Ficus pruning methods and methods of forming a deciduous crown
Ficus Benjamin has long taken a strong leadership position among domesticated plants. This flower has unique healing properties, many signs and superstitions are associated with it. However, for a plant to be pleasing to the eye, it should be cared for as a pet. Wipe the leaves with a damp cloth, feed with mineral supplements and cut off dry foliage. It is not enough for a gardener to know how to cut a ficus tree and form a beautiful crown; you also need to have certain knowledge and skills in caring for such a plant.
Correct pruning of decorative ficus and full-fledged formation of deciduous ficus can rightfully be considered an art form. Leaves can be shaped into geometric shapes or even cut out as a whole. However, before cutting the ficus, you should prepare the plant and special tools.
Preparation of ficus Benjamin for crown formation
Ficus Benjamin has been adjacent to man for a long time. This large-leaved flower does an excellent job of cleaning the air from harmful components, and according to signs it brings good luck and well-being to the house. However, in addition to its medicinal properties, Benjamin's rubbery ficus has aesthetic value for designers. An intertwined trunk and a neatly trimmed leafy head can add a touch of modernity to the interior. According to experts of the Feng Shui teaching, a neat trimmed crown not only looks beautiful, but also improves the energy in the house.
You can make a bizarre crown shape of a plant at home. There are many types of ficus pruning. However, before forming the crown, the indoor flower should be prepared for the procedure.
The preparation process is quite simple:
- The flower must be healthy. Check the leaves for spots of disease or black patches.
- The flower should be watered a day before cutting.
- The leaves of the plant must be wiped with a damp cloth just before pruning.
You should also prepare the instruments for the procedure. The safety of the haircut depends on their quality. To shape the flower, use:
- Pruner. Check the quality of the blade - a blunt tool can break off shoots.
- Scissors for cutting sprouts.
- Charcoal.
- Alcohol.
Besides preparing just before pruning, you should choose the right time of year. In summer, you can prune young ficus, but in autumn and winter you need to leave the plant alone. Flower crowns are best formed at the end of March. So the plant gets less stress.
In this month, the plant comes out of a kind of hibernation, in which it is from October to February. In addition, starting in April, the flower begins to awaken the buds and releases young shoots. In this way, the plant will be able to quickly come into the desired shape.
Types of pruning ficus
The purpose of cutting a plant is not always to form a beautiful crown. In some cases, trimming of decorative ficus is carried out by florists to rejuvenate or improve sanitation. Each of these types of pruning has its own characteristics associated with the frequency and ultimate goal.
If you do not know how to properly cut a ficus tree and are afraid of harming the plant, ask the experts and watch the training videos.
Sanitary trimming of flowers
A similar haircut for Benjamin's ficus is carried out throughout the year. Such care is necessary for all types of houseplants.
Dried shoots are cut off as they can cause disease. The same goes for broken branches or yellowed foliage. The cut must be treated with charcoal.
Pruning ficus to rejuvenate the plant
If the ficus is kept in a cold place or outdoors, the plant can get frostbite. Also, after drying, the stem of the flower may dry out. In this case, you need to cut Benjamin's injured ficus almost at the root. Not everyone knows how to properly prune a ficus, and they cause irreversible injury to the flower, as a result of which the plant simply dies. Ficus is a bush, which means that the plant always tends to bush, thereby violating its decorated form.
The plant will be able to recover thanks to the root system. A similar procedure should be done once every few years of the flower's life. This will allow the ficus to live for many years. After such a haircut, one shoot usually grows, which is brought into the desired form.
Figured formation of the crown of ficus
Curly pruning of ficus is possible only in the second year of the plant's life.
Before that, the indoor flower should be prepared and the excess parts should be constantly cut off, leaving a few leaves. Remember that this type of plant is capable of producing a lot of foliage and trimming the foliage cap is part of the flower care. You need to prune young ficus even if you are not going to form curly foliage.
To correctly make curly pruning of Benjamin's ficus, it is important to know how to properly interact with the buds of the plant. It is from them that shoots begin their growth, which form the crown. There are two types of ficus:
- Side. These shoots are cut with the exception of the upper branches.
- Apical. During the rest period, pinching these buds will serve as an impetus for the development of lateral shoots. If you pinch the top during the active period, it will help to force the lateral shoots to grow throughout the trunk.
Spring in the life of a flower passes the most crucial period in life. It was at this time that Benjamin's ficus should receive the maximum amount of fertilizer and water for active growth. Try to provide the plant with increased care during these three months, as this will speed up the result.
It should also be noted that pruning Benjamin's ficus concerns not only the leaves, but also the roots. The root system of the plant also needs to be adjusted, especially if the flower is ten years old. Some roots may begin to crawl out of the pot, braid around the outer perimeter and get tangled together. This negatively affects the nutrition of the bush, so you need to get rid of such extra processes. The root process, which sticks out above the ground, spoils the aesthetic appearance of the plant, so they should be carefully pruned.
