Ficus Benjamin is found in almost every home. Many are attracted by the spectacular appearance of the plant, as well as ease of care. Ficus is long-lived. If you properly care for the plant, then its maximum height will be no more than 2 meters. This is possible only with proper pruning of Benjamin's ficus. Therefore, several basic rules for such a procedure should be highlighted.
What is trimmed for?
Pruning ficus Benjamin is done for several reasons:
- Rejuvenation. Pruning old branches of plants allows you to accelerate the growth of new, stronger shoots. This serves as a powerful incentive for the further development of the ficus.
- Create a beautiful design. The crown of the plant can be given almost any shape. This will make the ficus a highlight of the interior. The appearance of the plant should be considered in advance. In this case, the features of the growth of shoots should be taken into account.
- Sanitation. In the process of removing excess shoots, as a rule, all dried and diseased leaves are removed. A thorough inspection of the plant for the presence of pests is also carried out. This allows timelycarry out insect treatment.
Pruning ficus Benjamin not only improves the appearance of the plant, but also improves the growth of shoots, and improves it as a whole.
Choosing time for trimming
Pruning ficus Benjamin at home should be carried out during the period when the plant is at rest. Otherwise, the procedure can greatly weaken it. It is not recommended to prune the shoots during the period of active ficus growth.
The most favorable time for the procedure is the beginning of December - the end of March. If pruning is carried out for the purpose of sanitization, then it can be carried out throughout the year.
What will be required for this
To prune ficus Benjamin at home you will need:
- pruner equipped with sharp blades;
- scissors designed to trim smaller shoots;
- garden pitch or activated charcoal;
- alcohol based solution.
Before proceeding with the procedure, it is necessary to disinfect cutting tools. For this, the blades are treated with any alcohol solution. This will protect the plant from the penetration of bacteria and viruses into its tissues.
Some recommendations
Is it possible to prune ficus Benjamin at home? Photos of a neat and well-groomed plant immediately attract the attention of flower growers. And to get a similar result, you need to follow some recommendations:
- If youif you want the crown to take on a certain shape, then it is necessary to prune Benjamin's ficus until its age has reached 3 years. An older plant needs a lot of strength to recover, as well as careful care.
- Before the procedure, the ficus should be prepared. To do this, the plant is well watered, and the leaves are cleaned of impurities.
- When pruning thin shoots, it is recommended to make a straight cut, and thicker ones - obliquely.
- After sanitary or spring pruning of ficus Benjamin, it is necessary to process all cut points. To do this, you can use garden pitch or activated charcoal. The juice that appears from the wound must be blotted with a napkin. This procedure will avoid infection of the plant.
- Before you cut the shoot, evaluate the end result. Any awkward movement can ruin the shape of the crown.
- First of all, shoots are removed, which worsen the appearance of the plant and thicken it. Also, all dry branches are completely cut off.
Properly pruning Benjamin's ficus allows you to make it look more attractive, as well as protect against pests and diseases.
Cutting types
The formation and pruning of Benjamin's ficus can be done in several ways. Each of the methods has its own characteristics. Properly performed procedure has a positive effect on the he alth of the plant, and also allows you to rejuvenate it. There are the following trim types:
- rejuvenating,
- sanitary,
- shaping.
It is recommended to make a cut above the sheet, directed outward. Otherwise, if the procedure is not carried out correctly, young shoots will develop inside the crown. It is recommended to make a cut above the kidney by a few millimeters.
Sanitary pruning of an adult plant
Ficus Benjamin must be periodically cleaned of damaged, dry leaves. This event is called sanitary pruning. During its implementation, shoots and leaves that have lost their he althy appearance and turned yellow are removed. To some extent, such pruning is also formative. Do not forget that weakened and old shoots attract bacteria and pests. The appearance of a plant can indicate the presence of a certain disease. If you do not respond to the signal in time, the disease will gradually spread to he althy parts of the shoots. As a result, the ficus may die.
Sanitary pruning should be done throughout the year. The main rule of this procedure is to remove damaged, diseased and old parts of the tree. The cut should be located near he althy tissue. If the damaged area is partially under the ground, then it must be removed to the very foundation.
Aging pruning
This type of pruning is suitable for ficus Benjamin with long, fast-growing branches. The shoots of the plant eventually lose almost all foliage. This is due to high temperature or insufficient air humidity. They should be removed almostthe very foundation. The rest must have at least two kidneys. Do not be afraid to almost completely remove the old shoot. Even if the remaining part will be 10% of its entire length. The better and more intensive the pruning is, the better the ficus will grow.
