How to Prune a Ficus Tree: 5 Steps

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How to Prune a Ficus Tree: 5 Steps
How to Prune a Ficus Tree: 5 Steps
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The ficus, commonly called Ficus Benjamin, is a beautiful houseplant, but, if found in an ideal habitat, it can also grow too tall and too wide for the space you have available. The pruning operation is quite simple, and allows you to keep your plant at home. Pruning it at the right time and in the right way can make it more lush and more beautiful.

Steps

Prune a Ficus Tree Step 1
Prune a Ficus Tree Step 1

Step 1. Get some garden shears to prune the ficus

Prune a Ficus Tree Step 2
Prune a Ficus Tree Step 2

Step 2. Choose the right time

  • Pruning your tree after a new growth stops the birth of new shoots and you will get a better result. Most ficus trees produce new buds in spring and early summer. Late summer and early autumn are therefore the ideal times to cut it off.
  • Prune it just before bringing it back indoors, if it has been outdoors during the summer.
  • Pruning can be done at any time if you need to place the plant in a certain area.

  • Dead or broken branches must be cut at any time.

    Prune a Ficus Tree Step 2Bullet4
    Prune a Ficus Tree Step 2Bullet4
Prune a Ficus Tree Step 3
Prune a Ficus Tree Step 3

Step 3. Check the tree carefully to see where it needs to be trimmed

  • Decide if you want to limit the height or width, or both.

    Prune a Ficus Tree Step 3Bullet1
    Prune a Ficus Tree Step 3Bullet1
  • Look at the shape of the tree and try to prune it so that it has a natural shape.
Prune a Ficus Tree Step 4
Prune a Ficus Tree Step 4

Step 4. Look at the branches you want to cut and find a knot

This is where a leaf or twig joins the stem.

Prune to Ficus Tree Step 5
Prune to Ficus Tree Step 5

Step 5. Cut the branch with a slight downward slope just before the knot

  • Cut as close to the knot as possible, but don't delete it.
  • Always leave at least one knot on the branch if you want new growth in that area.

  • If, on the other hand, you want to remove a branch so that no new growth is formed, cut just before the trunk or main branches and leave no knots.

    Prune a Ficus Tree Step 5Bullet3
    Prune a Ficus Tree Step 5Bullet3

Advice

It is natural for ficus trees to become bare near the trunk as they grow higher. Cut off those branches that shed their leaves

Warnings

  • A ficus can lose many leaves when exposed to a sudden change in temperature or light. Don't assume that a branch is dead in this case. Touch it to feel if it is still soft and check for any small buds. Wait a month or so to see if these branches recover before cutting them back drastically.
  • Do not use scissors or cutters for the live branches of the ficus. These tools damage living tissues. The clippers can be used for dead branches.

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