When pruning the root system of a bush, you need to remember that the cut of the appendage should go mirrored to the branches of the ficus. In this case, the plant is not injured, and the root will continue to grow into the ground. Roots that are underground do not need pruning.
There are several types of Benjamin ficus crown formation. The trimming procedures are almost the same, only the final shape is different. The roots are cut in the same way for any formation of the bush.To date, such types of curly trimming of a flower are known that can be created at home:
Stam
This form is popular with novice florists, since the result can be obtained relatively quickly - after a year and a half. For this, a young ficus tree with a well-formed stem is planted in a separate pot.
Lateral shoots are removed from the top five shoots. After that, pinch the top. If everything is done correctly, then in a year the ficus cap will start to start.
Bush
Such foliage can be formed by pinching the main stem. The lateral outgrowths will begin to grow faster. After reaching ten centimeters, the side shoots must also be pinned. Thanks to this, the ficus turns out to be lush, but you need to cut off the shoots that grow inside the crown and intertwine with others.
Ficus braiding
Basically, this type of flower formation is associated with stems. But thanks to the intertwining of the trunks, you can create a long and wide larch.
Such trees are planted in suburban areas to create a natural trellis. The foliage of the bush is cut evenly, which helps to form a rectangular fence.
One of the interesting subspecies of the common trunk is the "longline trunk" This written larch tree is created by dividing the usual foliage into three parts. The first floor is formed from the lower shoots, the subsequent tiers are created using the side ones. As a result, the plant will have several transitions in the head.
Separately, you can highlight this type of trimming of Benjamin's ficus, as "sculpture". There are exhibitions for this type of creativity, where professionals demonstrate geometric figures, animals and birds created from the crown of ficus. However, such a lesson is quite difficult for novice florists. There are many training videos and diagrams in the public domain, how by pinching the buds and cutting off the shoots, you can achieve one form or another of the plant.
The most common sculpture from a Benjamin ficus hat is considered to be a ball. To recreate this shape, you need to pinch the top of the flower once a month, stimulating the growth of the lateral processes. The plant should be at least two years old at the time of pruning. The most difficult part of this larch formation is to achieve symmetry. To do this, you can select the center of the plant and measure the diameter and circumference of the ficus before each pruning. To get a result from pruning, the plant should be fed with fertilizer after each haircut.
Ficus crown pruning methods
Pruning ficus at home is done according to certain rules. Their goal is to protect the flower from injury and possible infections. The most common recommendations for the formation of a cap are:
- The blades of the secateurs or knife must be sharply sharpened. A dull blade can break the stem or shoot, injuring the plant.
- Before work, tools must be treated with a weak solution of alcohol or potassium permanganate. Otherwise, through the open parts of the stem, the ficus can infect the disease.
- The main trunks are pruned twenty centimeters, leaving five to six leaves on the stems.
- If the stem of the flower is large in diameter, then such a shoot is cut off at an angle.
- Each place of the cut is wiped with a linen cloth and processed with crushed charcoal.
The branches that are used in the formation of foliage can be trimmed however you like. Some shoots should be cut in the middle of the plant, because otherwise the ficus will not have enough air. In such a situation, the flower will begin to shed its foliage and cease to be lush.
For the formation of a specific type of cap, there may be slight discrepancies in the rules, but the general mechanism of action is preserved for any type. The most popular type of trimming is the headquarters. The process of forming a crown of this shape is often taken as the basis for other types of haircuts.
To recreate a crown in the shape of a stem in a flower, you should perform the actions in a specific order:
- A single shoot is planted in a separate pot in the middle.
- The lower branches of the ficus are cut during the growth of the plant.
- The trunk should have five branches at the end of the first year.
- After the bush is brought to the desired height.
- The crown of the ficus should be trimmed and pinned so that the flower gives side shoots.
- The lower branches are pruned throughout the life of the plant.
If the stem of the ficus plant is too thin, then you can use a bamboo support for the flower so that it grows straight. Trimming the crown can be combined with weaving the stems.
Thus, in a couple of years you can get a real work of art that will decorate your living room or bedroom. Such a decorated ficus is called firmmason, from French - styling.
Conclusion
The formation of the crown of the ficus can be equated with the type of creativity. There are many types of curly trimming of the tree cap, the result of which will be a good decoration for any room. When asked whether it is possible to prune ficus at home, experienced florists answer positively.
However, before forming the crown of the ficus, it should be prepared. The formation of foliage is a simple process, if you follow the sanitary norms and rules for cutting a flower. Often crown pruning is combined with weaving of ficus stems. The tall intertwined trunk and fluffy larch will bring real aesthetic pleasure.