Many people know the plant ficus Benjamin. It is used as a room apartment in apartments and houses, is unpretentious in care and goes well with any style design of the room. Ficus pleases with its greenery for many years and with proper care can reach more than two meters in height.
What is pruning for?
To make the ficus crown fluffy, it is periodically pruned. The operation is performed according to certain rules. Pruning Benjamin's ficus at home is the main stage of plant care and makes it possible to form a tree of the desired configuration.
Young plant
Features of the process are associated with the development of ficus. His branches develop from shoots, and they, in turn, are formed from buds. The kidneys themselves are of two types:
- Growing from the top of the trunk and ensuring the development of plants in height.
- Lateral shoots giving the density of the crown. They are located along the entire trunk.
The rapid development of the upper kidneys leads to the fact that the ficus grows intensively. With their removal, side shoots begin to grow, making it branched and lush.
Cutting time and tool preparation
Spring is a time of active growth, while with the onset of cold weather the process slows down. Pruning is best done in the warmer months.
Note! Pruning in the fall or winter can lead to improper crown formation and trunk deformation.
The shaping and trimming of the crown of the ficus is carried out when the trunk is still young and not numb. Subsequently, such an intervention can become fatal for the plant, and if it survives, it will restore strength for a long time.
For proper trimming, prepare:
- secateurs;
- sterile wipe;
- activated or charcoal;
- a disinfectant such as alcohol or a weak potassium permanganate solution.
Before starting work, the secateurs are disinfected so as not to infect the plant when cut.
General Ficus Benjamin Trimming Rules
Florists are advised to cut Benjamin's ficus for the following purposes:
- For rejuvenating plants. After the procedure, the trunk and branches begin to grow actively, which positively affects the maturation of the ficus.
- Improvements in appearance. You can create a design for a specific room.
- Branching stimulation. With the right procedure, you can simulate how and in what quantity the branches will grow, as well as their size in the future.
- Sanitary processing plants. In the process of growth, dry and infected shoots are removed.
The formation of a magnificent crown is achieved by pinching the shoot growing at the very top of the trunk. It is called a growth point. It is better to do this one or two weeks before the transplant. Active growth implies a great need for nutrients, therefore, fertilizing is mandatory.
Important! It is impossible to prune and transplant the plant at the same time, as this will lead to its death. The flower does not have time to recover.
How to crop Benjamin's ficus? Step-by-step method of trimming Benjamin's ficus:
- Prepare the plant for the procedure, clean and water.
- Use pre-sanitized garden tools.
- The cut on thin branches is made straight, while thick ones are obliquely shortened.
- At the end of the procedure, the instrument is disinfected, for which the sections are treated with wood ash. Before this, remove the juice with a napkin.
- Starting to form a crown focus on a natural silhouette.
- Each movement of scissors must be calibrated, so that in the end the ficus becomes a beautiful, not a plucked flower.
- Branches that spoil the appearance of the plant are removed.
- The upper shoots and branches growing parallel to the trunk are cut off.
At home, the formation of the crown is carried out until the flower reaches the age of three. If the plant is sick, then the pruning procedure is better to postpone for a while.
Plant pruning
Pruning to rejuvenate the plant
The procedure is carried out to make the tree more attractive and lush. With anti-aging pruning, too long and crooked shoots are removed, as well as branches that began to dry out and discarded leaves.
Additional Information! For the speedy restoration of plants, the soil is fertilized. Old branches are removed completely, and young ones are shortened. The work is carried out during the rest period, when the ficus does not bloom.
Sanitary pruning
Proper care of a flower requires not only watering and feeding it on time, but also protecting it from diseases by sanitary pruning. In this case, you can give the crown the desired shape. The procedure has the following objectives: the removal of dried, yellowed or infected branches and leaves; getting rid of the trunk from curves and affected shoots.
The damaged part of the plant is removed to the base, this will reduce the risk of infection. If a part of the root is affected, then it is cut off with a piece of healthy tissue and do not forget to treat the problem area with disinfecting compounds. This will protect the flower from death.
Sanitary inspection
The formation of a beautiful crown and general appearance
The creation of the desired crown shape begins with modeling the location and density of the upper and side shoots.
There are several options for the crown:
- Bushy. Take a ficus, whose age does not exceed two years, and pinch the upper shoot at a height of 10-15 cm. The lateral buds that give growth do not affect. The procedure is repeated as the tree grows. With repeated manipulations, excess shoots are removed, giving unnecessary density and interfering with the normal development of other branches. To ensure uniform growth, the pot is periodically rotated on the windowsill for uniform access to sunlight.
- Crones Stamb. Its formation begins almost immediately after planting a ficus. For modeling, about five healthy kidneys are left on the trunk, and the rest are completely removed. When the height of the plant exceeds forty centimeters, pinch the top. Gradually, the silhouette of a palm tree from leaves begins to form on a long and beautiful trunk. Periodically thin out the branches and rotate the plant with different sides to the light.
- Crona Tier. They create it from an already formed standard plant, in which the top is not cut off immediately, but grows another ten centimeters and only then it is pinched. Lateral branches from the lower tier are completely removed, as well as shoots that create excessive crown density.
Start of bush formation
Root pruning
Sometimes it is recommended to remove not only the branches, but also the roots of the plant that interfere with development. Such work requires accuracy and caution, since the health of the flower depends on this. Usually, the root is removed when it is infected and the ficus needs a transplant:
- After cleaning from the ground, the roots are placed in an antiseptic solution.
- Then injured and interfering processes are removed.
- Slices sprinkled with activated carbon dust.
- Ficus is planted in another container.
Create fancy shapes
There are many options for creating interesting forms of ficus. Flower growers are attracted to shapes in the form of a spiral or fence, someone may be interested in a braided pigtail. To do this, plant sprouts in strict sequence. The result of hard work will please with unusual beauty, if you use the right training scheme.
Beautiful pigtail
Post Trim Activities
After pruning, experts recommend several additional actions that contribute to the rapid development of the plant after stress. Using a sterile wipe, remove all the milk that the sections will secrete. Do this until the moment when the surface is not completely dry. Clean the flower away from the bright sun. Water the plant strictly on schedule, avoiding stagnation of water. Feeding is carried out, but not earlier than a few weeks after trimming.
Important! Watering is carried out with settled water at room temperature. The leaves are wiped with a damp cloth.
When trimming, they follow the movements so as not to inflict wounds. This can cause infection of the ficus, weaken its strength and can even destroy the flower.
Trimming Benjamin's ficus is not difficult, but after that you should properly care for it. For the procedure, it is better to choose the warm months, but if necessary, November is suitable for this purpose. With the right pruning, you can get an interesting look of a flower that will decorate the house.
