors are only suitable for very narrow branches, if you cut the trunk with them, then you injure the plant. Disinfecting pruning tools can be done by roasting them over a fire or by wiping them with alcohol.

After cutting, you need remove milky juice with a cloth soaked in water (do not wring the cloth, the water will stop the further secretion of “milk”). It is not necessary to cover up and sprinkle the wounds of the rubber-bearing ficus.

After 3-4 weeks, the ficus needs to be fed- it is necessary to stimulate growth. It may be worth transplanting into a larger pot (2-3 cm larger in diameter), this also stimulates branching. However, if you do not plan to greatly reduce the height of your plant, such a transplant will be difficult - then just update upper layer soil. Transplantation and renewal of the land should be done no earlier than 2 weeks after pruning, which in itself is stressful for the plant.

If everything goes well and side branches appear, then they can also be pinched to make the crown dense and compact. If the branches are too strongly directed upwards, or asymmetrically to the sides, then at the growth stage their direction can be corrected with a wire.

You can also try to root several plants in one wide pot (for this, your ficus can be propagated by cuttings).

Unfortunately, rubbery ficus not too prone to the formation of side shoots. It is impossible to predict in advance how the crown will grow. Some specimens are very successful in releasing side branches, and some continue to release branches again and again at the top. In such cases, these branches can be cut off or also pinched, until you finally get the result you expect. This can be expected for years, or it can happen the first time.

Your plant is in good shape, judging by the photo, we hope that you will be able to form a beautiful crown for your ficus. We wish you good luck!

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And this is how rubber-bearing ficus grows in nature in its homeland. 🙂