If you are afraid of damaging the tree, then remove the shoots in stages. To begin with, you can cut one part of the branch. The rest can be deleted after a while. It is recommended to rejuvenate the ficus before its active growth begins. After manipulations, it is recommended to feed the plant.
It is worth noting that the correct pruning of Benjamin's ficus allows not only to form a beautiful crown and give the plant a well-groomed appearance, but also serves as a source of strong, and most importantly, he althy cuttings. They can be used to breed ficus.
Pruning to form a crown
This treatment of the plant is carried out to give the crown a certain shape and appearance. It should be noted that forming pruning is a laborious process. Such a procedure requires a creative approach, as well as constant monitoring of the instance. The highest level of such pruning is Benjamin's ficus bonsai. In the conditions of an apartment, experts recommend processing strongly branching plants.
In the process of forming pruning, special attention should be paid to the direction in which the shoots grow. If the branch needs to be given a horizontal position, then the last kidney should be directed downor to the side. It all depends on what final version you want to see. If the last bud "looks" up, then the branch will grow in the vertical direction.
What shape can be given to the crown
Some experts say that you can change the crown of a plant with a wire. This can be done at home as well. However, a natural process is a better option for a plant than a forced one. A ficus crown can be made in the form:
- shtamba,
- bush,
- arcs,
- pyramids.
It is worth considering a few facts. The younger the tree, the easier it is to form its crown. Many types of Ficus Benjamin need pruning. If you do not carry out such a procedure, then their branches will grow in a chaotic manner. Naturally, the plant will not have a neat appearance.
Form a stem
The choice of shape for the ficus crown is of particular importance. After all, it depends on the method of cropping. If you want to form a crown in the form of a trunk, then you should choose the main trunk of the ficus. The cutting should be well rooted, strong and upright. On it, all young shoots must be removed until the stem reaches the required height. After that, the top of the handle should be cut off.
It is necessary to start forming a trunk after the appearance of 5 side shoots. This will be the top of the ficus. In this case, you need to pinch it several times. It is also regularly recommended to remove the leaves that appear at the base of the stem. After suchmanipulations, a strong and beautiful crown will begin to form.
How to make a ficus in the form of a bush
Demonstrating the Benjamin ficus pruning procedure, the photos are presented above. To make the plant look like a small bush, you must follow a few simple rules. The first step is to choose a plant. The height of the ficus should not exceed 7 centimeters. The specimen should reveal the main stalk, and then pinch off its crown. Side shoots also require special attention. They should begin to pinch when the height of the main handle is 12 centimeters.
When forming a bush, it is worth completely removing those shoots that grow inside the ficus. Gradually, the cropping result will become more visible.
How to form an arc
Ficus Benjamin has several varieties. These are not only beautiful specimens growing upwards. Among them there are plants that hang down. To tidy up such a ficus, you can let it grow in an arc. You can make a structure from wire. It is installed in the container where the plant is located. Shoots must be carefully distributed over the structure. If necessary, the branches of ficus Benjamin can be tied up.
How to make a pyramid crown
If desired, the crown of ficus Benjamin can be shaped like a pyramid. The main thing is to properly trim it. A crown is formed, as when creating a bush. Periodically, correction of its shape and removal of excess shoots are required. Also, do not forget about plucking the tops.
Ficus Benjamin: home care
Pruning takes away the strength of the plant. Therefore, after the procedure, careful care is required. For this you need:
- Reduce watering. Indeed, after pruning, the ground part of the plant becomes smaller. Therefore, the ficus will not consume much moisture.
- To accelerate the growth of the plant, you can spray it with suitable growth regulators. The most effective is "Epin". The drug should be used in accordance with the instructions.
- Protect ficus from direct sunlight. After pruning, the plant weakens. Direct sunlight can cause burns on young twigs.
- Pinch out shoots as they grow. Otherwise, the created form will be broken.
- Timely feeding. Fertilizers should be applied during the period of active growth of the plant.
- It is not recommended to constantly move and rearrange the flowerpot with processed specimens. Ficus Benjamin is a capricious plant. Any change in conditions affects the condition of the foliage.
Compliance with all of the above rules will allow you to keep the shape of the crown of ficus Benjamin for a long time. This makes the plant the perfect decoration for your living room.
