This is not the first time I have been asked this question this spring.
I had a similar experience, so I’ll share how I stimulated my old ficus trees to perform this feat.
During the winter, many ficus trees lose their leaves due to the difficulties of wintering in an apartment. Dry air due to heating system, little light, and at the same time cold window sills - this is the main scourge for indoor plants, which winter in the cold climate of our country.
But besides this, there is another reason - the trunks below become bare over time due to natural reasons. The tree grows, the crown develops in the upper part, and at the bottom the trunk becomes bare. This happens to all trees in the wild.
Here is my ficus having reached its maximum growth, as much as conditions allowed it indoors and the size of the pot, exposed the trunks at the bottom. And the top of his head rested on the ceiling. It felt cramped on the windowsill, but you can’t put it on the floor either: it’s too dark, because I live in the Urals - we’ve had dark winters in recent years.
But I decided to try to improve the situation.
There are several ways to force mature tree grow young branches in the lower woody part of the trunk.
1. trimming the crown.
2. tilting the trunk to a horizontal position.
3. stimulation of dormant buds with an incision.
I didn’t have one trunk, but several plants growing in a pot at once.
I took the simplest route. Cut off top part trunks.
But in order for young shoots to come from the lowest tier, the tree is usually pruned low - almost a quarter, or even a third of the trunk.
But since I didn’t want to shorten the ficus too much, I decided to use all three methods at once, but a little at a time.
That is, the tops of the heads were shortened by only 20 or 30 centimeters.
But she spread the trunks from the center to the sides with the help simple device. Any “wheel” that can be found in the house will do.
You can use this support for flowers.
Thus, all individual trunks received enough light and at the same time a more horizontal tilt.
But I didn’t stop there.
I lightly scratched the bark at the bottom of the trunk above the dormant buds in the places where I wanted branches.
And I regularly sprayed these places with water with a drop of biostimulant - Epin.
I also put the ficus on the balcony - where it had light. This important condition- carry out all these activities in the spring, when active sap flow and a lot of light begin.
Of course, here we must also take into account such risks as direct Sun rays. Need or glass balcony, or cut when the ficus has gradually become accustomed to street conditions.
And then new branches began to appear!
Both at the top and at the very bottom. 
I left only those that grew outward rather than inside the crown.
And those that grew strictly horizontally were bent and tied to the main trunk to correct their position.
There were also those who grew completely downward. Their growth was also corrected.
Soon my ficus became “fluffy” again. And after standing on the balcony in the summer, it acquired thick, bright green foliage.
The article pays attention to a number of current issues, each of which is directly related to ficus trees and rarely can be covered in such detail. It is recommended that you read the article about.
In order for the plant to begin to branch as quickly as possible and give side shoots It is necessary to do regular pruning, as well. New branches will begin to appear on the sides, the flower will become beautiful.
In order for the roots to form a crown in accordance with the bonsai style that you have chosen, you need to prune the shoot several times, so growth in height will be stopped. Pruning is carried out until the desired volume of the trunk is obtained.
You can use a garter or use wire. The top is attached to the base of the tree. And with the help of wire you can give the desired shape to the branches. After a few weeks it will be possible to remove it.
To make a ficus standard, you need to start removing the side shoots almost immediately after planting, only 5 shoots remain. As soon as the desired growth is achieved, you need to stimulate the growth of the side branches; for this, those on top are pinched.
The ficus plant initially produces only one stem. But over time, the flower begins to awaken, grow, branch, and here your competent intervention will be needed. Ficus rubber can become an exquisite decoration for your home or work office. The main thing is to know how to force the ficus to produce side shoots, how to pinch it so that the branched lush crown you need is formed. Study this side of the issue so that indoor flower Over time, it has turned into an original interior detail that will attract the eyes of your guests.
Before figuring out how to properly pinch a ficus, every gardener wants to make sure that such a procedure is necessary and find out what results it gives. At first house ficus It grows only upward and does not require crown formation. However, the older the plant gets, the more important it is for you to learn the basic principles of pruning.
If nothing is done in advance, your young green specimen will bush randomly. You cannot delay this rejuvenating procedure. Otherwise, the ficus will grow incorrectly, branch in the wrong direction, or will not give quite the density that you expected. Making a branched crown of a ficus is quite possible; to do this, you just need to learn how to properly pinch your houseplant.
How to make a ficus branch and how complex is such a set of measures? The result will certainly satisfy you if you not only study the necessary principles of the procedure, but also determine what time of year it is best to carry it out. It is possible to get a branched crown from a ficus, but it is better to start pruning in the spring. With the onset of spring, the plant wakes up and 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 plant stem 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 with this procedure. If you start pruning your home ficus in mid-spring, the result may not be of very good quality. The thing is that when sap flow is active, shortening the branches can awaken the flower and stimulate its growth as a whole, but the new side shoots will be too thin.
How to pinch a ficus and how to learn to do it correctly? To produce lateral branches, begin the grafting procedure when the flower grows a little. Preparatory steps are also of great importance. For example, be sure to disinfect the knife you are going to use to trim branches. If desired, use alcohol or hydrogen peroxide. The sharper the knife, the easier it is to trim branches, and indoor ficus they are usually thick. Whatever pruning method you prefer, you first need to pay attention to the condition of the plant.
Let's say you like the height of your 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 indoor plant. 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 step by step, and the result will be more than satisfactory. What exactly does the process of crown formation in an adult ficus consist of:
Every gardener can force a ficus to branch. Pinching will give the plant an incentive to actively grow and form new shoots. Over time, the flower will begin to bush if everything is done correctly and at the right time.
Beginner flower growers ask how to make the ficus bush actively.
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 removing the branches. It also doesn’t hurt – this is another effective way to get side shoots to develop. For those whose home ficus has already acquired an impressive size, this need can be a real problem.
