Been shaping this Ficus for 20 years – what should I fix?
by SicilyMalta
Been shaping this Ficus for 20 years – what should I fix?
by SicilyMalta
11 Comments
If it were mine, I’d want it much shorter
Option 1: keep as a decorative plant
Option 2: airlayer bits off or trunk chop and restart the main structure.
20years and you haven’t learned how to apply wire yet?
depends on what you want it to look like
Someone mentioned that I hadn’t wired it. I have, and have gotten really great twisty branches. But maybe they meant something else. I personally don’t like the bushy top.
Bigger pot! Root prune.
Small trunk on the left is the only thing worth keeping imo
https://preview.redd.it/ohlwcpxmjnvg1.png?width=1080&format=png&auto=webp&s=5bcd24ff33e6f2c3de4a762e0cd3ed056b77ca3c
Is it a weeping ficus (benji) ?
Three trunk clump is what I’d do as that structure is there. Cut that prominent crossing branch, and trim the apex down to make it more compact.
As it’s regrowing and you’re keeping the top thin, and maintained. it would ideally pop a new side branch off the outer trunk. If it doesn’t backbud you could thread graft now or later if you get tired of waiting.
The hack it all advice is terrible, don’t do it. The wild roots and structure is great. Just refinement and compaction.
I don’t know what I’d do as I’m still learning, but it looks too spindly, gangly to me 🤷♂️
Nice, and 20 years is very impressive!
To me the first pic should be the front.
I would 1) remove the crossing root, 2) remove the big crossing branch going left from the middle trunk – without removing the little branch that crosses the trunk, and 3) Wire some of the bushy branches towards the back for depth. Then stand back and take a look. The little crossing branch in the front is important to keep because it hides the previous trunk chops.