Ficus defoliation - how much?

[Giler]

Hello - relative beginner here. About to defoliate this ficus for the first time to encourage ramification and smaller leaves, and give me a clear look at it for its first restructuring. Question: how much to defoliate? Some sites say do the whole thing, others 'never more than half the leaves', others 'never more than two-thirds'...

Any clues? Thank you!

(NB I'm in UK, Zone 8a)

 

[Colorado]

I remove pretty much all the leaves when I defoliate my ficus.



Cheers!

 

[Giler]

Wow! That looks amazing. Thanks - I'll give it a go...

 

[penumbra]

Its a bit early in the season for me in my zone. Complete defoliation for me is generally carried out in the summer at its most active state of growth. But this plant does look very healthy so it may not be as much a concern. Your climate is an issue.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Its a bit early in the season for me in my zone. Complete defoliation for me is generally carried out in the summer at its most active state of growth. But this plant does look very healthy so it may not be as much a concern. Your climate is an issue.

Likewise for my timing.

I would like to note...ficus can be defoliated...though Benjamina as a whole...people say not to defoliate them completely.

 

[Shibui]

Defoliation is not a magic bullet. Defoliation alone won't drastically increase ramification or reduce leaf size.
You need to combine defoliation with pruning, especially removing the tips of branches to get increase in ramification. If growing tips are retained you'll often just get bare branches and larger leaves. These days I mostly just prune to get increased ramification and don't bother with defoliation. Increased ramification usually automatically gives smaller leaf size.
I do not defoliate ficus until they are growing well which usually means mid to late spring but that will depend on local conditions and whether the tree is indoors , heated or not. Your tree can't grow new leaves if it is still part dormant. Better to go a bit later rather than too early.

 

[leatherback]

agreed with all of the above.

- Do this in early summer when in fuyll flushy growth
- Defoliate fully
- Prune and remove growing tips.

I will add one.
Watch my video

 

[Burl]

First defoliation, hope it pulls trough.
I left some twigs on the trunk to use as approach grafts(for secundary branches) as or replacement branches but i will remove them if i get sufficient backbudding

 

[leatherback]

defoliation

did you clip the growing tips? This is needed for strong backbudding.

 

[Burl]

did you clip the growing tips? This is needed for strong backbudding.

Yes. Most youtube videos don't talk about this but i read your and shibui's posts and it makes sense, otherwise all the new energy would go into elongation instead of ramification. This thread gave me the confidence to dive off the deep end with this tree.

 

[Burl]

So it's been almost 2 weeks. maybe one in 5 or less of terminal branches are starting a new terminal bud. The two replacement/graft whips have some more buds (so I cut them..). No backbuds on old wood. I as hoping for more, but then again weather has been shit in the Netherlands, lots of rain, very little sun and not too warm. I guess the only thing I can do is wait? What is a reasonable time to expect backbudding? Any advice is welcome.

 

[leatherback]

normally 2-4 weeks. But as you said already.. It is a VERY cool summer with onlu incidental nice weather. Give it time