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Instructions
Best time for pinching ficus - spring. It is in the spring that new shoots form most quickly. The wounds that are inevitable during such procedures heal quite easily in the spring. This reduces the risk of plant disease. Therefore, you should not touch the plant before the end of February or the beginning of March.
Wait until the ficus reaches optimal height. Disinfect the knife. It can be wiped with alcohol or doused with hydrogen peroxide. The knife must be very sharp, since the ficus trunk is quite difficult to cut. You can heat the knife over the fire for a few minutes. You can pinch in two ways. If you are satisfied with the current height of the ficus and its upper shoot is quite thin, cut it just below the growth point. In this case, you can make a straight cut.
Ficus that is too large must be trimmed differently. Define the desired height and find a leaf or branch that is below this point. Trim the ficus 5-8 cm above this leaf. The cut in this case should be oblique. Its bottom is at the level of the bud, on the opposite side of the trunk. The top of the cut should be located directly above the kidney.
Use a soft cloth soaked in water to wipe off the milky sap from the barrel. The cloth cannot be wrung out; it must be thrown away. The water itself will stop further juice secretion. The ficus does not require any further treatment of wounds; they will heal perfectly on their own.
Wait a month and feed the ficus. After feeding, it should begin to grow rapidly. You can transplant it into a pot of larger diameter (so that the old pot fits freely into the new one). But you don’t have to do this; it’s enough to change some of the soil in the first year. After the first successful operation, you can continue to form the ficus crown. To do this next spring, pinch the side shoots in the same way.
note
Ficus sap is poisonous. It is better to pinch and trim this plant while wearing gloves. Try not to get the milky juice on the mucous membranes of your nose and mouth.
Keep in mind that after pruning and pinching, the ficus trunk does not grow.
When starting to form a crown, keep in mind that not all ficus trees tolerate this well. Wounds usually heal quickly, but side shoots do not appear easily on all plants. Therefore, observe the ficus before pinching the next shoots. If your ficus does not particularly want to branch, you can make a lush crown in another way. Just plant several cuttings in one pot.
The rubber-bearing ficus occupies a prominent place in an apartment, office or public institution. Rubbery or elastic, and also rubber, it is called because its juice flowing from the wounds solidifies and resembles a substance such as rubber or latex.
In India, the homeland of this tree, it grows to huge in size, covering with the shadow of its crown up to 250-300 square meters. Based on this tree, breeders developed a small and easy-to-place tree. And to make it look compact and exotic, a system for trimming its crown has been developed.
Having become more familiar with these representatives of the mulberry family, every lover of indoor plants will take up growing ficus.
Similar trees to this tree are:
Few home growers call ficus rubber - just ficus. Indoors, the height of the plant is regulated by pruning, and depending on the tastes of the owners, it can be from 1 to 2 meters, although in its homeland the tree reaches the height of a 10-story building. young tree in the jungle it grows very quickly and forms aerial roots.
In India, and in our country too, ficus is considered a tree of prosperity and prosperity. Ficus, according to home gardeners, perfectly purifies the indoor air from germs and bacteria.
The leaves of a young plant are pinkish in color, with age they acquire a thick green color, petiolate, and are arranged alternately on the stem. Their size is up to 35 cm in length and up to 25 in width. Ficus does not bloom indoors.
When grown indoors, the plant requires crown-forming pruning. If you cut only the top of the tree, there will be no effect. Ficus does not branch, and the cut top bud will grow in one direction. The plant will be one-sided and will not decorate the room.
To form a beautiful crown, rubber-bearing ficus is pruned in early March, at which time the tree’s vigorous growing season begins.
Properly performed trimming operation in early spring will awaken axillary buds, which, in turn, will give rise to lateral branches.
If for some reason it was not possible to prune the plant at the beginning of spring, this action is carried out only if there is an urgent need, if the ficus quickly began to gain growth.
When pruning in winter or late autumn, one single upper bud will awaken, which will give the ficus a one-sided shape, and the decorativeness of the plant will suffer significantly from this.
Important! Juice rubber ficus poisonous, pruning and other work with the plant is carried out using protective equipment(rubber gloves, glasses).
There is no doubt that the plant is grown indoors because of its decorative properties, that is, its beautiful crown. And in order for this part of the ficus to really please the eye, you need to remember the following things:
Since the homeland of the plant is India, the country is warm and humid, ficus loves diffused light and high humidity. It is advisable to place pots with plants near eastern or western windows. If the flower is placed in partial shade, its growth will be quite slow, and at the same time the leaves will fall off at the bottom of the stem.
Attention! When placing a ficus indoors, there is no need to place it in a draft.
Optimal performance temperature regime are:
Rubber-bearing ficus loves well-loose soil with proper drainage. Prepare the soil from peat, turf, sand, and leaf soil.
But you can purchase the substrate at flower shop, called "soil for palm trees".
The ficus should be watered as the soil in the pot dries. The frequency of the procedure is determined by the air temperature and humidity in the room. Excess moisture in the soil causes leaves to drop. And when insufficient humidity air, systematic spraying or wiping the leaves with a damp cloth is necessary.
For water procedures with ficus, it is better to use rain or snow water. Feeding the plant complex fertilizer With increased content nitrogen.
When plant owners want to achieve an extensive, dense crown, they do the following:
The plant is resistant to visit harmful insects, But spider mite and scale insects can covet large beautiful leaves.
You can kill them with insecticides or a solution of laundry soap.
Pathogenic diseases practically do not affect ficus.
Growing young ficus is not difficult. The cuttings obtained by pruning are germinated and planted in prepared containers. This procedure is well known to every home gardener.
If the plant begins to grow weakly, the leaves turn yellow and fall off, the owner is to blame for this; in this case, the ficus lacks:
